Zettai Bouei Leviathan (2013) 絶対防衛レヴィアタン

the story was set in Aquafall, a fantasy world populated by dragons and fairies, surrounded by lots of water and greenery. one day, the meteorites appeared, bringing evil creatures that threatened the lives of all living things on the planet. the fairies assembled, forming the Aquafall Defense Force, its recruits was 3 girls and a dragon. during their journey and fights against the enemies, they had to work together and grew by increasing their experiences.

the plot of saving the world was nothing new to start with, but the series was fairly decent despite the obvious flaws. the 3 girls put together had different elements. Leviathan was the main character, aimed to find her lost brother during their journey; Bahamut struggled with family problems; while Jörmungandr wanted to protect her family. despite the cosplay-like costumes, the characters unfortunately weren't very likable due to their childish personalities.

A Shade of Vampire #2: A Shade of Blood (2013)

the story took place after Sofia and Ben were released from The Shade, an island the vampires resided on, uncharted and hidden from the hunters. their original intention was to move on and continue living a normal life, forgetting the horror they left behind. but to their dismay, Sofia was unable to forget Derek, the Prince of vampires, so dangerous yet so protective of her. nor was Ben able to forgive Claudia for the pain she inflicted upon him, triggering the urge to seek her out for revenge.

with great expectation and anticipation, the book seemed to spend more time on Ben's mind than it was necessary. with the obvious attraction between Derek and Sofia, it was frustrating to see them apart, defying their feelings by forcing themselves apart. their union fortunately, made waiting through the whole book so much more worthwhile and satisfying, only to be further intrigued by the cliff hanger of having Sofia's parents and Derek's father appearing, threatening them for being together. second installment into the series, the book was both entertaining and frustrating to read. with its direction being so obvious since the very first page, it was agonizing to go through everything just to get to the point where the story could finally progress.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている (2013)

Hachiman was an antisocial high school student. he had a distorted view on life and disinterest in everything, thus having no friends at all. one day, the teacher forced him to join the Volunteer Service club, helping people with their problems. one of the club member was Yukino, the prettiest girl in the school.

while at first glance the series seemed rather stereotyped, it was unexpectedly entertaining and hilarious. the club members basically had to help out when people came with problems or request. although the problems' were always simple, their solution never was. the humor often revolved around Hachiman and Yukino's banters. as negative as Hachiman could be, his view of life was actually quite interesting as it differed from everyone else.

Life Happens (2011)

Kim was a party girl until an one night stand resulted in an unexpected pregnancy. after giving birth to a baby boy, she confronted the father and found out that he wanted nothing to do with the baby. continued living with her 2 housemates, Kim struggled to return to the dating world by doing multiple part-time jobs. at the same time, she and her best friend Deena got into fights because of their different lifestyle, where Deena continued to party while Kim looked after her baby.

with little expectation towards the film, it was somewhat entertaining and lighthearted to watch. while the men played little role throughout the show, Kim was quite a lovable character. her party girl personality was slowly transformed after stepping into motherhood despite how much she didn't want the baby. her struggles and growth only make her a better mother in the end. the film focused on the challenges a single mother had to overcome to live a balanced lifestyle.

Hyakka Ryouran: Samurai Bride (2013) 百花繚乱 サムライブライド

the story took place in an alternate reality, where Yagyu lead his samurai girls to fight against the dark samurai. after all these years since Samurai Girls (2010), Yagyu thought that his girls were strong enough, but was proven wrong when the dark samurai took them down easily.

likes its previous season, the series had plenty fan-services, but not much improvement with its plot. the story continued to be slow paced and slightly plain, making it dull and sometimes hard to bear. however, this season had more comedy, action and harem compared to its previous. despite the sidetrack of its storyline due to fan-service, the story actually came in second since the main purpose of the series was indeed, fan-service.

Broken City (2013)

Billy was a detective who left the police department after being declared non-guilty for the murder of a rapist. 7-years later, Billy became a private detective who lived with his girlfriend Natalie, who was an actress and the sister of the rapist's victim. during the week of election, Billy was summoned by one of the mayor to investigate his wife, who was constantly meeting with another man.

Billy was simply a man who was at a wrong place at the wrong time. while the mayor got hold of the evidence of him killing the rapist, he was pushed around doing dangerous deeds to keep his secret safe. it was obvious that neither him nor those he loved would ever be safe. the film focused on the dark side of politics, where one mayor taking another out for the sake of power. while it was somewhat intense to follow Billy's life and death situation circling around the mayor and his wife, his personal live bear little meaning to the film, lacking the impact that one expected.

Photokano (2013) フォトカノ

Kazuya was a high school sophomore who was coming to the end of a summer break. at this exact moment, he received a DSLR camera as a gift. his interest soon bloomed as he fondled with the gadget and found out that it could expand his social circle.

having a plot based on photography was definitely new to start with. however, despite its wide potential and possibilities, the series restrained itself while having little time to explore the storyline, which was quite a disappointment. the story was packed and so completely compressed that the overloaded information was way too much to handle at any time. at some point, photography became just a connection between Kazuya and his female friends, boosting the romance along, which turned out to be not that well developed either.

Mystery in the Palace (2011) 深宫谍影

Princess Yidan was a frequent visitor in the palace, loved by the Emperor's mother. Taer was originally appointed to have Yidan's hand for marriage. but one night, she got drunk and accidentally landed in the bed of the Emperor. she got pregnant with twins and left her home in guilt. she hid in the temple for months and the very night she gave birth to her children, Taer set the temple on fire, only 1 child was saved. she was raised as Hanxiang, a goodhearted and hardworking girl who entered the palace in search of her mother's murderer.

with the accumulated cases of mysteries, the series was fast paced and engaging. Hanxiang was unbelievably lucky in most of the harm thrown her way, as she confronted powerful beings such as the Emperor's concubines, who each had their own tactics of staying alive. these women would do anything to kill one another just to keep their secrets safe. despite the engaging scenes and cases, Hanxiang failed to become a likable character. most of the important casts were Cantonese actors, making a China series seemed wrong somehow.

Ginga Kikoutai Majestic Prince (2012) 銀河機攻隊 マジェスティックプリンス

in the 21st century, humans had to leave the earth and began living in space. in order to adapt to the new environment and deal with hostile aliens, genetically engineered children called Princes were raised and trained to pilot robots called AHSMB (Advanced High Standard Multipurpose Battle Device). the story followed one of the Princes, Hitachi who was still a student at the academy.

the series took half of its available episodes to form its plot and background for the story to take place in. there were no significant storyline before these setup was completed. action wise, there were plenty since the very beginning. Team Rabbit were formed by 5 Princes - Izuru, Tamaki, Kei, Ataru, and Toshikazu, where each of these Princes had their strengths and flaws. later into the storyline, Ange was introduced, a pilot so insane who had terrible anger issues. while the characters tried hard to stand out in their own way, they tend to blend together as one as well.

Avril Lavigne: Rock N Roll (2013)

after a rebel version of herself in the "Here's To Never Growing Up" (2013) video, Avril released the video for "Rock N Roll" (2013) just last 2 nights. this will be her second single from her upcoming Self-titled Album (2013) to be released later in September. the video was comic-like, with her and Danica McKellar fighting off the villain, Bearshark. one of the highlights fans went absolutely crazy after watching the video was the post-car crash kiss that Avril shared with Danica McKellar. Billy Zane also had an appearance in the video as an ally of Avril. for a video of such, one could only love it or hate it. i personally didn't quite enjoy the overall product other than enjoying the scenes that featured Avril.

Hataraku Maou-sama (2013) はたらく魔王さま

Devil King Sadao almost succeeded in conquering the world but was defeated by Hero Emilia during the last moment. he was forced to drift to the other world, which happened to be modern day Tokyo. to survive in a world he knew nothing of, he first had to work as a waiter to pay for his living expenses.

the series started from being strange to unexpectedly enjoyable. it was humorous in so many levels, sometimes cheesy sometimes outrages, but always entertaining. while the characters was outlined completely since the very beginning of the series, they tend to grow and have one feel attached to them. the character interaction furthermore boosted the humor.

Unbound #1: Blood Bound (2011)

Liv was a blood-tracker. her ex-boyfriend, Cam was a name-tracker. being top in their categories, they had to ability to track down a person through their blood and name. the community was divided into 2 sides: one that operated under Jake Tower, another under Ruben Cavazo. while Cam was recruited by Tower, Liv was secretly recruited by Cavazo. one day, an old friend appeared in Liv's office, requesting for her to find her husband's killer while working together with Cam. the longer they were in the investigation together, they more they uncover about the organizations as well as about each other after spending 6 years apart.

first book into the series was quite a difficult read. there were moments i like the complicated romance between Liv and Cam, other times i found myself bored with the technicality of their organizations. despite the interesting abilities they had and the intense investigations they held, most of the pages were about their internal struggles. with Liv running out on Cam 6-years ago, Cam tracked down Liv for an explanation, which turned out that Elle, Liv's friend had a premonition that the couple would ended up killing each other in the future. the lameness of it was enough to make my jaw dropped.

Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge (2013) 断裁分離のクライムエッジ

Kiri was a seemingly ordinary boy, but he was obsessed with cutting people's hair. one day, he met with Iwai, whose hair cannot be cut because of an inherited curse. Kiri found out that his scissor was the only thing that can cut her hair without breaking. but the moment they met, an old murder game to kill Iwai was triggered. professional killers started approaching the duo with the aim of taking down Iwai, while Kiri fought to keep her alive.

with plenty of blood, gore and violence, the life threatening game where Kiri had to protect Iwai started, making the first episode somewhat shattered from its seemingly ordinary high school life story. while the duo learn more and more about Iwai's frightening ancestors and fought against its consequences, their romance bloomed. while their relationship were strengthen after every encounter with the evil, so did the plot and character development. with its dark theme, the mysterious atmosphere also made the series further captivating.

Beautiful Creatures (2013)

Ethan was eager to finish high school just to leave the small town he was born in. but before that could happen, a mysterious girl got transferred to his school. Lena was the girl in Ethan's dream every night. Lena was rejected by the rest of the town for being the granddaughter of Macon, whom everyone called the devil-worshiper. Ethan and Lena fell quickly in love, with Lena revealing her witch identity to Ethan. on her coming sixteenth birthday, she will be claimed by either the light or darkness.

the film was like a less dramatic version of Twilight (2008-2012), even less beautiful or dreamy in that sense. the lead characters were enough to degrade the film, neither Ethan nor Lena were memorable, nor were they able to have us root for them until the very end. however, some supporting characters like Lena's sister and mother were very enjoyable to watch. even the edgy Macon was somewhat attractive. the storyline was highly predictable. but fortunately the mysterious atmosphere were addictive, there were also little dull moment throughout the screening time.

Karneval (2013) カーニヴァル

Nai was searching for someone important that left behind a bracelet. Gareki was a pick-pocket that lived from day to day. the two met in a strange mansion, which was a setup that caused them to become wanted criminals. when Nai and Gareki found themselves in hopeless situation, they encounter the Circus - an agency whose sole mission was to protected the world.

the most captivating element of the series was its bright colored art. the story followed Nai and Gareki, where they were thrown into the world of action and danger, confronted by Circus. Yogi and Tsukumo were Circus' members whom the duo would come to meet soon enough. with a complicated enough plot, the series tend to leave behind some unanswered questions. fortunately it was original and mysterious, which made the series very engaging.

A Shade of Vampire #1: A Shade of Vampire (2012)

the story followed Sophie, whom on her seventeenth birthday was kidnapped and presented to the royal Prince of vampire, a vampire so powerful that he saved the remaining vampire coven from the hunters 400 years ago by building a wall so high on the island their resided on. to her dismay, she woke in chains, her life taking a turn so huge that her life and death remained unknown. Prince Derek felt an obsessive thirst towards Sophia's blood the moment they met. but it wasn't long before Sophia realized that the safest place on the island was within Derek's quarters.

i received a free e-book from the author in exchanged for a review. first book into the series turned out to be an absolutely addictive experience that left me wanting more. the story started out having Sofia falling for her best friend, Ben, whom in the end, turned out to be quite a distasteful character. things immediately got interesting the moment Lucas appeared, the sadistic brother of Derek. even though i wasn't sure that i would favor Derek over Lucas for their complete opposite personalities, i was pleased to find myself rooted for him the further i progressed through the book. complete with actions and no dull moments, i was both satisfied and in dismay that i finished the book in 1 sitting, for i needed a continuous dose of the series.

Miyakawa-ke no Kuufuku (2013) 宮河家の空腹

the series was a spin-off of Lucky Star (2007), following the daily life of sisters Hinata and Hikage through poverty. for Hikage the younger sister, she attended the elementary school while put up with her elder sister's wasteful spending on novels or promotional items. their dinner had no meat, only the substitute of tofu. Hinata worked in a book store with little allowance to sustain themselves. she was caring but often impulsive financially.

the episodes repeated against itself throughout the series, focusing on how poor and hungry the sisters were. it was slightly disappointing for it wasn't as humorous or creative as what was expected from Lucky Star (2007). the jokes were used over and over again until it became tasteless. and despite the very few character it had, there were little character developments even on the 2 sisters. fortunately each episode was only 5 minutes long.

Avril Lavigne: Self-Titled Album (2013)

Avril released the cover for her upcoming album. this fifth album would be self-titled and to be released in September 2013, including singles Here's to Never Growing Up (2013) and Rock N Roll (2013). 4 other artists will also be in her album, one of them her newlywed husband, Chad from Nickelback. the cover showed a strong image of Avril. it was also the only album cover thus far having Avril with her hair up.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)

the half-bloods lived in the safe haven protected by a barrier. one day the barrier was destroyed and Percy went on a journey with his friends Annabeth, Grover, and his newly found half-brother Tyson. to protect their camp, they had to retrieve a Golden Fleece, guarded by a mean Cyclops. they crossed the sea of monsters, fighting other rebellious half-bloods, got trapped in the stomach of a gigantic aquatic monster.

compared to its previous sequel - The Lightning Thief (2010), this installment had less mystical creature to look out for, where most actions or fights took place against other half-bloods. at some point, the supporting casts only appear to be running around, waiting for Percy's help them fend off the enemies. despite the flawed action scenes, the film had no dull moments. with the constant switching of backgrounds, it was enjoyable enough to look forward to their next installment.

Avril Lavigne & Danica McKellar

ever since her marriage with Chad from Nickleback, Avril had been busy with her video for single "Rock N Roll" (2013). for the video, Avril gave herself a role of a Tank Girl, which was iconic since the 1980s. after almost 20 years away from the world of television, Danica McKellar from The Wonder Years (1988–1993) returned as co-star in Avril's video. Danica was now 38, a mother of one, recently divorced, and written numerous math books for children.

The Grandmaster (2013) 一代宗师

Ipman was a grandmaster of Wing Chun, a martial art. he lived a peaceful live with his family in Foshan. however things changed when Yutian, a master from the northern China, announced that he was retired and appointed Masan as his heir. he requested that the south were to have their heir as well. however, after a conflicted meeting, the master died, Masan was kicked out of the tribe, leaving behind the angry daughter of the master, Gonger. she sought out Ipman, challenged him to regaine her family's honor.

with stunning visuals and some crunchy fight sequences, the story took place especially during the anti-Japanese war. Ipman and Gonger had to fight for their family and dignity for martial arts. while Ipman failed to return to his family on time, Gonger broke off an engagement and remained single for the rest of her life. this version of Ipman was much more likable than the other films, Gonger was a respectable woman of her time as well. despite the delicious fighting scenes, their romance unfortunately never did have a chance to bloom.

Avril Lavigne: Nylon Magazine 2013

Quartet (2012)

Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred lived at the home for retired musicians. every year there is a concert to celebrate and relive their musical days where all residents would participate. Jean was a well-known musician at her younger age. now that she was old, she was sent to the home to live with the others. sad to be old, she refused to socialize until she found out that her ex-husband, Reggie was among them.

despite having mainly old people at the center of the film, it was surprisingly amusing. the storyline was highly predictable, though not unwelcoming for us. they were fun to look at, sometimes even made hilarious jokes. the rebuilt relationship between Jean and Reggie was gentle and sweet. moments into the film, we fell for their charm

Avril Lavigne: Nylon Magazine 2013

Soul Screamers #7: With All My Soul (2013)

after knowing the hellion of greed, Avari kidnapped her father, Kaylee's world crumbled as she tried to get her father dead and keeping her friends alive. Avari had teamed up with the other hellions, Belphegore and Invidia, for a promising success in obtaining Kaylee's soul. to save everyone she loved, especially when Tod's mother and Sophie's father too were captured, Kaylee had to outwit Avari with the help of Ira, a hellion of wrath who was even more dangerous and powerful.

last book into the Soul Screamers (2009-2013) series, it had a satisfying ending if not predictable. pages were too often wasted on Tod and Kaylee's love life, which after a few books, those hot scenes became somewhat boring to flip through. even though everything she planned was to save everyone, her continuous lies made her less likable in this installment. however, her interactions with Ira were utmost entertaining. as the hellion of wrath, Ira stood out among the rest of the hellions, giving the book a different focusing point for a change.

I Don't Know How She Does It (2011)

Kate was a mother of 2 kids. she and her husband Richard had a good life despite each having a career of their own, having to rely on an undergraduate with their kids most of the time. as much as Kate wanted to be there for her children's "firsts", it was almost impossible to achieve. things became even more difficult when Kate happened to receive a promotion at the same time as her husband that require her to travel a lot, meeting with client.

the story circled around Kate's work and life balance. we watched as she sometimes failed and later struggled to regain her balance, sometimes even as serious as putting her family and marriage life in jeopardy. despite the possible love development between Kate and her client, we were pleased to find her uninterested. obviously after being pushed around long enough in her higher position, she decided to put her foot down and draw the line. Kate was a likable character, often leaving behind big impression, despite the awkwardness sometimes, she engaged us into the storyline.

Avril Lavigne: Nylon Magazine 2013

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)

Cindy and Jim had been trying to have a child for a long time. after receiving a final conclusion from their fertility doctor, they decided to bury their dreams by writing out all the great traits their child would have and placing them into a box in the garden. that night, while they were deep asleep in bed, a child came running into their house. they awoke to found Timothy, a boy who had leaves growing from his legs. Cindy and Jim were thrown into parenthood overnight and developed feelings for Timothy.

like how most Disney movies went, it involved at least a little tears. from their desperation to their joy and struggle, every moment was engaging. even though the separation was well expected, we were pleased to find it redeeming itself nonetheless, leaving behind a happier ending. with Timothy being very well-played, it was difficult not to fall in love with his character. despite the secretive side of his that he found quite difficult to handle, or the innocence side of his that was frustrating to watch, the wait became worthwhile every now and then.

Avril Lavigne: Nylon Magazine 2013

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey (2012)

Bilbo was just an average hobbit before Gandalf approached him, inviting him to join a team formed by 13 dwarves in an adventure to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom. they venture through the lands of Goblins and Orcs, Wargs and Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. in the goblin tunnels, Bilbo met with Gollum and gained possession of Gollum's precious ring, a ring that held unexpected quality that decides the fate of the world.

like a smaller version of The Lord of the Rings (2001-2003) series, the experience was overwhelming. despite the serious plot, there was also a lighthearted feel to it, especially with Bilbo being such an innocent man as its center. it was so welcoming to see familiar faces like Gandalf and Frodo in the film. playful dwarves performing tricks while singing too, was so entertaining it left behind a deep impression. the intensity of the battle scenes was somewhat surprising yet satisfying for an overall experience.

Avril Lavigne: Nylon Magazine 2013