A little about Makoto Shinkai and some of his films (My favourite anime directors part 1)

As you all know, I harbour a strong love for anime and have a keen eye for stunning animation and art (though I am in no way an expert, just someone that has way too much time on their hands).  About four years ago (possibly five... where has the time gone?) I happened to be browsing the web for some new anime that might interest me when I stumbled across a really beautifully detailed image of a train. Now, personally, trains don't excite me one bit but it was the quality of the image that had me intrigued. I knew it couldn't possibly be an image from Studio Ghibli (the only Japanese anime company I had really known at the time) as it was a little too realistic for their art and after some further snooping and research I discovered Makoto Shinkai's films.

5 Centimeters Per Second

Makoto Shinkai is a Japanese anime director, producer and previous graphic designer. Shinkai's films are extremely detail oriented and have a special life-like quality, spanning across all of his films, that I have yet to find in another director. His films are quickly becoming more and more popular in Western countries and he has even been praised as "The New Miyazaki" (in reference to Studio Ghibli's Hayao Miyazaki). I wanted to share my three favorite Makoto Shinkai films with you all today, as I hope as many people as possible will be exposed to his amazing animation, stories and art. 

1. Five Centimetres Per Second (Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru) ~ 2007

This was the first Makoto Shinkai film I ever had the pleasure of watching (the image I had found was from this film) and I still think the art, animation, soundtrack and actual plot line of the film all work in perfect harmony together to create a masterpiece. Five Centimetres Per Second is actually made up of three acts; Cherry Blossom, Cosmonaut and 5 Centimetres Per Second. All three of these acts focus on a young boy named Takaki Tōno who, in act 1, befriends a girl named Akari Shinohara when she transfers to his elementary school. The two children quickly form a strong bond of friendship that they both thought would last a lifetime until Takaki has to move away after graduating from elementary school. There's not much else I can say about the plot of this charming, emotional film without giving too much away, so hopefully this has gotten you at least a little bit interested! 

2. Children Who Chase Lost Voices (Hoshi o Ou Kodomo) ~ 2011

Children Who Chase Lost Voices is Shinkai's longest film yet and is often described as his best. Due to the death of her father and her mother's long hours at the hospital as a nurse, Asuna has had to 'grow up' quickly. She spends her days listening to a mysterious radio left to her by her father and wandering over to her 'clubhouse' located across a bridge near a forest. On one of her journeys across the bridge, Asuna is attacked by a horrible creature and saved by a boy named Shun who also manages to get himself injured. Asuna and Shun continue onto her clubhouse where Asuna treats Shun's wound and he explains that he is from a country called Argatha and that he has come here to find something. Again, I can't say too much more without giving away spoilers (I suck at writing small summaries) but all in all, Children Who Chase Lost Voices is the story of a young, curious girl and her journey to say "farewell" and I'm sure you will all love Asuna's journey just as much as I did!

3. The Garden of Words (Kotonoha no Niwa) ~ 2013

The Garden of Words is Shinkai's most recent film and definitely his most aesthetically pleasing film. The art and animation in this film is ridiculously flawless and I have no doubt that all of you will love each and every frame. The Garden of Words follows the story of a young high school student named Takao when he suddenly decides to skip school one rainy day to draw and sketch shoe designs. The aspiring shoe designer has no idea how much this decision will effect his life when he meets the beautiful and slightly older Yukino. Despite their differences the two strike up an unusual relationship that effects both of their lives dramatically. In my opinion, The Garden of Words does not have as much of an engaging, entertaining, always-something-happening plot as the two previous films I've mentioned, but that does not mean it's not as enjoyable! 

I hope you decide to watch at least one of Makoto Shinkai's films and I hope you enjoy them as much as I did!

Love from Maddie xo

My thoughts on Sailor Moon Crystal

Hello again everyone! If you're one to dabble in the anime universe you will undoubtedly know about the Sailor Moon 20th anniversary reboot, Sailor Moon Crystal, which is set to air in Japan on the 5th of July (less then one month away...!!!). A trailer was released on the 5th of June and this trailer really didn't meet the expectations of some Sailor Moon fans. You can watch the trailer for yourself here. 

I will admit, when I first laid eyes on the new character designs I was very shocked and confused. Everything was strange looking and looked nothing like the manga like I presumed it would. Luckily for me, this all changed when the trailer aired, but a lot of fans are still sad that the art is so different to the original anime. I personally think the art looks fantastic now that I've had a chance to get my head around it. The new anime was never going to look like the original series because of how much art and animation has advanced over the past twenty years! If you compare the art to the manga it is indeed very similar, which is what we were promised way back when the series was announced- so they definitely delivered on that one! The only thing that has me quite puzzled is Usagi's eyes. It might just be because I haven't watched an actual episode yet so therefore they're not showing emotion or anything but her eyes look a little.. dead? It may just be me still getting used to a much more modern eye (their original eyes were very simple) but that is literally the only thing I can complain about in the trailer. Yes their legs a long, but have you watched the original anime? Have you read the manga? Their limbs are incredibly unrealistically long and their heads are huge, they always have been.  

Sailor Moon Crystal by Marco Albiero Art

I think the most exciting thing for me will be seeing Mamoru animated. Mamoru is one of my favorite characters within the Sailor Moon franchise and I can't wait for him to get the portrayal he deserves! Now I could be totally wrong here but I'm pretty positive there is a theory that the director of the original anime (or producer of one of the seasons?),  disliked Mamoru, hence why his portrayal in the original anime was not so great. It is believed that he preferred the romance between Usagi and Kou Seiya (one of the Sailor Starlights) and this can definitely be seen within the original series. Mamoru was also portrayed to be a lot meaner, grumpier and- dare I saw it, dumber, than he is in the manga so I just can't wait to see the gentle, kind Mamo-chan that I know and love. Also we get Mamoru in glasses. And a school uniform. I also think his character designs looks a lot like a CLAMP character... but without the huge shoulders...I can't be the only animanga fan thinking this can I?

I'm a little nervous to hear the voice actresses playing Minako, Ami, Rei and Mokoto but I'm also very excited, if you know what I mean? We are so lucky to have the original voice actress of Usagi, Kotono Mitsuishi, return to the mic, but I only wish we could have the original voice actor for Mamoru as well (I'm getting a little greedy, I know, but imagine how amazing it would be to have all of the original cast!). I also can't control my excitement for the seasons and films that are bound to follow. We will be re-introduced to well-loved characters such as the Outer Senshi, Helios and the Sailor Starlights. I hope the character designs for the Outer Senshi are received better than the Inner Senshi but we'll just have to wait a year (or longer) to see! I hope Haruka's original voice actress returns in Sailor Moon Crystal as I think Megumi Ogata was perfect in this role (I love Megumi's work, she's fantastic!) but we'll just have to impatiently wait for the announcements to be made. We will also be seeing a new Tokyo as the series will be adapted to suit a much more modern audience so don't expect that everything will look the same!

I'm a little undecided on how I feel about the announcement of the re-dub as I despise the original dub with great passion. I'm sure Viz Media know what they're doing and will keep this series un-cut (please oh my god), I'm sure many fans will be disappointed if they do cut and edit anything out. 

Well that is basically some of the most prominent thoughts swirling around my head when it comes to Sailor Moon Crystal. If any of you would like me to make another post when the first episode airs (which is July 5th in Japan but I'll need to wait for it to be subbed which can take up to a week usually, though I'm sure it will be sooner because of the hype surrounding the episode), just leave a comment below and I'll happily do so! 

Thanks for reading, love from Maddie! xo

My top 5 emotion inducing anime series

Bit of a weird list to make but I thought I would make a list of the five anime/manga series that practically ripped my heart out. This doesn't mean they had to be full of depressing back stories but they had to make me feel a range of different emotions- I'm sure if you watch at least one of these you will know what I mean! Some you've seen on my lists before and some I don't think I've blogged about yet! I'm also excluding films for this list as that is a list I can make for another day!

5. Kids on the Slope (Sakamichi no Apollon) //  Watch the anime & read the manga

This is such a 'real' anime- no fantasy elements, no supernatural powers, no magical girls. I remember when I watched Kids on the Slope for the very first time about a year ago and I was so caught up in the story that I watched all twelve episodes in the one sitting- completely abandoning the piles of school work that I was supposed to be doing. Kids on the Slope is set back in 1966 in the very real sea-side town of Sasebo where Kaoru Nishimi moves to live with relatives. Kaoru is an honours student that prefers to keep to himself, that is until he meets the infamous mischief maker Sentaro Kawabuchi. Now this is going to sound a little lame but Kaoru discovers the wonders of jazz music and through a shared love for this music he finally makes his first ever friends. Kids on the Slope is something anyone could easily watch (though I do recommend watching it in Japanese with English subtitles as they dub doesn't really come close to the original), has a range of intriguing characters and a storyline sure to keep anyone watching.   

4. Mawaru Penguindrum // Watch the anime

Try and watch Mawaru Penguindrum without getting confused the first time around. I personally didn't find this anime particularly sad until the very end. Obviously there were moments throughout the story line that had me sniffling slightly, but overall it's the ending that gets me every single time. I apologise for not explaining the plot line for this anime but I seriously could not find the words to explain this one. I think the best way to discover this anime is to either watch it without fully knowing what it is about (but please watch it to the very end, I know some characters will really creep you out/get on your nerves easily- but you must keep watching!) or you could read the wikipedia page here (I can feel all my teachers looking at me in disgust right now). I would recommend watching this in Japanese but the dub is not actually that bad- there's just a few main characters that could have done with different voice actors. Mawaru Penguindrum is full of colourful characters, amazing art and a beautiful soundtrack that I hope keeps you watching until the very end- though you should prepare for heartbreak... just saying!

3. Clannad: After Story // Watch the anime

Clannad: After Story is definitely the straight out saddest anime on this list. This is actually the second season for the Clannad series (hence the "After Story" in the name) and is a continuation of events from the first season, though I personally think you can watch After Story without watching the first season. I was not particularly fond of the first season, it was adorable but really didn't hold my interest but I'm glad I watched until After Story. I'm not going to lie to you guys and say this would be one of my favorite series or anything like that, but it did make me feel all the feels, which is why it's on this list! I don't want to spoil anything for those of you that do want to watch the first season but you can think of this anime as a typical shoujo series that eventually leads into something a lot more heartbreaking and interesting. I hope that has got you a little intrigued! 

2. Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicle // Watch the anime first (to avoid disappointment) then read the manga

This is actually one of my favorite series of all time. I'm going to recommend the manga to you all today as the anime adaption was poorly done (excluding the OVAs) but I do recommend that you watch the anime first to avoid disappointment in the adaption. You've heard me mention Clamp before in one of my posts and this is without a doubt my favorite Clamp manga. The story is incredibly confusing and many fans (myself included) have discovered new things that we missed previously each time the series has been reread. We follow the story of Syaoran Li (Sound familiar? Classic Clamp reusing characters from previous series) as he travels around many different worlds with his childhood friend and obvious love interest Princess Sakura (there we go again...), a ninja from Japan named Kurogane and a powerful but mysterious magician named Fai D. Flowright (my all time favorite anime/manga character... I seriously love this guy). That short synopsis doesn't really explain just how detailed, amazing, addictive and intricate the series is but I'm sure you will understand once you have read it! 

1. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood // Watch the anime and read the manga
You've all heard of it and I hope you've all watched it. Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood has been mentioned on here before, along with the original Fullmetal Alchemist series and you can check out that post for some info on both of the series! This will undoubtedly bring tears to your eyes and each and every character will more than likely make their own soft spot on your heart. There's not really much else to say other than this is something everyone should watch, anime lover or not!

I would also like to mention Anohana: The Flower we saw that day, NANA and Fruits Basket which will all get anyone emotionally involved!

Thank you for reading!
Love from Maddie xo

Top 6 shoujo anime & manga series

Hey there everyone, I hope you're all doing well! A few of you have been asking on instagram, what 'girly' anime I would recommend for some of you to check out (because you either want something new to watch or you think it would be the perfect genre for you to get interested in). The genre most of you seem to be talking about is shoujo anime and manga.

Shoujo manga is something usually aimed at girls from the ages of about 10 years old through to young adults, that focuses on relationships between characters and the emotions of each character (though people of any gender and age usually enjoy watching or reading shoujo just as much as the target audience). Shoujo is technically not a specific genre but rather hosts a range of different genres. Another genre that might make an appearance in this list is josei manga. Josei usually covers a similar concept as shoujo but is aimed at older women (I believe from about the ages of 15 through to about 45!). Though again, people of any age and gender enjoy josei manga and anime just as much as the intended audience.

I have decided to ensure that all 6 series that are listed will have both an anime and manga. I'm presuming people who haven't read much or haven't watched much manga or anime will be reading this list so I wanted you to have two options when it comes to starting a series.

This list will be in no particular order and will only be from the list of anime and manga that I have read myself. You can check out my animanga list here. I will also not be including any series that I have mentioned in my previous anime post (Anime to begin with..) which you can read here. I have done this just so there is a larger variety for you all to choose from :)

1. Pretty Guardian Sailormoon ☆ (Sailor Moon)

I couldn't not include this on my list. I can't express my love for Sailor Moon enough and I urge everyone to watch and read it as soon as possible. I'm not going to give a brief over-view of the series because I'm sure the majority of you know what its all about.  Now I know most of you probably watched Sailor Moon growing up, but you seriously need to re-watch it in Japanese. The english dub that you probably watched as children was so poorly done it's embarrassing to watch now. Not only were the voice actors incredibly irritating but the company cut a serious amount of episodes and censored a whole bunch of unnecessary things.  A lot of people I know won't watch Sailor Moon again as they believe it to be 'childish'. Trust me, go and watch the uncensored version and you will not be disappointed. Naoko Takeuchi is a seriously amazing artist that really pays attention to detail. The Sailor Moon manga has some of the most exquisite art I have ever seen and I'm yet to find a shoujo (or magical girl series) with as much beautiful art as Sailor Moon. The manga is also quite different from the anime produced, so maybe check that out if you've recently re-watched the anime. I would also recommend watching and reading Sailor Moon before the release of the 20th anniversary reboot series that will be released some time this year (we are still waiting for exact dates!). I would also recommend having a quick read of Naoko Takeuchi's Codename: Sailor V which is a two volume series about none other than Minako Aino (Sailor Venus).

2. Kobato. 

Kobato. is a manga (and anime) series produced by Clamp (you might recognise the name from none other than another childhood favourite- Cardcaptor Sakura). I am a huge Clamp fan and Kobato. is definitely one of favourite Clamp series. For those of you that don't know, Clamp is basically a group of four wonderfully talented women (hell yeah- girl power!) that create some seriously amazing series (their art is so incredible and is recognised in the animanga community even by those people that aren't Clamp fans!) You can have a sneaky peak at a very large list of their series here. Kobato. generally isn't one of their more popular works but I think people that dismiss this series as 'too stereotypical' or again, 'childish' need to understand the serious meaning and story behind Kobato.  Kobato Hanato is a sweet, gentle, kind and incredibly naive young girl that has a contract. She wants to go to a very special place and to do this she must fill a very cute and ominous bottle with people's "healed hearts". Kobato must fill this bottle before four seasons pass, otherwise her wish to go to this 'special place' will not be fulfilled. Whilst Kobato is what one would call a typical shoujo heroine, I did not find her annoying at all (which is a common problem for me) and she goes through some amazing character development. I also loved majority of the other characters in this series especially her cute, cuddly and grumpy companion and guide Ioryogi who just happens to take the form of a stuffed toy. I hope you all fall in love with Kobato. just as much as I did- it's a pretty short series so definitely something to watch or read for those of you that are short on time! This series has not been dubbed yet so your only option is watching with subtitles (not that I'm complaining), but the manga has been translated for us!

3. Kuragehime ☆ (Princess Jellyfish)

*Insert happy, high-pitched and incredibly catchy opening song here* When I started watching Kuragehime I was a little skeptical. From what I'd seen on my tumblr dashboard it seemed a little over the top and ... weird. But when I sat myself down one rainy night when I was supposed to be doing homework (most likely a maths assignment of some sort) I was pleasantly surprised. Not only are all the characters very weird and over the top (just like I expected) but they are also really relatable (at least for me anyway) I found myself looking for little bits of my personality within each of the characters. I also laughed so much that my mum came bounding into my room wondering why I was causing such a racket (sorry, mum!). Kuragehime is a josei series that focuses on the residents of an apartment complex called Amamizukan. The tenants of Amamizukan are all otaku women and no men are allowed to stay in the complex. Each resident in the complex has her own obsession and the main protragonist, Tsukimi Kurashita just happens to be fixated on Jelly Fish (an explanation as to why is seen in the anime/manga). Tsukimi (like most of the tenants of Amamizukan) is an especially awkward young adult who is terrified of attractive people (aren't we all?) and social interaction. We follow her story as she meets the fashionable Kuranoske Koibuchi  who just so happens to be a cross dresser and the illegitimate son of a politician. Just a side note, the english dub of Kuragehime is actually pretty well done in my opinion. Featuring the instantly recognisable voice of Maxey Whitehead as Tsukimi (yeah.. you know the one! Alphonse Elric from Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood). As weird as it sounds, Kuragehime is so enjoyable to watch and with the range of colourful characters present through the series I'm sure you will fall in love with at least one of them like I did (weird obsessions and all).

4. Kimi Ni Todoke: From Me to You

Kimi Ni Todoke has been one of the most popular shoujo series in the past few years. I think you'll struggle to find someone within the animanga community that either hasn't watched it or at least hasn't heard of it. It's a classic shoujo romance, one of the more 'stereotypical shoujo' stories in my opinion (that doesn't mean it's bad, I think it actually adds to the charm of this series!). If you want a taste of the shoujo/romance genre but aren't too sure what to watch, this is a good place to start. The main character Kuronuma Sawako (who is called 'Sadako' by her peers because of her resemblance to the character from the horror film The Ring) is struggling to make friends in her senior years of schooling. She is constantly misunderstood and accidentally scares her classmates all the time, much to her despair. Despite the creepy stereotype Sawako has accidentally  developed for herself she is actually a kind, sweet and very timid girl who only wants to be liked by her peers and to make friends at school. Soon enough we learn about how she 'idolizes' one of her classmates Kazehaya Shota for his kindness and social skills and when he begins talking to her, her whole life begins to change! She begins to become more accepted by her peers and even begins making friends with people! Kimi Ni Todoke is one of those series that makes you feel wonderful as you watch it. A story about romance, friendship and young adult life that is very difficult not to fall in love with! Whilst there is no english dub for Kimi Ni Todoke yet (I'm sure they will dub it eventually), the Japanese version is wonderful to watch and the cast is easily recognised by those of us that just so happen to watch a lot of anime in Japanese.

5. Fruits Basket

Fruits Basket is something I just couldn't leave off of this list! Anime fan or not- many people have watched this or at least heard of it before. Whilst the anime isn't exactly an accurate or particularly amazing adaption, it does have it's own certain charm. If you are planning on reading/watching this (and I really recommend that you do) I would probably watch the anime first. Yes that's right, I'm wanting you to watch something before reading it. I personally think that it's easier to like and enjoy the anime if you don't know the differences that have been put in place. Once you've watched (and more than likely enjoyed) the anime then you can read the manga and be pleasantly be surprised with the differences and the continuing story line. I'm actually a fan of the english dub of Fruits Basket, though I know many animanga fans really dislike it. I've watched both the english dub and the Japanese version and I really couldn't choose between the two so it's up to you to decide which you want to watch! It's hard to give a basic plot line for Fruits Basket without giving too much away but we basically follow the main protagonist Tohru Honda as she struggles with some pretty heavy life situations. For reasons explained in both the anime and manga Tohru begins living in a tent and supporting herself by working as well as attending her senior years of schooling. That is until she is practically adopted by one of her classmates Yuki Sohma and his cousins Shigure and Kyo. Little does poor Tohru know, the Sohmas live with a curse. Each member of the family is possessed by one of the twelve Chinese zodiac spirits (with the exception of Kyo who just happens to be the cat) and they turn into their respected animal whenever their emotions are running high (stressed, weak, etc) or when they are hugged by someone of the opposite sex. Sounds a little strange I know- but it's a truly charming story that will make you go through so many different emotions as you watch the characters development and watch as the story progresses. By the way, if you are reading the manga I would recommend getting some good old tissues at the ready.. you have been warned!

6. Cardcaptor Sakura

I'm sure you recognise the name, or maybe you might recognise the atrocious english dub opening song. Again, this simply had to be on this list! One of Clamps most popular and most recognisable series Cardcaptor Sakura has a special place in everyone's heart. Yes, I know most of you will be a little skeptical if you haven't watched it before, but it's not just for children and has some seriously deep characters that you are bound to relate to! I would recommend watching this in Japanese, because just like the dub of Sailor Moon, a whole lot of good stuff has been censored and cut out of the original english dub (though they have recently released the un-cut version for us). The manga has also been re-released in the past few years (it had been out of print for a long time) and volumes have been placed together to create four omnibus editions! Basically, Sakura Kinomoto is your average ten year old elementary school student- she hates maths but loves her friends, sports and food. Everything in Sakura's simple life get's a lot more dangerous and exciting when she accidentally awakens a set of magical cards known as the Clow cards. Each Clow card has been named and created by the powerful sorcerer Clow Reed (any Clamp fan will easily recognise this name!) When activated, each card takes it's own form and has it's very own abilities. Sakura and her friends Tomoyo Daidouji and Syaoran Li must capture and defeat all the cards before they wreck havoc on their fictional city, Tomoeda. Cardcaptor Sakura is such a timeless anime and manga and I will undoubtedly continue to re-watch and re-read this series until the very end.

Phew- that was such a text heavy post! I hope I didn't bore you all too much. If you have any blog post suggestions/recommendations please leave a comment below!

Thank you for reading!
Love from Maddie xoxo