Hi everyone! It’s been a while since I last posted so I guess you are wondering if this blog is still breathing. The short answer is: yes, it most certainly is. The longer answer is that this is exactly the reason why I don’t have a fixed schedule as I wouldn’t be able to stick with it. Things have been very busy again since I have returned to work, and as such there are days that I am just too tired to really write something. I have also had a little bit less time on my hands than normal to watch and read stuff. Since this blog mainly concerns itself with reviews, that means it’s hard to write a post without doing that. All in all it’s been a bit tough to keep up with everything. Yeah I know, it all seems like a lame excuse right?
But enough complaining as today I am happy and excited to bring you the first post for a new feature on my blog. The title I guess is pretty self explanatory: The Worst/Best Anime you (might) not have seen yet. What it comes down to is that I am going to be scrolling through the Crunchyroll line-up each month (for those not familiair with it, it’s basically Netflix for anime) and pick a title at random. I am going to be focussing on animes that I haven’t really seen on any other blogs and people might not be very familiar with (and that is including myself). But of course that means it could be a really good one, or a really bad one. To kick things off….I have a really good one for you all!
Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom
Year of release: 2009
Number of episodes: 26
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama
The gorgeous image that you see above is the one that instantly grabbed my attention while I was scrolling through the available shows. I mean, just look at it. There is just so much expression in that one picture that it really got me curious and it’s also what gave me the idea to start this feature. Because really, this show is an absolute must watch! Phantom: Requiem for the Phantom tells the story of a Japanese tourist who finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. He is a witness to a murder committed by the invincible and mysterious assassin called Phantom who works for a very powerful crime syndicate called Inferno. He manages to escape at first, but is soon captured and subsequently brainwashed. When he wakes up he has no memories of his former life, and is now the new puppet of Inferno. Under the name Zwei, he is trained by Phantom, who turns out to be a young woman called Einz. The former tourist soon becomes a powerful assassin himself, and enters a web of crime, deceit and betrayals. Is Zwei forever doomed to remain in this life, or will he regain his freedom….
I have so many things that I want to talk about for this show, that it’s almost impossible to fit them all in one post. Unless I turn this into a small novel, but I don’t think that anyone is likely to read that (and I am not that great a writer either so there is that). But I am going to do my best to convince you to put this anime at the top of your to watch list. You want a tense and gripping story, that has incredible twists and turns throughout it’s run? You got it. You want characters that grow and have actual depth to them? You got that too. This anime really has such a mature feel to it. I know that might sound strange, because of course we all know that anime is meant for a mature audience. But this series just takes it up another level. It feels like you are at times watching this great mafia saga that unfolds before your very eyes. Crime, heroic bloodshed, sexual tension, and an incredible sound track propel the story forward and you sometimes forget that you are watching an anime series. Most of the time is spent in America, which is also quite the unique setting and one that you don’t see often in animes.
But it’s the characters that really make this anime such an incredible watch. One of the most striking aspects of this show is the enormous amount of girlpower it contains. There are so many great female characters in this one, that it’s hard to pick a favorite. We have the tough as nails Einz, the lead assassin aka Phantom, and a woman that you simply don’t mess with. She reminded me a lot of The Major from Ghost in the Shell. Later on in the series a young girl is introduced called Cal who forms a special bond with Zwei. I loved the fact that Zwei became this kind of surrogate father to her, and she really is adorable….well, at first anyway. But my favorite female character would have to be Claudia mcCunnen. She was a very strong woman in the Inferno syndicate that was incredibly cunning, always plotting and scheming, and having this sexual power over men. Her only weakness was her crush on Zwei, a fact that she would probably deny herself.
But the real heart of this story is of course Zwei, and the incredibly complex relationship he has with Einz. While Einz hardly has any emotions at first, Zwei still has some aspects of his humanity intact. As the anime takes place over the course of several years, we actually see the characters undergo many changes. Including the bond between the two assassins. It’s a fascinating yourney to behold, and one that doesn’t become boring for a second. There are so many other great characters but it would take many more paragraphs to describe them, so I will leave you to discover the others for yourself. After all the praise I should mention that the finale of the series, while wrapping up most of the storylines does leave you with an open ending. It’s not terrible, but it could have been done a little better. This is a very minor issue however to what is otherwise an absolutely amazing anime and one that I just simply can’t recommend more to you. I will leave you with the OP to this anime, a song that is so very beautiful and captures the spirit of this anime incredibly well. Let me know what you all thought of this new feature in the comments, and of course if you might have seen the show! Thanks for reading!
I give Phantom-Requiem for the Phantom a 9 out of 10 score.
I keep eyeing this on my shelf thinking I should watch it. I am so slow at watching stuff XD
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Lol…you are talking to the king of slow. I haven’t even watched Full Metal Alchemist yet 😂😂
But this one is definitely worth it Jon. I think you will really enjoy this knowing your taste in anime. Hope you will get around to it at some point 😊
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I actually do know that one. I started it years ago before I cut the cable cord. Then re-started it not long ago with Netflix. I haven’t finished the first series yet. The drawings are not as beautiful as some anime, but I like the characters and watching them develop. I’m interested to see where the story will go.
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Yeah true. The animation style certainly isn’t the best, but this story and the characters are so amazing that it didn’t bother me in the least. I hope you will continue it: it only gets better, I can tell you that 😊😊
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Haha XD
I bet you will enjoy FMA when you do get around to that 🙂
For sure. It seems like my kind of show and since I already own it, I probably ought to watch it lol. I’ll definitely let you know how I enjoy it once I do though 🙂
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Yeah…it’s one that for some reason I can never find time for..despite me wanting to watch it very badly.
But I’m sure I will get around to it at some point 😊
Cool: would definitely be interested in hearing your thoughts on it 😄
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I’m intrigued, Raistlin. I’ll keep an eye out for this one. Hugs.
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Thanks you so much😊😊 It’s definitely a good one to watch. I binge watched this in pretty much one week 😊😊 Hope you will enjoy it! 😊😊
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This has been on my list of to watch for AGES! But I also have little time to watch anything at all.
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Haha….well…I pretty much have the same problem all the time these days lol. But the plus side is, you never get bored as you always have something to watch…usually 😊😊
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Good luck with work my dude 👏✊✊
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Thanks so much…I definitely need it 😊😊
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I actually watched this a few years back. It’s a really itneresting series, though that ending caught me slightly off guard.
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Yeah….the ending could really have been slightly better. It’s certainly not the worst ending that I have ever see luckily. Honestly though, this really was a great show 😊😊
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Oh, crikey yes. I was just keeping my fingers crossed for something more upbeat I think. 😛
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Haha..yeah this one certainly isn’t upbeat that’s for sure 😊
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Cool review as always 🙂
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Thank you so much: always appreciate the kind words 😊😊
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Irina does like this feature and this anime sounds super interesting – I had never heard of it. We are exchanging titles today
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Haha😂😂 I’m glad Irina likes this feature 😊😊
It really is a great series, and one that took my surprise. I just started watching it on a whim…and before I knew it I bingewatched it in about a week 😊
Definitely true! I’m going to start on your show tonight 😊😊
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Oh man, I remember watching and loving this anime when I was watching it at anime club a long time ago. I’m sad that more people don’t talk about it more. Thanks for helping me remember this one.
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Thank you so much! I was really blown away by this one. I didn’t know a single thing about this anime, and before I knew it I finished it in about a week 😊
I’m glad to help bring back some memories. Hopefully next month I can find another one that will be just as good as this 😊
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Now this sounds like an interesting series! I will definitely add this to my watch list. Fantastic review too. You convinced me to want to see it 🙂
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Thank you so much! This one really took me by surprise! It was a series that was incredibly well written and an anime that had a real adult feel to it, without it ever becoming too over the top or overly violent. Really enjoyed this series, that’s for sure 😊
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I’ve never heard of this one, but being me, that’s hardly surprising, Michel. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Haha…well honestly I had never heard of this one myself and started watching it on a total whim. FInished it in a week…it really was that good 😊😊
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Im glad i found your blog… even if you dont post often, its always good to know the reason behind it. The main thing is to keep at it. Lucky for me i now have a shitload of posts i still got to read. Good lick man.
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Thanks so much for the kind words 😊😊 Haha well….I have to say it depends on what kind of week it is (in my recent vacation for instance I posted nearly every day). Right now though it’s pretty busy, but I don’t plan on quitting any time soon 😊😊 Loads more to come, and I’m happy to have found your blog too! Thanks again! 😊😊
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What a great idea for a feature! I haven’t even heard of this anime so that is exciting and I’m always on the look out for more mature shows that don’t happen in school haha. This looks great!
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Thank you so much! 😊😊 It’s always fun when you just start watching something…and you know nothing about it….and it turns into this truly unexpected but incredible gem. Definitely one worth checking out….Hope you enjoy it. WOuld love to hear your thoughts on it 😊😊
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I really enjoyed this title as well, though you are right about that ending. Still, there’s so much to enjoy in this story and it does feel a little bit different from the usual. Glad you ended up enjoying it.
Sorry to hear things have been so busy and hopefully you find some time to do the things you like.
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This one really took me by surprise. I was just captivated by the picture as I mentioned, but was not expecting the show to be this good and also different from any other animes that I have seen. It was a great story, and even though the ending wasn’t as good as it could have been, it luckily didn’t ruin it for me. It was a terrific watch, and one that I would not have wanted to miss 😊
Yeah it’s really been crazy…I pretty much forgot that I even had a vacation lol. But yeah I try to take some free time whenever I can: thank you 😊😊
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I saw this one years ago, and really enjoyed it. Been meaning to review it forever, but just can’t seem to fit it into my schedule. Probably because it’s a really dense, multi-layered story. Excellent, but really hard to explain in any kind of brief way.
Just me, but I loved the way it ended. Tragic, yet also the only way it really could end. The show had not held back at any point, and decided not to with the finale moments, either. I kind of appreciate that.
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So true! The story is one of the things that really impressed me the most with this anime. I loved the fact that it took place over several years and in that way it gave a lot of depth to the characters. It was also one of the most mature feeling storylines that I have ever seen in an anime. It’s probably because it didn’t really involve supernatural beings or magic powers and stuff like that, but was just based in real life.
As for the ending: fair enough. It certainly wasn’t so bad that it ruined the whole series for me (something that certainly happened with a few other shows in the past). But I expected just a tad bit more from it.
Overall though this was a thoroughly enjoyable anime and one that I pretty much bingewatched in one week 😊
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That’s a very unique type of song for an opening. Very pretty!
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It really is! In fact I would call it one of my favorite OP songs I have heard 😊 The show itself is amazing too, and one that I highly recommend 😊
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I’m glad you’ll be covering anime on your blog more! I’ve actually owned this on DVD for a couple of years now and still haven’t watched it so thanks for writing this great review, it’s definitely moved it up my watch list!
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Thank you very much for the kind words 😊 I’m definitely on an anime roll so to speak as I hardly watch anything else at the moment lol 😂😂
But this one is definitely worth the watch: I loved the really mature feel of it, and it was quite the unique storyline as well. Hope you will enjoy it! 😊
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SOLD SOLD AND SOLD LOL and I would definitely read a book written by you 😂😂
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Hahaha….thank you, this really brought a smile to my face 😊😊😊 It’s really a great anime to check out, and one that I really bingewatched in a little under a week: highly recommended 😊😊
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I’ve never heard of this, but it sounds very interesting. I’m getting strong “’90s anime” vibes from your description — series that focused on stuff like crime, assassins and suchlike seemed to be more popular back then. I’m reminded somewhat of the series “Crying Freeman”, which was one of the earliest anime I’m watched; the show doesn’t have much in common with what you describe here, but I’m just getting a similar vibe for it.
Added to the bookmarks list for when I next actually remember to watch some anime 🙂
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You would be right about that 90’s vibe. It definitely did feel like that. It’s also very fun to have an anime series that doesn’t feature magical beings, robots etc (not that there is anything wrong with that mind you), but just a really realistic feeling storyline 😊
I have never seen crying freeman (but I did see the live action version with Marc Dacascos), but I know about it. It’s one of those old school animes that I one day want to check out 😊😊
This one certainly is worth checking out: I hope you will enjoy it when you get around to watching it 😊
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It’s actually an adaptation of a the VN “Phantom of Inferno” by Nitro+. Due to that, I’m probably never going to watch, since I really only want to watch VN adaptations, when I know the source material, but the only English release of Phantom of Inferno is apparently pretty bad.
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Yay! I enjoyed this one too. 🙂
The only thing that bothered me was how Cal went from a tiny loli to busty babe in 3 years or whatever it was yet she was till only 13 or 14 or something. that was just egregious fan baiting and so wrong on many levels. 😡
Otherwise a great but very dark crime thriller. 😀
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Yay: glad you did too. It’s always nice when an anime totally surprises you 😊😊
Haha: yeah that was one thing that I guess bothered me as well. She grew up really fast…and it was only two years even lol😂😂 It certainly was fanservice baiting, can’t disagree with you on that.
But other than that, this one was really great, and really dark as well 😊
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Wow, that plot seems really dark 😮 but also very intriguing 🙂 I think you’ve just convinced me to place this show at the top of my to watch list 😀
I really like your new feature. Crunchyroll has so many shows and a lot of them, you don’t see reviews for 🙂 It’ll be nice to hear your opinion on some of them and find some hidden gems 😀
Great first review for this feature 😀 This anime sounds amazing 🙂
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It is definitely a dark show: not going to deny that in any way. But it’s also one that I bingewatched in a little under a week, so…that pretty much proves how much I liked it.
I would very much love to hear your thoughts on it, so hope you will enjoy it as much as I did.
Absolutely: I have never seen this show reviewed on any of the other anime blogs, and I will try to find more animes like these in order to feature them.
Thanks as always for your very kind words and this great comment. Really appreciate it 😊😊
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It definitely sounds binge-watch worthy 😀
I’ve started watching Violet Evergarden (you were so right, it is very good) and 7 deadly sins season 2, so it might take me a while to produce those thoughts. 🙂 It sounds really good though. I might watch it along side them 2 anime 😀
You’re welcome, can’t wait to see what you bring us next 😀
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Ooh! So glad you are enjoying Violet Evergarden. That one will forever hold a special place in my heart and it’s probably the best anime I have seen all year. Looking forward to reading your post fo that one. Seven Deadly Sins I haven’t seen. It’s on my (rather long) list, but probably won’t see that anytime soon.
This one really is very good. One that after you see the first episode you are pretty much hooked on 😊
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Why am I not surprised that a character that looks like Major is in an anime that you ended up loving? 😀 😀 Awesome review, sir. The crime syndicate definitely has me intrigued, and the art style does look good too. Your praise for it at least warrants a try from me! Thanks for sharing this! I’m actually really looking forward to the bad one though. I don’t see too many negative reviews, so that will be quite fun. 😀
Oh, and man, I totally understand that you’ve been busy with work nowadays. Reviews drain so much out of me too hahah Just keep on doing your thing whenever you can and take as much as you need. I doubt anyone will hate you for it! 😀
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Hmm I never saw this. Hmm sounds interesting. Haha
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It’s really good!!! I think you will definitely enjoy this one 😊😊
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Will check it out! Thanks
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Aaaaw, I’m now very curious about this anime. How can I even watch any of the animes I saw on your blog so far. i don’t even know what I should watch first. hehe
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Haha, yeah that’s understandable lol. It’s pretty much how I feel with all the books I keep adding 😂😂
Seriously though, this is a really good anime. Great storyline, quite unique and really tense with some great characters. Definitely recommended 😊
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No apologies Michel. This does sound good. My list of anime I want to check out is getting as long as my book tbr thanks to you!🤗
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Well…it’s hard not to apologise 😅 I have been struggling a bit these past few weeks to keep up with everything. But I’m still managing I guess 😅😅 And thank you 😊
As for this anime: it really is great. One of the best that I have seen this year anyway: especially because of the great storyline. And sorry for making the list so long…😂
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You know I emphasize my friend. Darn real life getting in the way!
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Yeah….I know you have had it rough too Kim, so honestly I shouldn’t even be complaining. I really hope you will feel better soon yourself. Health is definitely way more important 😊
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Another one to add to my list! This sounds really interesting and a starke difference from the wonderful review you did on the anime with the white blood cells and all as the characters! (Sorry I can’t remember the name). Kind of sad the ending wasn’t as satisying especially since it had such a great buildup. Again, great post Michel!
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Yeah, I always like to watch as many different kinds of shows/anime that I can and not just stick to one genre (although of course I do have my preferences for certain genres).
But this really was a very good anime indeed. Great storyline and characters, and though the ending could have been better, it’s certainly not so bad that it ruins the whole thing😊 Thanks again! 😊
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I am definitely watching it!
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I haven’t noticed your reduced blog output, as my computer broke so I haven’t been online lately. From looking at your page I actually have a bunch of stuff to catch up on.
Phantom is a series I have heard of, but never watched. I think I may have avoided it because it looked like Noir, which I was lukewarm on. Your positive review makes me want to give the series a chance.
Speaking of anime, I have watched some of the new season shows you mentioned and enjoyed them. One series you didn’t mention that I am liking is Irozuku Sekai no Ashita Kara. It’s about a colour blind mage that is sent to the past by her gran. The anime is good, but might be too slow paced for some. It reminds me a bit of Orange.
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Ugh…sorry to hear that your computer broke down. That’s really annoying. Hopefully you have been able to get things fixed well enough.
Well, the funny thing is …the past three days I have been publishing posts every day..just had a little bit more time on my hands 😊 (which is probably going to change in the upcoming days again lol 😂).
Phantom sometimes has some Noir moments, but not much. What it is is a really solid and highly entertaining show, that is also quite unique. I have not seen a lot of these type of stories before, especially not one that was executed this well. Definitely one worth checking out.
The show you mention definitely sounds interesting. And seeing as I really loved Orange, that certainly grabbed my attention. Will check that out, thanks for the recommendation 😊
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Hope you enjoy the series. My old laptop was over six years old so I opted to just buy a new one. Expensive, but on the plus side I can now have something that can run newer games without melting down.
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Absolutely brilliant feature! I love it! And I really want to check out Phantom now- it sounds so well done and that music is stunning!
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I hope to be having fun with this feature over the coming months. There are so many different shows on Crunchyroll that not everyone is familiar with, so I’m hoping to discover a few hidden gems 😊
This series was one of them, and it’s truly one that is highly worth checking out. It’s one that once you start, you can’t stop watching 😊
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Awesome!
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An anime fan! Me too. I’ll have to check this one out. I’ll give you one in return: Darker than Black. I loved that show, the animation was awesome!
You know, when i wrote that comment on your Walking Dead post, and I was describing my version of the most shocking death for Rick, I had the image of a scene from Bleach. Ichigo’s music starts playing, he confronts Aizen, he’s gonna be the hero and end all the crazy… The Aizen blocks his swing with his finger, and the music stops abruptly. It’s chilling, since we’ve been trained to respond to Ichigo’s music with absolute success over 70 episodes by then. The same is true for Rick, we’re trained to associate his speeches with success and inspiration. His wesome moments of absolute clarity and leadership. To cut that short in an act of betrayal would be breathtaking. What do you think?
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Yeah, one of the things about me: I just have way too many hobbies lol 😂😂
This series was really good and certainly one of the better animes that I have seen this year, despite it being an older show. Thanks for that recommendation. I have heard that one mentioned by several anime fans and it’s already high on my (way too long) to watch list lol 😂
That’s a very cool comparison. I have to admit that I am not too familiar with Bleach (I have recently seen the live action movie, and I know quite a bit about the story) so that’s why I do like the comparison.
Rick and his speeches though….so going to miss those 😢 We might now get Negan and his speeches though lol 😂
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Negative speeches would be fun, I must admit haha. What did you think of the Bleach live action? I really liked it, considering the expected quality of anime adaptations. It’s lots some things from the anime, and shuffled about the story a bit, but I think it was a fun and entertaining movie. Cool even.
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It’s definitely one of the better live action adaptations out there. A lot of people said that about the film. Myself included. It was a fun action romp, with some pretty decent special effects, and the acting wasn’t half bad either. It’s been quite succesful from what I have heard 😊
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I read something about it being THE most successful anime adaptation. It was very well received 🙂 good news for me and other bleach fans, since they may siphon the profits into animating the end of the manga. They cut it because the artist was wayyyy too slow.
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Yeah I heard about that. It really is a shame, so who knows maybe this film might re-ignite that spark. I will keep my fingers crossed.
Another live action adaptation that I recommend is The Rurouni Kenshin trilogy. For me those films so far have been the best live action adaptations and I highly recommend them 😊
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I’ll check it out. I’ve always wanted to see the anime too, but only got a few episodes in.
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[Just checked] Ugh, it’s been blocked already 🙂
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You mean it’s blocked on Crunchyroll? Ugh…that is disappointing 😔 I hope they bring it back, it really was an amazing anime 😊
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