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Anime Review: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

Monday, June 29, 2020 / No Comments
Okay, here's the plan. With your superpowers, you're going to play a prank on your friends. As soon as your George comes in the classroom, you drop the bucket of flour that has been floating in the air for a while now, smothering the unlucky friend with white dust. You guffaw and clutch your sides at the sight of your friend's exasperated expression and mark off another successful day of pranking George!

Oh, did I mention superpowers? Of course! You have superpowers none other could have! Not only do you have telekinesis, but also mind-reading, inhuman strength and so on. With your superpowers, you've been living your daily life with constant excitement, flying high into the sky before freefalling, igniting the bad guys on fire and also using mind-read to score on all your recent exams! 

Of course, 'tis only but a figment of your imagination. You don't have telekinesis, nor do you have the ability to fly. You can only think of the countless things you could do if you ever had superpowers.

However, having superpowers is not what you might think it would be! Having to control your strength to not crush your spoon as you lift it to feed yourself, waking up every morning and hearing everyone's thoughts and also trying hard to not accidentally burn the whole world into a crisp! Suddenly, having superpowers seems more like a burden than a blessing!


Saiki and his group of friends

Such are the thoughts of Saiki K, an ordinary high-school student in Japan, except that he has all the aforementioned superpowers. In this anime review, Saiki-san is going to show to the ambitious you, that superpowers are nothing but a hindrance to him. 

The anime revolves around a high-school student who has been gifted with superpowers ever since he was born. He could talk just 14 days after being born, walk at the age of one, the list goes on. As you can probably tell, he's the subject of envy of all ambitious teenagers in the world. 

However, Saiki seems to beg to differ. His prowess has brought naught but inconvenience to his daily life. Having to constantly keep track of all your powers while also trying to keep a low profile proves to be a hard task for Saiki as he faces many challenges, usually brought by his group of friends that also deserve a top spot for being eccentrics!

Speaking of eccentrics, let's talk about Saiki himself. Including the traits mentioned above, he can be seen as an introvert, a severe case of one, in fact, as throughout the anime, Saiki rarely speaks to any of the other characters. Most of the time, he uses soliloquy to convey his thoughts, even when reacting to his friend's antics. In a way, he seems similar to Sakamoto where his deadpan expression has become a norm for others.


Saiki Kusou

While physically quiet, Saiki is surprisingly loud in his emotions. In the beginning, when Saiki was seen as an introvert to me, my assumptions were that he was a cold and unmoving MC. It wasn't long before my guesses were broken though. Due to his superpowers, Saiki is afraid of causing detrimental and irreparable changes to the world. As such, he taxes himself by making sure that his superpowers stays controlled and helping to solve problems along the way. Think of him as Superman, just that this Superman is extremely quiet and wishes to be left alone.

As always, actions speak louder than words when Saiki used his clairvoyance ability to prevent an accident at the gas station. A rock could've tripped a girl passing by, causing her to trip and kick the rock towards a truck driver. In turn, the truck driver would have lost consciousness and drive the car into the gas station. Seeing the future, Saiki could've ignored it and went on his way but chose to intervene instead by removing the cause of the accident in advance. 


Saiki removing the cause of the accident








Moving on, we have the happy-go-lucky Nendou Riki. Portrayed as a close friend of Saiki, and as such, he's also a quirky individual. His concerning lack of intelligence plus his scary face often pegs him as a bad guy by the others while in actuality, Nendou is just a carefree and kind student misunderstood.





Nendou Riki

In fact, his kindness and compassion can be seen in the anime many times. Once, he mustered up his courage and confessed to a girl at the beach, only to get turned down harsh by her. Later on, the girl could be seen drowning and Nendou immediately rushed to her aid. Upon coming ashore, albeit only with Saiki's help, he did not act all high and mighty in front of her and instead amicably responded to her gratitude. I think Saiki would definitely agree when I say that Nendou has a heart of gold, but his brain is filled with muscles.


Nendou receives the gratitude of the girl he saved

Next on the list is a narcissistic high-school girl with perfect proportions and killer looks. Teruhashi Kokomi is the very definition of Aphrodite, but her heart is much like Medusa. She is shown to be very conceited and a manipulator. This was at the start of the show, though. Over time, you begin to realise that she changes as she interacts more with everyone around her, such as Saiki and his group, rather than using everyone to her benefit.


Teruhashi Kokomi

In fact, the more she hangs out with Saiki, the more she realizes that she's beginning to fall for him. What began from trying to make him fall for her in order to feed her superiority complex, turned to her falling for him. Teruhashi also begins to show different sides of herself in front of Saiki which is something I appreciate. I always prefer character development rather than a stagnant character throughout the series, which some animes tend to do.



Now that we've gone through some characters, let's talk about the anime itself. As stated, the story revolves around Saiki and his daily life, in which he has to deal with ordinary folk while hiding is superpowers. In the anime, there is no specific core or goal as the anime consists of different "arcs" or "segments" that gets crammed into one episode. While this might seem too much for you, I actually think they nailed it. As previously mentioned, this is a comedy anime. As such, having speedy mini-episodes with multiple jokes in between is a diverse way to make sure that their audience stays laughing throughout the series.


The characters are well thought out as well. There's no generic character and there is frequent character development, if not always. I found myself liking it when Nendou and the others get sections to themself, as I get to understand more about them, and in turn, relate to them more. I probably mentioned this in my other anime reviews, but character development is essential to any anime.

However, I did get disappointed in some areas of the anime. One such category is the art. While I understand that this anime was released in 2016, I couldn't help but expect more. That being said, I wouldn't say the art style is absolutely horrible. It just gets the job done. Hence, if you are okay with an art style that is old, you definitely would be able to enjoy the show without minding the art.


An example of the show's art; one tone of colours

All in all, I would say that anyone that wants a laugh and nothing else should try this anime. There is no complex or underlying plot that one should be aware of. The characters were diverse and unique with character development. Fitting for a comedy show, the anime has a plethora of jokes that kept it from becoming too stale or repetitive, which is something I appreciate it kept me hooked to the anime. 



So, should you watch it? If you're looking for a pure comedy show, then I definitely recommend it. If you just want fresh air from the other animes, then this would definitely clear your mind. 

In conclusion, I enjoyed watching this anime and it would definitely lift your spirits up at the least if you give it a try.



Written by Kai Yuichi

Summer 2020 Anime

Sunday, May 31, 2020 / No Comments
While spring comes to an end, I've been busy catching up on both old and newly-released anime. Of course, with more time on my hands, I also had the pleasure of watching recent anime that I refrained from watching. 



Upcoming Summer 2020 Anime

Kaguya-sama: Love is War kept me laughing from their antics while torturing me at the same time with the mind games between the two main characters. It has been quite a while since I've thoroughly enjoyed a romantic comedy like this one and I'm glad I chose to watch it!



On the other end, Sing "Yesterday" for Me caught me off guard by how much it resonates with me. The story dictates one of post-adolescence life of a college student with no ambitions in life. Just this alone struck a chord in me and whatever followed it pulled my heartstrings further. It captured the life of someone wandering about so well that it needed nothing more than that. The writing in this story was neither too excessive nor too minimal. There were many times I found myself in the main character's shoes, trapped in the same dilemma. While it was heart-wrenching to watch, this gave me time by myself that I normally wouldn't find to reflect and think about myself and the future.



Lastly, while it wasn't as good as I thought it would be after reading the manga a few years back, I was excited for Tower of God. Again, the anime was nothing special in my humble opinion, but the precedence of what could happen in the future exhilarated me. 



Tower of God was originally a manhwa, a Korean comic basically, that was recently adapted into its anime version. It came from a renowned Korean website called Naver Webtoon, where many other hidden gems of stories and comics are written. This means that with Tower of God being the first to be adapted to an anime, many other manhwa and comics could soon follow!



Countless manhwa available to read in Naver Webtoon

With that said, I can't say I didn't enjoy the season of Spring 2020 because of all the fun I had in watching them. I would also recommend everyone to try giving all the anime or even the ones that you avoided, a chance! Who knows, there might be an anime that you really love! However, as Spring 2020 comes to a wrap, Summer 2020 is right around the corner with brand new anime as well as sequels to previous anime to watch out for. And of course, I compiled a list of eye-catching anime that would be worth your while to check out!

Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season



Promotional image for Re: Zero 2

I would assume that everyone and their friends all know about then prequel of this anime so I would like to address this series first. To me, the news didn't really excite me since I wasn't into the first season of the anime. I just couldn't get emotionally invested into Subaru, who irked me quite a bit. To me, characters are a big part of an anime and would be an integral part of the deciding factor on whether I would enjoy the series. But, I can see the second season becoming a well-talked topic in the future as I am going to watch it myself, just to find out what will happen in that world. Overall, I'm not too excited about this but would definitely give the show a try.



Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Kan (Third Season)



Promotional image for My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU 3

This, however, has kept me waiting for far too long. Ever since the second season ended 5 years ago, I have been waiting for news of another season to continue from the cliffhanger at the end of Season 2. You can imagine my despair when I found out that the newly-announced Season 3 was going to be postponed from Spring 2020 to Summer 2020. Enough about that though, let's talk about the anime. My Teen Romantic Comedy is, as you can obviously tell, a romantic comedy anime. There hasn't been much of this genre lately so I'm glad that a masterwork such as this came back to revitalize the genre a bit. 

Moreover, I can't wait for the revamped art style that might be coming, especially since Season 2 boasted a well-received art and animation style. The characters are also well-rounded in their own way, with each of them having a decently explained background. I just can't wait to sit down and watch the anime as soon as it comes out.



Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara


Promotional image for Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara

The last returning anime of this list, the fifth season of Shokugeki no Souma: Gou no Sara was originally supposed to air throughout April 2020. However, due to the current world affairs, it was postponed to July after its second episode. It definitely upset some fans as they were left hanging after only the second episode. 

I stopped watching the series after the third season because it felt repetitive for me where Souma would crush his opponents one by one, with totally unnecessary erotic scenes popping by once in a while. The series was definitely intriguing at first, but soon dropped down my list of animes to watch. However, it may change and catch my eye again in the fifth season with the upcoming world-class cooking competition in the horizon for Souma. Who knows, maybe our interest in the series will be invigorated in the fifth season!


The God of High School


Promotional image for The God of High School

From Crunchyroll Originals, The God of High School is slated to release Summer 2020. Because it's a brand new anime, I'll put the Preview Trailer here so that we can watch it together!



Official Trailer for The God of Highschool

From what I can see, the anime does seem compelling for me to watch. I do like anime about fighting and this seems to cut the cake for me. The animations look crispy and the animation is not bad either. I might be on the fence about the characters though. They seem pretty generic and cliche but that's only my first impression. Hopefully, the anime will turn out as good as the trailer portrays it to be!


Gibiate


Promotional image for Gibiate

Another new anime, Gibiate is set in Japan 2020, where a virus has spread through mankind and caused all infected to turn into different lifeforms that wreaked havoc all around. Again, I'll leave the trailer below here!



Official Trailer for Gibiate

On paper, the anime seems really interesting to me since I am an avid fan of the apocalyptic genre. The trailer, however, doesn't seem all that promising. Sure, the characters and art look amazing but the monsters and animation for them look weird to me. That wouldn't stop me from watching the anime though. Especially since another favourite aspect of mine is included in this show, which is samurais and ninjas! It's not often you get an apocalyptic anime so I'll definitely be giving this show a chance!


Rent-A-Girlfriend



Cover issue for the manga of Rent-A-Girlfriend

I'm genuinely excited for the release of this anime since I do like my slice-of-life/romance anime and this does seem to fit the bill! This anime references itself from reality as rental services for parents, friends and even love interest exist in modern reality Japan! I can't lie about not being interested in this as it is a novelty that can't be found anywhere other than Japan. In a way, they are showcasing these rental services while delivering a story at the same time. As always, the trailer will be down below to watch!



Official Trailer for Rent-A-Girlfriend

The trailer looked better than I expected it to be. The art style is pleasing to the eye and the characters that they introduce seems to be full of personality. The story revolves around a college student that got dumped by his girlfriend and seeks to find comfort through a rental girlfriend. What happens afterwards seems similar to that of Nisekoi, another masterpiece in the romantic comedy scene. All in all, this will definitely be in my must-watch list for Summer 2020!


With that said, I'll end the list here! Do take note that there are other animes and movies releasing in Summer 2020, so be sure to keep an eye out for them! Let's all welcome the season of Summer 2020 in open arms, along with the entertainment it brings us!


Written by Yeon Hee



Netflix Anime Review: The Promised Neverland

Saturday, May 30, 2020 / No Comments
Sitting at home during this Circuit Breaker gives me ample time to explore more of Netflix (who are we kidding, my life outside CB isn't much different). One of the better animes out there is The Promised Neverland, another gem brought to us by Netflix. The first season has 12 episodes, I thought like meh if I don't like it then I won't have to suffer too long (like certain other animes.. ahem..). I have to say, I was quite sceptical about The Promised Neverland. Do I start all of my blogs like this nowadays? Have I become a bitter old lady already? Should I get a couple of cats and defend Carole Baskin online (hah, the last one will never happen)? Anyway, I think I am trying not to have high expectations before I start a new anime lately, as I have been disappointed because they were too childish for me (I'm looking at you, Demon Slayer). I guess I HAVE become an old lady, bitter at times!


The Promised Neverland though, really delivered (SPOILERS BELOW).  We are introduced to this idyllic world, European ish Heidi Yodeli landscape with seemingly Western kids. It seems to have 4 seasons, with a sunny summer and cold winter with snow. I haven't read the manga, so I'm just imagining it to be like a setting similar to England. Oh wait no it didn't rain all the time scrap that (yes, I'm throwing shade. England, your weather SUCKS). Maybe somewhere Switzerland-y or France, or Germany. AKA I have no clue. Episode 1 immediately starts off with three young kids in a forest with in front of a gate they are not allowed to go out of. Emma, Ray and Norman, three besties, wonder what's out there. Of course we are going to want to see what happens there, right? WILL THEY GO THERE?

Young Emma, Ray and Norman asking the existential life questions. We've never been outside. Why am I alive. Who am I. No? Just me? Alrighty. CB is getting to me. 

These are some skeptical 11 year olds, not believing that there is something 'dangerous' out there. When I was 11 years old I was definitely not this smart. 

The story continues with Emma, Ray and Norman at an older age. They are all 11 years old and living in an orphanage with other children, waiting to be adopted or going to their 'forever homes'. The children are all sweet and cute. They all get along well, the older kids take care of the younger ones and they have one "Mama" or Mom, a caregiver that is the mother figure to all the children. Their days consist out of taking a mysterious test every day, doing chores, eating dinner together and playing hide-and-seek outside.


 They all have this mysterious tattoo in their neck.



Kakichan the Oyster



Time for 'school', kiddos! 

 Nooo pressure.


They called this game 'tag', it feels more like hide-and-seek. One person stays behind and counts down. After that he/she will go find the other kids. Not my idea of tag.

One of the younger ones, the 6 year old Conny, is going to a foster home. They're all sad to see her leave but also happy she has found a family. It's kind of a bittersweet moment, a joyous occasion but also sad as they will be separated. All these young innocent kids all cute, fluffy and adorable. Now mind you, I had no idea what was going to happen. I went into this anime a blank slate. The pessimist in me already feels it coming, when will everything go awry? Is everyone gonna die?  These young, happy, excited kids remind me of one anime the most: Narutaru. And for those of you who have seen it, we know how that ended..

 Cute little Conny with her fluffy little bunny. Ahwwww... nothing can happen to a character THIS cute, right? RIGHT? (wrong, very very wrong.)


 Saying goodbye to the other kids. A bittersweet moment.

Off you go Conny, to your forever home...

Well, it didn't take long. Immediately in episode 1 we have the scene that will set the tone for the rest of the anime. Conny is taken outside the gate, but has 'forgotten' her teddybear. Ray tells Norman and Emma that they can still catch up if they hurry, which they do. Then, outside the gate, Emma and Norman discover Conny's dead body, and see 'oni' or 'demons'.


Ugh, another 6 year old? I guess they're not tasty enough.

Well, we see that the serial numbers are connected to their age and their test scores. So everything on the farm is just a ruse to fool the children. The kids are all getting kept as livestock to be shipped off to some high-end restaurant.

Woops, better hope you're one of the dumb ones. 


They hide under the car and hear them talk about human flesh, children being merchandise, and shipments. Then they hear Isabella, aka Mom, taking orders from them. Soooo, goodbye innocence. Norman and Emma realise that they are livestock living on a farm. Talk about a harsh reality! After half digesting their reality, they decide they will run away together.

Find a strategy to get outta there!!! RUN FORREST RUNNN!!

The first episode sets the tone, the world they live in and gives us a goal. It gives me the same vibes as several other shows/animes/movies such as Maze Runner; a bunch of kids trying to escape to another unknown world, Dark Angel; kids that were genetically engineered and raised to be soldiers (and also were 'branded' with a barcode) that escape from a facility, and even the Matrix; they took the red pill and have to live with the appalling truth of their world. While I was expecting a Battle Royale type of development, have all the kids fight to the death and even each other to survive, it turned out to be more of a Death Note/Code Geass kind of situation where a few young brilliant minds strategise in a way to get out of their predicaments. However, their opponents are just as smart and cunning, which will have you press that play next episode button faster than that one popcorn that falls into your cleavage for continuous suspenseful binging.





Mommy's onto you! Getting some Cruella DeTerminator wolf in sheep's clothes vibes from this one. Strong villain with good instincts, always one step ahead of everything. 

After finding out the truth, Emma and Ray trust Ray and tell him what happened. They have to find a way to get off the farm with all of the children, a plan Ray is against. He just wants to leave with the older kids, as the younger ones will slow them down. Ray kind of knew everything all along and has been planning all of this since he was 6 after remembering the demons from the time he was a baby. Rough life man. This has been weighing on him all his life, he never got the carefree time that Emma and Norman enjoyed. No wonder he looks all dark and emo (that hair tho, really). 

Honestly tho, I see you 80s/90s kids, 20-ish years ago. Not that far off aye? Hashtagnoshamingtho.

Speaking of Mom, she is one hell of a villain I guess the cunning apple doesn't fall far from the cunning tree. Strong, smart, cunning, always one step ahead of the kids, until she is not. She makes up for that with her impeccable instincts and decision-making. One example of that is getting a back-up Mom.  who wants to stab her in the back and become the main Mom of that farm and of course Mommy Isabella knows. It's the kids versus an adult, adult versus adult, who will outsmart whom? This delicate balance of action - reaction runs through this anime like a red thread and makes us sit on the edge of our seats the whole time.

 Ms. Krone is introduced to the kids, making Emma and Norman realise Mom is aware of some of the kids knowing the truth.

 Another adult, another enemy. Are all adults enemies in this story? 

 Smug Mom, knowing she made life more difficult for the aware ones.

Seemingly worried about Emma, AKA "girl were you the one that saw everything? Nah ya gotta get eaten now child".

So, there are a few memorable and 'shocking' storylines. First of all, Ray was a spy for Mom all along, and is even her real son (I wonder where the mommy farm is at.. feels a bit The Handmaid Tale-ish). After almost running away herself, then being selected to become a Mom, she ended up at this academy and gave birth to Ray. After this, she was assigned to the farm that Ray was on, all of this because of a song that Ray remembered hearing (made by Isabella's own 'Norman'). 

 Isabella's own version of Emma and Norman back in the day. She was rebellious and tried to run away herself.

 Being convinced by Mom, she is on the fast-track to success! or just more horror.

 Work hard, little Isabella, so you too can become a monster betraying your own kind basically.

 The idea of bearing a child for 9 months and giving birth knowing it will be eaten.. Truly horrific.


 Realisation in the nation (for all y'all that still remember Ali G).

 The moment Mom finds out she REALLY IS the mom of one of the kids. Look how she grabs her belly. I wonder if she ever felt remorse.

Well, smart runs in the family. Existential crisis at age, 4-ish I'm guessing? Too young, man. Get this guy a proper childhood before he gets eaten!

One storyline which triggers everything is Isabella finding out about all of them knowing and deciding to ship off Norman to the 'restaurant', of which we still know very little about.  We only know that it's high-end and the current farm is delivering the best merchandise (go Isabella? I guess? At least she's doing her job well..). The reason they were doing tests, and the reason Emma Norman and Ray weren't shipped off when they were 6 years old like Conny is that they were growing their brains as it's a delicacy. Somehow I kinda already guessed this was the reason. I already told my partner I AM SO SURE IT'S BECAUSE OF THEIR BRAINS, got me thinking of those horror stories of people eating monkey brains while the monkey's alive. Hey, if we can do it, why can't demons do it with our brains? I am pretty sure cannibals have done this before as well. We have a will-they or won't-they situation now that Norman will be shipped off. Will they escape altogether?  (You thought I meant something else with Emma and Norman did you, get your mind out of the gutter.) When will they do it? Well, Norman, my favourite of course, decides to sacrifice himself for the others, which leads to a strategy for Emma and the other kids to get organised behind Ray's back. The night before Ray's scheduled 'shipment' he decides to set himself on fire. He'd rather burn to death than let himself get eaten. This gives Emma the opportunity to let him in on the escape, and they manage to pull it off! They leave behind Phil (my absolute favourite, he's the CUTEST and so smart, yes I am fangirling LEAVE ME ALONE) as a 'spy' to make sure the other kids stay safe, but of course Mom knows all about that and lets him know they escaped safe and sound.

 Again, RUN FORREST RUN. Never gets old. Life is like a box of chocolates, you ... ok ok I'll stop with the Forrest Gump quotes. For now.

 After realising the kids escaped successfully, Isabella let her hair loose like she did when she wanted to escape herself. I think tying her hair is kind of a symbolism of her being tied down herself. I wonder if she will let down her hair from now on, and become one of the 'good' guys. In this anime, who are the good guys anyway? what is wrong and what is right? Would we also be reacting the same way when a couple of pigs escape a pig farm? Coming from the demons' point of view, isn't it kind of the same? SHOULD WE ALL BECOME VEGAN?? 

 Back at the house, Isabella comforts the smallest kids. 

Of course, after letting Phil know that she knows, so he knows now that she knows he knows ya know?

To conclude, the maker of this story did a brilliant job. We were confined to a small world, everything peaceful and all, and then we were plunged into darkness. The suspense you feel with every episode will make you want to binge it without even wanting a toilet break. 

Flashbacks and background stories of characters like Ms. Krone and Isabella gives us hints of the world and how it is run. I really love how we get to know this world bit by bit, exploring it as we go. It leaves so much open and leaves us with so many questions, but I love that we do get some insights into how this world works. Everything is still very mysterious: the technology, like tracking devices implanted in the back of their ears, how the infrastructure or communication works with Headquarters, the logistics of it all. What time are we in? Is this the world as we know it? A future version? Or an alternate universe? So many questions, so few episodes. 

Is this like the GPS how we know it or more like the Dragon Radar from Dragonball? Come on y'all thought the same when you saw how it looked.

So there is just one thing on our minds, is Norman alive or not?? Was he sent to the daddy-factory? I mean they need the... male specimen.. from somewhere, right? (I wonder if it's like a dairy farm..) He is smart so has good genes, greater chance at big brained kids. Or will he become a 'slave' somewhere? Also, will the kids survive in the outer world? What does it even look like? Will Isabella become one of the good guys?? Will they ever find the guy that left those hints in the books? 
I don't believe Norman's dead. Well as long as we don't SEE it, it's all open. And NO I'm not going to read the manga to find out. I will be a good little girl and wait until season 2 comes out in January next year. It already got pushed back from October this year, so here's hoping it won't be pushed back any further (damn you Covid-19!!!). I hope the second season will be super fast paced and gives us answers while giving us even more questions so we can keep wanting to explore more and more of this world.

 Let's explore together with the kids! A new dawn for them, a new binge-worthy season for us.

An ode to Phil

Oh Phil, you cute little thing
that smile so massive 
but somehow impressive
will you sell out your brethren
and stay in mother's good grace
or keep that smart little head on its place
Oh Phil, please also escape
in a world that you will reshape
WITH YOUR CUTE LIL BUTT.



~ Written by Devi ~


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