Brandon Varnell's Blog, page 7

Princess Lover

Princess Lover is a harem anime that tries to combine action and politics with standard harem dynamics and comedy. I say tries because it mostly fails. Sure, the art is decent enough, and every female is drawn to perfection, but this anime tried to be too many things at once.

Anyone who's ever watched a harem anime knows that to adequately portray a harem and not have the entire story fall apart, there are several prerequisites that you must have: A strong cast of femalecharacters who, for one reason or another, want to get into the main character's pants; a main protagonist who is bland enough that they can fit into this archetype without coming on too strong and ruining the story; and a plot that carefully balances each girls interaction with the main character so that no female comes out stronger than any other female. In that regard, for the first six episodes of this anime, it was successful. Despite how bland and uninspired the show was at first, I could easily watch it in the same guilty pleasure manner that some people might read erotica novels.

The problem comes after episode six, where the story tries to shift from a harem romantic comedy to a political/thriller... comedy. Yeah, I don't get it either. In either event, the problem with this sort of change halfway through the story is that by only having six episodes dedicated to "romantic comedy shenanigans between protagonist B and his harem," none of the females get developed enough for me to really care about them. I feel like that's kind of a shame, too, as I actually think all of these characters have potential. Charlotte comes across as a slightly naive but devious princess, Sylvia is a strong young woman with a righteous heart and is skilled with a sword, Seika is a successful business woman and fashion designer, and Yu is an extremely kind young woman who's served Teppei's grandfather since she was rescued from an orphanage.

I think if this anime had more episodes, or maybe had been given a second season, it could have been decent. It would never win any awards, and I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone who doesn't love the harem genre, but it would have at least been okay. As it stands, without the cast of female characters getting the development they need to make people care about them, this anime kind of falls flat. It's even worse because after the story shifts gears from harem comedy to political thriller, it still has the same comedic tone as it did when it was a harem comedy. This means that all of the tension that should have been present during this shift is demolished by the pointless comedy. All in all, this was an anime that could have been okay, but lost its charm halfway through.


Artwork: 8/10
Animation: 6/10
Sound: 5/10
Characters: 6/10
Story: 5/10
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10
Total: 6/10

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru

Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru or Oreshura is one of those harem anime that is so underrated it's not even funny. Think I'm joking? Yeah, no. I'm not. I'm really not.

This story is freaking intriguing. Seriously interesting. There are few times where I find myself watching an anime and thinking it's really original. Most of the time, anime simply re-hash other anime. Plots are reused to the point where you know exactly what to expect in an anime, regardless of whether it's your first time watching it or not, simply based on what the genre is. Shonen anime are full of fights, monologues, and power levels that are over 9,000. Harems are all about the sexy shenanigans, fan service, and a bunch of women falling in love with a dweeb because he's nice. Shojos are either about a female who falls in love with an abusive male, or a female who tries not to fall in love with the popular pretty boy who's actually really nice because of... reasons. Anyway, you get my point. Simply by knowing the genre, a person well-versed in anime can predict the course an anime will take. Well, guess what? This was one of the few anime that I couldn't predict.
Let us start with the story. Eita is a young man who doesn't believe in love. Masuzu is a young woman who's popular, pretty, always being asked out by the boys, and also doesn't believe in love. Through a twist of fate otherwise known as blackmail, Eita becomes Masuzu's fake boyfriend, to keep the other boys from constantly asking her out. While this isn't necessarily original, it is rare story line to find in anime, and thus, gets a leg up on other harem anime, which are generally about some random girl falling in love with a nobody because he helps her out once. In this, the main characters don't even like each other at first, much less fall in love at first sight, and I like that. I like that a lot.
This anime's strongest point is most definitely it's humor and characters. Like all slice-of-life, harem, comedy anime, the driving point in this story is the combination of humor, real-life aspects like school and such, and the cast that keeps things interesting. The humor in this anime is surprisingly refreshing, not because it's original, but because it takes what isn't original and makes it witty. It doesn't overuse one joke to the point where it's no longer funny, and there's actually a decent amount of drama to balance out the comedy. Another thing that I liked was the lack of major fan service. While there is a bit, it's not enough to detract from the story itself. This also means that, rather than relying on the tits of their female cast, Oreshura relies on the witty dialogue, intelligent story line, and characters' personalities to keep the series going. And while all of the characters are recognizable by their tropes, there is enough backstory, character development, and personality for each character that I don't think, "that's the tsundere/yandere/kuudere/himedere," every time they show up on screen.
Finally, the last reason I like this anime: the kissing. No, I'm not joking. No, this isn't a prank. Yes, I s**t you not. One of my greatest dislikes of the romance, harem, ecchi, whatever genre is that, in spite of containing a heavy romantic theme, there is almost never any kissing. Some of my favorite anime have been docked points because of this. Fortunately, Oreshura does not suffer from this affliction. While there isn't a kiss every episode, there's no shortage of kisses either. This helps satisfy the romantic fanboy in me, which I am very grateful for. Seriously, that damn inner fanboy, which sounds a lot like Issei Hyoudo for some reason, can get really freaking annoying if you don't feed him his daily dose of romance.
Artwork: 8/10
Animation: 8/10
Sound: 8/10
Characters: 9.5/10
Story: 9/10
Personal Enjoyment: 10/10
Total: 8.75/10

Lances N Masques

Because I review anime that I didn't like, along with anime that I did like, I am now reviewing Lances N Masques, which is an anime that I couldn't watch past episode 2. Please remember that everything I write here is my opinion. You are free to agree or disagree. If you enjoyed this anime, more power to you.

The first thing you need to know about Lances N Masques is that it's about a romantic entanglement between a 7-year-old girl and a teenage boy. Now, even though I'm not a big loli fan, I get the appeal that they have. As Sora from No Game No Life once said: "Cuteness is life. Cuteness is justice!" That being said, most lolis are, at the very least, the same age as the main character and simply have the appearance of a little girl. To me, this anime felt like straight up pedophilia. Maybe I'm misunderstanding things, maybe I'm taking the whole "hero rescues the princess" theme that this anime has going for it too literally. However, the fact that my first thought upon watching this anime was, "the main love interest is a child," tells me that, even if this anime isn't actually about some dude who wears a mask becoming romantically involved with a 7-year-old, it's far too close for me to feel comfortable watching it.

Following the creepy romance between a teenage boy and a 7-year-old girl, there's also the other caste to consider. No one in this anime has any depth to them. The girls are all flat, one-dimensional characters that could have been taken from any harem anime and tossed in here. The main character also has a very bad case of White Knight Syndrome, which I also call Feed the Harem Syndrome, since that's really all it is - an excuse for the main character to have a harem, or at least gather a bunch of women around him. None of the plot for this anime really stuck with me either; the humor fell flat, and the only character worth mentioning is the aforementioned little girl - and since I'm not into little girls, that wasn't a strong enough point for me to continue watching it. In short, this anime, in my opinion, was not worth watching.

Artwork: 6.5/10
Animation: 6/10
Sound: 7/10
Characters: 4/10
Story: 4/10
Personal Enjoyment: 2/10
Total: 4.9/10

Spice and Wolf, Volume 5

Before I begin this review, can I just say, "Oh, my god! Oh. My. God! OH MY GOD!" There, now that we've gotten this out of the way, I can tell you all that volume 5 of Spice and Wolf was unbelievable. Amazing. Incredible! At least until the end, where the author must have suffered a brain fart.

After arriving in the town of Lenos, Lawrence and Holo take a respite from their travels, but an unprecedented opportunity for Lawrence presents itself. However, the bigger the opportunity, the bigger the risks.

This volume was definitely the one with the most romantic tension between Lawrence and Holo. In the beginning, we get to see how truly close these two have become. Their banter is delightful, and Lawrence shows that he's beginning to grow used to being in the presence of the wisewolf. At the same time, we can see that Holo still has something of a leg up on him. However, tensions rise and Lawrence and Holo are soon faced with a problem that's been on their mind for a while now, but was never put into words, because doing so would mean confronting that issue.

Immortality. It's an unusual concept. We see this a lot in other stories, but here, it's meaning is clear. Holo is immortal, a goddess who lives within the wheat. Lawrence is a human. He has a finite lifespan. More than that, however, is the fact that Holo, as an immortal wisewolf, can only enjoy something for so long. Eventually, when you have had something for a certain period of time, it no longer becomes this new, amazing thing. That video game system you own? You'll probably discard it in a few years after it's become obsolete or you grow bored with it. That awesome new car you just bought? At some point, you'll begin to want a new one. In that same way that we humans eventually grow bored of the things we own, Holo realizes that she will eventually grow bored of Lawrence's companionship. Now she wants to end their journey before the time she spends with Lawrence becomes stale. Throughout the entire story, I was on the edge of my seat, wondering if these two would really split up.

While I loved how the tension in this story rose, the one thing that I did not like about this volume was it's ending. It felt so anticlimactic. With so much build up, tension, and drama, I was really expecting an exciting end. What I got instead was a lackluster end that made me go, "wait, is that it?"

Despite how the ending was less than I'd been hoping for, I can't say that I'm dissatisfied. I still enjoyed most of this volume, and the drama throughout the rest of the book makes up for the lack of a strong end.

New Reviewing Process

Because of the limited time I have to write reviews, I'm making a change to how I review manga. From now on, I'm going to take a manga and review each new chapter that comes out. However, I'm only doing this for a single manga. As most of my time is spent writing stories, I don't have much time to write reviews.

Right now, I am only reading three manga, so these are the three that I can review. I want you, the readers, to select which manga I should review with this poll. The results will determine which manga gets reviewed.


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What manga should I review?
[image error]The Seven Deadly Sins[image error]Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches[image error]UQ HolderPoll Maker

To Love Ru Darkness Season 2

What is there to say about To Love Ru Darkness Season 2? Well, it's just as ecchi as the last season, if not more so. There are more boobs, more butts, more crotch shots, more... well, you get the picture. This is a show that pushes the border between ecchi and hentai. Honestly, if it weren't for the fact that no one has sex in this anime, it would be hentai.

That being said, while some other people probably wouldn't enjoy this anime because, well, it's a lot like watching a really funny porno without sex, I like it. Yeah, I know. It's perverted, and the plot centers around its perversion. How could anyone like that, right? I guess I'm just a perv, then. The fact is, I think it's a really funny anime, and while I'm not the kind of guy who goes out and buys figurines and hug pillows and calls them my "waifu," I do enjoy admiring beautiful artwork - and the females in this anime are are gorgeously drawn. The improbable scenarios that somehow always end with Rito either groping someone or having his face shoved into their crotch are funny, too.

Now, despite how I enjoyed this anime, I'll admit that I don't think it was as good as the first season - or rather, I don't think the story is as enjoyable now as it was back when I first started watching. Truth is, I feel like the anime is going somewhat downhill. The reason is simple: Plot progression. While I understand that this anime's plot centers around it's ecchi, I do wish there was more progression with the story itself. Considering how much time is spent with Momo trying to enact her "Harem Plan," one would think that Rito would have either just given in by now, or grown a pair of balls and told her no. However, that isn't what's happened. In fact, nothing has changed between now and when the first season of Darkness aired. This lack of any real development bothers me.

Something else about this anime that I really did not like is the lack of Lala Satalin Deviluke. In the first series, Lala played a major role, which is natural, as Lala is supposed to be the main heroine. In To Love Ru Darkness, she takes a back seat and we only see her occasionally - usually when Rito falls into her boobs. I know most people prefer Momo over Lala, but I'm the opposite. As far as likable characters go, I feel like Lala is much more likable and fun than her younger sister. I know what you guys are thinking, "But Brandon! Momo is the one who came up with the Harem Plan!" I am aware of this, believe me. However! That is exactly why I like Lala more. Unlike Momo, who is trying to push her harem plan onto Rito, Lala simply wants what is best for Rito. I feel like her love for him is more pure than her sisters. I also enjoy Lala's bright personality and outlook on life. If Lala had one weakness, then I would have to say that it's being too nice. Lala is the kind of girl who seems to think everything will work out, and she doesn't seem to try to progress her relationship with Rito. I know this is contrary to what I said earlier, but I do wish she would at least make an attempt at becoming more intimate with Rito. Regardless, Lala is still my favorite female out of the whole bunch, and I wish she'd gotten more screen time.

Artwork: 10/10
Animation: 9/10
Sound: 8/10
Characters: 7/10
Story: 6.5/10
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10
Total: 8/10

UQ Holder

Having finished re-reading Negima Magister Magi, one of my favorite risque manga series, I’ve decided to begin reading UQ Holder, the sequel to Negima.


I think the sequel holds up well to its predecessor, though I have to admit, I don’t like UQ Holder as much as Negima. The reason for this is very very very very simple.


I’m a fan of romance. While I can’t deal with straight up romances (a girl I dated awhile back tried making me watch her romance movies and I feel asleep. They were a total snooze fest.), I still enjoy anime/manga/books whatever with heavy romantic themes.


Negima satisfied my need for romance, while maintaining a certain level of badassness. It had an excellent blend of romance, action, comedy and fan service rolled up into a nice package of pleasant to look at artwork.


That being said, I’m keeping my fingers crossed. We’ve gotten some romantic developments in the recent chapters for UQ Holder, and so it looks like I may get some nice romantic scenes to go with my main dish of action-packed and violent goodness.

Ladies Versus Butlers

In a long line of dumb anime, Ladies versus Butlers stands at the top as one of the dumbest anime I have ever seen. It was so stupid that, while I watched it, I could slowly feel my brain cells spontaneously combusting from the stupid of it. That being said, I actually had a decent time watching this.

This anime is, quite frankly, plotless. There is literally no real story to this anime. Supposedly, it's about some guy who ends up attending an elite school to learn how to become a butler, but it's really just an excuse for fan service and tits. Yes, tits. I cannot tell you how many times girls would got naked in this anime - one girl even randomly strips for no reason. In public. Stripping in public for no reason! What the hell?! That being said, this anime also knows it's a stupid boob comedy and doesn't try to be anything else. I suppose there is some charm in the fact that, despite how dumb it is, it at least understands its own stupidity and plays up to it. Surprisingly, some of the boob jokes were quite funny, sort of like how fart jokes are funny, despite no one knowing why.

Characters in this anime are all pretty flat. They don't have a whole lot going for them. Each one is basically an archetype, and the main character is bland enough that I think he and Bella Swan would've made a smashing couple. Oddly enough, this anime's greatest strong point is the artwork, which is weird because the art is actually pretty plain. I think its because, in spite of the designs being basic, it's at least different. Of course, it could also have something to do with the boobs, of which there are a lot in this series. While I never bothered counting, I think each episode had, at least, five different scenes where a girl was showing off her chest. Most of the time, that nudity scene was there for no reason other than, well, because, I guess.

Overall, I would say this anime is... not really worth your time unless you're into 2-dimensional tits. No, I am not joking. While I thought some of this anime was funny, I understand that not everyone can enjoy pointless humor and titty jokes. There's also the fact that this anime has a very unfulfilling end. While I expected that, it's still disappointing to see.

Artwork: 6/10
Animation: 5.5/10
Sound: 3/10
Characters: 5/10
Story: 4/10
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10
Total: 4.9/10

Win a signed copy of A Fox's Tail!

Yeah, I know. I'm doing a lot of advertising posts recently. Sorry about that. I promise, I'll do some good anime, light novel, or manga reviews later to make up for it.

This particular post is simply to inform everybody about a giveaway I'm hosting on Goodreads. If you have a Goodreads account, live in the United States, Canada, or Mexico, then click on the link below and enter the contest for a chance to win a signed copy of A Fox's Tail!


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Goodreads Book Giveaway A Fox's Tail by Brandon Varnell Giveaway ends December 17, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter Giveaway

I Couldn't Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job

Is it just me, or do the Japanese love giving their anime over-the-top, overly long, ridiculous titles. I Couldn't Become a Hero, So I Reluctantly Decided to Get a Job is the story about a young man who went to an academy where people trained to defeat the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord was defeated before he even graduated and the academy went under. Destitute and in need of money, Raul Chaser reluctantly gets a job working for a magic appliance retail store. Months later, another person also begins working there - the Dark Lord's only daughter, Fino Bloodstone. Can't you just smell the recipe for disaster here?

This is one of those anime that I feel are underrated. Sure, it's not the best. In fact, most of it is downright cliched. However, I think this anime understands that it's a cliche and doesn't pretend to be something else. The humor, while seen in every ecchi anime series, is well-done and over-the-top. The ecchi is, well, ecchi. There's not much that can be said there. This is an anime that has plenty of boobs for young men who want fan service to enjoy. While I'm sometimes sketchy about ecchi, this anime is of the ecchi genre, so pandering to fan service actually works here - unlike some of the other anime I have watched.

The animation is okay. Honestly, I've seen better, but I've seen worse as well. This is a middle-tier anime, where the animations aren't terrible, but not amazing to the point where you're thinking, "wow! The animation is so flawless, and the frame rate is amazing!" I will admit, though, that I do like the artwork. It's sort of standard, but it's still nice. The girls, in particular, are well designed. I suppose that's only natural, since this is an ecchi anime. No one's gonna want to watch an anime about boobs and nude scenes if the female's weren't hotter than sin.

Despite this being an ecchi anime where most of the plot is, um, well, PLOT, this does have a somewhat interesting story. It also makes you wonder. What happens to the people who tried to become a hero but, due to unforeseen circumstances, never got the chance? This story deals with a new, intriguing aspect to heroism and Dark Lord slaying that I haven't seen before. Raul Chaser is a man who dreamed of defeating the Dark Lord and becoming a hero, yet now he's stuck working at a retail store because none of the vaunted, Dark Lord slaying abilities he has are useful in anything but, well, Dark Lord slaying. Now he has to deal with the fact that he's essentially wasted several years of his life learning how to become a hero in a world where heroes aren't needed. To make matters more interesting, one of his co-workers happens to be the daughter of the Dark Lord that he wanted to kill, which adds a new dynamic to the story.

Aside from Raul Chaser, Fino Bloodstone, and Ahri All-A, none of the characters are really touched upon. This isn't as bad as it sounds. Like I said. This is an ecchi anime. Literally. It's genre is ecchi. In an anime where the story is merely an excuse to deliver boob scenes to the audience, character development isn't that important. I was honestly surprised that these three actually received the development they had. Raul and Ahri deal with what it means to live in a world where their skills are no longer needed, and Fino is dealing with the fact that she's a demon, the daughter of the Dark Lord, living in a world that she doesn't understand. While the plot never gets very deep or complex, sticking with mostly comedy and slapstick humor, the way these aspects are pulled off is well-done.

Artwork: 7/10
Animation: 7/10
Sound: 5/10
Characters: 6/10
Story: 6/10
Personal Enjoyment: 9/10
Total: 6.1/10