Finally!

As said in the title, FINALLY!  The release date for Tokyo Ghoul Season (III) is there!! The Pierrot studio has renewed the series for another season, slated to air sometime in 2016.The release date was previously set in Summer, 2015, but it didn't come. So hopefully it will air with the beginning of the New Year. 

Tokyo Ghoul was named 27th best-selling manga series in Japan in 2013 and  the 4th best-selling manga series in Japan in 2014.
I am still reading Tokyo Ghoul:re and I am so excited to see what Sui Ishida will do different now, since we actually get two stories-one in the manga and one in the anime. Although there are a lot of guys hating the fact that the anime and manga are not the same, I like it. I mean you get two Tokyo Ghoul stories at the same time. If you ask me which one is better, I think I'd say...The Anime.
The manga is also fantastic but it kinda concentrates too much on violence and brutality. And don't say now I am a little girl who can't stand drawn blood, I love action and good fights. It's just too much. The anime concentrates more on the happenings and "emotions", kinda. 
Although I'll probably be somewhere at university at that time, I won't miss the new season!
What an AnimeGirl would I be?
The next review is coming soon, and I want you to choose the anime...Answer the pool under this LINK.
Your AnimeGirl! 

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Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation- Episode 7

During the conversation about Sakurako’s autopsy of her pet cat, there was a sequence of close-up shots that only partially framed the face or didn’t show it at all. This practice is quite common in anime, especially during dramatic moments. I think these are done for an effect. Watching a dramatic exchange without seeing the character’s face is visually odd and uneasy, which is an effect that can add tension to the scene. Another effect of these types of shots is they put more emphasis on the voice acting and body language, which at times might be a more effective emotional stimulant than facial expressions.

The aforementioned reasons for these odd and uneasy shots hold true for this sequence in this episode but they also match the mood of the conversation. The visually uncomfortable framing accentuated the naturally unsettling idea of dissecting a pet, an idea that really bothered Shoutarou. There was also a tension between two differing personalities that this odd framing helped bring forth. Shoutarou is more emotionally sensitive while Sakurako can easily detach herself emotionally and think with pure logic.

Another effect of not seeing their faces is when they’re finally shown it can be done for emphasis. Towards the end of this sequence the centered medium close-ups of both characters really punctuated their vastly contrasting feelings on the subject. Sakurako has this cold and unflappable expression, while Shoutarou has a pained and sad look.

There were also a couple of wide shots that were nice visual story images. The first one is a frame within a frame of Sakurako that visually separates the two and reinforces their difference. The second one distorted the size difference. Making Shoutarou appear bigger accentuated his anger and irritation.

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Beautiful Bones -Sakurako's Investigation- Episode 6

The major conflict in this episode was the differing beliefs between Yuri and Isozaki about the issue of suicide. After failing to find the woman they assumed to be suicidal, their disagreement came to a head at the river bank. I thought the visual storytelling in this scene was effective at displaying the conflict, understanding and compromise between the two characters.

Low Angle

High Angle

The first set of visual devices was the commonly used high and low angles. What made the high/low angle usage in this scene a bit different than the usual was it switched on the characters. These switches were narratively driven but also done in practical manner which made the switches feel natural.

If you rewatch the sequence above it starts with Isozaki at the top of the steps and Yuri at the bottom. From a practical sense in order to account for differing elevations of the characters, a low angle was used on Isozaki and a high one on Yuri. Even after Isozaki came down the steps, a low angle was kept on him due to difference in their height. The practical usage also reflected the narrative. Low angle is often used on a dominant figure which is true for Isozaki, a teacher who’s in a position of authority. At this point he was also lecturing Yuri about his beliefs. Yuri is a student expected to defer to a teacher and a high angle reinforced her subordinate status.

When Yuri became more emotionally animated about her beliefs, their positions switched with her at the top of the steps and Isozaki at the bottom. The camera on Yuri switched to a low angle, which matched the change in elevation and the narrative. Yuri’s emotional assertiveness turned her into the dominant voice, which was appropriately emphasized by the low angle. While Isozaki was still stern in his disagreement, there was a tone of acquiescence which was made more prominent by the high angle shot.

Flat

Deep

The other visual devices used were flat space and deep space. So if you keep watching the sequence, you’ll notice the camera switching to a straight-on wide shot as shown in the above-left picture. Despite the shallow depth of field this shot feels very much like a flat space, it lacks perspective lines or depth in movement. Flat space lacks visual intensity, which was quite fitting to the sense of calmness when the two characters reached a form of understanding and compromise. When Isozaki was reasserting his advisor role, the sequence switched to the more visually intense deep space shots. These have prominent perspective lines as shown in the above-right picture. This visual intensity gave his words more weight. The sequence continued to switch between flat and deep space to match the subtle changes in the mood.

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Noragami (2014): ANIME REVIEW

After two months of watching Fairy Tail and still not being done with it, I decided to take a short break with another anime. I did miss the good, short 12-episode-long anime and it was a very good one this time if I may add. A lot of people actually hate short anime, but I like them because they omit the worst possible thing that can happen. The middle-episode catastrophe. Anime such as Zetsuen no Tempest, Guilty Crown etc. are a perfect example. But let's quit talking about that and concentrate on this anime's review: NORAGAMI! 

Plot and Story Line

As expected from a #348 ranked anime on My Anime List, Noragami was very good. After thinking about whether to rate it as a 7 or 8, I gave it a 7. It is a good one but not as good as Mirai Nikki, SAO, NGNL, Gnagsta or Gosick that have a rating of 8. But what is it now about, is the question?

Up to the setting... The world of Noragami is divided into two parts: The Near Shore, the place where people recide, and the Far Shore, or the so called Afterlife where Gods, phantoms and dead souls live. The phantoms, or in Japanese Ayakashi, are emotional fragments that try to posses humans and cause all sorts of trouble. Now, the gods, fight the Ayakashi, and our main protagonist of this anime is none other than Yato, the god of war. They do it with the help of weapons called Shinki that are actually  spirits of dead poeple. 

In the very beginning of the story we meet Yato with his Shinki Tomone, that leaves him shortly after three months of work together. After being left alone, Yato decides to run simple errands without all the ayakashi stuff. And while chasing a little cat, he nearly got hit by a buss, but luckily a girl saved his life. Her name was Iki Hiyori. Hiyori was dead for a second but came back to life afterwards, causing her soul to become unstable and leave her body from time to time. In that "body-less" state Hiyori has a fancy, pink tail. In order to become normal again she asks Yato, as a god, to help her stabilize her soul. He accepts the job for 5 yen, but he firstly needs to find a new Shinki. (I think this an "as expected" situation, and so I don't see it as a spoiler). Yato will eventually find a new Shinki and that's when the whole fun begins. 

When talking about the story it self, it is necessary to mention that it is more the character development that makes the show, rather than the happenings.

The idea behind the anime is very good in my opinion. The spirits and the gods fighting phantoms together, a girl whose soul leaves her body at least twice in one episode and  the steady flash backs from the past. I know I said in the beginning that I love 12-episode-long anime but while some anime would be better with less, Noragami would be better with a few more episodes. The background story of Yato's new Shinki, Yukine,  and the way he died weren't mentioned at all. There are some scenes in one episode where you can grasp a thought, but nothing more. Also, Yato's background story was told but it's not enough. There are a lot of questions left and I really wanted to get the answers in the anime because I don't feel like reading the manga now. Luckily, on October 3rd, 2015 Noragami Aragato (the 2nd season) started and is still airing. I am still not sure if I will start watching before it finishes airing, but I'll see. I think that we might get some answers about Yukine's history but not about Yato's. Still, figers crossed. 

Yet, I consider the character development and all the psychology in the anime to be its main turning point. The way Yato tries to kill the ghosts of his past, the way Yukine is being eaten by the causes of his own death again and the way Hiyori finds acceptance with her new self...Awesome. In addition to that, you also have the various cases of people trying to die or kill that actually happen everyday. Yato kinda finds his own way in solving those, although being the one that said that If they wanted to die, they should. 

And while being very deep from time to time, Noragami is an anime that will sure make you laugh. There are tons of scenes that force at least a smile on your face. Especially Yato, being a person as he is, always does something very entertaining. 

And while talking about entertainment, I don't want to forget all the action in the anime. Awesome fights are one of the shiny sides of Noragami and I definitely expect to see more in the next season. Can't wait for it. 

Noragami has a very smooth plot line with a little plot hole here and there mostly while talking about the past. Still, a good character story and action blended everything out and made it so good. 

Characters

The happy-go-lucky YATO is actually one of the gods of war, but better known as the "God of Calamity". After his first Shinki leaves him, he starts calling him self  "stray delivery god" doing some odd jobs for just 5 yen. When it comes to his personality it's like he has two souls inside. At one moment he is the childish young man that does all kinds of silly things such as buying fake good luck charms. He is really persistent in trying to become a more popular god and so he writes his cellphone number wherever he goes. The other Yato is more serious and very mysterious. Some secrets of the past reveal his old self form a different time, and that is what I found the most intriguing part o the show.

And here is she, our main female, IKI HIYORI. She is a daughter of a respectable family and a martial arts-loving junior high school student. She also has a older brother, and that's my dear readers what you know about her. I little bit more about her life would have made the anime considerably better. When it comes to her personality you can clearly see the positivism she carries all the time and her open and free soul. Also a very caring person that  thinks about others before her self. I hope the second season shows us more about Hiyori because I personally liked her a lot.

And this is now YUKINE, Yato's new Shinki. He is a 14-year-old boy that was found by Yato while wandering around as a small spirit. In the Shinki form he has the name Shekki and transforms into a katana. Yukine died at a very young age and so he misses his normal life as a middle schooler. A bit sad and frustrated he stole money from people thinking it would be alright since he is dead. Luckily Hiyori saves him from becoming a "bad boy" and from then on Yukine becomes more respectful an obedient towards Hiyori and Yato. As said before, I juts hope that we will find out more about his life in the second season. 

Animation and Style

As expected, a very good job done by Bones, the same producers of Fullmeetal Alchemist, Soul Eater, Darker than Black, Gosick etc. The animation is great, I mean it would kinda be impossible  to be bad since we have the year 2014. When it comes to the style, there is something special about it, but I really can't figure out what exactly. I think it's the colors, but whatever it is, I love it. 

Conclusion

I can't wait to see the second season of Noragami. It is really an awesome anime with and intriguing and  well developed plot, nice story line and pretty good characters. I think that there is nothing left to say despite the fact that this anime is worth your time, and worth giving it a try in the second season Noragami Aragato (2015). 

Your AnimeGirl <3

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Barbie Ever After High Mirror Beach

Barbie Ever After High Mirror Beach 

Ashlynn Ella

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OWARIMONOGATARI Episode 5 – SODACHI Lost, Part 2

In this episode the side view wide shot of Araragi and Oikura was used repeatedly in order to function as a constant for the lighting changes. This made the changes in lighting more perceptible, which helped it visually convey the changes in the mood of Oikura.

The first shot was in the beginning of the episode. This shot was at its brightest, which matches the relatively less serious start. As Oikura reveals more about her dysfunctional family, the lighting became dimmer and the shadows heavier which accentuated her state of misery. The third shot was especially apt, since at this point she was describing Araragi’s happy family as so bright to the point of being unsettling.  The contrast between her description of his family and the dimmed room visualized how comparatively miserable her family life was.

In this second sequence of shots it again started off bright although not as bright as the first couple of shots. At this point she was still using Araragi as a scapegoat but eventually admitted he was blameless. This admission caused her to sink further into self-hatred and self-pity, which was reflected by the shot turning dark, with even heavier shadows and the characters almost being silhouettes. Also, there were now rays of light coming in, a visual intensity matching the strong emotions and quivering voice of Oikura.

One thing that was a bit more subtle was in the last shot, where the rays of light on Oikura were shining brighter. In this portion of the sequence, Araragi was encouraging her to find happiness. The brighter light on Oikura seems to signify a tiny glimmer of hope that she found in Araragi’s words.

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