Facts an Anime Head Should Know

When you scroll down a bit you'll see the first of two posts I wrote for all the Anime Newbies out there. I wrote some fancy advice for all the guys that just got here, to the huge World of Anime. Of course, only advice wouldn't be enough, and so I am here writing part two of Anime for Newbies, this time with some facts and stuff that every ANIME HEAD should actually know. Now I wonder where to start. Let's try with the question: What does the word ANIME actually mean?

The word ANIME simply just means Animation when translated from Japanese. Yet, in the whole world it is used to define animated cartoons that are produced by Japanese or in Japan. Before Anime became so widely known, so until the 1980s, the word JAPANIMATION was used to describe animation made in Japan. One more thing about the word ANIME: Since it is a Japanese word, and they don't have plurals, the plural form of ANIME is ANIME and not ANIMES. 

What is the one thing that defines most of Anime character? Yes BIG EYES. The one person that is "responsible" for this is non other then the so called "Godfather of Anime". OSAMU TEZUKA is his name, and believe it or not, he was actually inspired by the character looks of the characters he saw in Disney cartoons and movies such as Mickey Mouse or Bambi. Talking about the character looks, what's up with that colorful hair? The colorful hair you see in most anime is actually because of the Color symbolism in Japan. They believe that each color represents something, like for instance a part of a persons personality. So for example you get creative, protective and wise for PURPLE, optimism, cheerful for YELLOW but power, formality and mystery for BLACK. You can easily find pics on the internet about that, it's quite interesting. 

But, how many anime are actually produced in a year? According to statistics, there are more than 200 anime shows and movies that appear on TV every year in Japan. That makes up 60% of the WORLD'S ANIMATION in a Year. As for manga, in Japan, more paper is used for manga than for toilet paper. 

And you're also probably asking What's the longest running anime ever? The answers is Sazae-San. That's the name of the anime that started airing in 1969. Funny fact about it, after 7071+ episodes the anime is still running and is still being produced. By the way, the producers of this anime, Fuji TV are also the producers of One Piece, Psycho-Pass, Guilty Crown, Hellsing, Dragon Ball etc.
How do we usually call a person that loves anime and manga? Right, an OTAKU. But did you know that in Japan, Otaku is a term to describe a person that is highly obsessed with something (doesn't have to be anime) to an "unhealthy" measure. So if you ever get the chance to meet Japanese people don't introduce your self as Otaku.
The first anime that was streamed outside Japan was Astroboy, and in time anime has become so popular that in Japan there are more than 130 Voice acting schools. Talking about school, if you want to be a professional Manga artist, you have to go trough a 7-year-long manga artist school.
And in the end, what is your favorite production studio? Mine is definitely Studio Pierrot (Naruto, Bleach, Akatsuki no Yona...). Yet, the most famous and beloved production studio is said to be Studio Ghibli with more than 93 production works.

So my dear readers, these are just some facts about anime, the most interesting I actually found. If you have more interesting stuff feel free to share it in the comments down bellow.

Your Anime Girl <3

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ANIME Advice for Newbies

This post is devoted to all you guys who just got to the huge World of "Japanimation". A short post for all you that need some advice on how to make it trough the this mess we call ANIME! Why I decided to write a post on this topic? Easy, I remember me being an "Anime-beginner", and because I know what you're going trough now, I decided to write the next, actually two  posts just for you. And now, on this lovely Tuesday evening,the first post for newcomers: ANIME Advice for Newbies.

First of all, WELCOME! As I said in the beginning, I remember me, turning into a "Full-time Anime Girl" and how it was hard to find something good to watch, or something I might like. And here we come to my first advice for Anime newbies:

1.Talk with someone with the same interests as you-The person that drew my attention to anime was my best friend and as such, she knew exactly what I like and what not. You also probably have someone close to talk to about anime. If not, here is the my second advice:

2.You have Google-Seriously, you have Google. The internet is now full of blogs, web-pages, forums etc. about anime. My recommendation: My Anime List. It is a web page where you can manage your Anime List and find info, reviews and recommendations on every anime that exists, like E-V-E-R-Y. And if that also doesn't help you, you still have YouTube. YouTube is full of AMVs (Anime Music Videos) and Anime Trailers that are just waiting, and if you ask me, I always trust an AMV more then the rating on MAL.

When I look back at my childhood, I have to say that I was a pretty good AnimeGirl even then. I recall watching DBZ, One Piece, Pokemon, Digimon Adventure, Detective Conan, Sailor Moon etc. and now I just don't feel like watching. Reactions of others:"What an AnimeGirl are you not watching the best anime. Don't waste your time on other trash?" Now let me tell you this and so come to my third advice:
3.Don't let others tell you what to like-There will always be that one person who will love something everyone else hates, and vice-versa. And if you happen to be that one that loves the worst anime ever, don't let other people tell you to stop watching it. This actually applies "backwards" too. If you meet that "one" person don't call him an idiot because he/she likes the worst anime ever. 

When you look at the picture on the left, you'll see the Top5 of The Most Popular Anime ever on My Anime List. I know that they all are awesome anime, masterpieces like non other even though I haven't seen them all. Yes, I admit I don't have Attack on Titan and FMA:B on my "Completed" list. They are actually both on my "Dropped" list after the first episode which brings me to the forth advice for you:
4.Don't force your self-I really tried watching both of them, but I just didn't feel like it. I actually started Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood twice, but I stopped. It was just the same with Code Geass and Death Note, but one day, I just got that "click" in my head and opened the first episode and ended up watching everything in two or three days. The point is, maybe it's not your type of anime, so don't force your self to watch it. Go enjoy other good anime and just wait for that "click".  



And my last advice:
5.You'll get used to it- I once saw Baccano! on a Projector screen in the dorm together with a Non-anime-watcher (she was bored). She stopped watching when she saw the blood-bath in the anime. Later on she asked me how I could watch that, my answer: "I got used to it". With this I am not just talking about blood, I am also talking about things like fan service, the ongoing screaming, over-reactions, high-pitched voices, Japanese culture stuff, things normal in Japan but not in your country (ex.the girl falling in love with the her first and closest cousin),  16-year-olds living alone etc. Other people may judge anime because of that but that's just normal, at least in Japan.

These are my Five advice for you Anime Newbies out there. One extra advice: Check out my blog for more info on anime I have watched and feel free to ask for more! Coming up:
Facts and Stuff an Anime Head Should Know! See ya!
Your AnimeGirl! 

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Thank You for the 10.000

What a great day! Why? Well if you look at the "Total Pageviews" number on my blog you'll see the number 10.028. World of Anime Girl reached its 10k pageviews today and it's only because of you. And I want to thank you! Hvala, Thanks, Danke, Arigato, Merci, Xiexie, Grazie, Gracias, Tesekkür ederim...(I used as many as I know)! 

When I look back on the 28th of July, 2015, and my first blog-post, I'd never imagined I will come this far. And look, 44 posts later and I got to the 10k. My first anime review was on the anime "Another", and my first non-review post was "Anime on TV". I have to say that I improved much since that time. 

I'll make this post short because I just wanted to thank YOU, because you are readying all this stuff I write. If you like it, hit the SUBSCRIBE button, or find me on intagram @aniblogger, twitter @AnimeGirl_03 and on My Anime List also under AnimeGirl_03! And for those who maybe don't like my blog...okay, just tell me what you don't like, I don't have anything against some feedback either. And in the end if you have an idea for a cool and interesting topic for my next post, let me know! 

Your AnimeGirl <3

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5 Centimeters per Second: ANIME REVIEW

I don't know what is happening to me, (lol) considering the fact that I never liked romance and love stories. Today, I felt like watching one and I decided to take a glance at an anime movie that is kinda popular out there. I was very excited about it, but in the end it was just okay. It wasn't good, just okay. I'm talking about Byousoku 5 Centimeter or in English 5 Centimeters per Second.

I'll write this review just as I did yesterday with Boruto, without the usual review parts.

The story of 5 Centimeters per Second is about two friends, Toono Takai and Shinohara Akari. They are very close friends and really care about each other being also in the same class at elementary school. Everything changes when Akari moves away. Still, the two remain in contact and write letters to each other. Soon after, Takai finds out that he too will be moving far away, and so he decides to visit Akari one more time. And life being life again they slowly lived apart, but never forgetting each other.

I am still not sure if this is a movie or an extremely short anime with 3 episodes. Never mind that, what counts is the story. The story on its own is okay. A interesting romance slice of life thing, nicely imagined...but. 
The first but, is that the thing I told you this anime is about is actually it. There are some things that come and go, but nothing special at all.
The second but is that the movie (as in the description) wants to show the audience how two persons get separated by distance. How their roads slowly move further apart, but it kinda didn't work out that good with only one character in focus. You couldn't see anything about Akari's life at all and that's what disappointed me the most.
And in the end the last but, again plot holes. The movie or the 3-episode-long anime was forced and it rushed the happenings. How much better if it would have been a 12-episode anime instead. 

As for the characters, they are also bad to okay. Nothing special at all and you even don't get to know their personalities at all.
 The animation and style are very pretty and I liked them. Colorful, bright with awesome details, just as it should be. Thumbs up for that. And also not to forget the ending song was soo good! 

To conclude, the movie wasn't bad. The end was emotional, but it didn't pulled out the drama it could have. If it just wasn't rushed this much, it would have probably been way better. Too bad that extremely little effort was given into it because the story on it's own is very good. 

Your AnimeGirl <3 

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Boruto:Naruto the Movie: ANIME REVIEW

I don't know if you get this feeling sometimes, but from time to time I just don't feel like watching an anime. Especially when I just finish watching one. What do I do at times like that? Easy, I watch an anime movie.

Some time ago, I wasn't aware that movies can be as good as the anime it self. And today I watched a very special movie. After introducing us Boruto in Naruto: Gaiden and The Last: Naruto the Movie, Masashi Kishimoto decided to make one more movie about the new generation in The Hidden Lead Village. Today's review, on Boruto: Naruto the Movie.

Since it is just a movie, I'll skip my usual review sections and just talk about it freely. But first of all, SPOILER ALERT (If you haven't read the Naruto manga til the end)!

Naruto, finally grown up, finally the HOKAGE. His dream, and our dream I think finally came true but it is not that easy, even for the hero of the village. Even tough he is Konoha's hero, he is also has to be the hero of little Himawari and Boruto, his children. In the middle of the story, the older son Boruto, who is not a great fan of his father being the Hokage. He is working all the time, and he doesn't have much time for his family. Boruto feeling frustrated wants nothing else but his father's attention. Good that the jounin exams are on the way where Boruto finally wants to show his father how strong he is.

Reason I loved this movie? The feels come back. All the time spent with Naruto, crying, cheering, hoping...Everything is back, just with a lot new young faces being at the same level Naruto was in the beginning. It really puts a smile on my face seeing Sakura again, Sasuke, Hinata, Shikamaru, the whole crew. And what's more important, their children. I can't describe the feeling I had watching it again. And I have to admit, it even made me cry at one point.

The story of the movie is emotional on one side, and action-loaded on the other. You get the best of Naruto in 1h and 35min, approximately.

When the movie started (in Eng SUB), I was 100% sure that something wasn't right. Not the animation, it was great, and sure a bit different. (Ah, how the time passes). It were not the characters, they were also cool. And than it came to my mind. It was not in Japanese. Background info: The Japanese DUB version could only have been seen in Cinemas in Japan, but the Koreans made their own DUB and it somehow leaked into public. Soon English subtitles were made and now the whole internet is full of a Naruto movie with Korean DUB and English SUB. Still, it is watchable, can't deny that one. But it sure is strange as hell.

So if you don't mind hearing a bit Korean instead of Japanese, go and enjoy the Eleventh Naruto Movie: Boruto! I am sure you will love it.

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Answering Questions from MAL Forums

As a part of the MAL community, I often browse trough all the forums out there and give my opinion to various questions. There sure are a lot questions. Very stupid ones, but also very interesting ones. As for the interesting ones  yesterday, I decided to pick 10 questions from the MAL-forum and share my answers with you on this blog. There were some questions for which I had an answer right away, but some on the other hand took some time for answering and I really had to think about them. In the end I'd also like you to give your answers in the comments bellow, I want to hear your answers too. So don't hesitate and now let's see which questions I picked from My Anime List forums. 

1.Most unique anime characters?

This is a very good question. So what are the most unique characters I have seen in anime so far? I looked trough my Anime List and decided. So these are not my favorite characters but definitely the characters that stand out with their personality like non other.
1.Akame (Akame ga Kill)-This girl is so awesome. She does look kinda strange with her behavior but she is great. Her personality is mysterious and that's why she deserves a place in my most unique.
2.Herman Lewis (Garo: Honoo no Kokuin)-This guy is the most awesome dad in the history of anime dads. A happy-go-lucky person that kinda doesn't care about anything but still has a big heart.    
3.C.C. (Code: Geass)-I am sure that all of you remember her. The witch from Code Geass. She is because of her personality not just literary a witch. But you can't deny, she is unique. 
4.Shougo Makishima (Psycho-Pass)-He is the greatest villain I have ever seen. A mastermind of his own kind. I picked him as unique because of everything he is. The thing for which I remember him the most are his quotes. I loved it.

5.Saitama (One-Punch Man)-This is the most hyped anime from 2015, for a good reason. And in the middle is him, Saitama. The internet, 9GAG, Instagram and Facebook were full of him. But he definitely is one of the most unique characters I have seen in my life. Such a personality! Just WOW!

2.What cliche in anime annoys you the most?

There are two things. The first cliche is not let's say annoying, but it gets boring by the time. It is the cliche MC fights the enemy--he is loosing--remembers a promise or someone close to him dies--get's his power back--WINS! Actually like every other Fairy Tail fight but okay, I love Fairy Tail so... The second cliche is the thing I hate the most in anime, a perfect MC, it's the Shiba Tatsuya (An Irregular at MAgic High School) thing.

3.Anime you tried to like but couldn't

There are three that bump into my mind, Darker than Black, Kekkai Sensen and Steins Gate, but I haven't finished Steins Gate yet, so I'll see. 

4.So you find an anime boring...What do you do?

Easy, I continue watching it. You never know if an anime will become better later. The best example Noragami. I loved it although it was a bit boring in the beginning.

5.Is it weird to like yandere characters? What are your opinions on yandere? 

No, it is not weird to like yandere. They are crazy and I love crazy, and they make every anime special. Gasai Yuno (Mirai Nikki) is one of my favorite characters so...

6.Do anime characters need more detail in the nose?

I started laughing when I read this question. I actually never thought about this before. My answer: it depends on the anime. Anime that have more details in animation style should have a more detailed nose to. Yet it wouldn't be anime if the nose was different. 

7.The greatest anime fight scenes?

This was the hardest question of all definitely. I picked 3 fights I remember being awesome and they are really breathtaking. In the end of Akame ga Kill, you have the most amazing fight of the series Akame vs. Esdeath. The next are two Fairy Tail fights, and even tough they are repetitive, they are still epic. First one is the fight between Natsu & Jellal (Tower of Heaven), and Erza vs. Azuma (Tenrou Island). Definitely two emotional, awesome, action-loaded fights worth watching again and again. 

8.The first 5 anime I watched that made me an anime fan today?

I watched anime ever since I remember. But when I became a full-time AnimeGirl the first five anime I watched were:

1.Naruto

2.Kaze no Stigma

3.Mirai Nikki

4.Guilty Crown

5.Strike the Blood

9.What's more important, the villain or the hero?

I think that both of them are equally important, but I would say that the villain is makes 51& and the hero 49%. It's because the hero  can be as strong as he wants to, but if the villain doesn't give him a good fight it is useless.

10.What have you learned from anime?

This is my favorite question and so I kept it for the end. So what have I learned from anime? There were a lot of anime with a million of messages and three are definitely things that I learned:

1.Follow your dreams-This is a cliche Naruto/Fairy Tail message but it is true, you have to follow your dreams if you want to make it.

2.Be your self-"Whatever you are, be a good one, but first of all, be your self". A great message almost every anime gives.

3.The world is a cruel place, but that doesn't mean you can't change it-This is a message from a lot anime but I firstly thought of Psycho-Pass and Akame ga Kill. 

So guys, this is are my answers and now I'd like to hear yours! 

Your AnimeGirl <3

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The Perfect Anime!

Lately, I've been browsing trough the forum on My Anime List and I came across a very interesting question. The topic of the discussion was something like "What makes an anime perfect?". There were many answers and being as curious as I am I checked them out. I did just flicked trough but I grasped the stuff that people value the most on an anime. Here are some answers that caught my eye (I hope nobody gets mad because I quoted them :D) :

In this 40th blog-post, I'll write my usual anime review structure but not on a particular anime. I'll write, or at least try to write a review on My Perfect Anime! I believe this will be fun. Now let's start.  

Plot and Story Line

How does a perfect anime Plot and Story Line look for the AnimeGirl? Well the first thing that comes to my mind is that it has to be intriguing and it has to keep you on tenterhooks the whole time. It must not have any minute of boredom. Just as the first quote above "A masterpiece can't have moments when you wish an episode to end". And that's absolutely true. It needs something unpredictable, something new every time, a good fight from time to time (not just real action fights), a plot twist. Oh, plot twists are something great if done well. There are some anime that had a sudden plot twist and it just resulted in a catastrophe. In my opinion, it really takes huge ingenuity to create something new today. Nowadays, there are more than 11.300 anime just in the MAL database now imagine how hard it is for the creators to come up with something new. Hat down for their ingenuity. And than there is Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto. His ingenuity kinda exceeds everything, wouldn't you agree? Still, it is possible and as a proof you have all that new anime that are also as good as some of the masterpieces from the past. Anime that have great stories with a 10/10 are for instance Code Geass and Psycho-Pass. Next with a 9/10 are definitely Akatsuki no Yona, Arslan Senki, Garo and Death Parade. Well also a "must mention" are Death Note, Naruto, Fairy Tail, just the classics. Also a very important thing is smoothness. Sudden happenings that kind bomb the story from all sides without a reason are bad. Better to keep it smooth not loosing the tie to the main story. And in the end I have to mention a solid plot. Anime without a plot or let's say a main story line kinda become boring by the time. If it only relies on the side stories it looses its meaning, kinda. It is mostly because the main protagonist doesn't have his main antagonist. Take One-Punch Man, I gave it a 9/10, because it didn't keep my attention the whole time. It was epic in all aspects, but it lack in a solid plot. 

The things that are most likely to ruin a good plot are plot holes. I don't expect of anime to reveal details about every single thing that was mentioned, but if there appears a thing that for instance changes a whole city and the life in it, don't end it without telling where it came from. There are several anime that are a good example of that (Darker than Black). And one more thing that can ruin anime follows a bad plot twist. The how I call it "Mid-episode Catastrophe". It happens all the time. Everything is awesome, couldn't be better, and than in the middle, on the approximately 11-13 episode (of a 24-25 ep. long anime), they decide to extend the anime with some stupid thing like a bad plot twist or a new enemy. Just let it be. A perfect example, Zetsuen no Tempest.

To conclude, when talking about a good anime plot and story line, I think everybody will firstly mention that it has to be interesting. I mean that's kinda clear. Uniqueness is definitely the key to a masterpiece anime and omitting some stupid mistakes like plot holes. Make the story unique, the plot complete and be careful. That's my message for all the producers out there.

Characters 

I love talking about anime characters. There are so many good and so many bad characters in the anime world and I could discuss every one of them, on condition I have watched the anime of course. Now let me say it like this. For me, A perfect character is an imperfect character. A character that is perfect is boring as hell, especially when it is the main character. A perfect main character just results in "0" character development and most likely in a boring story. The main character has to have some flaws that keep the story interesting or that he/she wants to fix. A perfect character is also predictable and that's the last thing an anime should be. My favorite characters usually have a strong character but still have that one weak point. That kinda makes them special in his/her own way. But who are some awesome characters. I did two blog-posts on my favorite Male and Female characters. But my opinion did change a bit. Now from the ladies, I loved Kallen Kouzuki (Code Geass), Erza Scarlet (Fairy Tail), and Yona (Akatsuki no Yona). From the male characters my definite favorites are Shougo Makashima (Psycho-Pass), Lelouch Lamperouge (Code Geass) and Son Hak (Akatsuki no Yona). 

  Animation and Style

Nowadays, it is kinda impossible to make an anime with a bad animation. I don't remember a single anime from 2015 with a bad animation. From the "older" anime Code: Geass definitely topped all with its animation being produced in 2006. Also in 2012 the animation wasn't that great but Psycho Pass definitely deserves a 10/10 for it's animation. What an anime can do today to make it awesome is it's style. They can add something new in style to be unique. Just think about God Eater, I was overwhelmed by it. It was really something new and I already saw one anime from the upcoming winter 2016 season with the same idea. Also, I liked the style of Ao Haru Ride. They added some special details into their animation style making it a bit different from all the other anime. As said, today's anime are all awesome in animation just the style varies and that gives each anime it's own "taste".

Conclusion

So, for an anime to be a masterpiece it has to have everything: an intriguing plot, an epic story, awesome and interesting characters, a good animation and a unique style. Still, when you look at it this way you can't compare an action anime with a slice of life to choose the better one. Every anime has its own qualities that make it a masterpiece in its own category. The anime that I have rated as masterpieces for now are: Psycho-Pass, Code:Geass, Naruto and Fairy Tail. These four are anime that make it hard for me to explain why I love them so much. It is just the feeling that you get: "Yes, it is a masterpiece". 

Your AnimeGirl <3 

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