As some of you may know or noticed, I’m a huge fan of slice-of-life series. Nothing makes me happier than to unwind with some lighthearted, fun series that usually are slice-of-life. Slice-of-life in anime refers to series with little plot and character development. More often than not, the series are filled with comedic moments.

You probably already know that, don’t you?

Anyway, the list below is my favorite slice-of-life series, not arranged in any particular order.

Hyakko

Hyakko introduced me to slice-of-life. It showed me that anime doesn’t have to long and whiny (okay, maybe not whiny) like One Piece and Naruto. And that I have the option for some short, pointless but fun series. Fine, I’m exaggerating but I think you know how I felt about the discovery. It’s super fun! I remember thinking that “hey, this anime is fun & so easy to watch”.

That really is the beginning of my “obsession” with slice-of-life.

Lucky Star

Are you guys even surprised I listed this? With most of my random posts filled with images of Konata and with Lucky Star being constantly mentioned, my guess is that you’re not surprised. It’s hard not to like Lucky Star. There were a lot of aha! moments, the “yes, I feel the same way” moments, the “I did that too” moments. It did bring back some childhood memories like how Konata and Tsukasa went “ahhhh” in front of the fan during hot summer. I got scolded by adults back then. The most memorable scene is perhaps when Kuroi-sensei got the “This page cannot be displayed” error messages when she finally had some downtime and decided to go online. Don’t we get that a lot? Or is it really only me?

School Rumble

I first watched School Rumble on national television channel irregularly. If I remember correctly, it was dubbed in Malay. I’m not a fan of anything dubbed, but I remember finding this series to be exceptionally interesting compared to the other magical girls-related series that were also on TV. Before I know it, I was watching two seasons of School Rumble subbed.

The funniest thing about School Rumble is the antics of Harima & Sawachika. Their interactions often result in extreme circumstances, bringing many laughters. The good news is – they aren’t the only ones who are funny! Even the side characters never fail to make audience laugh. It’s really a great series to laugh with. Never let you down on that one.

Hidamari Sketch

I remember reading good reviews about Hidamari Sketch on various anime blogs before I finally gave in and watched. At first, I wasn’t quite sure how I feel about the arrangement of the episode sequence. It took me a while to get used to it. I marathon-ed the first two seasons over a week-long holiday (Hari Raya I think?) and fell in love with the serenity of the series. I mean, the noisiest of the bunch is genki-girl Miyako and really, it’s considered mild compared to the likes of Ritsu from K-ON!, in my opinion.

What sets Hidamari Sketch apart from other slice-of-life series mentioned here is that the girls work towards a common goal. It’s like there’s something at the end of the tunnel. A goal waiting to be achieved by the characters. In recent seasons, it showed that the seniors, Hiro and Sae, were struggling with the decisions regarding their future. I don’t know if I’ll feel the same way about Hidamari Sketch should Hiro and Sae no longer be a regular part of the series upon graduating. I hope that doesn’t happen…

Tamayura

Having an astounding artwork is one of the many things I like about Tamayura. But the most important factor is its healing effect. Out of the five titles listed, Tamayura has the best healing/soothing effect. It’s not that I’m escaping anything from my daily worries/obligations/responsibilities, but Tamayura does bring the calming effect. It could be the tranquil sceneries, the places Potte would go to or do, the appreciation the girls show for almost anything their doing, etc. I don’t really know for sure, but it makes me a tad relaxed watching this series. I’m so looking forward to the new season when it airs this coming July! Erm…it’s still happening right? I’m kinda out of touch with anime news (for the time being >.<)

Sooo…that’s my five favorite slice-of-life series. What’s yours?

I managed to watch the whole series, Sakurasou no Petto na Kanojo, in a couple of days on my iPad. I brought it along with me when I was on a business trip in April. My first time watching the entire series on such tiny screen. Sakurasou, as most anime fans called it, was an easy series to watch – it has its share of happy moments and then it has its share of sad moments. Typical.

The reason why I decided to write about this series is because of the two categories of characters found in the series. One category being the super talented students and the other category being the not-so-talented-but-very-hardworking students.

If I am to categorize myself within these two groups of people, I’m in the latter group. I by no stretch of imagination am a talented kid. All my life I had to work hard to be where I am. If I don’t put in the effort, I’m average. Or worse, below average. However, if I put forth all my might into something, sometimes I get the results I desire. Of course, there are times I’d be very disappointed.

The main character, Kanda Sorata, had his shares of disappointments. After finally found his goal in life, he was hit by failures upon failures. The worst moment was probably when he was rejected while Shiina Mashiro got an offer even though she didn’t try. Mashiro was on the opposite side of the spectrum. She’s super talented. I suspect she’s the sort who doesn’t need to work hard to achieve ground-breaking results. She worked hard because she loved to. Sorata worked hard because he had to. There’s a huge difference in that.

Similarly, Mitaka Jin suffered inferiority complex when around Kamiigusa Misaki because of the very same difference. Although the romantic feelings between these two characters are mutual, Jin was determined to make a name for himself first before pursuing a relationship with Misaki.

Aoyama Nanami, an aspiring voice actress, sacrificed a lot for her dream. Devoid of parental support, Nanami had to work part-time jobs after school while attending voice acting classes other days. While I don’t have similar experience, I’m sure it’s very taxing to be always on-the-go and hardly ever be able to attend social functions with friends.

What hit home with me is when Sorata was shocked into realization – “you can play catch-up all your life but never even get close (to the talented group)”. The fact that he and Nanami worked so hard but it was for nothing. And that hard work doesn’t pay off.

Growing up, I’m always hanging out with the smart kids. It’s not like I planned it; it just so happened. These friends of mine would score straight As without having to study. They’re natural. Being with them, I didn’t study either. While they passed with flying colors, I merely passed. Back then, I didn’t care too much but there came a point when I’d question myself the huge difference in ability between me and them. Upon realization, it was frustrating.

Having said that, I think I could resonate with Sorata when he became depressed and angry at Mashiro. I’m not saying I agree with his actions. At the same time, I won’t say that’s it’s a pity he feels sorry for himself because being in that position isn’t something easy. Seeing someone close having grand goals and score every single time while he failed repeatedly is hard to take in. I’d say cruel, even. It takes a lot of courage to keep one’s head held high after going through what Nanami and Sorata went through. They worked hard. Really hard. They didn’t just sit and wait for miracles to happen. That’s something I find admiring – the persistence.

Whether hard work pays off, it’s not for me to say. It has too many variables to have an absolute answer. I’d like to believe though that hard work does pay off. What about you?

It might sound silly to some people, but I’ve seen friends and strangers alike being overly attached to fictional characters. In the context of this blog, being too attached to 2D characters from anime or manga. Maybe even games! But I seldom read or hear people complain about characters in games. I wonder why…

This thought crossed my mind every time I read or hear fans complaining about a certain tragedy that has fallen on their favorite characters. Most recently, a friend told me she was scared to read the then latest chapter (probably two weeks ago?) of Naruto because she was scared to find out what’d happened Kakashi. Apparently, our mutual friend had told her that something bad might happened to the character. I didn’t know what to say when she explained her reason. I simply kept quiet.

On the bright side, at least she wasn’t cursing or anything about bad things (might be) happening to her favorite character. I remember when Itachi (of Naruto) and Ace (of One Piece) were killed off in their respective series a long time ago, friends expressed emotions I couldn’t quite understand. Anger towards the author, disappointments towards the series, etc. Some even stop reading/watching a series. I may be shocked or sad when certain characters were killed off, but the feelings lingered only for a short while. I’ll be lying if I say I don’t feel anything at all, but I don’t harbor negative emotions.

And then, I remember hanging out with a bunch of people a long time ago. They’re friends of friends. I sat through a heated discussion in which they were debating which character is the best. I can’t remember which series they were talking about. But the whole point is, watching them comparing their favorite characters are akin to watching parents insisting that their kids are smarter. It’s pointless because we are all entitled to our own opinions, biased to things/people we like.

If I really try, I suppose it’s understandable to a certain extent why some people gets a little emotional than necessary when bad things happen to their favorite characters. After all, it’s a character they’ve been following closely for a loooong time.

On the extreme side though, in my opinion, are diehard fans celebrating birthdays of fictional characters. I’m not saying it’s wrong or even saying that it’s weird (I’m too used to seeing things like that at this point). I just don’t understand why.

It’s just a fictional character. Is there a need to get all worked up? Or am I being heartless?

I’ve written before about how motivating and inspiring the pair Shuujin and Saikou it is for me and their dynamic relationship with fellow mangakas. While those two elements are still present throughout the third installment of Bakuman, the vibe I’ve been getting the most can be described in one word – Positivity.

I don’t think anyone of the characters in this series could have accomplished what they did if they did not have a positive mindset, the positive attitude, and with positive criticism. This is especially true when it comes to Ashirogi Muto. And when I say this name, I meant the three characters whose name were used in the pen name formulation.

Azuki Miho

The first time Azuki Miho appeared on the series, I didn’t really think much of her. There isn’t anything to think about, really. At the time, she just seems like a plot device that bring together Shuujin and Saikou. She’s the reason why the formidable pair was formed. However, as the series progress, it became clear that she’s not just some girl one half of Ashirogi Muto falls in love with. Azuki Miho is quite the remarkable character.

She was very firm in her decisions. Once she made up her mind on something, no one can stop her. She doesn’t even listen to Mashiro and follows what she thinks it best for herself, her happiness.

I especially like her honesty and bravery when it comes to her career and private life. I’m sure it’s easy to falter, coming under pressure from hardcore fans and her management. Any mistakes can jeopardize her career. Despite that, Azuki Miho has been consistently marching to the beat of her own drum in a good way. What matters the most isn’t what other people think, what matters the most is the dream she shares with the one she loves.

Nothing changes that.

Mashiro Moritaka & Takagi Akito

Initially I wanted to write independent scenarios to best describe their positive characters since they are both very different person. However, since they are practically glued together and share similar aspirations when it comes to their work, I might as well group them as one.

They sure came a long way since the first two seasons. From amateurs fighting for a spot in a weekly comic magazine to respected mangaka whose presence can no longer be ignored. These two have set a positive example of how hard work and persistence pay off. Ever since their debut and first serialization, Shuujin and Saikou had certainly matured and are less impulsive. I like how they took their time to figure out what their next manga would be and what’s the best setting for it.

When they found out their current work, Perfect Crime Party (PCP), wouldn’t be able to realize their dreams, they didn’t rush off to start another new series. At this point, I find that they have absolute confidence in their skills and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Their discernment of their own situation has increased as well. It shows a positive attitude towards a greater success.

Shuuji and Saikou often throw ideas back and forth at each other and is never shy about voicing out their opinions, especially Saikou. His professionalism, or rather, perfectionist self, wouldn’t let Shuujin does anything less than is expected of. In addition, having an archrival in the highly respected and widely popular mangaka Niizuma Eiji to provide criticisms throughout their career has boost their confidence and determination. This sort of constructive criticisms often will only produce highly desired results.

Sure, these three characters had shown doubt and anxiety throughout their journey to realize their dreams. But who wouldn’t? As positive as we can be, there are times it’s necessary to take a step back and look at the things as they were and as they are, to figure out our next best step.

The third season wasn’t as intense as the first two mainly because most of the characters, the mangakas, has established themselves in the manga world. So there’s isn’t some kind of intense, good competition among rivals as seen in previous two seasons. They’re still there, just not as much. However, I’d say what’s intense this season is the highlight of the works of the characters. An instant draw away from Bakuman’s world. It’s as if Ooba Tsugumi and Obata Takeshi are telling us they’re capable of writing many high class series just as intense.

Let me end this by saying, I’d highly recommend Bakuman to anyone who’s looking for something exciting and intense! 75 episodes, but totally worth the time.

Come to think of it, I never really wrote anything about Fairy Tail. I might not be fully invested in the series, but still I have follow the anime until the end. That’s right – 175 episodes. All watched. It’s pure leisure.

Fairy Tail isn’t any different from other shounen titles. In my opinion, that’s a good thing and a bad thing. It’s a good thing because it feels familiar and I know it won’t go too far off the formulae. At the same time, it’s a bad thing because of the good thing (am I confusing you here?) and that makes it some sort of a clone. It makes it easy for skeptics to say “Oh, that’s just another shounen series. Good guys will win at the end.”

I was introduced to Fairy Tail by a Twitter friend who’s a huge fan of One Piece. No, he (I think he’s a he) didn’t introduce to me directly but was tweeting about the similarities when the series started airing about five years ago. I’m a fan of One Piece and Fairy Tail seems to be my cup of tea. And it is. Like One Piece or most shounen titles of similar set up, there’s a male protagonist seeking something. In the midst of his journey of attaining that something, he has a fun, great adventure with friends. Laughter always ensues.

In Fairy Tail, the character’s name is Natsu and his friends are members of a guild called Fairy Tail. He’s finding his “father”, a dragon who vanished into thin year many years ago. During his journey, he encountered and fought many wizards from other guilds alongside his close friends, Lucy, Gray, Erza and a blue cat named Happy. Along the way, he made a few new friends and some enemies.

What attracted me to Fairy Tail is first and foremost, the fun, the laughters. It wouldn’t be complete without it. I like the fact that it maintains its comedic flare even in the serious, life-threatening, future-determining battles. Having a “mascot” in Happy the blue cat helps in that area. Throw in a maiden in distress Lucy and an almost-lacking-common-sense Erza, the already chaotic world in which Natsu lives in gets turned upside down every single day.

As mentioned before, Fairy Tail isn’t unlike other popular shounen titles. The main characters in it always fight for what they believe is right and just. Perhaps it’s because of this, series like Fairy Tail fare very well among fans. Even for me, it can be very encouraging to see Natsu staying very positive and determined until a match is decided. “I’m fired up!”, a phrase Natsu often says is becoming my chant when facing obstacles at work. >.<

Fairy Tail can be very random at times. What’s even weirder is that meaningless things can take up a good chunk of time per episode. Also, it’s probably the first shounen title I watch that’s not shy on the fanservice department. C’mon, with a designated pinup girl called Mirajane, do you really think there would be no fanservice? It’s mild though so don’t keep your hopes too high (if you’re all in for fanservice).

I think the main reason I’m able to enjoy Fairy Tail anime as much as I did is because I never read the manga. I might have glanced through a few chapters but never did end up following. Now that I don’t know what’s filler and what’s original, I can just enjoy the anime as it is. Nothing to dislike about. Although I must say, I find the rubber-wearing three stooges who call themselves Jiggle Butt Gang the most irritating. Do they appear in manga too?

My initial complaints about the series is the lack of growth in the characters. After many arcs, I still see the same old patterns from the main characters. Erza seems to be using the same outfit repetitively. Natsu is using the same skills over and over again. Gray isn’t doing anything differently. Lucy always get into troubles and almost always ended up in compromising situation. It gets boring.

Thank goodness I’m seeing some major improvement in terms of skills in the recent battles of Fairy Tail members. For one, I’m enjoying the fact that Lucy, one of the weaker members, is becoming more powerful and playing a crucial role in whatever fate that lies ahead for Fairy Tail. Also, I was delighted to see Elfman overcoming a strong opponent in the recent arc on game tournament. Seeing what used to be weak characters becoming so strong, I couldn’t hold my excitement of what would become of the already strong members – Erza, Natsu and Gray.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the end of Fairy Tail so I can’t say for sure if the good guys will win at the end but I have a rough idea. My question now is: Can I continue from where the anime left off? If yes, from which chapter? Or should I just wait for the anime to be continued, whenever that may be…

In my opinion, Steins;Gate was great fun. The interactions among all the characters and the mystery behind gooey banana, I like. Heck, Chaos;Head was interesting even though it was only during the first half. It could’ve been a lot better. It had potential. So needless to say, I had high hopes for Robotics;Notes. I was eager to know what’s the mystery this time around.

Maybe I was a little too hopeful, a little too eager.

Robotics;Notes started off decently. It slowly build its story around Akiho, the series female lead, and her passion for robots along with her desire to reconnect with her elder sister, Misaki. Kaito, her childhood friend, was tasked with the responsibility to look after Akiho when Misaki left. And I thought he only did what he was ordered to do.

Throughout the series, there’s no doubt who Akiho and Kaito are – what their characters are like, their dreams and their roles in Robotics;Notes. I can’t say the same for the remaining casts. More than half the cast was useless. I’d imagined the story would do just fine with them. Say, Jun. Who is she and what’s her role again? She was recruited to join the dying robot club to capture motions and that’s really all she ever did! Or is her presence in the series really to help her grandfather, Doc, a robot expert, to rekindle his passion? What about Mizuka-san? I tell you, the list can go on.

Maybe I spent a little too much time than necessary wondering why do some of the characters exist. Or maybe I’m just slow. Introducing too many characters and sad stories of yesteryears made it hard for me to piece things together. Because at the end of the day, the whole phenomena surrounding robots and the lost reports boils down to one simple thing – Kimijima Kou.

Of course I’m intrigued with the whole Kimijima Kou thing in which a dead person is still able to “live” through systems. Heck, I love how the series apply modern technology in its story which made it relatable. To me, at least. I’m a technology geek so I like how they’re incorporating social networks and mobile systems to compliment the story.

I can’t help but to think there can be more to this than what was delivered. I would be more satisfied if the series didn’t only start to take off at the end. When the whole situation (the main point of the story?) was finally revealed, there’s only little time left to resolve it. It’s as if it was rushed.  Or maybe if Robotics;Notes take a different turn, I’d be more satisfied. Like Misaki, portrayed as a cold-hearted sister is really the cold-hearted villain or anything else along that line.

Look at this piece. Loads of complaints about Robotics;Notes! It’s my two-cents though. For those who have seen the series, what’s your thoughts on it? Are you disappointed or are you completely satisfied?

Gosh, I am super late with this post. Sigh. Anyway, Kai from Deluscar has recently asked us to write about our reasons for watching anime. We may all be like-minded, loving anime but are we reasons the same?

I admit. Even though I have watch anime for almost a decade, I never really question why I watch anime. Seriously. I sorta just went with it the moment I discovered it. Okay, while I didn’t directly ask myself the question, somehow deep down inside I have a few reasons why I favor anime over other form of visual entertainment.

And no, it’s not because there are plenty of cute 2D girls. I started with shounen series. Let’s face it, there aren’t many cute 2D girls or even guys to look at.

Not Too Much Drama

I don’t know about you, but I’m not too fond of drama. Drama, as in, Gossip Girl kind of drama. Lots of plotting, backstabbing, breaking up, making up, frenemies stuff. I got tired of those. You won’t see anything else except for sitcom or crime series in my storage. That’s how much I dislike the sort of drama. This is also the main reason why my genre of choice is slice-of-life – the sort of series I can spend a good 2o minutes having some laugh with, then, forget about it. The really good ones will leave lasting impressions though.

Action Visuals

As I mentioned earlier, I started with shounen series. And yes, I started my anime watching hobby with the oh so famous titles – Naruto, Bleach and One Piece. In that order, if I’m not mistaken. Of course, the action visuals of these series are nothing compared to Redline or even Infinite Stratos, which I watch solely to feed my cravings for an action-oriented series. It’s eye-feasting, so to speak. And I like it. I don’t remember any other medium giving me as much thrills as anime does in this respect.

Wonder Worlds

While different mediums offer imaginations beyond limit, anime offers the best. I’ve previously discussed this in my post on the different settings in anime world such as the fictional world of One Piece as well as the many different futuristic settings in recent line-ups of anime. I believe anime offers the best of imaginations there are.

Bring Back The Child In Me

I’ve gotta admit this. There are many times, the innocent, naive child in me, the one who believes everything is possible, re-emerges whilst watching anime. Why? I believe each and everyone of us still have that young little kid hidden deep inside. It’s just that as we grow up, we face many harshness of realities to the point the big dreams we once had as children are forgotten. Watching anime (at least the ones I tend to pick) sort of reminds me to stay young enough to know everything and try anything.

There you have it, these are the reasons why I watch anime. Wonder why it took me this long to come up with this post…I blame work pressure. Hah.

Blood. More blood. And even more blood. There’s an air of eeriness surrounding Psycho-Pass. It was shockingly violent and unkind to gentle hearts. The very first episode literally shocked me into silence. I remember staring at my computer screen, trying to absorb what just happened, what kind of series had I just watched. Besides Chaos;Head, I cannot recall a series with such dark vibes.

Psycho-Pass shows us a community in a time not too far ahead from now, governed by Sibyl System, an application. It’s crazy right? As a developer by profession, one of the first thoughts that crossed my mind is the reliability of such a system. We developers were all, or at least I, was taught that there is no 100% bug-free, loophole-free software. Also, relying on a logical system to run a legal system that are subjected to multiple elements including empathy is absurd. It’s not the kind of place I’d wanna be in.

The series spent a good amount of time showing us how the society is controlled by non-living things, incapable of direct discernment. It’s a great insight to how a highly computerized, highly connected society operates. There’s clearly a radically redefined criminal justice – a person is being judged or sentenced not so much because of an action executed but thoughts drown in darkness. He or she can be held not because a crime committed. Personal freedom is being robbed due to these pre-emptive interventions for the greater good.

If such a system is implemented in hope to create a safe haven for the citizens, they need to think again. Crimes are still happening and the state of its citizens’ mental healths are questionable. It’s as if they’re living in constant fear. Fear of the justice system, not fear of violent criminals. Fear of themselves, instead of fear of others. There’s something very wrong with this picture.

Psycho-Pass feels a bit too real for comfort because of the events that had transpired. In our world, technology is advancing at lightning speed. Computers’ processing power is ever increasing and communication between networks is rarely an issue these days. It subtly reflects what the connected world we live in can affect our safety and mindset. A quick upload of a video, a mindless but violent tweet, whatever convenience Internet brings, can be exploited to something dangerous and potentially life-threatening. The society we live in relies heavily on social media. We’ve seen social, political and culture impact of the power of communication through such channels.

Thank goodness it’s not too long before the weaknesses of Sibyl system is brought to light. The flaws that highlight the unaccounted variables in the program and the blind trust the society has for hardcoded justice. Just as a human-operated legal system, a computer-governed version has weak points for others to take advantage of as well. It’s not surprising. We’ve seen technology enthusiasts consecutively trying to deter the efforts of IT companies in providing a secure digital ecosystem in our real world. Just as much as corruptions and injustice are prevalent in certain legal systems.

So in the end, neither system is superior over the other. However, I rather be judged by human beings capable of weighing decisions based on circumstances than machines that has no brains of their own. Hey, human beings are the one who wrote those thousands of codes to make them work remember?

But of course, for those who are watching Psycho-pass, we all know what Sibyl System really is, don’t we?

If anyone asks me two years ago about my opinion of JDrama or Japanese live action movies, I tell you my answer would not be a positive one. Watching Kimi ni Todoke live action movie left such a bad taste in my mouth that I find it hard to watch another series. Although I won’t go as far as to say that I hate it completely, they just weren’t my cup of tea.

That was until I was asked to watch Nodame Cantabile live action drama on YouTube.

To my surprise, I enjoyed the series very much. I didn’t feel like it’s stiff, which is one of the main reasons I shunned the category for as long as I did. Sure, there were what I call exaggerated actions or movements (something I’m not quite fond of in live action stuff), but coming from having watched the anime and read the manga, I can relate (it’s an excuse! >.<). In the end, I managed to watch the whole series plus the specials and movies. Pretty good stuff.

Remember the friend who asked me for anime recommendations a while ago? She ended up watching a few JDrama series and introduced me to them. I was a little more open to giving those series a shot after having a wonderful experience with Nodame Cantabile series. I took my sweet time though, lol. She gave four series and I only managed to complete two. And she gave me those series early last year! I managed to slot in those two series while on the move. Internet at the places I traveled to on work commitments isn’t friendly to me so I spent my late nights watching the dramas at the hotels.

I started with Attention Please, a series based on manga of the same name, and then quickly followed by 1 Litre of Tears, a touching true story of a girl’s battle with spinocerebellar degeneration. Both drama are very different in terms of genre and material. One was a super fun comedy while the other made me wanna cry.

What I noticed was I wasn’t annoyed or irritated by the flow of the series or awkwardness/stiffness of the actors I sometimes sensed. Both series managed to pull off a decent presentation of the materials. Each of the series triggered the rightful emotions/response from the audience. This I can tell because after discussing the series my friend (who doesn’t, right?), I found that we shared the same opinion regarding both series. I think the most important point is that both Attention Please and 1 Litre of Tears managed to win over two people who previously never really liked the idea of watching JDrama series. That’s some kind of accomplishment, don’t you think?

Oh, Paradise Kiss live action movie ain’t bad too. It even prompted me to watch the anime, which was super fun and a unique experience.

It’s either I had terrible runs with JDrama/J-movies before seeing the aforementioned titles or my taste has changed and that I’m a little less picky. Hey, you know sometimes people changed with age! Or maybe now I understand that certain titles have weirdly dressed casts and exaggerated movements because they’re adapting according to source (it still feels weird though).

You know what. After that little experiments, maybe now I’m more willing to embrace the idea of watching live action series of the anime titles I’m following. Or maybe vice versa.

Be warned. A little spoilers ahead.

Itazura Na Kiss started with Aihara Kotoko being optimistic and brave, might I add, when she wrote her first love letter to the male protagonist, Irie Naoki. In a shocking encounter, Irie rejected her outright without even attempting to read her heartfelt words. Before her love story begins, it has already ended. Poor Kotoko-chan. Sniff.

Itazura na Kiss is perhaps the first romantic comedy in which I get to follow the characters through the different stages of their relationships. It all began with Kotoko’s high school crush to having a wonderful family with Naoki many, many, many years later. I honestly can’t remember when was the last time I saw an anime with such complete cycle. That was nice. Having the anime aired long after the manga is completed may have something to do with it? This 25-episodes anime was aired in 2008.

It’s refreshing to see Kotoko as a confident female protagonist for a change. I’ve been bombarded with female protagonists in romantic comedy feeling inferior, unexpressive and socially challenged these past anime seasons. Kotoko is nothing like those. She’s cheerful, friendly, speaks her mind and a hard worker. What I love about Kotoko is her never-to-give-up attitude. She’s not the brightest girl, and she knows it. However, once she puts her mind into it, she can do anything. Even if it means to burn midnight oil to ace an exam.

On contrary, what I hate about Naoki is his stuck up and ignorant attitude towards not only Kotoko, but every other living creatures. His “I Hate Stupid Girls” chant is annoying. He’s smart, but cold-hearted and cruel and possessive…well, let’s just stop here, shall we? I don’t want to delve into a list of things I hate about this guy. I gotta give Naoki some credit though, because over the years he has become more attentive and caring, especially in all matters involving his family.

Throughout their relationship, I can see that Naoki has deep trust in Kotoko. A little words of encouragement from Kotoko, a little push from her, Naoki moves forward in his life. He relies on Kotoko for emotionally support without him realizing it until much later. With Kotoko’s sudden existence in his life, he learned a lot more than he ever did. Particularly, life searching related matters. Whether he acknowledges it or not, Kotoko helped him find and realize his dreams.

I’m surprised that Kotoko and Naoki got hitched midway through the series. Since the series time-skipped a number times, I should’ve expected it. What I like about Itazura na Kiss is that even though Naoki eventually fall for Kotoko and married her, their relationship isn’t all pink and flowery. It took Kotoko five years to finally win Naoki over, but it takes another few more years before she can truly melt Naoki cold demeanor. It goes without saying, to make a relationship work, two must work hard to overcome the challenges along the way.

While Itazura na Kiss centers around the lovely couple, it is not without tiny, little moments from side characters that I consider as priceless. There are many examples and I’ll start with Irie mama. I adore Naoki’s mom, who is super energetic and delightful to watch. I have never seen a mom so dedicated in matching his son with her preferred choice of a daughter-in-law. Her “secret missions” and love for disguise are moments to be highlighted. I suppose the young couple has her to thank for. She did document their journey comprehensively. Her camera equipment matches that of Izumi Soujirou (Lucky Star). The other side character I adore is Christine Robbins, a British who eventually spotted with a Kansai accent!! Cute!

An odd thing about this series to note is – maybe because the main characters work in hospitals, their families and friends tend to get sick a lot. >.<

Of course this series isn’t perfect, in my opinion. My pet peeve about this anime series is its characters tendency to change without a proper transitioning. For example, I have no idea why Matsumoto Yuuko, Kotoko’s supposed love rival in college, has a sudden change of heart and decided to help Kotoko when Naoki attended a marital interview. She just showed up and challenged Kotoko to do something about it. And from thereon, they sort of became frenemies. Huh. Or how did Kotoko manage make Keita to fall in love with her. One day he was criticizing about her shallow dream and the very next day he was blushing all over in her presence. I couldn’t quite make the connection.

Those are just my little pet peeves.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, if you’re looking for a sweet romantic comedy, I recommend you to watch Itazura na Kiss. You won’t regret it. It has a bit of Lovely Complex feel to it, but with more fun characters to watch.