Nekomonogatari Kuro (2012) 猫物語黒

Bakemonogatari (2009) started out as a surprise for many viewers. it was bold, different, so full of dialogues, yet so very addictive. its sequel: Nisemonogatari (2012) tried to follow its footstep but faltered slightly and failed to be as successful. Nekomonogatari (2012) however, brought back the spotlight and hit its target, it was just as good as its first sequel, and as satisfying.

like its previous sequels, this installment had little movement and many talking. yet whenever there was movement, it was so fluent it was mesmerizing to look at. the plot continued its supernatural events that continued to evolve and required solution from Araragi-kun. unfortunately the series only had 4 episodes, making it seemed more like a movie than series.

Inside Out Girl (2010)

Rachel was an overprotective single mother of Janie and Dustin. Len was lawyer struggling with his disabled daughter Olivia. Olivia had Nonverbal Learning Disorder (NLD), which caused her to have high verbal skill, but low social or visual skill. when the 2 adults got to know each other, Janie was horrified to find out that the most bullied girl in school was going to be her sister. while everyone was having trouble adjusting, Len found out that he had a tumor in his head, having only a few years left. desperate for someone to take care of Olivia after he died, he sought out perfect parents for his daughter.

the heartwarming, as well as heart-wrenching story circled around a special girl named Olivia. she reminded Rachel so much of the down syndrome daughter she gave up when she got pregnant at a younger age, and caused her to be filled with guilt often. Len helped her to move on bringing in Olivia into her life, it was like giving her a second chance. many times i found tears welled up in my eyes as i got absorbed into the story, completely influenced. it was definitely an awesome read.

Yama no Susume (2013) ヤマノススメ

Aoi and Hinata were childhood friends, but Aoi was afraid of heights and preferred indoor hobbies; while Hinata has a passion for mountain climbing. while they were younger, they used to watch the sunrise from the top of a mountain. now they decided to climb again in hopes of seeing the sunrise again. along the way, they met with new friends and learn more about mountain climbing.

with each episode only 3 minutes long, the series was surprisingly entertaining. there were plenty of character developments that made Aoi and Hinata such lovable characters and very easy to relate to. Aoi was often afraid and unsure of the situation, while Hinata would take bolder approach, helping and encouraging her forward.

Reconstructing Amelia (2013)

Kate was a single mother who worked as a lawyer. despite her busy schedule, Amelia was a perfect daughter. one day, when she was having an important meeting with her clients, Kate received a call from Amelia's school, saying that Amelia had been cheating on papers, thus expelled and required Kate to bring her daughter home. Amelia was an intelligent and levelheaded girl that would never do something like that. but when she arrived at the school, she found out that Amelia was dead.

the story was told in many perspective of Kate's and Amelia's, including what happened before Amelia was found dead, along with Kate's own side of the story as she struggled to find out what happened to her daughter. it was such a heart-wrenching experience having to go through both Amelia's and Kate's challenges. despite the jumping timeline, the storyline was was captivating and mysterious that before long, i found myself following the breadcrumbs Amelia left behind, joining Kate on her journey to discover the truth. it was a painful journey even for us readers, where i uncontrollably shed many tears for them.