Anime Review | Noragami

Noragami is still an on-going anime, with its third season in progress (fingers crossed it comes out soon!). However, since this was another show I recently watched, I wanted to get my thoughts out there, even if it's only about the first and second season.

Summary:
Yato is a minor god of calamity who yearns for a shrine of his own. In his attempts to gain a

shrine, he comes across a girl of the Near Shore named Hiyori Iki. Because of her encounter with a god, those from the Far Shore, Hiyori's soul occasionally slips out of her body. Yato promises to find a solution to Hiyori's little problem, but first, Yato needs a regalia or a weapon. Lucky for Yato, Yukine appears, and the trio embarks on various adventures that include facing Yato's past, fighting evil spirits, and doing odd jobs to hopefully get Yato his shrine.

This was such a fantastic anime. The graphics and art were phenomenal. I can't get over how beautiful the design was. It completely blew me away. I also enjoyed the story. I think this will be one of the animes that I'll probably read the mangas of because I simply need more of it in my life.

I really loved Yato's character. Although he was a little goofy and ridiculous, he turned out to be a strong and determined character. Yukine was adorable as well. Although I was irritated with him at first (only slightly, I swear), he decided he would become stronger for Yato. Yukine went through an incredible transformation throughout the show, and in the end, I was so proud of him. I will admit, Hiyori annoyed me at first too. Part of me thought she was somewhat of a burden, but she grew on me. She really brought out the compassion in both Yukine and Yato. Hiyori was always there for both of them, and she always cared for both of them. The dynamic between the trio is my absolute favorite.

Kofuku and Daikoku were fantastic characters as well. As much as Daikoku claimed that he didn't really like Yato, he still allowed Yato and Yukine to stay at their place. Kofuku and Daikoku were also always there for Yato, although at times they were reluctant. In the end, however, they really showed how much they cared for Yato.

Bishamon was another character I didn't really like in the beginning. Not only did she constantly try to get revenge on Yato, but she also wouldn't admit her reasons for her hatred for Yato until the end. But, like most of these characters, Bishamon grew on me. I definitely liked her more towards the end of the second season. On the other hand, I liked Kazuma from the start. He was loyal and honest. Kazuma's actions showed that he cared a lot for Bishamon and that he always knew what was best for her, despite his doubts.

So the last episode of the second season ended on quite the cliff-hanger, and I'm still not over it. All I have to say is: SEASON THREE WHERE ARE YOU???

Anime Review | Death Parade

Whaaat another anime? Like I said, I've been binge-watching as many shows as possible. One of the animes that I've recently finished is Death Parade.

Summary:
Whenever two people on earth die at the same time, they are sent to bars run by arbiters. At these strange bars, people must participate in Death Games to determine their ultimate fates: reincarnation or the void. Decim, an arbiter at Quindecim, is one of these many arbiters who determine people's fates. He does as he's told, running his Quindecim efficiently and effectively. But his perspective changes when he meets a puzzling, dark-haired woman.

Classified as a mystery/ psychological thriller, Death Parade was definitely a very different show for me. I haven't really watched a show quite like it. I found it intriguing and very thought-provoking. The concept of judgment for the afterlife was very cool. The graphics were also wonderful with its beautiful purple-ish color palette. However, as much as I liked this anime, I found some parts of it slightly confusing and inconclusive. I didn't really know what to make of the end. I also wished that I got to know more of the side characters. Still, it wrapped up quite well for the kind of show that it was.

Anime Review | Kaichou wa Maid-Sama!

Yay for more animes! I've been on a roll with watching animes lately thanks to my good friends Hulu and Netflix. Of course, I simply had to write a post about the animes that I watch. Recently, I watched Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! or President is a Maid!

Summary: (I'm terrible at these, I apologize...)

Misaki Ayuzawa is a girl president at Seika High, a school that used to be only for boys. Now that girls are allowed at Seika High, Misaki makes it her mission to make the school a safer place for girls, even if that means being ruthless and cruel. In addition to being a hardworking and driven president, Misaki works at a maid café. However, that's a secret that Misaki needs to keep hidden. What would the student body think if they saw their cutthroat president as a maid? Misaki's secret doesn't stay hidden for long when Takumi Usui, one of the most popular boys at Seika High, discovers Misaki's part time job.

Gahhh this anime is so cute! I think it's one of my favorite romance ones. Misaki is such a strong, independent female character. She appears to not need anyone, and honestly, she really doesn't. However, Takumi complements her nicely. He acknowledges Misaki's strength while simultaneously tries to be there for her. Takumi does what he can to support Misaki even though Misaki wants help from no one, let alone from a boy. The two of them make the ultimate power couple, and I love it.

In addition to the strong female protagonist, the swoon worthy love interest, and their wondrous relationship, this anime is also so fulfilling. All of my hopes and dreams were fulfilled in this very anime. I loved it so much, it was great. I just die of feels every time I think about it.

Let's Talk About Boys Over Flowers!

Recently, I decided to watch a Korean drama or K-drama. I was curious, okay? It sounded interesting. And man, am I glad that I watched this K-drama! I decided to watch Boys Over Flowers.

*WARNING: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Summary:
Jan Di is a regular high school girl whose parents run a laundry service. One day, when delivering laundry to a student at Shin-hwa High School, a school of the prestigious elite, Jan Di saves a student from committing suicide. Jan Di's heroic efforts immediately earn her a spot to attend this prestigious school. At Shin-hwa, Jan Di encounters the notorious F4 -- the school's richest and handsomest boys. Despite their good looks, these boys cause trouble, led by their leader Goo Jun Pyo. After a horrific run in with F4, Jan Di is made the target of the F4 and the whole school.

You can find more info about the show here since I'm terrible at explaining things!

Oh my gosh, I love this show. It was fantastic and fulfilling.

Quick confession: Jan Di annoyed me at first. I suppose the acting style was very different from what I was used to, so I guess that's why Jan Di struck me as annoying. However, I grew to appreciate Jan Di and her effect on F4. She was a very strong, female character.

Goo Jun Pyo was such a great character. The classic "bully." Maybe some people perceived him as an "asshole," but I thought of him as a complex character. As the show continued, you got to see why Goo Jun Pyo acted the way he did. He ultimately ended up being very sweet and caring. I loved watching his demeanor and character change and develop because of Jan Di, because of love. It was a wonderful transformation.

Goo Jun Pyo's relationship with Jan Di was wonderful too. They were adorable together. Although they initially brought out the worst in each other, they ultimately brought out the best in each other. Goo Jun Pyo became a better person because of Jan Di, and Jan Di gained a great group of friends and a "protector" (even though she claimed she didn't want one). Goo Jun Pyo always looked out for Jan Di and was protective of her. I thought that was adorable! Jan Di taught Goo Jun Pyo how to love. There are so many wonderful moments between them ahhh they're so cute! Some might claim that their relationship was "unhealthy" since they fought often, but I think that they were always better together rather than apart.

Let's talk about Ji Hoo for a moment. So, I will admit, I never wanted Ji Hoo to end up with Jan Di... Sorry not sorry! And sorry for the spoilers... Oh wait, never mind. No spoilers here! But seriously, I always wanted Jan Di to end up with Jun Pyo. However, I did appreciate Ji Hoo. I loved how he showed kindness to Jan Di before anyone else in school. He was always there for her, always. I never doubted that Ji Hoo would leave Jan Di floundering unlike somebody (*cough cough* Jun Pyo...). I'm glad that Ji Hoo was in Jan Di's life. (Also, I really liked how in the end, Jan Di calls him her soulmate awww.)

Yi Jung! Let's talk about him! Not going to lie, he was my favorite. I liked him the most. Although he was a playboy, he was really kindhearted and compassionate. Yi Jung's life wasn't easy (come to think of it, none of these characters had an easy life...). He masked his hardships with girls and alcohol. But in the end, I think he realized his faults and he sought to fix them. His relationship with Ga Eul was my favorite. I possibly shipped them more than Jun Pyo and Jan Di... Maybe.... Ga Eul also brought out the best in Yi Jung. Although I cringed every time Ga Eul sort of threw herself at Yi Jung, I was also proud of her for going after the guy she liked. Props to her.

All of the girls in this show turned out to be wonderful female characters. I thought I would hate one of them (I'm talking to you, Ha Jae Kyung). However, I loved all of them. Well, except for that Yumi girl or whatever her name was at the end. Yeah, I hated her. I also hated all of the girls from Jan Di's school. They were awful. But actually, all of the other female characters were great. They all supported Jan Di and her relationship with Goo Jun Pyo. Except for Jun Pyo's mother of course, but I hate her anyway so it's all good.

Seo Hyun was a great friend to Jan Di. Initially, I thought she might be a little snobby since she is a famous model and all, but she turned out to have a heart of gold. Gu Jun Hee, Jun Pyo's sister, was possibly my favorite supporting female character next to Ga Eul. She supported Jan Di and her relationship with Jun Pyo right off the bat. And our first encounter with her is priceless! I loved Jun Hee, and I wished that she could have been with her love... Ha Jae Kyung turned out to be a blessing too. At first, I was frustrated with her because she couldn't open her eyes and understand who Jun Pyo really loved. (Like, how could you marry a man who loves another woman and will never love you back?) But she came to her senses and I am grateful to her because she's the reason why my ship ended up together.

Man, I could talk about this show forever. I have so many feels for this show. Gosh, it was great. If I never watch another K-drama again, I will be content with just this show. Boys Over Flowers fulfilled basically everything that I could have asked for in a show. Sometimes, I wish I had a group of really rich guy friends...

Anime Review | Blue Exorcist

Since last year, I started getting into anime and manga. Although I'm not well-versed in the anime world, I would still love to do reviews and such on the topic because I find anima and manga interesting. Recently, I watched the anime Blue Exorcist or Ao no Exorcist.

Summary:
Rin Okumura happens to be the son of Satan. After witnessing the man who adopted him, his real father, die at the hands of Satan, Rin pledges to become an exorcist to defeat Satan and to avenge his father's death. With the help of his twin brother Yuki and his friends at True Cross Academy, Rin will attempt to do the impossible: defeat Satan. (this is a terrible summary, i'm sorry!!!!)

Man oh man, this was a great anime! I won't go too much into depth because ugh the feels, but I thoroughly enjoyed Blue Exorcist. The cast of characters was fantastic. I enjoyed each of them, and they all had great back-stories.

Rin was a wonderful protagonist. I liked his carefree nature and the fact that he never took anything too seriously. Although he was the older brother, he rarely acted like it. Still, whenever he played the role of the older brother, he did great.

Yuki was also fantastic. Although I liked Rin just a hair more, Yuki was great too. He wanted to protect his older brother and become strong for him. Not to mention how badass he was! Like damn, the youngest exorcist on the team. His dynamic with Rin cracked me up too. Yuki acted so mature that I usually forgot that Rin was the older twin.

Another character  I appreciated was Shiemi. Truthfully, I wanted her to be someone's love interest like either Rin's or Yuki's, but in the end, I was just happy that she was in the brothers' lives. I thought that she brought out the best in both brothers, and despite the fact that she was weak at first, she was also determined to become stronger so I have respect for her for that. And she also befriended Izumo which was a tough task, so more respect for Shiemi.

Ryuji also struck me as a strong character. He also had a solid background, and I grew to like him as the show progressed. Although he claimed he never wanted anything to do with Rin, he ended up being Rin's friend.

Friendship was a major part of this show, and it was a theme that I appreciated. Rin is ostracized for being Satan's son, but in the end, the other characters grow to love Rin. Rin is overall a great character. Even though he knew that people didn't like him, he still went out of his way to protect him. I think that's what sets him apart. I think his selfless actions prove that although he's biologically related to Satan, he is by no means Satan's son.

Wow, I have a lot of love for this anime. If I were to rate it on a star scale, I'd obviously give it a 5/5 stars.

January Wrap-Up

In the month of January, I read 7 books! My full January wrap-up is on my YouTube channel, and you can watch that here.


For the short version, I read:
Never, Always, Sometimes by Adi Alsaid
The Rose Society by Marie Lu
On the Fence by Kasie West
Boy Meets Boy by David Leviathan
No Place to Fall by Jaye Robin Brown
Zac & Mia by AJ Betts
The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancy

I'm hoping February will also be a great reading month!

Movie Review | The 5th Wave

As far as book-to-movie adaptations go, this was a fairly good one. I liked how the book, The 5th Wave, translated onto the movie screen. This book definitely fit as a movie since it was so action filled and fast-paced.

I will admit, I was skeptical of Chloe Grace Moretz as Cassie at first. I didn't think she could portray a hard-core, bad ass Cassie. She seemed to be to graceful (ha ha, pun! get it?) to be Cassie. I mean, don't get me wrong. I definitely believed that Chloe Grace Moretz could play a tough character because she played Hit Girl in the Kick-Ass movies. But I still saw her as the elegant and somewhat fragile character of Mia from If I Stay. However, Chloe Grace Moretz ended up filling the role of Cassie perfectly. Throughout the movie, I was pleased with her performance.

Evan Walker though. No, seriously, I didn't really like Evan. I didn't like Evan in the book, and he was still extremely shady in the movie. I also didn't picture Alex Roe as Evan Walker. His performance was okay, but his character didn't really capture my attention.

On the other hand, I loved Nick Robinson as Ben Parish. I loved Nick Robinson in the ABC Family - um, I mean Freeform show Melissa and Joey. I thought he was great as Ben/Zombie.

Overall, this was a pretty good book-to-movie adaptation. It was terrible like the Percy Jackson movies, but it wasn't as great as the Harry Potter movies. I still found The 5th Wave movie to be enjoyable and fun. I really hope they continue making movies!

Book Review | The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

Since The 5th Wave movie recently came out, of course I had to read the book to prepare!

Summary:
The first wave brought darkness.
The second wave wrecked the coasts and flooded the land.
The third wave brought the plague.
The fourth wav came with a rule: trust no one.
Now, the fifth wave has arrived. And only the strongest remain to fight for our world.

So, I'm excited to say that I really liked this book! The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey was full of action and nonstop happenings. I liked that this book was told in multiple points of view. However, the first point of view change I did get a little confused. Still, the changes kept the story moving quicker.

I really enjoyed Cassie's character. She had a refreshing dry and witty humor even though it was basically the apocalypse. She was a fun character to read from. I liked how she had a balance between determination, courage, and intelligence. Cassie showed humanity in addition to inhumane strength during an imaginable time.

I wasn't the biggest fan of Evan Walker. From the beginning, he was such a shady character. It was hard for me to like him and to ship the um, relationship (I'm trying not to give any spoilers!). Normally, I would be ecstatic when things happened between the love interest and the main character. However, I groaned every time something happened between the two which is upsetting. Stil, Evan proved to be okay. I'm still not totally set on him, but we'll see.

Now, I did like Ben for the most part. Ben was an interesting character to read from because he used to be the football star before the apocalypse and now he was someone else when the Others came. As a love interest? I'm also not completely set on him as a love interest. But I did really like his character, and I enjoyed learning how the apocalypse changed him and formed him.

I think I gave this book a 4.25/5 stars or something like that. But it was really good! I enjoyed The 5th Wave, and I'll probably be continuing with the trilogy/series. Just, probably not in the immediate future. But I will!

Book Review | Better off Friends by Elizabeth Eulberg

The  last book in my library haul! Once again, another contemporary. Better off Friends was recommended to me multiple times (via Goodreads, Booktube, etc.). Now, I've finally read it!

Summary:
Levi and Macallan are best friends. Just friends. They're proof that guys and girls can be just

friends. Or can they...? After nearly five years of friendship, the two start develop feelings for each other. But can they be a couple without ruining their friendship? Or are they better off just being friends?

Out of all the books I checked out from the library, I think I was excited for this one the most since I heard so much about it. However, I was somewhat unimpressed.

Okay, don't get me wrong. This book was enjoyable. One of my favorite things about this book was the alternating points of view. I also liked that in between each chapter, Macallan and Levi would comment on what had just happened. Their comments would take place after the entire novel, so it would be as if they were retelling the story. I'm pretty sure I'm not explaining this correctly, but I liked it! It was different. Another thing that I liked about the book was the fact that the story was told from the moment that they met to the present.

I enjoyed both Levi and Macallan's characters. I think they both balanced each other out. Levi was very relaxed and easy-going, whereas Macallan was more high-strung and on top of things. They were a great pair. I really enjoyed their friendship too. They were captured what it meant to have a best friend who complemented you so well.

Although I enjoyed the characters and their friendship, their problems were somewhat annoying. I found the issues they had to be frustrating. There were times when I just wanted to slap them both so the story could continue because they were so caught up in their mixed emotions. I don't want to say too much since that would obviously spoil it, but let's just say that I was very annoyed for a majority of the book.

I wasn't a big fan of the romance part of the book. As the title suggests, I think Macallan and Levi were "better off friends" (ha ha ha). To me, it felt awkward and somewhat forced.

I gave this book a 3/5 stars. Despite the fact that I did enjoy it, I was annoyed at the characters for the most part. I think I would've liked it more if it was 50 pages shorter. Anyway, it was a cute contemporary read with a great friendship.