CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT-Leila Malcal (Code: Geass-Boukoku no Akito)

Good Evening Minna-san,

Are you ready for something new in the World of Anime Girl? How about some character discussion? I wanted to do this post for some time but never knew where I should start, or better said with whom. But tonight, while browsing trough my anime list, I figured out which character deserves the spotlight in the first "Character Spotlight" post. She is one of my favorite characters ever and has almost the same name as I do. She is a strong and independent female lead character in the side-story of one of the most amazing anime ever. I am Leyla and from Code: Geass-Boukoku no Akito, I present  you: LEILA MALCAL! Enjoy!

***SPOILER ALERT***

HER STORY 📜

Code: Geass-Boukoku no Akito is a side story of the original Code:Geass that takes place on the European Battle Front. It is a really good side story that tells us what is going on on the other side of world in time Lelousch fights Britania in Japan. In such a setting we encounter Leila Malcal. She is the daughter of a Britannian noble family that was against the regime in Britannia and so becomes exiled in the E.U. She was born in Europe, but was adopted by the Malcal family after her parents death. Later on, she becomes a Major in the E.U. army and the assistant of Commander Anou in the W-0 Unit. In a rescue mission in witch Leila confronted Anou's last minute decision to use Japanese youngsters for suicide attacks, Anou is finally removed from the Commander position. After the success of the operation, Leila is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and given direct command of the W-0 Unit. 

Right from the beginning we could see that Leila has her own Geass power. Her geass is blue and works in some way as a geass canceler. Who gave it to her? Well, after a terrorist attack Leila flees together with her mother but they are soon involved in another accident. After their car flipped over and exploded her mother dies, but Leila manages to escape into the forest. Going deeper into the forest, she reaches a frozen lake that she tries to cross, but the ice breaks and Leila falls down into the cold water. Luckily she was saved by a strange woman with green hair. It is later revealed that the woman was C.C.

PERSONALITY 😄😏

The first reason I loved Leila was not her name but her personality. She is a strong, independent and clever young woman that knows what she wants. She knows how to act as a leader and is always ready to take the lead. More importantly, she is a very caring person that would sacrifice everything she has for the people she loves. Leila is a kind person whose only desire is to end the war in the E.U. and to save the Japanese who fight the battles instead of the Europeans. She is a real role-model and definitely someone that deserves the spotlight of anime characters. 

THE LOOKS 👩👧

Leila is a beauty! She has light purple eyes and long blond hair with two bangs at each side. Just like any other character, whether from the original Code Geass or the Boukoku no Akito, Leila's looks are unique. She does resemble Stella from the cartoon Winx if you remember, but never mind that...I loved her looks and especially her uniform. Georgeous! 

CONCLUSION ☝

Leila is a gorgeous young woman that has an amazing personality. She is clever, strong and independent  and that's why I love her so much. Not to mention her beautiful name...The first anime character in CHARACTER SPOTLIGHT...Leila Malcal!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Answering Questions from MAL Forums pt.3

Oi Minna-San,

I hope you've missed the Anime Girl because today she's back with one more "Answering Questions" post here on World of Anime Girl. I don't know why, but I love this kinds of posts the most because I love expressing my opinion. And there is no better way of expressing your opinion than answering questions. So, once again, I picked a couple of questions from My Anime List and now they're about to be answered by Anime Girl. 

Do you judge Anime by its COVER? 😏

Uhm..Da! I am not particularly sure why I do that but the reason for that is probably that I care much about visuals. I just cannot watch something that doesn't look good. Best example for that is Kill la Kill. I just hate the way the characters, especially the main one looks like. And I saw that from the cover. I do judge, but I usually do it in a positive way. There were many anime that I decided to watch just because of the cover...So in conclusion...Yes, I judge anime sometimes by its cover. 

What is the absolute worst anime you have ever seen? 🙈

Answering this question is easy. The absolutely worst anime that I've ever seen in my life was definitely Tokyo ESP. It's been a while since I watched it, maybe three years or so. But I just remember people suddenly having esper powers because of some golden jellyfish floating in the air. Just total nonsense, and I hate total nonsense. The story was just a huge plot-hole and nothing added up. It was a huge mistake and and even greater waste of time. 

What Anime makes you wanna watch the whole damn thing all over again? 😍

Well...there is actually a list of anime I'd like to re-watch but there is no time beacuse there are so many anime I haven't seen yet...*starts crying*. The only anime I watched two times was Psycho Pass and I could definitely do it one more time. Other anime are as follows: Akatsuki no Yona, Ao Haru Ride, Akame ga Kill, Code Geass, Death Note, Death Parade, Fairy Tail, Fate/ Zero, Fate/ Stay Night: Unlimited Balde Works, Beautiful Bones: Sakurako-san's Investigation, Your Lie in April and Tales of Zestiria the X. Now that's quite a list. 

What anime have you seen that were good but boring? 😑

The first anime that came to my mind after reading this question was Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Daikatsu. That was with great extend THE most hyped anime of the year and at this point I am too afraid to ask why? Yes, the idea was good and the animation was great, maybe the best I have ever seen but it was so damn boring. It was just tiring and stupid. I don't know how I managed to finish watching it but I guess I did it just because of the hype. And I wanted to know what the deal was with the whole "I love Emilia" memes. 

What are some anime that you wanted to watch but never did? 😩

Good question...Really good. Well, there are a couple of anime that I always wanted to watch but never did, like: Inuyasha, Claymore, Deadman Wonderland, Pandora Hearts...I can't come up with any other but there are definitely many more. I am currently reading the Inuyasha manga and it is really good. I guess the others will just have to wait.

There were no good anime shows in 2016, why? 😕

Year in rewind, yeee...It was indeed a not so great year. The beginning of the year was not that bad. The winter season had some good anime but the highlight was definitely Erased. When it comes to spring, I personally didn't like it but the community did. Anime like Boku no Hero Academia, Re: Zero kara..., Koutetsujou no Kabaneri and Bungou Stray Dogs were quite poplular. Summer season was amazing. ReLife, Berserek (2016), Mob Psycho 100, Tales of Zestiria the X were all amazing anime and there were many more. And last but not least, Fall 2016. I think it's really bad. Seriously, I don't think I'll watch anything from the Fall season. So, on the whole, it wasn't a bad year, but the previous couple of years were definitely better. 

I'll be doing a "What to expect in 2017" post soon and cover the anime that are announced for the following year. Be sure to check it out and see what will the anime world offer in 2017.

This would be it for today's post. I hope you liked it and be sure to give your own answers in the comments bellow! See ya guys!   

Your AnimeGirl <3 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: ANIME REVIEW

Welcome, welcome my dear otaku comunity!

Before I start with today's post I'd like to remind you of a certain date that is coming up. Next Thursday on December 15, Otakus all over the world are celebrating the World Otaku Day and so should you! I want to do something special on my blog on that day so I'd like you to give me some ideas in the comments bellow. 

As for today's post it will be a something I haven't written in a long time. It's review time here on World of Anime Girl and I'll be reviewing an anime I just watched yesterday. I actually never wanted to watch it because i thought it would be stupid, but it wasn't. It was actually pretty good. 

To all the guys out there, it can be really annoying if you flirt with a girl while playing MMOs, especially in a dungeon. Never ever try to pick up a girl in a dungeon and here is why: Enjoy reading my review on the anime Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?/ Dungeon ni Deai wo Motomeru no wa Machigatteiru Darou ka? (This is even longer than "Beautiful Bones" 😑😑).

Plot & Story Line 💭📜

Now where should I start when it comes to this anime? It is an action, adventure, fantasy, romance anime produced by Genco in 2015. It has a rating of 7.88 and is quite popular in the anime world. I always tried to avoid watching it because I thought it was just another mainstream, fantasy anime with a MMO-like setting without any actual story. But I was so wrong! 

Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon is a story about Bell Cranel, a very enthusiastic young  adventurer who makes his living by selling crystals he gets from killing monsters in the dungeon. He is the one and only member of the Hestia family formed by the goddess Hestia. In a world full of other large families and strong adventurers, Bell is trying to get stronger and become a great adventurer just as his late grandfather was. Soon, a very exciting, funny and moving story begins that becomes better episode for episode. 

As said in the beginning, the setting of the story seemed too mainstream and is in fact something you've probably seen before, but the makers still made it unique. It is the story that carries a lot of excitement. It starts off as a simple story but becomes more complex episode by episode. As more characters are introduced the story becomes heavier and definitely more interesting. The thing about this anime is that the story is actually carried more by the side characters. They are always the trigger for the happenings and events that our main character, Bell goes trough. His story, on the other hand, is still in the center but with a lot of question marks. Thing is, those are not plot holes but something we'll have to wait for in the second season. Watching the anime you slowly get to see the larger picture that is Bell's life and his past. I must say this, in the beginning I didn't think that I'd love it so much, but it was the end that made me fall in love with this anime. An exciting story gets an amazing and logical (not a typical non-sense) plot-twist that gives you answers to most of your previous questions but creates a lot more. 

The genre adventure is just right for this anime but action is also an indispensable part of the description. The fights, powers and skills were just the right thing for a fantasy/action fan like me. The fights are thrilling and unforeseen, whereas the powers are just magical. They really contribute to a better story and entertainment of the anime. You enjoy every second of the anime always wanting more and more.

Now, despite a little bit of harem and fan-service going around in the anime I pretty much enjoyed it. The story also carries a lot of humor with it and some really funny moments that make my laugh really hard. As for the romance, there are some romantic but mostly funny scenes that are all part of the little harem around Bell-kun. Still it is enjoyable and doesn't actually ruin the story in any way. Moreover, I though about the perfect match for Bell the whole time and I just hope it won't become another "I love Emilia" thing in the end. 

In the end I'd like to mention the very moral of the story. No, it is not the answer to the question Is it wrong to try to pick up girls in a dungeon, that is just a nice metaphor for the excitement and fun the dungeon offers. The moral is to always believe in ourselves and never compare ourselves to others. We are all unique and the heroes of our own stories, so why the steady wish to become a sidekick of someone else's?  

In short, if you want a funny, exciting adventure that will boost your self-confidence in just thirteen episodes this anime is a thing for you. Also if you're a fan of a lot of magic, action and fantasy be sure to give "Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon" a try. 

Characters 👩👦

As said, all the characters in Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon contributed to the story. The makers really put a lot of effort in the development of personalities of each character. The three characters that I liked the most and I wanted to see more about were definitelly Bell, Hestia and Lion. 

Now, Bell is reminds me of myself in some points and that is probably why I liked him as a character. Always seeing the good in people, always looking from the more beautiful side, Bell is a dreamer who is working hard to achieve his goals. And one more thing about Bell, he is the first over-powered MC I didn't hate instantly. Hestia is an adorable and impulsive little goddess. She hasn't that much of a special personality but is sweet and caring. I hope we'll find out more about her and her past in the upcoming season. 

The character I liked the most is a side-character that is probably always forgotten, Lion Ryu. The reason I liked her so much is her past. She has a really dramatic past but deals with it in her own way. She is a strong, independent young woman that is always on the side of justice and the weak. I loved her personality and especially her wind-powers. She was just amazing. 

Animation & Style 🎨📺

The animation of  Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon is amazing. Bright colors, amazing backgrounds and beautiful settings. I especially loved the character design. All characters have something special and have a really unique design. The style is typical fantasy like and I loved it. 

Conclusion 📌✅

To conclude everything, I'd say that  Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon is an anime for almost everyone. Despite its mainstream setting it has a really intriguing plot and a moving and exciting story. The characters are not the best one's I've ever seen but at least they don't ruin the story. The animation and style are on point. So, if you want an anime with a good story to make you laugh and just relax for about 6h  Is it Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon is an anime for you! 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Hibike! Euphonium S2 - Episode 9

There was a part of the episode where Asuka opened up about her mother and described her as crazy, possessive and hysterical. These are words with strong negative connotations and yet Asuka uttered them in a nonchalant and cold manner. She even rationalized that she didn’t hate her, as if putting on a façade. Fittingly her dialogue was shot as a direct overhead shot. This type of shot tends to be flat and minimizes perspective lines. This visual, depending on context, can feel cold, sterile and unengaging. The coldness and sterility of this visual captured her tone and demeanor. The unengaging flatness accentuated the sense of disconnect presented by her façade.

Overhead shot

Kumiko saw through this façade and didn’t mince words. She immediately insinuated that Asuka actually hates her mother despite her calm and carefree demeanor. The façade was broken as reflected by the drastic transition from the unengaging overhead shot to the more emotionally engaging close-up and extreme close-ups.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Anime Battle (Ao Haru Ride vs. Toradora)

Konnichiwa Minna-san and welcome to another World of Anime Girl blog post. Today's blog post will be just part 1. of a series of posts called "Anime Battle". As you can all guess from the name, I'll be picking a few points such as plot, story, moral, animation etc. and compare two anime that seem similar. By doing so, I will evaluate both anime and choose the better one in the end. I'll compare anime that are usually recommendations of each other and the first pair will be from the school/romance/drama genre. They are my absolute favorites in that genre and without further talk, let's get into the anime Ao Haru Ride (aka. Blue Spring Ride) and Toradora. Enjoy!

First and foremost, these anime are a common recommendation because of their genre and story that shares some common points. Both have a female main character and are about the usual problems that students encounter in their high school days. I personally liked them both because their stories are interesting, they are catchy, the characters are well developed and both animations are good. But let's get to the details.

PLOT and STORY

Which anime has a better plot, let's see? Ao Haru Ride is about Futaba, a girl that was popular in middle school among the boys but hated by the girls because of that. Now in high school, she changes completely and decides to give up on her feminine side and cuteness just to have some honest girl friends. And all went well until she met her middle school crush again, that now goes by the name Mabuchi Kou. Futaba soon realizes that he didin't just change the name but his personality too.

Toradora on the other hand, follows Aisaka Taiga and her neighbor Ryuuji. Being in love with the other's best friend they decide to be wingmen for each other. A hilarious, mix of usual high school problems, festival preparations an enormous plot twists that occur make up the usually simple Toradora plot.

When it comes to the stories they are both extremely interesting.  Ao Haru Ride tho has more depth in the story and deals with some serious problems regarding life and family. Toradora has that too but it's more kind of a side story and it actually concentrates more on the romance part rather than on drama. In addition to that, Toradora is a hilarious comedy anime that will definitely make you laugh, whereas Ao Haru Ride will probably make you cry. On the whole, Ao Haru Ride has a deeper and more complex story while Toradora is basically a romance-comedy. The winner of this part is Ao Haru Ride because its story caught me right from the beginning while Toradora became later on interesting and catchy.

CHARACTERS

When it comes to the characters I think that Ao Haru Ride did a better job again. Firstly, the main characters undergo a huge character development and you can clearly see that. In Toradora there is less character development but the main characters in both anime have some really complex personalities. Still there is a huge difference between the supporting characters. The side characters in Ao Haru Ride were more involved into the story and also had some really complex and unique personalities. Toradora's side characters were literary put aside and were totally neglected. Too bad, because they all had potential for their own character development. Still one thing has to be mentioned, Toradora's Aisaka Taiga is the one and only Queen of Tsundere and its characters are probably more known to the world. However, because I am evaluating the quality of the characters and not their popularity, Ao Haru Ride is again the front runner here, even tough Taiga is with great extend one of my favorite anime characters.

ANIMATION and STYLE

And here we are at the last category, the animation and the style. Now when talking about animation I would say that we have a tie here because both anime have amazing animations. The only difference tho exists in the style. Even tough Toradora had a uniquer character design, Ao Haru Ride had a distinctive style on the whole. I also remember it had a very interesting style when showing some background scenes. It was hard to decide who the winner is here, but I think I'd say Ao Haru Ride again. 

CONCLUSION

To conclude, Toradora is an anime that has both drama and comedy while Ao Haru Ride has more drama with a more serous topic. And even tough both stories are equally good Ao Haru Ride catches your attention right from the begining, while Toradora becomes more interesting later on. As for the characters, Ao Haru Ride definitelly did a better job there but it cannot be compared with Toradora character's popularity especially when it comes to Taiga. And for the animation, both producers did a great job but Ao Haru Ride has a pinch of uniqueness in its style that is really appealing. 

On the whole, I love both anime and I would recommend you to watch them, but I think we have a clear winner in this battle. AO HARU RIDE!!!

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Anime-Apps (Recommendation Corner)

Good Evening Minna-san,

I hope you're all doing fine and ready for a new World of Anime Girl blog-post. Midterm examinations are around the corner and so I thought I'd use this little free-time to post something new. So, here I am with a brand new topic in the spirit of the 21st century-the age of internet and smartphones. Being a full-time Anime Girl, I tried a lot of anime apps and definitely visited tons of web-pages. After some years, I quit using some but became addicted to some others which are now an indispensable part of my everyday life. Whether I use them to communicate with other otakus or to organize myself in the huge world of anime I love them all.  And without any further talk, let's get to today's blog post with the title:  Anime-Apps (Recommendation Corner)

When it comes to my smartphone there are quite some apps that I use all the time. Let's start with my absolute favorite. All of you probably have a My Anime List account. It is a must for every otaku and I am using it 24/7. It is well organised, detailed and it is an amazing way to organize the things you're watching as well as stay in touch with others.  I am 100% sure that all of you use the web-page, but not many are familiar with the "Pocket MAL" app. It is my personal favorite of all because it doesn't take up much space, it is simple and you have all anime on your phone. At this point I'd really like you to check out my profile on MAL  and tell me what you think. My nickname is animegirlism so be sure to send me a friend request once you are there.

Next in line is for all of you manga addicts. Manga and anime stores are not that popular in my country so I always have to read them on-line on my laptop. That got really annoying in time so I tried to find an alternative and I wasn't disappointed. "Manga Rock" is the name of the app I am using and I highly recommend you to use it too. It has all the latest manga and you can choose your source, whether it is MangaFox, Manga Panda or sth else. I personally prefer Manga Panda because it has the biggest range of manga and it delivers the chapters right after they're released. And the best feature, after you select your favorites, you get a notification right after a new chapter is released. 

To be honest, I just discovered this app a couple of minutes ago. It is called "Anime & Manga Amino" and even tough I didn't even start using it properly, I already love it. You can chat with others in various chat-rooms, post blog posts and post some random comments on your wall. It is kinda a mix of facebook and twitter but for otakus. I think it's ingenious. So if someone is using it already or thinks about making  a profile there be sure to add me under the same nickname as on MAL, animegirlism. 

These three are apps I am using all the time and I certainly don't think I'll ever stop. I really recommend you to try these out and if you do tell me what you think. There are tons of other apps you can find for free that are related to anime like: anime wallpapers, anime keyboards, anime avatar generators, anime music apps but I am not a huge fan of those. I did try some anime avatar generator apps but honestly they're all terrible. Also, there are some apps where you can watch anime like Crunchyroll, but I've never watched anime on my phone so I've never tried those either. If there are other anime apps that you think I should try out, let me know by posting their name in the comments down bellow. Also tell me what apps you are using and what you think about them. So, this would be it for today. See you in the next post! Ja-Ne! 

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Hibike! Euphonium S2 - Episode 3

The beginning of the discussion scene between Kumiko and Asuka purposely broke the 180 degree rule in order to build tension. The 180 degree rule is designed to maintain the camera on one side of the line of action so that the subjects stay on their side of the frame consistently. This is done for visual continuity, which makes it easier for the audience to follow the scene. The rule is broken when the camera jumps the line and the subjects suddenly switch sides on the next frame.

There are times the rule is broken for either practical or narrative purposes. The scene between Kumiko and Asuka broke it for the latter reason. The characters switching sides multiple times created a subtly disorienting and jarring visual that enhanced the tension of the scene. This disorienting visual also reflected Kumiko’s feeling of unease and nervousness throughout the entire exchange.

180 degree rule broken: Asuka on the left side in the first then switches to the right in the next shot.

The rule was not broken since the extreme close-up acts as a reset but the switch still has a similar effect when in context with the other shots. 

180 degree rule broken: Again Asuka on the left side in the first then switches to the right in the next shot.

The first and third examples above broke the 180 degree rule. In the next shot for both examples the characters are on the different side of the frame. The second example doesn’t technically break the rule since the extreme close up works as a reset. Despite not breaking the rule, it’s cohesive with the other examples and still maintained the uneasy visual.

_________________________________________________________________________________

When Asuka was about to reveal the reason she’s against Nozomi rejoining the band, a dramatic coverage was used to build suspense. As you can see in the shot sequence below, it starts with a wide shot, cuts to close-ups and then cuts to extreme close-ups for the moment of truth.

Shot size progression is a common practice and often happens multiple times within each scene, while using different angles. It can be striking when a single angle is used, just like the example below where it stays as a straight profile shot that just gets tighter and tighter.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad