What I'm Watching this Anime Fall Season 2014 Part Two

Believe it or not, this time around I had to make my "what I'm watching" a two parter! So here is my continuation of that list, if you didn't see part one Read it Here.

Denki-Gai no Honya-sa

Synopsis
Umio is a shy kid who just started his part time job at a manga store smack dab in the middle of the city. But his lifestyle isn't as glamorous as the neon lights that illuminate the city. Umio's closest friends are his co-workers who are all unique characters, to say the least, and although they're nice people, they have their quirks. They are a tight knit group of friends, have nicknames for each other and spend their weekends inside, sheltered from the extravagant scene happening on the outside.

Airs October 2nd 2014

Genres: Slice-of-Life, Comedy, Seinen

Source: Manga Updates

My Thoughts
You typically can't go wrong with a seinen comedy in a unique setting. It seems like there's going to be a lot of references to the otaku lifestyle in Japan (as it is set in a manga store) so I imagine it will be similar to Genhisken. There's nothing like a nerdy comedy to spice up the list for the season.

What I'm Watching This Fall Anime Season 2014

This fall is jam-packed with some promising titles and I'm really excited. We've had a great summer with titles like Glasslip and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, but with those coming to a close let's look at some interesting titles playing this fall. There's too many animes to list in just one post, so here's part one of this awesome list!

Shirobako

Synopsis
Five girls chase their dreams. The story revolves around the everyday troubles and hardships that occur when working in the anime industry, and the results and conflicts that happen day-to-day among the group of girls.

Airs October 9th 2014

Genres: Comedy, Slice-of-Life, Seinen

Source: Yaraon

My Thoughts
 I guess the latest trend with manga and anime is to tell stories about working behind the scenes on manga and anime. There have been titles like Bakumon, Mangaka-san to Assistant-san to, and Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun that show the ups and downs of working on manga, and now we get Shirobako that deals with anime. It looks like it will have a similar pace to Servant x Service, but features 5 female protagonists (with not too many love interests in sight). I'm curious, but I don't necessarily have my hopes up that this will be a stellar hit. Mostly because all female cast shows tend to have a particular style that I rarely find funny. But you never know!

Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso

Synopsis
Piano prodigy Arima Kosei dominated the competition and all child musicians knew his name. But after his mother, who was also his instructor, passed away, he had a mental breakdown while performing at a recital that resulted in him no longer being able to hear the sound of his piano even though his hearing was perfectly fine. Even two years later, Kosei hasn't touched the piano and views the world in monotone, and without any flair or color. He was content at living out his life with his good friends Tsubaki and Watari until, one day, a girl changed everything. Miyazono Kaori is a pretty, free spirited violinist whose playing style reflects her personality. Kaori helps Kosei return to the music world and show that it should be free and mold breaking unlike the structured and rigid style Kosei was used to.

Airs October 10th 2014

Genres: Drama, Music, Romance, School, Shounen

Source: MangaHelpers

My Thoughts
I typically enjoy music themed animes, and one with a love story mixed in will definitely keep me interested. The story sounds like just the right amount of teenage angst to be compelling, and will hopefully offer some curveballs rather than be too predictable.

3 am Dangerous Zone - Is There Such a Thing As a Conventional Career?

This summer I've had a bit of free time on my hands to do some reading. I figured what better than to read a little-known josei manga about office work romance? 3 am Dangerous Zone by Nemu Youko had interesting cover art that caught my attention, and I was pleasantly surprised with its originality. Keep reading for my review of this intriguing series!

Synopsis

A three volume series, 3 am Dangerous Zone follows Momoko, a recent graduate who's found an entry level position as a pachinko parlor designer. Working late hours with oddballs, she wants to quit her job badly. But once she starts making friends with the staff Momoko decides she's in it for the long haul, and finds fulfillment in her job and love life. It's a slice-of-life josei with some comedy and romance mixed in.

The Good

Eye-Candy Artwork

I really enjoyed the art style of this manga. It's simplistic yet refined, making it pleasurable to leaf through. It feels like a Western comic, but has that Japanese finesse. Each character has a unique design, and the style represents reality in a pleasant yet realistic manner. Definitely one of my favourite hand drawn art styles that I've come across.

Strong Female Lead

I often find myself skipping over josei titles because they depict love crazed females who don't know how to deal with themselves, let alone deal with a man in their life. I'm not trying to belittle josei, as there are standout titles that try to depict females in a more reasonable light. Luckily, we find that here with Momoko. She is a more passive female lead, representing a present-time young woman: independent, looking for stability, lacking drive, and reluctant to trust others. She's not lacking confidence in a cliché way, but rather is driven to find fulfillment in her career. She sacrifices her relationships to find a balance of workplace stability and self fulfillment. I really liked how dynamic she was; her thoughts were sometimes muddled by passivity, and I was just as curious to understand her as she was curious to understand herself. I loved how simple she appeared, yet how complex and inspiring her character became. If you find yourself connecting less and less to most josei/shoujo female leads, then I suggest checking out 3 am Dangerous Zone. Momoko's character is a unique and enthralling person. Anyone looking to find a career can relate to her predicament and find inspiration in her determination.

The Bad

Slow Pacing

This manga tells a concise story, being only 15 chapters long, with about 30 pages per chapter. It doesn't over exaggerate, and is pretty down to Earth with the way it represents reality. It doesn't have overarching cliff hangers, and it doesn't tell anything too heavy handed. It's a simple story about a simple girl; it presents a situation that many young women face when entering the working world. I love it for that, but for those looking for a real page turner, you're not going to find it here. It kept me entertained, but it was definitely a light read. It's an interesting story, but not a particularly compelling one. If you're looking for a nice read for your bus ride I definitely recommend this series, but if you want something to excite you I suggest looking somewhere else.

Underdeveloped Supporting Characters

The focus of this manga is definitely on Momoko and her personal obstacles. It never goes into great detail about the other characters, and for the little that it does, it doesn't tell very thought-provoking back stories. They each have a clear cut purpose, and really shine focus back onto Momoko rather than stealing the spotlight for themselves. It would have been nice to get to know Momoko's coworkers better, or even get to know the deep motivations of her love interests, but with the short run of this series it wouldn't have fit in anyways. It's disappointing that they weren't more dynamic, but I can't say that it took away from the overall experience.

Final Score

3 am Dangerous Zone is a different kind of josei. It represents the reality of working young women well, and offers a new perspective on what women are looking for as they reach adulthood. 3 am Dangerous Zone gets a 7.0 out of 10. While not reaching far beyond its simplistic story, it tells a concise tale of Momoko and her exploits as she balances her love life with her work. I enjoyed that it took a new approach, and offered something that I hadn't previously seen in a josei series. For a short read it's worth looking into, especially if you find yourself at odds with the reality of full time work.

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Nagisa Momoe Quick Figma Review

I received this in the mail today! Took long enough... So here's some photos and a quick review of the product. Check out my review of the other Madoka Magica figures here!

Is it Ever a GOOD Idea to Buy Bootleg Merchandise?

With the influx of Sailor Moon products hitting the shelves, copycat fakes were destined to make their way onto the market. You can finally find amazing prices for that figure you've been wanting, and it's completely affordable! Are you being fooled? The answer is yes, yes you are. I can say without a shadow of a doubt in my mind that if the price is less than half the regular price of the item, you're buying yourself a Saban Moon; when it arrives at your doorstep a wave of disappointment will quickly set in. I have an article all about how to spot a fake item versus legitimate merchandise, so check it out here if you haven't already. But today I'm asking, is it ever a GOOD idea to buy flea market figures? Keep reading to find out why it might be worth your while to check out some made in China goodies.

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS and Wii U, Most Gender Neutral Roster Yet

More amazing news from Nintendo! They've added Lucina and Robin (Player 1 Avatar) from Fire Emblem: Awakening (check out my review for that game here!) to the Super Smash Bros. Roster. How awesome is that? We've seen characters like Palutena (Kid Icarus: Arising) and Princess Rosalina (Super Mario Galaxy) get added, but with another female character announced I couldn't be happier. On top of that they've made characters gender neutral by allowing players to pick between their male and female counterparts; the Villager, Wii Fit Trainer and now Robin are all playable as male or female. I love a lot of the characters they've announced already, but making the roster equal parts female to male is a step in the right direction. So many gamers are female so why not represent the gender better? Good on ya Nintendo!

Video Premiere! Sailor Moon Crystal - What Went Wrong?

My first video premiere is here! Please watch my Sailor Moon Crystal - What Went Wrong? video where I diagnose the problems with the new series.