Women of the Tang Dynasty (2013) 唐宫燕之女人天下

the story took place after the Tang Dynasty was being ruled by the female Emperor Wu. Mengfan and Mengfu were two sisters that were forced to work in the palace after their father was killed. they started from the bottom and each with their own ways, strove for a position higher up in their rank. Mengfan disliked the life in palace and was determined to remain uninfluenced by the negativity of the palace. Mengfu on the other hand, didn't mind the influences as long as it brought her a step closer to her dream.

with a distinct role between Mengfan and Mengfu, it was obvious who the Good or Bad sister were. it made their outcome obvious since karma was involved. however, the differences didn't help make these characters lovable. while Mengfan was determined to remain "good", she was quite an annoying character to look at as she separate everything clearly into black and white, and wouldn't take no for an answer. Mengfu was like a wild child, her character often seemed heartless but was highly relatable if compared to Mengfan. in overall, the series was enjoyable and fast paced. but most of the time, the clarity that the series tried so hard to portray just to separate the good from the bad was what ruined the series.

Nagi no Asukara (2013) 凪のあすから

the story took place in a world where humans lived in the ocean. some of those who choose to live on the land cast off special raiments used for adapting life under the sea given by their sea god. since then, humans were divided into sea and land dwellers, each with different lifestyle and thinking. however, they still remained in contact as time went on. the series followed a group of middle school student from both the sea and land meeting for the very first time.

at first glance, the series seemed like just another typical slice of life story about the sea versus land people. but after several episodes, there were actually serious issues behind, keeping the intensity going despite the lighthearted atmosphere. there were also plenty of absurd and hilarious moments that involved the fantasy world, which the story took advantage of. the teenagers were much more matured than their age when it came to romance. the relationship between the sea and land people was like unrequited love since their newborn would not have any ability to breath underwater anymore. the complexity was somewhat welcoming since it gave depth to the original plot.

Bloodlines #3: The Indigo Spell (2013)

after fighting to free herself from the Warriors of Light, Sydney found herself struggling to draw the lines between her Alchemist teachings and following her heart. Ms Terwilliger was Sydney's history teacher, whom one day revealed to her about herself knowledge about the vampires while forcing Sydney to learn magic. despite her original refusal to get involved in magic due to the Alchemist teachings, Sydney wasn't given a choice when she knew that these spells could very well save her during the increasing amount of dangerous situations she found herself landed in these days.

after reading the third book of the series, Sydney had became even more lovable, which seeing how much i already root for her, never thought possible. from her flawless and responsible characteristics, she felt more human when it came to Adrian, the only person she couldn't hide her feelings from. when Marcus appeared, everything became a mess as he threatened her Alchemist beliefs and wanted her to break free from the rules. not forgetting her initial rejection for magic, which now turned into sometimes that supported her and kept her safe in opposed to other powerful witches. fortunately, it was all these complications that made Sydney's life so interesting and irresistible.

Genshiken Nidaime (2013) げんしけん 二代目

during the spring of their freshman year, Kanji wanted to join an otaku club, while Saki wanted to turned her otaku boyfriend Kousaka into a normal guy. in the end, both Kanji and Kousaka signed up for Genshiken, the society for the study of modern visual culture. desperate, Kanji chased Kousaka through the activities organized by the club, learning more than she ever wanted about the world of otaku.

Genshiken Nidaime (2013) was a brand new season adapted from its manga. despite being new, it was still recommended to have watched all its previous prequels to truly appreciate this installment. some of the main characters from the previous seasons had more of a minor role in this season. the club consisted of a group of college students that enjoyed the otaku culture. plenty of references from other series were adapted, showing more than enough familiar faces to get one excited. other than cosplay and referencing other series, the club also came out with their own piece of work.