Blood Singer #1: Blood Song (2010)

Celia was a hired bodyguard, she protected important people from artists to royalties. her latest job was to guard a prince from terrorists. as difficult as the job was, the supernatural seemed to want the prince dead as well. when she was betrayed by her hirer, things got out of hand. comrades were dead and Celia was bit. since the transformation wasn't complete, Celia had not became a vampire, but an Abomination, neither human nor vampire. with her existence a threat, both human and supernatural wanted her dead. but with the help of some loyal friends, she ran from her creators while trying to find out more about the supernatural world.

Cat Adams were formed by 2 authors - C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp, writing as one. the book started out being quite complicated with plenty of technicality on weapons and description on structures. but as the story progressed and the action began, it was so captivating that i found myself being absorbed into the story and easily finished the book in that sitting. Celia was a tough chick, the type that one wouldn't really fall for in real life, nor was she particularly attractive as she stood among the guys, demanding equality. however, after she was transformed where she became weaker and more vulnerable, she also became much relatable and instantly lovable. i was completed hooked at this point and complete adored her.

Redial (2013)

Redial was the title track of the album called Re:Dial, which Hatsune Miku (初音ミク) featured in. along with the album was a limited edition DVD that held an animated music video of the song.

40 Days and Nights (2012)

the story took place when a massive underground shift caused the sea level to rise quickly, creating tsunami that was capable of swallowing the whole world. the microbiologist gathered the DNA of as many species as they can, while the military created an ark capable of holding 50,000 people, in the desperate attempt to preserve life on earth.

the film was absolutely painful to watch. with animations so fake, it was as if the film was created centuries ago, not to mention on cheap budget as well. it was impossible not to spot the dozens of errors that were presented. despite the life threatening plot, there were no thrill nor excitement throughout the film. characters had little meaning as well, since we know sooner or later they will be swapped away and not seen again.

Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo (2012) ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:Q Quickening

14 year since the last battle, Asuka and Mari were sent to earth to retrieve Shinji, who was sealed in his Eva Unit 01. when the container was grabbed, Angels were released, causing Asuka and Mari to be under attack. Shinji awakened to Asuka's cry for help and destroyed the Angel easily. however, he was taken back to his formal enemy for physical examinations. Shinji couldn't recognize the world he awakened to, nor had he aged. the earth was mostly in ruins, NERV has been disbanded, and his allies now turned against him. but before he was able to get any explanations, the Angels attacked and he had to work together with his formal enemies.

the third movie has became slightly less attractive story-wise, but continued to impress us with its stunning animations. part of the twist was going psychologically into Shinji's depressing mind. with his ability to destroy many in one single mistake, his friends stopped trusting him, finding him intimidating instead. it caused him further pain that led to him befriending his formal enemy. despite the interesting struggle of Shinji, the plot between NERV and WILLE continued to remain a mystery, hopefully revealed in the coming final movie.

Demon Vampire (2013)

i received an advance copy of the book from Virgil Allen Moore on June 22, 2013. the story followed Zack, who was originally a human before he was transformed into a Vampeal. the Vampeals were not vampires, they were something in between who had the ability to appear more human than the vampires. however, vampires tend to hunt the vampeals, making their numbers limited. one day Kyli appeared in Zack's life, teaching him on how to become a vampeal. but before they were able to had him fully adjusted, the vampires had their eyes on him.

despite having a very interesting plot introducing a creature called Vampeal, i found myself lost every now and then throughout the book. it started out very promising, having a vampire waking up at a morgue, attacking a girl under the tree. but suddenly, there was Zack, a smart yet awkward boy; then came a mysterious girl named Kyli, who led Zack by the nose. their dialogues were painfully long-winded, their banters lack romance, especially with Zack became an even more distasteful character as he stubbornly refused to accept what he was becoming and having the urge to defend himself all the time. but to be fair, there were also sections that turned out to be surprisingly engaging, such as Del's past, living a life fully accepting what he was becoming and needed with such courtesy.

Evangelion: 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance (2009) ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:破

in the earliest battles, Shinji and Rei were the only Eva pilots assigned to take down the Angels. with the increasing amount of Angels, more pilots were hired. Mari was one of the new pilots, assigned Eva Unit 05. he was often found mysterious by the others and was known to destroy Angels by self-destructing the Eva while ejecting itself at the last moment. Asuka was assigned Eva Unit 02. she was headstrong and often spoke her mind. with the world's safety on their shoulder, the 4 pilots struggled to keep humankind's hope up by destroying all Angels found looming about, with their lives on the stake.

the second movie used the plot in episodes 8-19 from the original 26-episodes Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) series. the actions had became increasingly impressive as the movies progressed. while the first movie followed closely its original plot, the second movie changed that. most things played out very differently where some scenes were taken out by putting new ones in. it was entertaining due to its perfect pacing, where nothing was rushed nor felt too dragging. without Asuka to boost character development in the first movie, the second movie clearly showed an Asuka different from whom we originally know, which was an interesting change for once.

The Five-Year Engagement (2012)

after being in a relationship for a year, Tom proposed to Violet. Tom was a chef while Violet was an experimental psychologist. Violet had been having trouble getting a career ever since graduation. by accepting Tom's proposal, she feared that she would forever be tied down with family. however, the moment she got an offer in Michigan, Tom agreed to move with her, turning down his promotion. the move also postponed their wedding for another 2-years, which later turned into 4-years.

the story had many truths in it, where after a somewhat romantic proposal, things started changing as their usual life took a drastic turn. the messy situation forced the duo to readjust their lifestyle as well as getting used to the new partner they now have. the pacing was slightly slow for a certain repetitive cycle of it, nor were there real comedies since it presented some very serious troubles relationship faced.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone (2007) ヱヴァンゲリヲン新劇場版:序

after not seeing his father for 8 years, Shinji was called to the NERV headquarters urgently. giant creatures called Angels were attacking the world, taking out humankind. by using giant mechas called Evas, the NERV took out the angels. Shinji was assigned Eva Unit 01, teaming up with Rei, who pilot Eva Unit 00. Shinji was later taken in by Misato and enrolled in the local high school. he tried to settle in with his new life while trained to defend their world from Angels.

despite being a remake version of the 26-episodes Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995) series, this installment remained faithful to its original storyline. the remake was divided into 4 movies. this first movie was summarized by episodes 1-6. being a remake made the film a wonderful experience, greatly enhanced by its much more impressive animation and detailed visuals. the first half of the film was rushed with its pacing as well as introduction. at some point it suddenly slowed while adding new characters into its plot.

Fury #2: Envy (2012)

ever since her last encounter with the Furies, Em had try to forget that part of her past. with JD, the love of her life, remembering a different past than her, she struggled between her friendship with Drea and Gabby, and sought out the Furies, with the aim of taking them down. in the meanwhile, a new girl named Skylar came with the determination of leaving her dark past behind. when the popular Gabby took her under her wing, she was thrilled and jumped at the chance to take Gabby's spotlight as her own.

second book into the series, the mysteries continued to build up. with a background knowledge on where the story was heading after finishing the first book, the second book turned out to be even more enjoyable. Em's pathetic fights against the Furies were from the beginning until the very end, hopeless. but yet, it was difficult not to root for her, over the distasteful and attention seeking Skylar. it was disappointing not being able to see much progress on the relationship between Em and JD, worst yet with the appearance of Crow, whom we still know nothing about. the ending only have me looked forward to the final book even more.

Tamako Market: Dera's BAR (2013) たまこまーけっと ぺったんこアニメ「デラ’s BAR」

Dera's Bar were 4-minutes bonus episodes that came with Tamako Market (2013)'s DVD or Blu-ray disc. there were 3 episode so far as the discs were yet complete. in these episodes, Dera was the main character, where he taught Tamako and her friends how to behave in a bar. or in another episode, Dera welcomed ladies to his bar, etc.

Schemes of a Beauty (2010) 美人心计

the story took place during the early Han Dynasty. a mother was drawn into a palace conflict where her whole family were to be executed. before she was killed, she helped her daughter escape. Yifang grew up to be a beauty with extraordinary talents. she entered the palace as a maid and was assigned the job of taking care of the young empress. the Prince showed great interest in her but kept it a secret between them as he was constantly under the watchful eyes of his mother.

the story focused on the life of Yifang, who was intelligent but often confronted by external and uncontrollable powers. it was easy to sympathize her but sometimes when her beliefs in the righteousness and goodness in human return to get her, one couldn't help but feel that she asked for it. the repetitive cycles of betrayals she went through for so many episodes, sometime even from the same person, was slightly too much to be entertaining.

Aku no Hana (2013) 惡の華

Kasuga was a boy who loved to read. he admired a girl named Saeki in school, often watching her from a distance. one day heading home from school, he realized he left behind a book and ran back pick it up. reaching the classroom, he found not only his book, but also Saeki's gym uniform. on an inpulse, he stole it. after everyone knew some "pervert" stole Saeki's uniform, Kasuga was filled with guilt. to make the matter worst, a creepy girl in class named Nakamura saw him took the uniform.

despite the lacking of entertaining art, the haunting atmosphere made the series interesting by playing with our curiosity. the uneasy tension hung in the air throughout the series. in some disturbing way, the realism made it completely relatable. one impulsive action could lead to another ugly situation one way or another. the desperation and emotions were clearly portrayed as the series progressed. it was surprising to say that the series had such a great plot that it could easily get away with its drawings.

Fury #1: Fury (2011)

the story took place in a small town, where Em and her friends were on holidays. she had been into Zach for months, but only recently he seemed to finally noticed her. she was excited to spend Christmas with him, but she had a dilemma, because Zach's girlfriend is Gabby, her best friend. at the same time, Chase had been stressing out pretending to be perfect with his poor background. but things got out of hand when he was rejected twice by Sasha, his childhood friend. he did the unthinkable and the result got her killed out of depression. little did they know that every action they took might come back to haunt them, and this time, Em and Chase had been chosen to pay.

the book was a huge tease, with very little revealed until the very end of the book, only to create another mystery all over again to be brought over to the second book. it was definitely interesting and engaging if not for its slightly lengthy chase. the pace slowed in the middle of the book, making the story more dragging and difficult to appreciate. though curiosity won, it could have lost me right there and then. the story played with karma and consequences, with many twists to make it even more delicious. despite the partially bad experience going through the book, i most certainly would continue with its next sequel.

RDG: Red Data Girl (2013) レッドデータガール

despite the modern backdrop, the story was based on the ancient Shinto legends. Izumiko was a young girl raised and protected since birth, in a shrine deep in the mountains. she was shy but had an uncontrollable ability to destroy all electric devices she came in contact with. her guardian recommended her to enter a high school in Tokyo, forcing his son Miyuki to serve Izumiko for life. the relationship between Miyuki and Izumiko was tense, but soon it began to change when terrifying incidents started took place on the school ground.

having such a different plot, the series was interesting conceptually. however after episodes into the series, one couldn't help by notice the increasing amount of fillers. while fillers were important to make an intense series more entertaining by adding some everyday lives of the main characters, or introducing some interesting sub characters. but when having too much fillers, one felt deceived and even unsure with its direction of the plot.

The Place Beyond the Pines (2012)

Luke was a motorcycle racer that travel with the carnival where he had to ride with multiple other motorists in the Globe of Death to entertain the customers. one year after their breakup, the carnival returned to New York, where Luke desperately try to reconnect with his ex Romina. soon he found out that she had carried his child and gave birth to their son. in an attempt to provide for his family, Luke quit his current job and committed a series of bank robberies by applying his riding ability. things got difficult when he came across an ambitious police officer named Avery.

like Drive (2011), the film was awfully slow paced and did quite a messy job with its continuation. it was especially dull for the first half of the film, where Luke was introduced. with a son that appeared out of nowhere, he was desperate to become a good father, yet missing the whole role model part by committing crimes and robbing banks. the chase between Luke and Avery however, was intense and much more engaging compared to Luke's personal life. the most surprisingly part was when Luke and Avery's son became great friends 15 years later. both not having a father figure in their lives, they ended up with drugs and of course, killing each other. can't say we didn't see that coming.

Vassalord (2013) ヴァッサロード

Charley was a cyborg vampire who worked for the Vatican. however, he also belonged to a vampire playboy named Johnny. they fought crime, killed vampires all over the world, even went against each other. but together they made a great pair of hunters. ever since being turned into a vampire, Charley had problem resisting his desperation for blood even thought Johnny happily supplied. for the latest mission, the duo came across a childlike vampire princess that the church seemed to be behind.

despite for being a yaoi, the series had a packed storyline behind it. it was complicated at first with what each of these character did, but soon it was clear that they shared a blood bond much stronger than one another. with Johnny in the middle, Charley had to fight the vampire princess who just woke from her sleep. with plenty of blood, hilarity seemed out of place yet surprisingly entertaining as well.

The Stud Book (2013)

the story followed the lives of a group of friends. it started with Sarah, a zoologist that studied animal mating behaviors at the zoo. despite her desperation for a child, she had had 4 miscarriages with her husband Ben. then there was Georgie, who was busy with her newborn Bella while her husband Humble found escape in pubs. Dulcet made a living by giving sex-education to high schools that requested it. Nyla was a pregnant widow who her teenage daughter Arena was caught selling drugs in school. between these friends, they shared an intimacy and closeness like a family.

despite being in a comedy genre, the book was anything but funny. these were some very depressing adults struggling through life. the book was an easy read, some characters were lovable at the start but slowly became annoying with their obsessions. desperation made Sarah an ungrateful woman, while her husband jerking-off in the toilet thinking about his ex-girlfriend Hannah, who was now a state senator. the rest of the friends were as messy as Sarah, only in a different way. despite being an easy read, it wasn't a pleasant one, having too much darkness yet no solution or ending to the book.

Cyclops Shoujo Saipu (2013) サイクロプス少女さいぷ～

having hit puberty in middle school, Fuuka grew really tall and had great a figure. she was called Saipu (Cyclops) due to her hairstyle. she felt great affection towards her older brother since she was a little girl and dreamed about marrying him when she grow up. now that she felt that she was adult enough to follow through her dream of marrying her brother, he only got more troubled and freaked out.

having only 2-minutes for each episode, the series didn't have much space to grow. despite the relaxing drawings, it was a pity that the storyline didn't have much depth to make its characters furthermore lovable. the plot was straightforward, where Fuuka tried very hard just to get on her brother's good side. with plenty of sexual humor, there was an awkwardness in Fuuka that made her difficult to dislike.

I Give It a Year (2013)

the story followed Nat and Josh, a couple who decided to tie the knot after just months together. their friends and family were formed by different type of couples, some were old but still very passionate, some seemed to only bicker yet having a marriage as firm as ever, some were distant and holding on. they all mentioned that the first year of marriage will show how Nat and Josh will become. together they struggled to get through their first year of marriage, something that were unexpectedly difficult.

despite the film being labeled a comedy, we had a hard time laughing at their sex jokes. while the situations presented by Nat and Josh were realistic issues faced by some couples, they had turned it into a complete insult to those who truly work hard for their marriage. the film couldn't have a worst plot, having 4 persons switched partners, who in their right mind could enjoy that! their struggles were understandable and even tolerable, but at the end of the film where they were so happy and thrill to switch partner, the film disgust me.

Little Witch Academia (2013) リトル・ウィッチ・アカデミア

the story revolved around a girl named Akko, who joined Little Witch Academia in hopes of becoming as cool as her magician idol, Shiny Chariot. the storyline was straightforward but very well elaborated and animated. there were plenty of action despite being partially a comedy. every little idea that involved a magician were implemented, such as flying on brooms, dragon slaying, and wand blasting. the characters were likeable and it was easy to feel engaged in the many happenings throughout the show. and despite the seemingly ordinary backdrop, the series was surprisingly entertaining and turned out to be a rather interesting experience.

Witch World #1: Red Queen (2012)

having just graduated, Jessie joined her friends on a road trip to Las Vegas. however, she was informed last minute by her best friend Alex that her ex, Jimmy will be joining them. Jimmy was the love of her life who broke her heart 5 months ago when he dumped her for no reason and got back together with his ex Kari. during the trip, Jimmy was finally ready to tell her why he did it, because he wants her back. despite how important this seemed, things became even crazy after she met Russ, a stranger that never seemed to lose at gambling.

instead of playing twenty-one, they played twenty-two in the Witch World, a dimension that those with extra genes could went through after being "connected". following Russ, Jessie found herself being locked up in a meat freezer and soon froze to her death and brought to the morgue. but through this death experience, Jessie was finally "connected" and next came her supernatural powers. the book was an extremely fast read if not for its background introduction on both the organizations, which obviously fought against each other. its complications reminded me so much of the Thirst (2009-2013) series, where i was also forced to skip lines even pages just to get to the delicious parts.

Death Billiards (2013) デスビリヤード

2 unrelated men had to compete in a game of billiard, in a mysterious bar. the bet was their lives. the cruelty increased as these men were thrown into something even darker as severe trauma were forced upon them. only minutes into the show, we were able to relate to the 2 main characters. it was impossible not to empathize them. there were other minor characters that acted as hosts for the event. the tension build steadily, making the experience rather mesmerizing in return. soon curiosity won and one would want to know how things turned out to be at the very end. with such a dark backdrop, the atmosphere was very well created.

Hannibal (2013)

the series was based on characters and elements of the novel series by Thomas Harris. for this season, the focus was on the relationship between Will, a FBI investigator and Hannibal, a psychiatrist. Will had the ability to mentally recreate the killer's crime scene, seeing everything through the killer's eyes. stressed out by his terrifying ability, Will met with Hannibal to discuss his findings and ability with. however, he has yet to find out that Hannibal will be his most difficult killer to catch.

the series was covered with plenty of dialogues and analysis of how a murder took place. despite being slow paced, these details was also the most interesting part of the series. with less side of Hannibal being exposed, the series focused more on Will's ability and his distress, especially the way it affected his life and sleeping habit. Will was a character very easy to relate to, while Hannibal felt distant yet often teased Will in ways only us viewers understood. the series itself was absolutely entertaining and thought provocative.

Arve Rezzle: Kikaijikake no Yoseitachi (2013) アルヴ・レズル -機械仕掛けの妖精たち-

the story took place in year 2022, where technology was so advance that many people had transferred their mind into the cyber space. Remu's sister-in-law, Shiki had joined a high school in the academic city since she was 14. one day, Shiki told Remu via Skype that she was actually talking to him directly through the nonomachinese implanted in her brain, while her real body was being kept in a Body Pool. one day Early Rupture happened and the network server got overloaded. minds were lost in cyber space, leaving behind soulless bodies.

the idea was so refreshing that at first, it was difficult to wrap our mind around it. however, as we slowly grasped the concept, it became somewhat realistic and relatable. it was most exciting the moment Remu found Shiki at her department but Shiki claimed that she was not Shiki but another girl that got trapped in Shiki's brain. with plenty of character development since then, the science fiction part of it became less boring and more captivating instead.

Still with Me (2012)

Jeremy had committed suicide on his 20th birthday after being rejected by his childhood friend, Victoria. instead of staying dead, he woke up on his 21st birthday with Victoria laying lovingly beside him. despite feeling blissful, he was troubled not being able to remember the whole year after his 20th birthday and before his 21st birthday. the next time he woke, he found himself starring at his first child Thomas. years later, his second child Simon. however, as he woke years into the future, he found out about his abusive self, a second personality to fill in the years he couldn't remember.

i was originally attracted to the book due to its cover, however felt deceived as it was a completely unrelated story. for the first few wakes, the story was slow and somewhat frustrating to follow. but as the book progressed and the situation intensified, things became interesting and much more entertaining. not being a fan of religious genre novels, i felt difficult to relate to Jeremy, especially when there was this old man that kept reading the psalm and putting him in pain to relive another few years. it felt like there weren't enough closure to the matter. while they kept making a point that god was very forgiving, all Jeremy went through felt more like a punishment to me.

Hunter x Hunter: Phantom Rouge (2013) 劇場版 Hunter x Hunter 緋色の幻影

Kurapika became a Hunter with the intention of confronting and taking down a crime group called the Phantom Troupe. the group had massacred his clan for their unique eyes. the eyes of the Kuruta clan would turn scarlet while angry. it was considered one of the most beautiful treasure in the world. during his pursuit, Kurapika's eyes were stolen. but with the help of Gon, Killua, and Leorio, his life was saved. the Phantom Troupe showed up at this moment, revealing the one with a No.4 spider tattoo.

while Kurapika was supposed to be last surviving Kurata, Pairo was introduced as an old blind friend of Kurapika. Gon and Killua joined Leorio and Kurapika when they picked up rumors regarding Pairo, who survived the massacre. surprisingly the moment Pairo came in contact with Kurapika, he took Kurapika's eyes through a nen ability. with some information from Hisoka, they found out that they were against the former No.4 - Omokage, who was a puppet master with the ability to give life to puppets by putting someone's eyes in it.

Silver Linings Playbook (2012)

Pat was released from the mental health institution with the help of his mother but without his father's approval. the condition was that he must move back in with his parents. the reason he was institutionalized was due to him beating up the lover of his wife Nikki. since then he was diagnosed with Bipolar disorder. with medication and therapy sessions, Pat decided he could manage on by looking for the "silver linings" in his life just to be reunited with Nikki.

the story only truly started after Pat met with Tiffany, a young widow with plenty of emotional baggage herself. Tiffany was quite a distasteful character, with plenty of provocation and bad attitude. as the story progressed and the duo got together, their relationship proven to be anything but typical. despite being a romance comedy, the film showed a rare darker side of its main character, which was refreshing in its own way while throwing some knowledge our ways.

Star Driver The Movie (2013) スタードライバー The Movie

the story took place on the Southern Cross Isle. one night, a boy named Takuto got washed up the shore after swimming from the mainland. he later enrolled into the Southern Cross High School as a freshman and started making new friends. however, just underneath the school was a group of mysterious giants called Cybodies, which could be controlled by humans from an alternate dimension called the Zero Time. Takuto got involved into a group that intended to make the Cybodies their own possession to break of the seals of the island.

the movie was like a summarized of its previous series of 25 episodes. having merged so many episodes into 1 could give not much different but to have everything happened at a deafening fast pace. there could have been more character development instead of giving so much technical knowledge that wasn't as interesting. however, it was great that the fighting scenes were beautiful to look at, which made it much entertaining.

The Girl in the Mirror (2005)

Mandy returned to the house she spent many wonderful summers as a child right after she heard that her grandpa was dying. she remembered going to the John and Evelyn's house and played with their daughter Sarah while she was young. however, the 2 families had been cutoff ever since she was eleven. something had happened back then, something that she couldn't remember. as the ghastly girl in ponytail started appearing, Mandy was determined to face the horrific past.

the story seemed promising and enjoyable the moment i started. however it quickly turned into annoyance as the pages processed. Mandy, who started out a lovely character, became less likeable gradually. despite being hid from the truth by her family, she didn't have a mirror to see that it was exactly the same thing that she was doing to Adam, her lover. she even went as far as confronting the assaulter without the knowledge of anyone, including Adam! despite her desperate plea for Adam to be patient with her, she was just another foolish girl that failed to see the big picture, even the danger of it. as for the plot, it was obvious where the story was heading, with the dying grandfather as a distraction. it was an extremely difficult read where i had to force myself through the pages, skipping lines even pages, just so i can move on to a new book.

Toaru Kagaku no Railgun S (2013) とある科学の超電磁砲（レールガン）S

the second season of Toaru Kagaku no Railgun (2009) focused on the Sisters Arc. the story started after Mikoto discovered about the existence of the Radio Noise sisters that were used in the Level 6 Shift. it was an experiment where the sisters were killed in order for the Level 5 Accelerator to achieve the power of Level 6.

the series started out by reintroducing some very familiar espers, especially Misaka and Kuroko that were so enjoyable to look at. Misaka was an electromasters while Kuroko had teleporting ability. we were reminded that 80% residents of Academy City were students. with so many different abilities around, it was welcoming to know some familiar faces before proceeding to more life threatening adventures that they tended to land in.