Christina Aguilera: Lotus (2012)

Lotus (2012) was Christina Aguilera's seventh album. it was released in November 2012. after the low sales of her previous album Bionic (2010), she was inspired by the events in her life, including being the judge of The Voice and her divorce with Jordan Bratman, her husband for 6 years.

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic (2012) マギ The Labyrinth of Magic

in a world where slavery was common, mysterious towers called Dungeon appeared out of nowhere years ago. anyone who conquer the Dungeon became very powerful and wealthy. Ali was a teenager who worked for merchants to support himself. he dreamed of conquering a lot of Dungeon and become a rich person. one day he met with Aladdin, who carried a mystical flute with supernatural powers. together they traveled together to conquer their first Dungeon together.

Magi (2012) felt like a combination of Sword Art Online (2012) and Mirai Nikki (2011). it was very fantasy like, interesting enough to be impressively captivating. the plot kept the story moving forward in a fast pace. the fights were exaggerated in a bearable level, the plot was also highly predictable. although Magi (2012) was hardly sophisticated it was nonetheless fun.

Kelly Clarkson: Don't Rush (2012)

Don't Rush (2012) was a song by Kelly Clarkson, featuring country singer Vince Gill. it was the second single from her first Greatest Hits album, Greatest Hits: Chapter One (2012). the first single of the album was Train Wreck (2012). Don't Rush (2012) was one of the three new tracks for the album, the other two being Catch My Breath (2012) and People Like Us (2012).

Koi-ken!: Watashitachi Anime ni Nacchatta (2012) こいけん ～私たちアニメになっちゃった～

Koi-ken! (2012) was adapted from from a dating simulation game. the story followed the campus life of the members of Renai Kenkyuukai (Society for the Study of Romance). Hotaru's high school life changed overnight after Kaede, a girl who returned from living abroad, was transferring into his school. Kaede joined the Renai Kenkyuukai when every female within the club must experience becoming an idol.

like most adapted anime, there were a lot of fan service, plenty of eye-candies. as for the storyline, despite being unique, it wasn't as interesting nor captivating enough to hold one's attention throughout the show. the drawings too, were average.

Will.i.am: Scream & Shout (2012)

Scream & Shout (2012) was recorded by will.i.am, featuring Britney Spears. the single was taken from his upcoming forth album #willpower (2013). it was written by will.i.am, released in November 2012. the song was also used as the theme song for a TV commercial for headphones.

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (2012) 黄昏乙女×アムネジア

60 years ago, a girl was left to die behind the abandoned school building. among the many clubs in the Seikyou Academy was Paranormal Investigation club, where the founder of the club was the dead girl, Yuuko. she was unable to remember how she died and got trapped in between life and death. Teiichi was a freshman that was able to see the ghost of Yuuko. together with the rest of the unsuspecting members of the club, they discovered many dark secrets that surrounded their academy.

having a series mixing light comedy with horror and psychological twists was refreshing. reminding me of Another (2012). despite being in the horror genre, Tasogare Otome x Amnesia (2012) was far from being terrifying. there were some eerie moments every now and then, where we learned about the truth behind Yuuko's death and the hatred she developed ever since. after much suspense, the horror settled nicely in conclusion. i was surprised to find the romance between Yuuko and Teiichi somewhat heartwarming.

Justin Timberlake: Suit & Tie (2013)

Suit & Tie (2013) was taken from Justin Timberlake's upcoming third album The 20/20 Experience (2013), yet to be released. after stopping his musical career for 6 years, Suit & Tie (2013) signified his comeback after persueng his acting career, at the same time developed the skill of a record producer and songwriter. his previous albums were FutureSex/LoveSounds (2006) and Justified (2002). after working together with Timbaland for Suit & Tie (2013), the song also featured Jay Z.

Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan (2012) シャイニング・ハーツ 〜幸せのパン〜

Rick lived on an island inhabited by various races, such as the elves and beast people. he worked in the bakery with 3 young ladies named Nellis, Amyl, and Aerie. one day, a mysterious girl named Kaguya was washed ashore after a great storm. she encountered Rick. Kaguya suffered from losing her memories and emotions. Rick helped her back to the bakery. not long after, pirates started attacking the island, with the aim of taking the spirit stone that was worn around Kaguya's neck. having known the situation, Rick and his co-workers tried to help Kaguya regain her lost memories while bringing peace back to the island.

taken from a fantasy RPG (Role-Playing Game), the best part of the series was its beautiful graphics. the characters were absolutely lovable. there were plenty of character development, especially for the main character, Rick. as for the plot, it was in fact a simple story, not much complications should be expected of it. however, it was still pleasurable and enjoying to watch, especially the first half of the series.

Chimpanzee (2012)

the story followed a chimpanzee named Oscar. together with a group of chimpanzees, they occupied a forest that is rich with fruits and nuts. as a toddler, Oscar was taken care by his mother, Isha, while he began learning about survival in the jungle. one day during a raid by a rival gang of chimpanzees, Isha was injured and separated from the group. Oscar began to lose weight, seeking for a new mother, but none of the females could afford keeping him, having their own to raise. after being rejected by every chimpanzee in the group, there was only one member left, their leader Freddy.

Chimpanzees reminded us so much of ourselves with their behaviors, making it easy to relate while watching Oscar and his gang survived in the jungle. having the alpha male, Freddy took Oscar in came as a surprise to us. it was unheard of, a completely unique idea. the visual was absolutely incredible, having us living among the chimpanzees, experiencing their joy, their fear.

Eureka Seven AO Jungfrau no Hanabana-tachi エウレカセブンAO ユングフラウの花々たち (2012)

the Eureka Seven AO OAV (2012) was set between episode 8 and 9 of the series Eureka Seven AO (2012). compare to the ups and downs Eureka Seven AO (2012) provided, Eureka Seven AO OAV (2012) turned out to be a much more lighthearted installment. it steered far from its original storyline, giving the characters a chance to have fun. not exactly what was expected, but it was definitely fun to look at.

A Monster in Paris (2011)

Emile was a movie projectionist, his friend Raoul was an inventor. together they made a delivery to the professor's house. accidentally they caused an explosion that enlarged a creature that was originally a flea. the very next day, the creature was featured in the newspaper for scaring the citizens. Lucille, Raoul's childhood friend, who was now a popular singer met with the creature, became friend with him and named him Francour.

although it wasn't a creation of Pixar nor Dreamworks, A Monster in Paris (2011) looked polished enough to be pleasant. it definitely came very close visually. unfortunately, the plot wasn't strong enough to be memorable. the part especially, about Francour, the softhearted giant flea that supposedly should capture our heart. very little time was given to him, nor do we get to know him a little in depth.

Eureka Seven AO (2012) エウレカセブン AO

Ao was the son of Eureka. he had no father and had been living with an old doctor named Toshio after his mother was taken away. Naru was Ao's childhood friend, who lived with her father, sister, and grandmother. she had an ability awakened within her after an incident. one day, Ao came across Nirvash, his mother's mecha, which no one was able to make it work since then. in the meanwhile, a mysterious entity called Secret appeared and launched attacks on the island. Ao joined an organization called Generation Blue with Nirvash, helped fighting against Secret.

having heard great things about Eureka Seven (2005), one would expect even greater things with Eureka Seven AO (2012) since the improvement of graphic technology. unfortunately, the plot turned out to be quite a mess. there were little character development after the first few episodes. Ao and Naru could have better personalities, they stood out not exactly in a good way, making them less likable that they originally could. as for the plot, half of the time i was in complete confusion, not knowing what was going on. the complexity sometimes made it interesting to watch, but it was hardly enjoyable.

The Decoy Bride (2011)

an author named James was getting married to a famous actress named Lara. however their wedding had be intruded by paparazzi, ruining the ceremony over and over again. they checked out a small island named Hegg, attempted to hold the wedding there, away from intrusion. despite writing about Hegg, James knew nothing about the native island, relayed mostly inaccurate facts in his book. Katie was a Hegg native, the only unmarried woman on the island. she worked on writing her own guide to Hegg when James and his team arrived. Katie was eventually hired to become a decoy bride to distract the paparazzi.

The Decoy Bride (2011) was truly unexpectedly good! at first glance, it felt dull and worn out, or just another romance comedy. but the longer i look at it, the more Katie grew on me. she was a somewhat pitiful character but her bluntness made her unimaginably lovable. her melodic slang was captivating, making her further more adorable. with every character having their very own good and bad points, it felt realistic and most definitely relatable.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead OVA (2012) これはゾンビですか? of the Dead OVA

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead OVA (2012) was an un-aired episode of Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead (2012). an 11th episode bundled with Volume 6 of the manga. basically, it was the same structure as its series. Ayumu got stuck in a mess after going about his daily life, trying to live a normal one. however the OVA doesn't contribute to the original plot.

Crazy Stupid Love (2011)

Cal learned that his wife Emily cheated on him, whom later wanted divorce. after moving into a new apartment, Cal went to the bar every night, talking loudly to no one in particular about his divorce. he attracted the attention of a young man named Jacob, who was a womanizer that had no difficulty bedding different woman every night. Jacob decided to help Cal by teaching him how to pick up women. things got complicated when Cal successfully seduced Kate, whom he later discovered was his son's teacher.

the plot may felt like some typical family drama, but at some point, it was fun to watch and somewhat awkward when it came to love. as much as Cal and Emily missed each other, they did stuff that said otherwise. the main characters, including Jacob, were difficult to love or agree to. however, the supporting casts, such as Hannah and Robbie, were absolutely lovable! their straightforwardness and consistency made them so much more easier to relate to.

Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead (2012) これはゾンビですか? of the Dead

Ayumu was revived as a zombie by a necromancer named Eucliwood. after the misadventure in Kore wa Zombie Desu ka (2011), Ayumu thought his life could finally return being normal. however, that seemed to never be the case for Ayumu.

despite not having a strong storyline, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? of the Dead (2012) successfully brought laughter. it wasn't exactly hilarious in most cases, even cheesy in some, but it was enough to get me through the series. there were also some surprisingly heartwarming moments before it was twisted into a brutal or bloody scenes. some new characters were introduced and also the return of some characters from Kore wa Zombie Desu ka (2011). as usual, besides Ayumu's Harem, it was the randomness.

Resident Evil: Retribution (2012)

the story continued from where the previous sequel Resident Evil: Afterlife (2010) left off. Alice was ambushed by her former ally Jill and thrown into the sea. she awakened in the Umbrella base, captured and interrogated but unsuccessful in remembering her true identity. during an unexpected power failure, Alice escaped and fought her way through a Tokyo simulation, where she met with Ada. while Ada aided Alice's escape, they had to go through multiple simulation to reach the surface.

like all previous sequel of Resident Evil (2002-2012), Resident Evil: Retribution (2012) was a huge treat. while there were plenty of action to watch, the heartfelt and tender moments was superb in contrast. and despite having a straightforward plot like previous, it was fortunately fast paced and somewhat unexpected when Alice would ever lose in her fight.

Medaka Box Abnormal (2012) めだかボックス アブノーマル

the story continued from where it was left off in Medaka Box (2012). from being the school council president, Medaka had to defend the school from something far more than human. once the dark experiment was revealed, she had to be good at thinking outside the box, searched for every hidden resources of the student council to help her with the challenges.

despite being the second season of the awful Medaka Box (2012), Medaka Box Abnormal (2012) turned out to be surprisingly engaging. instead of focusing on their innocent life in high school, there were more highlights on the godly battles. it was relieving to finally have the pace of the story picked up, building delicious suspense along with some interesting battles. while Medaka can't help being born perfect, she did go all the way try to set things right for her fellow school mates.

Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)

Sean received a coded message from his long lost grandfather Alexander. as much as he dislike Hank, his new stepfather, Hank helped him to decipher the message. from combining a few novels, they found out that the message was sent from a mysterious island. together they traveled to the coordinates by renting an old helicopter owned by Gabato and his daughter Kailani. they came across a hurricane and crashed onto the island.

while it was considered the sequel to the Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008), it has a completely different story. the only similarity was that both films were based on a book written by Jules Verne. there were plenty of humor and stunning scenes to held one's attention throughout the film. seeing Dwayne Johnson was always an add, especially when he didn't have to kill a hundred people to be charming and attractive.

Medaka Box (2012) めだかボックス

Medaka was a first year student who excelled in everything that she did. she became the student council president together with her childhood friend, Zenkichi. she introduced a suggestion box, which she named it the Medaka Box, where people could submit problems for her to solve. while she expected problems like lost puppies and advice giving, they uncovered some unbelievable secret about their school. Medaka and Zenkichi got sucked into a dangerous game where their unexpected abilities surfaced and things got out of control.

despite being the series' main character, Medaka wasn't exactly a likable character. being so perfect, she completely overpowered the rest of the characters, making her absolutely impossible to like. for that point alone, it lost points. but at some point, her perfections made it a unique series, something not seen in other anime. the superpower only further messed things up. it felt too overly done and totally out of place.

Love Story (2011)

Erin grew up in her family's racehorse farm. her grandmother wanted her to take over the farm by majoring in business in college. her refusal caused her to be cut off from all money support while she major in creative writing. it was her dream to become a writer. but one day, their stable boy, Hunter appeared, joining her in some of her classes, including the creative writing class. Hunter was promised money support and the inheritance of the farm that Erin had refused to take over. Erin should despise Hunter but soon she found him sneaking into her heart, her head, and even her writings.

Erin and Hunter was quite a frustrating couple to watch, especially with the grandmother in the background. half of the time, i shared the same suspicions as Erin, especially towards Hunter's intention. since the story was written in Erin's perspective, there wasn't much clarification on Hunter's side of the story emotionally. despite the slight unsatisfactory, Love Story (2011) was a good read, also engaging and entertaining.

Code Geass: Boukoku no Akito (2012) コードギアス 亡国のアキト

Boukoku no Akito (2012) is a 4-episode movie for the Code Geass series (2006-2008). the side story took place around the time Lelouch took on the alter-ego Zero and build up his Black Knights rebellion army, formed by children. Europe were invaded by the Britain. on the verge of defeat the EU formed a special division known as W-O, where a young pilot named Akito was a member. Layla, a former member of the EU, also joined in the battle. the Black Knights had little chance of survival, with the aim of fighting for their freedom.

Boukoku no Akito (2012) felt alien to me because of its characters. they were so different from their original role in Code Geass (2006-2008), but it would be easier for newcomers to get into the story. while in Code Geass (2006-2008), there was a clear connection between Lelouch and C.C., but in contrast, Akito and Reira felt distant, who just happened to be at the same place at the same time. Akito was most of the time a mystery, someone antisocial and impossible to understand. they definitely had potential to grow, but perhaps in the following 3 movies.

Hugo (2011)

Hugo was an orphan who lived within the walls of a train station. after his father died, he was forced by his uncle, who was a drunkard, to wind the clocks at the train station to keep them running. the only connection he had with his dead father was a mechanical man called Automaton. he sought out parts to fix the Automaton, which later brought him face to face with a shopkeeper name George. incidentally, Hugo found out that George was connected to the Automaton in some ways, which led him to the mystery behind it and the old man's past.

the film was unique with its plot, having a boy so matured and independent that he was able to live alone for so many years without anyone noticing. Hugo was easily a lovable character who knew what he wanted while still showing the childlike side of him. having young actors/actresses reminded me of Super 8 (2011) and Real Steel (2011), where the children outshone each other and easily captured our heart. despite its plot having a slow pace, visually Hugo (2011) was a real treat.

Sankarea OAD (2012) さんかれあ OAD

the 2-episodes OAD (Original Anime DVD) was released together with Volume 6-7 of the manga. the first episode was about Furuya discovering the book of resurrection that he used upon bring his cat back from the dead. it was a prequel to the Sankarea (2012) series. but despite being a prequel, the OAD (2012) was extremely captivating. there were also some background introductions on Furuya and Rea. the second episode was about Aria and her strange dream. again the story did not stray far from its original series. but an extra for those who love Sankarea (2012).

Silent House (2011)

Sarah went to the lakehouse with her father and uncle to pack things up before selling it. while her uncle left to get an electrician to check the wiring, Sarah started hearing noises and seeing shadows she assumed were people inside the house. soon they were being attacked and had to fight for the lives against the unseen enemies.

despite being engaging and believable, there were very little character development to have us felt engage or at least understand the characters more. the suspense building was absolutely effective. while we can't tear our eyes away from the screen, we were also afraid of what would be coming next. unfortunately, there weren't much explanation done even after the whole adventure was over. it could have been better since it was already spooky enough.

Sankarea (2012) さんかれあ

Furuya had a passion for zombies above all else. when his cat died, he decided to try bring it back to life. during the process, he met a sweet girl named Rea Sanka. she was involved in an accident and Furuya turned her into a real zombie while tried to resurrect his cat. thus Rea hold him responsible.

after the resurrection incident, the storyline became lack of direction but managed to remain enjoyable. having such a beautiful anime fell into the horror genre had me felt doubtful at first. but as it turned out, after the first few episodes, other than having a zombie as it main character, there were nothing terrifying about Sankarea (2012). it was more of a romantic comedy, and a highly enjoyable one as well. there were no in depth storyline, but fortunately, it doesn't reduce the quality nor the ability to capture our interest.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

after the birth of Renesmee, their daughter, Bella was transformed into a vampire just minutes before her death. while she was enjoying her new life and exploring her new powers, she was seen with her fast-growing child, who was mistakenly assumed that the Cullens had created an immortal child. it was said to be the biggest crime of all since it threatens to reveal the vampire existence to humans. the Volturi approached the Cullens, with the aim of destroying the immortal child, while the Cullens assembled as many allies as they could, for a battle to protect their family.

after a year of waiting, watching Breaking Dawn: Part 2 (2012) was the greatest relief ever. it was equally delicious as the previous sequels, even better since Bella finally stopped being all whinny about wanting to be transformed into a vampire and became a tough chick that worked so much better than her weak mortal role. for once she took charge of the situation, even though somewhat naively, but absolutely acceptable from a motherly role. there were plenty scenes skipped compare to the book, also plenty of alteration, but it was a fantastic job well done nonetheless!

Binbougami ga! (2012) 貧乏神が！

Sakura was a rich and pretty girl. she was blessed with a huge amount of good fortune, so much that she was actually sucking the fortune from those around her. to correct the massive imbalance, Momiji, the God of Poverty, came to set things right by starting to live to Sakura. however, Sakura wasn't willing to cooperate.

the absurdity felt lame at first glance, but like Kore wa Zombie Desuka (2011), Binbougami ga (2012) tended to capture one's good side as the episodes progressed. the series was absolutely hilarious, with plenty of references from other anime. though a simple character, Sakura was inevitably heartwarming and adorable to watch. everything was put together beautifully, yielding some surprisingly unpredictable results. the plot though simple, was completely unique, especially with its opposing characters.

Train: Bruises (2012)

after releasing Drive By (2012) and 50 Ways to Say Goodbye (2012), Train released the third single for their sixth album named California 37 (2012). the song was a duet with different female vocalists in different parts of the world. the original version featured country singer Ashley Monroe, the rest includes Marilou, and also Delta Goodrem and Megan Slankard.

Tari Tari (2012)

Konatsu was in her last year of high school. she was rejected to sing with everyone in the chorus club, because the teacher said she wasn't special enough. she quit the club and came up with the idea of making a new chorus club, inviting her 2 best friends, Sakai and Okita, to join. Sakai originally had a dream of pursuing music but a certain tragedy made her abandon the path. Okita's dream was to ride professionally. with these dreams in their heart, they finished the last year of their high school lives.

Tari Tari (2012) wasn't anime that broke new ground. there were nothing special or particularly stunning about the series, but like Hyouka (2012) or K-On (2009-2011), school life itself was interesting enough to be absolutely enjoyable and fun. the 5 friends had different dreams but shared a common interest in music. they sang for the joy of singing, making their newly formed club rewarding. there were as always, plenty of school dramas and humors. in overall, being a lighthearted series, Tari Tari (2012) did stunningly well.

One Direction: Kiss You (2012)

One Direction is an English-Irish boy band. after a successful debut album Up All Night (2011), One Direction started recording for their second album in May, released in November as Take Me Home (2012). singles released for this album was Live While We're Young (2012), Little Things (2012) and Kiss You (2012). Kiss You (2012), together with Little Things (2012) was released digitally for download. according to the boys, the music video was shot at where Star Wars was shot. they commented that the whole idea was different and much more structured that what they had done before.