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.

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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.

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10 Underrated Anime That You Absolutely Have to Watch

Good Evening Minna-san,

It is the official 90th World of Anime Girl post and it is devoted to anime that I found so amazing, yet they never found their way to the limelight. They may have a good rating on MAL yet they are not as popular as they should be. Without any further talk, here are 10 underrated anime from my completed anime list  that you absolutely have to watch. 

ARSLAN SENKI (Ranked #683, Rated: 7.89) 

Arslan Senki is an Action, Adventure, Drama and Historical anime whose story is both thrilling and emotional. It is about the crown prince of the Pars empire that just lost its Capital in war to the empire of Lusitania. The thing that made me love this anime is definitely its catchy and dramatic story, its characters and definitely the action. 

AKATSUKI NO YONA (Ranked #261, Rated: 8.24)

The reason Akatsuki no Yona is one of my favorite anime is probably the story again. An adventure, romance and fantasy anime that follows Yona, princess of Kouka Kingdom, who just witnessed the murder of her father by the hands of her great love Su-Won. This is not an ordinary "the proncess has to save her kingdom" story. I mean, that is the point of the story, but it is more about Yona's character development from a weak and foolish, little princes to a true warrior.

DEATH PARADE (Ranked #192, Rated: 8.34)

This is for sure the best anime in the "Psychological" genre. A drama that definitely exceeds every other story when it comes to portraying the human nature. Even tough the main story line follows Decim,  the arbiter of the afterlife, the side stories of the anime actually make it so special. In a brutal game between two, Decim decides who goes to the void (Hell) and who gets the chance to reincarnate (Heaven) and while watching you really start questioning humanity and the way we judge others. A deep story, with an amazing moral that has to be a part of your anime list.

GANGSTA (Ranked #1518, Rated: 7.51)

True this anime is not as good as the three before, yet it deserves to be a part of this 10. Gangsta is a usual action, drama and mafia anime that is perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. I liked the story of Nicholas and Worick because it really had some thrilling moments and a lot of action. There is no specific moral or depth in the story, but it is pure entertainment especially for you who love dark, mafia anime settings. 

GARO: HONOO NO KOKUIN (Ranked #1519, Rated: 7.51)

I am still searching for a web-page where I can watch Garo: The Movie. The anime was great and I just can't wait to watch the movie. It is a story about finding your place in the world, overcoming the "ghosts of the past" and moving on. The story follows young Leon, who is destined to be a Makai Knight. A knight whose role is to slay evil from a world that hunts down makai knights and alchemists accusing them of witchcraft. The main reason Garo is one of the 10 is its setting. A very common and usual setting that despite that carries an interesting and emotional story. 

PSYCHO PASS (Ranked #100, Rated: 8.51)

Psycho Pass is the anime with the best villain I have ever seen. It is a masterpiece that I find better than Code: Geass and Death Note. It has again a very deep story about society and the way it judges each person. In a Sci-Fi, Action and Police genre setting, the anime follows Akane Tsunemori, a young inspector that is about to face the brutal reality of the "perfect" world she lives in. As said, the anime is a masterpiece because there is not a single thing that the makers didn't do right. The story, the animation and the characters are perfect and I can surely say that it is one of my favorite anime ever.

ReLIFE (Ranked #242, Rated: 8.27)

I was surprised to see that this anime aired completely in one day, but it did. One of the best anime of the season caught my attention after reading the plot information on MAL. It is all about the question: what if you get the chance to live your high school senior year all over again? I found it brilliant and am currently reading the manga waiting of course for the second season. The anime was dramatic and intriguing with a couple of really interesting characters. It is a different slice-of-life and romance anime that definitely deserves your attention. 

Beautiful Bones: Sakurako-san's Investigation (Ranked #1592, Rating: 7.49)

This anime has a way too long name so I always prefer the English version. This anime is the reason I fell in love with mystery anime and I'll be really sad if it doesn't get another season. It is an anime so interesting that you want to watch in only one day, yet you start crying afterwards because it's over. A very intriguing mystery and crime anime that follows the emotional relationship of Sakurako and Shoutarou. By the way, it is not a romance story but much better. So if you're a true mystery fan you definitely shouldn't miss this one.

TALES OF ZESTIRIA THE X (Ranked #1087, Rating: 7.69)

My favorite anime of the Summer 2016 season. Tales of Zestitria the X is a game adaptation made my Ufotable, a studio well known for its amazing animation. I have searched for a long time for an anime like this. It is a magic, fantasy, action and adventure anime that really takes your breath away in every single scene. The story based on old legends and folk tales awakens with Sorey, a human that grew up among spiritual beings called seraphim. Together with princess Alisha, they fight for a brighter future of the kingdom of Highland in which the humans will live with the seraphim together in harmony again. If I had to describe the anime in one word, I'd say: MAGICAL!

ZENKYOU NO TERROR (Ranked: 251, Rating: 8.26)

And we came to the end. Zenkyou no Terror is for all of you who love riddles and intriguing cases. It is a catchy story that tried to deliver a deep moral but failed somewhere in the middle. Still that didn't make the anime less enjoyable, what's more it let you enjoy the action and drama it delivers in first place. It is not the best anime ever, but it is still worth watching. 

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Tales of Zestiria the X: ANIME REVIEW

After 12 long weeks, Tales of Zestiria the X finally came to an end, or rather unfortunately, because it was fantastic. Even before the start of the Summer 2016 season I knew that I could expect much of an Ufotable fantasy, action and adventure anime. I did not play the game so I won't be able to tell you which one was better, the game or the anime adaptation. But what I can do for sure is write  my impressions and thoughts on the anime in this review. I know I am a week late with it but I hope you still enjoy!

PLOT AND STORY LINE

As mentioned in the intro, Tales of Zestiria the X (ToZX) is an action, adventure and fantasy anime made by one of my favorite production studios-ufotable. Even before the anime started airing in July, 2016 I knew I'd love it because I've been waiting for so long for an anime like this. I wanted a good, action rich, fantastic, magical anime with a lot of legend and prophecies and stuff like that and ToZX delivers all of that. In addition to that, ToZX has a thrilling, uncommon and catchy story you just don't wanna miss. 

The anime follows Sorey, a human boy that lived his whole life with seraphim, spiritual beings that are not visible to humans. He strongly believes in the folk tale that says "long ago, every human was able to see the seraphim" and so his greatest wish is to find out a way how to make humans and seraphim live together in peace again. In his first visit to the capital, Sorey gets involved in an accident during which he pulls out the legendary sword of Ladylake from a rock and becomes the Shepherd-one who casts away calamity from the world. Even tough that is the main plot there is one more important story line trough out the anime. It is the story of Alisha Diphda, the princess of the Highland empire. She also believes the Seraphim folk tale and so finds a lot trust and support from Sorey and it soon becomes clear that they follow one and the same dream. While Sorey sets of on a journey to learn what it really means to be a Shepherd, Alisha fights for peace and stability in her own empire. 

The first thing that made my watch and later on love the anime was definitely the story. I was always a fan of anime that based their story on ancient legends, prophecies and myths. The legends about the seraphim caught me right form the beginning. It's a pitty that they didn't continue more with the legends from the ancient ruins that Sorey explored together with his seraph friend Mikelio in the beginning.

Moreover, ToZX delivers a lot of epic fights nad breathtaking action scenes. It is so magical and so amazing to see the seraphim Lailah, Mikelio and Edna fight calamity with Sorey. Besides, the powers of the three seraphim are based on the power of the four elements fire, water, earth and I think we'll meet an air seraphim in the second season. I've always loved this kind of magic and powers and I think every magic and fantasy fan will. The thing I found the most interesting in the anime is one more side-story that appears somewhere  in the middle of the anime with Crowe as the main character. It kinda came out of nowhere and with no connection to Sorey and Alisha at all. I am sure that they'll meet later in the anime and I actually just can't wait to see what will happen then. 

Now if you ask whether Tales of Zestiria the X has a moral or a deeper meaning in the story, I'd say Yes, it does. The whole seraphim/human story is not the actual moral, but more the part with the calamity. War, fights, corruption and so on result in calamity or easier said: we create the demons that destroy our world and that's exactly what ToZX wants to show. The anime keeps you on tenterhooks the whole time and I personally just couldn't wait for next Sunday just to watch the new episode. Unfortunately, the first season of Tales of Zestiria the X came to an end last Sunday. Still, the anime was a huge success so I think it is not wrong to expect another season soon. *fingers crossed*

CHARACTERS

Truth is I loved Tales of Zestiria the X a lot, but it is still not a perfect 10/10. Unfortunately the characters lack in originality. Firstly you have Sorey who is the average main character. He is the hero of every situation and his actions are mainly predictable. Gladly, he is not the annoying type of main character because that could have ruined  the anime in many ways. Also the female protagonist of the story, Alisha is a common character you've seen in other anime too. She is a brave and independent character that always fights for justice. I've always loved strong and independent female characters but to be honest, they became boring over time. I loved Erza, Yona, Kallen, Akame etc. but now I am more a fan of arrogant villains such as Gilgamesh from Fate/ UBW. The only character that I though had more depth in her personality was Clowe. She is presented as the "bad guy" in the story but I think there is much more to it. Even tough we could see her in only 3 episodes (i think) I got the feeling that she is an extremely strong yet caring character with a thug past.  I hope we'll get to see more of her in the next season. 

ANIMATION AND STYLE

What to say? I mean, it's an unfotable production. The production studio with the best animation of all. The animation of Tales of Zestiria the X is just fantastic, amazing, marvelous, magical, incredible, stunning, wonderful...I think you understand now how good it is. There is not a single flaw in the animation or the anime style. The style is also very unique and beautiful. The thing where you really get to see how good both, the animation and the style, are are the action scenes and the backgrounds. You just cannot believe how good it is. It is like a fantasy for your eyes. You cannot but enjoy it.  Lastly, I think I have the right to say that this is the best animation I have ever seen in my life. 

CONCLUSION

To conclude this review, Tales of Zestiria the X was a huge success. With a unique and intriguing story and an ufotable animation this anime could not but be amazing. And true the characters lack in originality but I think we can forgive the makers because they did everything else incredibly good. I haven't watched a lot anime form the Summer 2016 season but I am sure that Tales of Zestiria the X was among the better ones. 

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If you could have any anime POWER, which one would it be?

Good Evening Minna-san,

Welcome to another anime post here in the World of Anime Girl. Today's post answers a question I have come across many times in all the anime and otaku forums, groups etc. The question is: If you could have any anime POWER, which one would it be? It really took some time to decide what anime power I'd like to have because it is too hard to just pick one out of a million of amazing powers there are. In the end I decided that the power I'd like to have is a power I wished for since I was a child. Well, you could not call it an actual power because it is kinda an ability of multiple powers that is still considered as one. I am talking about the ability of casting magic.

I've always been dreaming of the ability to cast magic and being a mage. I am talking about that real, traditional magic, like the one we see in Fate/ Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works or the anime Tokyo Ravens. That is the kind of magic I like the most. Not that non-sense modern magic "An Irregular at Magic HighSchool" shows. I mean the concept of "magic in the future" is kinda interesting but I didn't like it that much. Magic as it is, with all the spells, casts, casting circles, colorful effects, is beautiful and some kind of majestic. To be honest I believe that magic exists even in our world trough imagination and nature. That's why I have "Believe in MAGIC ✴ 魔法"  in my instagram BIO description that in my opinion really fits my personality and spirit. Maybe it is not usual anime magic, but I still believe it exists. 

Of course, magic in anime such as Fairy Tail and Toaru Kagaku no Railgun is also interesting, where each individual casts magic in a different way, depending of the person's soul I guess. That would be also interesting to know. If I had a power like the guys in Fairy Tail, which one would I have? I did a quiz on the internet and my result was: Re-Equip. (Here the LINK so you can do it too.) Yet, in the end, I still prefer the good, old casting magic so that would probably be the one power I'd choose if I could. 

Of course you have to tell me in the comments down bellow which power would you like to have if you could choose. Also if you do the quiz on the Fairy Tail powers be sure to tell me your result. I really want to know if someone else gets Re-Equip like I did.

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My Top 5 Anime Opening Songs

Well Hello there Minna-san,

I've been trying all day to come up with another interesting topic for a post on World of Anime Girl. In the end, I decided to do one more My Top 5. This time I will show you My Top 5 Favorite Anime Songs I have seen/heard. Those are all song I actually downloaded and listened to non-stop. They are cool, have a catchy sound and give you the feeling that you might really like the anime. And with no further talk, here are my top 5 favorite anime opening songs:

 No.5 AKATSUKI NO YONA, second opening                                                                  

 No.4 GANGSTA                                                                                                                  

 No.3 GULITY CROWN, second opening                                                                          

 No.2 DARKER THAN BLACK: RYUUSEI NO GEMINI                                                      

 No.1 FAIRY TAIL, opening 16                                                                                            

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Kara no Kyoukai: Garden of Sinners: ANIME REVIEW

Hello there Minna-san, 

I hope you're up to a new review here on World of Anime Girl. This time, it will be an anime that is actually made of seven movies. An Action, Mystery, Thriller, Supernatural and Romance anime made by one of my favorite production studios, Ufotable. When I think about it, I can't say that I loved it, but it is not like I hate it either. I am neutral about it but it was good. Now let's discuss the details in the review. 

 PLOT AND STORY LINE                                                                                                  

Kara no Kyoukai follows Shiki Ryougi, a girl who, after a terrible car accident, stayed in coma for two years. Being a member of the Ryougi family, Shiki owned a dual personality, a feminine and a masculine side which were created by splitting her soul. After waking up from the coma, Shiki realized that the masculine side was gone but as an after effect she gained the power to perceive death with her 'Mystic Eyes'. The ability to kill any living being with only a knife lures Shiki into a darker world but fortunately for her, she is not alone. 

The thing about Kara no Kyoukai is that it is really complicated. Actually, it is not the story that is complicated but the story-line. The movies actually tell Shiki's story in a retrospective way of telling. Moving from the present to the past, back to the present then into the future...I found it rather confusing and I always had the feeling that I had missed something very important. It made me think that either I am too stupid to understand what's happening or the anime is really bad.  It was neither of those, just the specific way of telling the story. Now I don't want to say that the retrospective story line is bad, but it did took some time to understand everything. In addition to the retrospective-confusion, plot holes also made the story less enjoyable. Things like how the Ryougi family actually split Shiki's soul or how did Touko teach Shiki to use her eyes are important and interesting parts of the story, but there is not a single scene that actually covered that. I can't remember much plot holes right now, but besides little plot holes that appear in almost every anime, Kara no Kyoukai also had some greater ones. 

When it comes to the story alone it is really interesting. Especially the way the story develops trough mysterious cases going on in the city. They always find some connection to Shiki, whether it is a girl who bends things just by looking at them, a mage that collects deaths, a cannibal etc.  I pretty much enjoyed the whole story from the beginning to the end. It was entertaining, catchy, rich in action and amazing fight and of course romance. Now for those who think that the romance is a side story of Kara no Kyoukai, I have to say that they are wrong (in my opinion at least). True, Kara ni Kyoukai is firstly a thriller and supernatural story but the romance between Shiki and Mikiya is the core of it. Everything happens because and around the two of them and to be honest, it is probably the best love story I have ever seen. It starts of as a cute, little high-school love but becomes a dramatic and serious love story in the end. It carries that deep and heavy meaning of love and becomes the only thing to guide Shiki trough the Garden of Sinners. By the way, in the end you'll also understand the depth of the subtitle of Kara no Kyoukai, "Garden of Sinners". It is ingenious. 

On the whole, it takes some time and to watch all seven of the Kara no Kyoukai movies to understand it completely, but it is definitely worth it. 

 ANIMATION AND STYLE                                                                                                   

Even tough I praised Ufotable for their animation in the Fate series, I have to say that I was a little bit disappointed about the animation of Kara no Kyoukai in the beginning . Still I had no reason for that because, when compared to other animations from the period 2007-2009, the animation of Kyoukai no Kanata rocks. Wery fluid movements, amazing backgrounds and despite I am not a fan of dull environment it actually amazingly brought over the darkness and the depth of  the anime's story. The style is also very good, nothing special but also nothing to be criticized about. As always, I especially liked the action and fight scenes of the anime because they were incredible. I really have to get rid of the habit not to watch anime just because of their age, because even older anime may have good animation. 

 CHARACTERS                                                                                                                  

Generally, the characters are not bad. Still, the only characters that you really get to know in the anime are Shiki and Mikiya. There are also Touko and Mikiya's sister Azaka but they are the randomly cool and genius investigator/mage/senpai and Azaka is a typical tsundere character. Mikiya's character does have some depth in his personality but nothing that special that would make him a unique character. Shiki on the other hand is special due to the story. The whole anime is about her complex and unique personality and I must say that I loved it. She is lovable and cheerful in one moment, but in the other she turns into a killer. Just do not confuse her with Yandere characters, she definitely is not. Her character undergoes a great development and that's exactly why I  loved her character the most. 

 CONCLUSION                                                                                                                    

When it comes to Kara no Kyoukai, I personally didn't like it in the beginning. Mostly because it was all so confusing and I didn't understand what was going on in the first two movies. Despite some plot holes, the idea of the retrospective way of telling was actually pretty good. I even loved it after finishing all seven movies. Kara no Kyoukai is a catchy and entertaining thriller and supernatural story that still turns around a romance, but around a very good one. It could also have been a 12/13-episode-long anime but it is okay either way. Not my favorite, but I do recommend you to watch Kara no Kyoukai: Garden of Sinners. 

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IT'S AN (ANNOYING) ANIME THING: The OP-MC

I pretty sure that most of you know the meaning of the acronym OP when it comes to anime terminology. It simply means Over Powered. Yet, in today's post this acronym gets a slightly different meaning-Overly Perfect. From the title, OP-MC, today's topic are Overly Perfect Main Characters. 

When it comes to picking between a nonsense character and an overly perfect one, I'd still say that the nonsense one is better. Why? Well, the first reason is that characters are the carriers of the story and if a character is up to no character development, the story won't develop either. That's fact. Yes, the story can go on and be catchy from time to time but then it is because of another character, not the main. Second reason, the anime gets predictable. Every time there is a fight, you know exactly who the winner is. The Overly Perfect character cannot lose and the only thing that keeps you watching it, is because you want to find out the way they win. And thirdly, most of them are annoying. Ende! 

Still, there are a couple of different types of OP-MC and even tough they are the worst possible type of characters, there are some that don't ruin the anime that much. Here for you now four types of Overly Perfect Main Characters. Enjoy! 

 THE ONE WE STILL LOVE                                                                                                

Representing the OP-MC we still love is no other than our One Punch Man-Saitama. He is the most over powered character ever and an overly perfect one at the same time (except for his hair...you know). And even tough we knew the outcome of every single battle outcome of the anime we could not but to love him. He is hilarious, he is crazy, he is entertaining. Dear anime makers, if you ever want to include a overpowered and perfect character do it like Madhouse did with Saitama. Characters that also belong to this type are definitely Erza Scarlet from Fairy Tail and Akame from the anime Akame ga Kill.  

 THE PRINCE CHARMING/ DISNEY PRINCESS                                                               

You usually encounter this type of overly perfect character in sweet, mostly romance, anime and when you do, you probably just facepalm yourself but smile because they are kinda cute. I called them Prince Charming and Disney Princess because the two characters that resemble this type the most are prince Zen and Shirayuki from the anime Akagami no Shirayuki-hime. These two are perfect idols when it comes to 10-year-olds. And as said, they are pretty annoying but still cute in some way.  Also examples of this type of characters are Arslan from Arslan Senki and Asuna from Sword Art Online

 THE STUPID ONE                                                                                                               

This one doesn't know anything what's going around him/her. They are mostly very powerful but stupid as Hell. This kind of character usually comes up with some 'life changing' quotes and speeches that make you want to throw up, for example: "People die if they are killed". I am sure you could all recognize the character from the quote. It is actually the main character from one of my favorite anime ever, Fate/ Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works. True the quote is from the original but it is still the same character. I hated Emiya Shirou. It was not fair that he became so powerful and beat Gigamesh in the end when he was stupid and useless for the majority of the show. Also a stupid but OP MC Harutora from Tokyo Ravens and Kaneki from Tokyo Ghuol. It's always the men. (Just kidding). 

 THE WORST POSSIBLE TYPE OF CHARACTER aka. The Tatsuya                              

I guess you can tell from the title that this is literary the worst type of character an anime can have. They are annoying, they are perfect, you always know that they will win, they usually have a harem around them and they just ruin the anime from the beginning to the very end. Representing this type is no other but Shiba Tatsuya from An Irregular at Magic High School. I'd like to punch this guy so bad. He literary destroyed an anime that had had so much potential.  I just don't understand how the makers of the anime weren't annoyed by him. Also "Tatsuya" characters: Kirito from Sword Art Online and Adlet from Rokka no Yuusha.

So this is it for today, I hope you enjoyed and be sure to check out my instagram profile @aniblogger. Also, tell me what you think about these kind of characters and if you have any suggestions share it with us in the comments down bellow. See ya! 

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