A Rice Ball Doesn't Belong in a Fruits Basket ~ Fruits Basket Review

Yuki Sohma is a teenager whose family harbors a strange secret: If any of them are hugged by a member of the opposite sex, they transform into animals of the Chinese zodiac. To complicate things, Yuki's family has taken in a young orphan named Tohru.
I just (and I really, mean, just) finished Fruits Basket, a charming young tale about Tohru Honda and her experience with the Sohma family. Honestly, I just adored the series! It is one of my very favorites. So beautiful!
One major thing that I loved about this show are the characters. Each character is so in depth, and you really get to know everyone. You can tell what they're thinking before anyone says anything by the end of the anime, because you really learn to love them.  The characters all have such different personalities, and the character development is just splendid. Even though some of the characters are hard to like at first, you really get to know their problems and why they act that way, and bond with them. It was a different feeling than any other I have experienced.
The ending actually felt like an ending in some ways, but in some ways not. I feel like I was cheated out of one more episode, but at least the last one had an ending feel (if you know what I mean).
The artwork was beautifully done, and the characters all managed to look unique while still staying to the typical anime drawing style.
I really had no problems with the series, except the fact that there wasn't more of it.
The series is a good laugh, a puller-of-the-heart-strings, and a great friend. I really couldn't have asked for much more.

*Also, for those of you lucky to have it, this series is available on Netflix*

Sailor Moon Wallpapers!

To commemorate the soon-to-be coming new Sailor Moon anime series (check it out at this link: http://otakumode.com/post/201956799295782912) I decided to post some Sailor Moon wallpapers

Spice And Wolf

Lawrence, a traveling merchant searching for profit, finds a naked girl with the ears and tail of a wolf asleep in his cart. Her name is Holo – a harvest goddess with an untamed beast lurking inside who longs to return to her beloved northern home. Armed with his street smarts and her animal instincts, a simple peddler and a forgotten deity begin a journey through the wild countryside. Along their path, the riches of happiness shall be reaped, even as the bankruptcy which dwells in the human heart is exposed.

I must say, one weird thing I really loved about this show was the opening and closing song. Most of the time, after hearing it so often, I just skip over them, but these I listened to nearly every episode. The opening was very sorrowful and mysterious, and the ending was just... well, weird. But in a good way. I especially enjoyed it because it was in English, so I could easily memorize the lyrics :3

The artwork for this show was also beautifully done. They made Holo so cute with the wolf ears, but not in that distasteful trendy way. The landscapes were straight from an art gallery. It was just some really awesome artwork
I felt like the characters had enough dept in them, but would have liked a flashback here and there. Holo's character was just perfect, from her perfect funny banter and interludes, to her awkward conversations she could get herself wrapped up in. Also, she was so intelligent at times, and I wish I could be half that devious and mischievous. Lawrence was the more serious aspect of the show, and was always so nice to others, to the point where it was a fault. The time period and theme for this show were both totally unique, as well.
There were only about two things that left me wanting more. One, the relationship between Holo and Lawrence. I felt like the show could go so far with that story line, and I kept waiting for it to happen, but it never did, which made me feel a little empty when the show ended. Also, the ending was empty! To me, it felt like a normal episode ending, not the conclusion from this great show. So~~~ much to be desired with that ending.
All in all, this show was amazing. It defiantly had some major flaws, but flaws that we could look past. Overall, for a 13 episode series, I really enjoyed it. I will be writing a second post about Spice and Wolf II, the sequel to Spice and Wolf. Maybe it will fill in some of those gaps that I am longing to be filled.

*Also, may I say that it is available on Netflix :)*

I Went Crazy With The Captions. Sorry.

I was looking at Tenchi Muyo pictures (just started watching the show, and really like it!) and saw these facial expressions and knew I had to put a caption on them. Sorry if they're a bit lengthy for your taste, but I like them!
The whole theme of these was "The facial expressions I make related to anime." And trust me, there are a lot more of those faces, but I figured three was a good start.
This might be a mind babble post which means nothing to anyone, but if it does mean something to you, please tell me, because I am willing to do more.

Sitting in front of your computer watching an anime, and someone interrupts you. This has happened to all of us. I just tend to want to strangle them and say "I have five minutes left of this episode! Leave me alone until then!"

This quote would need explaining to understand. Say you are watching an anime, or reading a manga, and something really amazing happens, and you stop reading and smile like an idiot. Has anybody ever seen you smile like that? Because you probably look like Ryohko. 

Again, say you think of something amazing from an anime, and you want to fan girl or do a happy dance, but it's just not the right time to do that? You have to will yourself out of it? But you still probably look like this.

Okay well I hope you enjoyed this weird post. I know I enjoyed thinking of times when I made these faces. Did you? Send me some feedback and tell me if you did! 

Finally Got My Small Hands On Cardcaptor Sakura Omnibus 2!

     First off, may I just say, yay! I went to my local library today, with it's surprisingly large selection of manga, looking for something fun to read.
 
  Scrolling through the rows of books, my eyes settle upon a lovely big pink book. I think, "No, that can't be the second omnibus for Cardcaptor Sakura, the one manga I have been looking for especially, could it be?" And sure enough, it was.
 
  I read the first book (which I bought, and read in less than 2 hours.) and could not find the next one anywhere. I checked everywhere, and when I wasn't looking for it, it came to me. Sound like a fortune cookie to anyone else?

"You will only find the things you seek when they leave your mind and you least expect them"

Or, you know, something along those lines. 

Ouran High School Host Club is Now Open For Buisness

New student Haruhi stumbles on the Ouran High School Host Club, an all-male group that makes money by entertaining the girls of the school. After breaking a precious vase, Haruhi passes herself off as a boy to become a host and repay her debt.

I just finished a short anime series called Ouran High School Host Club. Honestly, I wasn't expecting much, but needed a comedy in the wide array of shows I was currently watching. I actually found it because it was on Netflix, and saw good reviews. My, were those reviews right or what?I absolutely adored it. Even though I am super-duper busy, I put off really important things to finish this anime in 3 days. 3 Days. It's just the perfect little show to watch, but the ending left a lot to be desired in my opinion. All the characters were really easy to relate to, especially the Hitachiin twins and Honey (They were my favorites, so I might be a bit biased... but they were too amazing not to like!). The heroine of the show, Haruhi, was the type of character that everyone can relate to in some way or another. Anyways, I absolutely loved it, and it was a great quick break from the fantasy/serious shows I have been watching. I would recommend this show to anyone, and I really mean that.

Coming up soon, a review on Shugo Chara! (Just have to finish Shugo Chara Doki, Shugo Chara Party, etc...)

*Also, may I say that this anime is available in Netflix :) *