Brandon Varnell's Blog, page 9

Wattpad, What You Need to Know About It

Wattpad is currently the largest database of online stories. With over 30,000,000 readers worldwide and plenty of writers, it's probably the best place for aspiring authors to hone their craft, receive reader feedback, connect with like-minded individuals, and get noticed.

Unfortunately, Wattpad is difficult for a single author to become noticed. You'd think with so many people on it that all anyone would have to do is publish a story and voila! Instant notification. But that's not so. The truth is, with so many stories being posted on Wattpad, and with new stories coming out every day, getting noticed here is just as difficult as getting your book noticed in traditional publishing - maybe even more so!

Which is why I've decided to tell you guys what I know about Wattpad, to help those of you who are thinking about publishing stories there succeed.


Step 1: Write a Well-Written Story
Anyone can write, but not everyone can write well. The truth is that there are hundreds of thousands of stories on Wattpad, and not all of them are well-written. If you want to be noticed on Wattpad, then you need to make sure your writing is up to snuff. That means making sure your grammar is impeccable and your prose are clean, concise, and easy to read. Don't stop at self-editing. Do your research and find a beta reader who knows their English, or whatever other language you're writing in. The first step on the path to getting noticed is to make sure that your story is grammatical correct and doesn't make people's eyes bleed when they read it.

Step 2: Weave an Entertaining Tale
No one wants to read a boring story. Reading about how so-and-so got out of bed, yawned, scratched behind his/her ears, and then took a shower, is so incredibly dull. It's not fun to read, no matter how many people who write stories seem to think otherwise. If you want to have people read your work, then you need to write something that's going to catch their attention. Whether you're writing an epic fantasy, an intense sci-fi, or an emotional romance, you need to write a story that will engage your readers, something that will keep a hold of them and make them never want to stop reading - even after the story ends.

Step 3: Update Frequently
This is a point that I cannot stress enough. If you want people to notice your story, then you need to update more than just once a month. I would say that you should update even more than once a week. At the same time, you don't want to upload your entire story all at once. Wattpad uses an algorithmic program to help stories get discovered. By updating frequently, you can ensure that more and more people will see your story. I would suggest updating at least twice a week. If you need to make your chapters shorter to accomplish that, then do so.

Step 4: Votes and Why They're Important
Wattpad has a voting system where, if a person likes one of your chapters, they can vote for it. When someone votes for a chapter, it appears in that person's dashboard, stating that they liked this chapter, and consequently, your story. This has the added benefit of allowing anyone who follows that person to also see that they liked your story. Want a more thorough explanation? Very well. Let's say that someone who has 123 followers votes for one of your chapters. This means that 123 will see that this person has decided that your story is worth reading. While some might skip over your story, others may become curious. They may check your story out, think it sounds interesting, and decide to read it. If they do, and they like it, then it means you have another fan. And if they vote for it, well, then it means whoever is following that person will now know that this person thinks your story is awesome. It's kinda like the domino effect. As more people vote for your chapters, more and more people will see those votes appear in their dashboards, which will lead to them checking out your story to see what the buzz is all about.

Now, some people may not see when someone votes for your chapter. Perhaps they're not on at the time the person they followed voted, or maybe they've got so much on their feed that they missed this person voting for your chapter. This also ties into Step 3. By updating your story twice a week, you ensure that everyone who might have missed it, will get a chance to see another one of your chapters being voted on.

Step 5: Engage With Others
Wattpad is as much a community as it is a place to read stories. It has clubs and forums and places where people can meet like-minded individuals. Go to these places and find these people. Talk to them. Are you a fantasy fanatic? Go to the fantasy club and check out some of the forums online. Find one that interests you and talk to the people posting on it. Like romance? That's fine. Wattpad has a romance club as well. Or maybe you're interested in becoming a better writer. Wanna learn more about the publishing industry? There are clubs for these as well. By going onto these clubs and engaging other people, you can find friends who will support your writing endeavors. Who knows, some of them may even be interested in reading the story you wrote.

Step 6: Review Other Stories
Don't expect other people to comment on your story if you're not willing to do the same. While leaving someone a long, juicy review might not convince that author to read your story, I can guarantee that someone will see your review, check out your profile, and decide to take a look at one of your stories. And, while not always true, the author who left you that juicy review may decide to check out your story, or even follow you. If that person has a large following, enjoyed reading your story, and decided to vote for your chapters, then you've just got someone who could very well help see your readership exponentially increase.

Step 7: Don't Ask Other People to Read Your Story
I cannot stress this enough - asking someone to read your story, either through messaging or by posting on their profile, is hands down the worst way to get readers. First off, it's incredibly rude. Second off, it's annoying to the people who's inbox or profile page is being bombarded with "READ MY STORY!" requests. Third off, you shouldn't do it. It's just not write. Get it? Not WRITE!
Ahem. Anyway...
Asking people to read your story through PMs or leaving notes on their dashboard is a terrible way to convince someone to read your story. This is especially true for the people who have large followings. Don't ask someone with 6,000 followers and several published Wattpad stories to read your story. Those people already have their hands full just writing their own stories. If you really want to get their attention, then read their story and leave them an exemplary review that details everything you liked about their chapter.
That's what I did. I read someone who wrote a story that got over 4 million views on Wattpad, became so popular that it was picked up by a literary agent without him having to send a query letter, and then got published and is now doing quite well. This person has 29,300 followers on Wattpad, and you know what? After he read my reviews - and I left a really long and detailed review for each chapter - he decided to follow me. I didn't ask him to read my story, and I didn't bother him with "PLEASE FOLLOW ME!" requests either.
Also, leaving a nice review for someone with a popular story will get other people who read that story to notice your review. These people may decide they liked your review and check out your profile, and if they like the story you're publishing, well, then you've got another fan.

My Anime Fall 2015 Lineup

They are coming. The next season is near, and with it, I've already lined up several anime to enjoy. Wanna know what those anime are? Read on, if you dare.

Gakusen Toshi Asterik:

The Academy City on water, "Rikka". This city, otherwise known as 'Asterisk', was famous for being the world's largest stage for the integrated battle entertainment . The young boys and girls belonging to the six academies made their wishes with Shining Armaments in their hands, vying for supremacy -- Amagiri Ayato is one of them.

Ayato arrived at Rikka at the invitation of the Student Council President of the Seidoukan Academy, Claudia, and right after that he incurred the wrath of the Julis, and ended up having to duel her.

The greatest academy battle entertainment, begins here!

Taimadou Gakuen 35 Shiken Shoutai:

Set in a world where people with magic powers are close to being wiped out. Just as the balance of power and military might had once shifted from swords to sorcery, it shifts once again to guns. Takeru Kusanagi goes to "AntiMagic Academy," a training facility for Inquisitors of Heretics who crack down on the dwindling threat posed by magic users.

However, Takeru cannot use guns at all and can only fight with a sword. As a result, he is relegated to the 35th Test Platoon, the motley "small fry platoon" for poor students. One day, Ōka Ōtori, the ultra-elite pistol master who already has her qualifications for witch-hunts, joins the platoon.

Ore ga Ojou-sama Gakkou ni

"Shomin Sample" Toshite Gets♥Sareta Ken:

In a hidden school surrounded by mountains, young ladies of good families are taught everything a high class lady needs to know. They are also completely cut off from the outside world, keeping them sheltered and innocent. However, a problem has come up recently-- more and more graduates are failing to cope with the modern world after graduation. To deal with this problem, they've decided to kidnap a male commoner student, and enroll him as a student. They hope that this will be a gentle way to introduce the girls to the outside world.

Kagurazaka Kimito is chosen for this dubious honor, mostly because he seems utterly average. However, the school leaders also seem to have concluded he's a homosexual with a muscle fetish. When Kimito hears that the alternative may be castration (to protect the girls' purity), he eagerly plays along with this misconception. Now he'll just have to survive the attention of many high class young ladies that are completely out of touch with the world!

Sakurako-san no Ashimoto ni wa Shitai ga Umatteiru:

The novel series revolves around Shōtarō Tatewaki and Sakurako Kujyō. Shōtarō is a normal high school student with a serious demeanor who likes to show off his girlfriend Sakurako. Sakurako is an extraordinarily beautiful woman in her mid-20s from a rich family who loves "beautiful bones." The two live in the city of Asahikawa in Hokkaido, and they get involved in various incidents regarding bones.

Comet Lucifer:
The story takes place on the planet Gift, where precious crystals called Giftjium are buried in the earth. A young man named Sōgo lives in Garden Indigo, a prosperous mining town. Sōgo's hobby is to collect rare crystals. One day, he gets wrapped up in a riot caused by his classmates Kaon, Roman, and Otto, and he loses his way until he finds a lake deep under the ground's mining ruins. There, he meets a mysterious girl with blue hair and red eyes that gaze straight ahead. The story follows the adventure of what happens after this meeting.

Heavy Object:
Kwenser came to the Alaskan military base to study Objects, the new weapons that have completely revolutionized war as we know it – battles are fought by soldiers controlling Objects far away from harm. However, when he starts to get close to Object pilot Milinda, will he discover the grim truth behind Heavy Objects?

Hidan no Aria AA:
A young girl idolizes the world-renowned S-ranked butei Kanzaki H. Aria and plans to follow in her footsteps. However, her test grades her out as only an E-rank! All is not lost, however, as Aria agrees to give her some pointers. Can Aria help this newcomer become a first-rate butei?



Noragami Aragoto:
The second season to one of my favorite anime. It's based on the manga's "Bishaman" arc.














Rakudai Kishi no Cavalry:
The "school sword action" story revolves around Magic Knights, modern magic-users who fight with weapons converted from their souls. Ikki Kurogane goes to a school for these Magic Knights, but he is the "Failed Knight" or "Worst One" who is failing because he has no magical skills. However, one day, he is challenged to a duel by Stella, a foreign princess and the "Number One" student. In this duel, "the loser must be obedient for life."


Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid:
The "beautiful girl sexy battle action" anime is set on five artificial islands. Mamori is a "mermaid" transferred to one of those islands. When Mamori is attacked, a newly transferred girl named Mirei saves her. The enemy doesn't stop, however, and the two are soon cornered. Just when they think all hope is lost, Mirei kisses Mamori, and Mamori turns into a sword. Mirei then wields the sword and launches a counterattack against their enemies.








Shinmai Maou no Testament Burst:
The second season of an anime filled with action and boobs.








Onsen Yousei Hakone-Chan:
After many years of dormant rest, the hot springs fairy Hakone-chan awakens in modern-day Japan. However, while she slept, she took on the appearance of a young girl. She decides to cooperate with the locals whilst trying to regain her powers with the help of high school boy Touya.












Utawarerumono: Itsuwari no Kamen:

When I came to, I realized I was standing in the middle of a vast, snowy plain I knew nothing of. I didn't know how I got there. And to add to that, I couldn't remember anything, not even my name. I stood there, dumbfounded at my absurd situation. But then, as if to spite me further, a gigantic monster suddenly appeared, a insect-like creature that began to bear down on me. I tried desperately to run, but it cornered me into a hopeless situation. It was then that the girl appeared. Her name was Kuon. It was this beautiful girl, who bore an animal's ears and tail, that saved my life.

Owari no Seraph Season 2:
The second season of Owari no Seraph, my current favorite vampire anime - and quite possibly my favorite anything with vampires in it.

Highschool DxD

I'm sure all of you are going to be surprised to hear this, but I didn't really like season 3 of what has, for the past two seasons, been my favorite ecchi/harem anime. Now, I know what you're going to say, "But Brandon, Highschool DxD is one of your favorites! How could you not like an anime that has so many tits?!" The honest to god truth is that I don't watch Highschool DxD because it has boobs. I watched it because I love the light novels, and I wanted to see how the light novels would be adapted into an anime. Seasons 1 & 2 were a blast to watch. While they weren't 100 percent accurate to the novels, they very close. Season 3... not so much.

The biggest issue I have with season 3 is the number of extremely important moments that were cut out. For example, those of you who've only watched the anime will never know that the Gremory group didn't just go to the underworld because, "Hey! Let's go see Rias's family and fight an evil Norse god!" No, they went to the underworld in order to attend the Young Devils Gathering, which is where a series of Rating Games took place between devils around the same age as Rias. In fact, the entire second half of volume 5 is pretty much dedicated to a Rating Game between the Gremory Peerage and the Sitri Peerage. In other words, Rias vs. Sona. That didn't happen in the anime, however, and since the young devils gathering is what I was looking forward to the most, not seeing it really bummed me out.

What's more, they completely screwed up the entire timeline. Volume 7, Ragnarok After School, is when Loki, the Norse God of trickery, plays the part of the antagonist. Volume 6 is when Diadora Astorath kidnaps Asia. So, not only did they completely screw with the timeline, but they did so in such a way that a lot of what happens feels jumbled and half-assed. There was simply way too much cut out, and the order of events was all screwed up, leaving me unable to enjoy this season as I had the last two seasons. It doesn't help that, because they cut out so much plot in order to compress 3 books into a 12 episode season, a lot of the plot and sidestory is never really explained. For example: Issei becoming the Oppai Dragon. The reason he became the Oppai Dragon is because, during the rating game with Sona's peerage, which was broadcast on live TV in the underworld, he said oppai a lot and the kids took a shine to that word. In the anime, they make up some lame excuse of, "Oh, even though this was a crises and we didn't have time to set up a camera, we still somehow managed to film you during your fight with Loki." It was complete garbage. Absolute bull S*&t. It's like they tried adding only half of the relevant plot information that you need, then cut out the other half - which just so happened to be more important than what they DID show - and expected you to follow along. It really pissed me off.

So, outside of my complaints about how much of the plot they butchered, I have other problems. The animation, for one. While the artwork is still awesome, there's a lot of issues with the animation. One of my biggest problems is how enemies during massive battle scenes never freaking move! Seriously, I remember this one scene where Rossweisse was launching beams from her hands, and none of her enemies even attempted to dodge! They just stood there and let themselves be killed! It was so stupid! What kind of enemy stands around waiting to be killed? I know that anime have a budget, and that they're also on time constraints, but Highschool DxD is popular. They should have had more than enough money to not skimp out on their animation quality like this, especially with all of the new 3D animating techniques that are being used in anime today.

My complaints about the animation quality aside, everything else was good. The artwork hasn't suffered, the ecchi scenes are still, well, filled with Massive Plot - unless the scene features Koneko or Asia - and the character development, while half-assed, does try to accurately depict the changes that Issei and the others undergo. I still didn't like this season as much as I did the last two, but I don't think it was super awful. I only pray that, if this does get a season four, then they do a better job of keeping the anime canonically accurate to the light novels. At the very least, they shouldn't skimp on important scenes. If they can't compress 3 volumes into a single season, then they should stick with just two.

Story: 5.5/10
Characters: 6.5/10
Art: 8.5/10
Sound: 7/10
Personal Enjoyment: 6/10
Overall: 6.7/10

A Certain Magical Index, Volume 3

While I enjoyed the other two volumes of A Certain Magical Index, I have to say that I think volume 3 is definitely the best one so far. The story is deeper, the plot is darker, and the struggle that both Touma Kamijou and Mikoto Misaka undergo feels a lot more intense and real. Thus far, I feel like volumes 1 & 2 were a glimpse into this world, but very shonen in their execution: bad guys appear, good guy defeats bad guy, bad guy is no longer bad. That sort of thing.

This particular volume introduces the sisters to us - no, not that kind of sister. We've already met Index, the nun that Toma lets freeload at his home. I mean Misaka's sisters, all 20,000 of them... wait, what? That's probably what you're thinking right. 20,000 is a lot, so having 20,000 sisters is insane. Her mom must have been popping at least twelve kids out each day since she was, what? Sixteen?

Before you let your mind fall into the gutter, these aren't those kind of sisters either. I'm not gonna tell you what kind of sisters they are, though. I'm not one for giving out spoilers like that. If you wanna find more out, then you can read the book.

20,000 sisters aside, I felt like this novel had a lot more depth than the last one, which is understandable, since the last one felt like just about every other shonen-esque story out there. It was also all about Toma, and since he is the epitome of a shonen hero, it's hard to have a story that doesn't feel cliched. This one is more about Misaka and her struggle, even though Toma is still the main character, and because it features the struggle that she goes through, we're given a much deeper and more meaningful story here. It was truly a pleasure to read this volume.

My only real complaint is with the artist who illustrated this series. I haven't mentioned it yet, but I almost feel like the artist has a really skewed level of skill. Sometimes it seems like Kyotaka Haimura has really strong illustrations, while other times I wonder if he's just a lazy hack. Almost half of his illustrations look like they were half-finished, while the other half were really good. It really bothered me to see artwork that made me wonder if someone had started something, then decided it was good to go halfway through. I don't know. Call me picky, but I would have preferred at least uniform level of artistic talent all the way through. Heck! I wouldn't have been bothered as much if all of his drawings sucked rather than just a few of them. At least then it wouldn't be so jarring.

Strange artwork aside, I really did enjoy this story. It had a lot going for it, and I felt a lot more emotionally connected to the characters here. I'm looking forward to reading volume two when it comes out.

Problem Children From Another World Are Coming, Aren't They

Problem Children From Another World Are Coming, Aren't They? is an enjoyable anime that's surprisingly short, despite it's long title. Speaking of, I really do have to gripe about these ridiculous titles that the Japanese conceive. Seriously, why are all of their recent titles so freaking long? These aren't even titles anymore, they're entire sentences!

Story: The story itself starts off kind of cliched. Children from another world are basically summoned by a chick with bunny ears to participate in what's known as Gift Games within a world called Little Garden. While the premise is pretty stereotypical, I like how they were actually summoned for a reason - even if helping a community that's barely keeping itself together is, in itself, a cliche. While I've seen this done plenty of times, I will admit that I have seen pretty much everything there is to see out of the entertainment industry, so watching a story get re-ashed in this manner doesn't really bother me all that much.

Characters: The characters themselves are interesting, but some of them are kind of bland at the same time. It's hard to explain. I genuinely like the characters in it, but I can see the archetypes they're made from. Izayoi is your typical bad boy who's gotten bored with life and wants to have fun, Asuka is a rich girl who's gotten bored with life and wants to free, You (Yes, that is her name) is a lonely girl who's gotten bored with her life and wants to make friends, and Black Rabbit is your typical fanservice girl complete with big breasts and bunny ears. These aren't really "deep" characters, when you think about it. In fact, they seem fairly one-dimensional at times. However, I think there's charm in the simplicity of these characters. While none of them will win any "Character of the Year" awards, I enjoyed watching the chaos they caused and laughed during some of the scenes.

Sound: While this isn't something that I'm big on, I can say that the sound quality was nice. There wasn't anything overtly wrong with it, and both the subbed and dubbed version had some decent voice acting. I actually liked some of the dubbed actors better than the subbed ones in this. I don't know the name of the guy who played Izayoi, but he really is a good VO. While some people sound like they're just reading lines from a script, his voice actually has emotion in it, which is important in voice acting and something that a lot of anime voice actors seem to fail at.

Art: The artwork here is nice, but uninspired. Having only been created within the last five years or so, this is a relatively new anime, and it generally follows an art style that is similar to most other new anime out there. The characters are vibrant and colorful, the backgrounds are well-drawn and contrast nicely with the characters, and the designs are fairly nice. However, while the artwork isn't bad, there is nothing here that makes it stand out from the other anime I've seen.

Animations: While the animation is smooth and fluid, there is only so much "I'm so cool look at how my air rustles in the wind" that I can stand. One thing this anime has a lot of is Hair Rustling. You've probably seen this before, even if you haven't heard of it. This is when a strong wind kicks up around the main character, whose hair suddenly waves about fiercely while Mr. or Ms. MC smirks a smug little smirk. There is a lot of that here, and it got kind of annoying at times. Despite my complaint, the animation is still nice and all of the characters were on model during the action sequences, which is more than I can say for some anime.

On a whole, I think this anime was interesting. If they ever came up with a second season, then I would probably watch it. I may even watch season 1 again if the mood takes me. However, while I enjoyed the anime personally, I can also unequivocally state that this anime is not without its flaws.

Story: 6/10
Characters: 7/10
Art: 7/10
Sound: 7/10
Personal Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall Score: 8/10

Log Horizon, Volume 2

Before I begin, can I just say that I freaking love the artwork for Log Horion? I seriously, seriously love it. Having read A Certain Magical Index and Spice&Wolf, Log Horizon is like a breath of fresh freaking air as far as artwork goes. Both of those other light novels have very bland and unoriginal art styles. I look at their illustrations and feel like they could belong to any light novel. Log Horizon's art is very distinctive. The thicker lines lend an interesting weight to the characters, and the dimensions themselves are rather pleasing. I also like the designs of each character. Truly, I artwork wise, I made a good choice to read this one.

Fanboying aside, Log Horizon volume 2 really is a great addition to the series. Starting off almost immediately after the ending of volume 1, this particular volume deals with a surprising issue that I've never seen in a "trapped in a video game" novel/anime/manga whatever - the darkness that seeps into players hearts when they're left to live without a purpose. Unlike most RPGlit series, in this one, death is not the end, and since death is not the end, it means that characters here are left to toil in obscurity, with nothing to do day in and day out. It doesn't help that the food sucks monkey balls. As stated previously in volume 1, everything people try to make tastes like salty crackers.

However, fear not! Shiroe and his pals have decided to do something about the despicable lack of good food and drink - and they also plan on helping Akiba regain it's previous luster before Elder Tales became their reality, but I think they're mostly in it for the food and drink.


I'm sure you'll all remember how, in volume 1, Nyanta, the swashbuckling cat man who adds "mew" to all of his sentences, found a way to make food taste like food. He did this by disregarding the Elder Tales gaming mechanics and cooked food the normal way, as in the, he cooked the way someone in real life would cook. This led to the miraculous discovery of real food.

Being the smart guy that he is, Shiroe decides to use this new knowledge in order to better Akiba's atmosphere. He does this by having the Crescent Moon Guild open up a hamburger joint - yes, a hamburger joint. I know that sounds kind of weird, but trust me, when you go months eating what amounts to soggy rice crackers, eating a hamburger that actually tastes like a freaking hamburger is heaven on the taste buds. Lo and behold, it does help revitalize Akiba's inhabitants. Shiroe doesn't stop there, however. Oh no. A hamburger joint is not nearly enough to fix Akiba's situation. It's a start, but he plans on doing so much more. What does he do? Heh, not telling.


Just like in the previous book, Log Horizon is very enjoyable. While the previous book does a lot of world building, this one deals more with philosophy and politics. Now, I usually hate politics. Why? Because politicians suck. They're a bunch of lying, deceitful little shi - ahem, anyway, my dislike for politics aside, I actually found the politics used here intriguing. It's interesting to read about characters negotiating mercantile rights, or debating what to do about the tense atmosphere in Akiba. I found it truly delightful to read about.

This volume also introduces a lot of new faces. In book one, we were introduced to Shiroe, Akatsuki, Naotsugu, Nyanta, Marielle, Henrietta, and Serara. This volume features nearly a dozen more characters, and each one seems fairly interesting. We weren't given much of a glimpse into these characters, but I feel like we will in later volumes.

I think what I liked the most about this volume wasn't its many characters, but Shiroe coming into his own. I remember in volume 1, Naotsugu said he was a "Machiavelli with glasses," which I take to mean he appears to be a rather unscrupulous individual. Well, in this volume, I think unscrupulous is the kindest word you can use to describe him. Shiroe is truly in fine form in this volume, and I love how freaking awesome he was to read about. I think he might honestly be one of my all-time favorite book characters.

Overall, I felt this was a great second volume that was even better than the first. I enjoyed it immensely and hope the next volume will be even better.

Plastic Memories

Before we begin, I just want all of you to know that, on the first episode of Plastic Memories, I cried like a little girl. Can you believe it? A full-grown man, bawling his eyes out like a little girl? I'd like to say I'm ashamed of myself, but the truth is, this anime just has that many feels. I believe that's why some people call it Plastic Feels instead of Plastic Memories.

Now then, take a good look at the gif to your left. That's what I was like during this scene. Tears streaming down my eyes and snot coming out of my nose. It was bad. I looked like a mess. However, it's just like I was telling you. This anime is full of feels. I swear to god, I am almost one-hundred percent positive the director making this anime was like, "so, what should we do to rip people's hearts from there chest in this episode?" Yet despite how heart rending many of the scenes were, I really did love this anime. The emotional scenes were emotional and never failed to bring tears, but they were also offset by some really nice humor that lessened the, "I just wanna curl up into a ball and cry." moments.

Like I stated before, this anime isn't all feels and tears. The humor is actually pretty damn funny. The main heroine in this story, Isla, is a Giftia, an android that possesses human emotions to the point where you'd never be able to tell them apart from a regular human - and she is an absolute riot. Seriously, some of the crap she pulls off in this anime makes me laugh my ass off. I remember watching her jump off a railing and belly flop into a trash can in one episode. I laughed so hard. Of course, the fun and games is also played up because of how heart breaking this anime is. Isla, especially, is a tragic character, in spite of all the humorous stunts she pulls. I think, for me, this is what makes me like her so much. She's funny, but at the same time, I really feel for her - because Isla is a Giftia, and Giftia only last for a total of 8 or so years before expiring. That's what this entire anime is about, and it's why the story is so tragic.

Tragic or not, there were some really touching scenes in this. I thought the romance between Tsukasa, the main character, and Isla, was downright adorable - incredibly funny and potential deadly for Tsukasa, but mostly adorable. Watching them muddle through their relationship, seeing Tsukasa try - and usually fail - to make Isla happy, really made it worth watching this anime. For those who enjoy watching a heartfelt romance with touching moments that are mired in beautiful tragedy - I'm looking at you Clannad fans - you'll definitely enjoy this. For those of you who don't like crying your eyes out, well, you probably won't want to touch this with a ten foot pole.

Story: While the anime is labeled as a sci-fi, the actual sci-fi itself isn't all that important beyond the idea of Giftia, the androids who can experience human emotions. Society in this anime has advanced to the point where they can literally create robots that replicate human emotions - these androids feel, think, act, and interact as if they were human. In many ways, they ARE human. However, this anime is also somewhat misleading. While there are a number of scenes that are heartrending, a good portion of this anime is light-hearted, funny, and deals with the awkward romance between Tsukasa and Isla. I didn't mind this so much, mostly because I don't think I could've dealt with too much heart break, but I know others who might be turned off by this. Also, while this wasn't a deal breaker for me, there is one thing about this anime that I didn't like and made much of the story feel a little contrived. If this wondrous, technological society is so damn advance, then why the hell do they not have a way to store a Giftia's memory and place it in a new body? This is the one sore point for the anime, and also an issue that makes the feels less feely than they could be. This wouldn't be much of a problem if they explained WHY a Giftia's memory couldn't be stored in some hardcore USB drive, but they don't, and because they don't, a part of my disbelief is suspended, which cheapens some of the really heart rending moments.

Artwork & Animation: I did enjoy the artwork in here. The art style is very bright and vivid, and there's a wide range of color palettes being used. Some of the character designs were a little bland, but a lot of the secondary characters are just archetypes and don't get much screen time, so I feel like I can forgive them. I do like Isla's design, but even I'll admit that she's a dead ringer for a long-haired version of Ayanami from Neon Evangelion.

Sound: I'd say about average. Honestly, there isn't anything inspiring about the sound, but the quality is nice and I didn't hear anything wrong with it.

Overall, I would say that this anime was nice, but it's not without it's flaws. I enjoyed it, but some others might feel it was too contrived. If you're looking for a decent romance with some light-hearted moments and also some tragedy, you'll probably like this.

Story: 7/10
Art: 8/10
Sound: 6/10
Characters: 8/10
Enjoyment: 8/10
Overall Score: 7/10

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, Volume 3

Plot twist! Holy crap! This volume had a major plot twist in it that totally threw me for a loop. I know, I know, it's pretty easy to throw someone as gullible as me for a loop, but you know what? It doesn't matter. I still think this volume was awesome and had the biggest plot twist in it so far.

Starting where volume 2 left off, Yamada, Shiraishi, Miyamura and Ito have all gone off to a school camp. They had a blast last volume, especially Shiraishi who, thanks to some good old-fashioned Yamada pep-talking, spent a lot of time with the new friends she's made sense she and Yamada first switched bodies. Last episode we were treated to a good dose of humor, a healthy heaping of character interaction, some plot, and a few scenes of fanservice. Not a bad volume all told, but Volume 3 is even better.

First off, we're introduced to a character who, though we've seen her before in the last volume, she gets a lot more time in this one. Nene Odigiri, within the very first chapter, tries to blackmail Yamada into convincing Shirashi to not take part in a mock exam being held the next day. Yamada tries refusing, of course, but unfortunately, Nene has pictures of Yamada not only in the girl's hotel room, but also going through Shiraishi's bag! It's not really him, but actually Shiraishi in Yamada's body. However, that means when someone has pictures of you, or what looks like you, pulling out and admiring girl's underwear. While Yamada tries to solve this problem on the own by switching bodies with Nene and deleting the picture, in the end he's forced to tell Shiraishi about his problem. Why? Well, there's the plot twist - Yamada can't switch bodies with Nene! That's right, his body switching power, which has been the basis for the first two volumes, doesn't work with her. Why? Who knows. Well, I know, but I'm not giving away any spoilers. No sir. You wanna learn more, then you'll just have to read this volume yourself.

Volume 3 is definitely my favorite volume here, not only because we get to see a lot more random kissing scenes, but also because of how the plot is developing. I feel like the story is really beginning to go somewhere. It has all of the humor and engaging hilarity of the last two volumes, but it also shows us that this manga is more than just a silly comedy. The storyline develops a lot in this episode, and we get to learn more about the side characters. Volume 3 was a lot of fun to read. It kept me engaged all the way through to the end, and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume.

2015 Anime

it's the summer of 2015 and that means that a new season of anime has come out for us to enjoy. There was a lot to choose from, and unfortunately, due to things like work, writing, family life, etc., I only have a limited amount of time to watch anime. From the 54 anime that have come out this year, I've selected 6 anime to follow. These anime are the ones that I believe I would personally enjoy. Some of them may not be to your test, and if they're not, that's cool. If you have an anime that you want to suggest, you can always leave a comment at the bottom.


Anime #1: To LOVE-Ru Darkness Season 2


It should not come as any surprise that I've decided to watch this anime. When the first To LOVE-Ru came out, I fell in love. To LOVE-Ru was straight up stupidly perverted comedy, and it knew it. It didn't try to be anything else. It didn't try to give you this complex, deep and dark plot - because they knew it wouldn't have worked. When you've got a panty shot and boobs being shown every other scene, it's hard to take an anime seriously. This anime didn't try to take itself seriously, and that's what I liked about it. To LOVE-Ru Darkness, while still comedic, has a bit more plot and does have a little more seriousness to it. However, at it's heart, To LOVE-Ru is still a comedic anime filled with epic boob-falls and unusually erotic situations.


Anime #2: Rokka no Yuusha



Rokka no Yuusha was a surprisingly interesting anime. It's a story about a monster called the Majin, which awakens every so many years, and six heroes who awaken to battle against the Majin. It's currently six episodes in and so far I have yet to be disappointed. The story seems to generally follow Adlet Mayer, the self-proclaimed "stronger man in the world" and Nashetania Loei Piena Augustra, a beautiful woman with flaxen hair who can create blades with magic. It's a story filled with plenty of action and adventure, and there seems to be some really interesting plot twists. I feel like, out of all the anime to have been released this season, Rokka no Yuusha is the one to watch out for.





Anime #3: Akagami no Shirayuki



This has to be the cutest anime of the season. I remember watching the first episode for this anime and having a total fanboy moment. The story follows Shirayuki, a young woman who wants to follow her own path. During a trip to the woods, she meets Zen, a young man who appears to be hanging out with two of his friends. I was hooked on this form episode one. Shirayuki is one of the sweetest yet strongest female protagonists I've seen in a shojo anime - right up there with Yona from Akatsuki no Yona.



Anime #4: Charlotte



Made from the same studio that produced Clannad and Angel Beats, I knew that I would be watching this anime. So far, I haven't been disappointed. There's been a lot of development for the characters, and while it has comedy, it also has its share of serious moments that balance out the comedy. Given that this is being produced by Key, I expect there will be at least several character deaths and plenty of tragic moments.











Anime #5: Monster Musume




This is quite possibly the most interesting harem anime I've seen produced in a while. It's about a high school boy who's strong armed into being part of the student exchange program - except instead of having some foreign kid live with him, it's a monster girl - several monster girls. This is a very tropey anime. It has all of the tropes that I've come to expect from a harem comedy, with one sole exception. The characters, the women in the harem, they're all monsters, and they look like monsters. I've watched five episodes so far and haven't been disappointed.


Anime #6: Classroom Crisis





Another interesting anime. Classroom crisis isn't what I usually watch, being the kind of person who has a preference for either action and adventure or romantic comedies. However, despite that, this has been an enjoyable show to watch. It's very sci-fi and while not the funniest show I've ever seen, it has its moments.

Log Horizon

The first thing you need to know about Log Horizon is that it's thick, and by thick, I mean there's a lot of world building and in-game mechanics involved. A good deal of the first half is mostly about building the world itself. Now, before you get your panties in a twist, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. While the beginning world building makes this book feel similar to an MMO encyclopedia or the Dungeon Masters Guide, it's a necessary component to understand how this world works.

Log Horizon takes place in a world called Elder Tales, which, before the book started, was originally an MMORPG, the largest one in the entire world. Millions of people played this game, until one day when the new expansion pack came out, and several hundred thousand players found themselves trapped within the game - except, it's not a game anymore. The world is real. You can eat, breath, feel pain, you have to eat now. The world of Elder Tales has ceased being a game and is now their reality. In order to properly understand how this world works, you need to understand the mechanics behind it, which is a combination of real world science and MMO game mechanics. Hence, the reason for it's thickness.

After you get past the world building and MMO mechanics, the game picks up the pace and our characters set off on a journey. To be honest, I felt the mechanics were a little more interesting than the journey simply because of how involved it was. That being said, the journey our characters went on was still interesting and enjoyable. I also love the characters who have been introduced thus far. Shiroe, the main character, is one of those genius types who does well with strategies and making up plans, but isn't so great at interacting. He's not unsociable, he's just socially awkward, which I actually like about him. Noatsugu is kind of his opposite. He's loud, brash and perverted, but a good person all around. Of course, my favorite character has to be Akatsuki. She's the most adorable little assassin I've ever read about. I love her. She's straightforward, kinda blunt actually, and has this stern and upfront personality that I can't help but love. Overall, I felt the characters were great, the world building was excellently done and interesting, if a little on the thick side, and the story was definitely one that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the "trapped in a video game" genre of books.