Been a while since uploaded new photos of Dollfie Dream Yoko, so here’s some of the most recent captures made of her.

Do adore Yoko, especially considering she is my first Dollfie Dream, but often lament that the DDDy body type is rather challenging to find fitting outfits for in a style that fits my Yoko.

Took a gamble on a red checkered skirt from Dollmore in their Model Doll Woman size for Yoko’s DDDy body and it was a perfect fit. With little to no other skirts fitting her well, it made sense to try another Dollmore one so acquired their denim blue Lesly Pleat Skirt.

Including the denim skirt, the outfit is a combination of different items with a peasant top from Puppy52Dolls Fashion, the blue jacket from Volks’ Sailor Tulle Skirt set and a brown woven leather belt from Cool Cat.

Shot these photos on separate days, hence the first two photos feature softer indirect lighting while the last two images were made using the direct light from the evening sun coming in through the window blinds resulting in a starker contrast of light and shadow.

With Ayuko’s DDII body having increased neck mobility thanks to the Peach Pai and a Cool Cat aluminum neck joint, the other Dollfie Dream in my collection being DDS or DDIII models with Volks’ own improved neck joints, plan to purchase another Cool Cat aluminum neck joint to upgrade Yoko with as her neck mobility leaves to be desired, limiting poses too much.

You can see more of my photography on Flickr.

But this time in Battlefield 4 on the Playstation 4! Had not purchased the new Battlefield game and Sony’s new console during the initial release late last year, but I did not regret postponing my purchase considering the negative reviews and comments from so many players regarding the bugs and netcode issues with this latest installment of the franchise.

Admittedly, Battlefield 3 originally had its own share of issues and bugs too, in fact a few of those remain in the game to this very day, however nothing so aggravating that one would consider to stop playing the game altogether.

Illustration by Fuyuno Haruaki (Pixiv).

With the latest patch from developer Dice promising to improve the netcode issues and positive reviews from most players on these changes, finally caved in today and purchased the Playstation 4 console along with Battlefield 4 and its Premium option.

After installation, quickly brushed up my profile on Battlelog and also took advantage of the custom emblem option in Battlefield 4 since it offers plenty of anime styled emblems. When I spotted this emblem of Umi’s priceless expression in the school trip episode from “Love Live!”, could not resist to pick that one.

Illustration by Matsuryuu (Pixiv).

With the new Dualshock 4 controller for the Playstation 4, several key buttons for Battlefield 4 have been remapped compared to the default Battlefield 3 buttons for the Dualshock 3 on Playstation 3.

After over two years of playing only Battlefield 3, its mappings had become muscle memory so it will take me some time to train myself in using these new default mappings, especially with the aim and fire buttons having moved.

Luckily the Dualshock 4 controller feels more ergonomic and has been very comfortable to play with.

Illustration by れこ太 (Pixiv).

Now the challenge is not only to climb the ranks, unlock all the necessary weapons, accessories, skills and other equipment but most of all to learn, improve and once more grow into a good player that’s an asset to the entire team.

You can see and follow my Battlefield 4 profile here on Battlelog.

Am purposely aiming to limit the amount of series to watch from the summer season line up. This past spring season ended up dropping several shows because they were too mediocre, plus did not follow promising series like “Akuma no Riddle” and “Gokukoko no Brynhildr” because I just wasn’t able to really get into them.

There are no less than four sequels airing this summer that I plan to watch. Am most looking forward to “Yama no Susume 2”, the second season of the adorable slice-of-life anime short about four friends and their common passion for mountain climbing.

Definitely watching “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!”, really enjoyed the first season of this magical girl action comedy set in an alternate version of Type Moon’s ‘Fate’ universe.

Two other sequels am looking forward to are “Space☆Dandy 2” and “Sword Art Online II”. Have high expectations of “Sword Art Online II”, since the second arc of the first anime let me down, hope that the sequel will surpasses the first season, else might not continue watching it.

Studio PA Works created several terrific original anime, including slice-of-life shows like “Hanasaku Iroha” or romantic drama series such as “True Tears” and “Nagi no Asukara”. Hence am anxious to discover their new creation “Glasslip”, ir seems like it could be an excellent slice-of-life show with plenty of romance and drama.

“Hanayamata” is labelled as a slice-of-life comedy about a group of girls doing yosakoi dance and judging by the synopsis of the manga it is based on, it might be right up my alley. “Futsuu no Joshikousei ga Locodol Yattemita” seems like it might be a cute anime with idol elements not unlike “Love Live!” or “Go! Go! 575”.

A show that just sounds too interesting not to try is “Rail Wars!”, this light novel adaptation might provide plenty of action and silly workplace comedy antics like those seen in “Working!!” or “Servant x Service”.

The trailer for “Aldnoah.Zeo” looked rather promising, though do not expect this mecha series to surprise or excel, certainly not following a season that had an excellent sci-fi mecha series with “Sidonia no Kishi”.

Just might try “Sabagebu!” since it sounds somewhat similar to “Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu” and “Upotte!”, two other series all about young school girls and guns, and while those shows were not without fault, they were still rather enjoyable overall.

Will keep my anime schedule light this season, this will free up time for my Dollfie Dream hobby and Battlefield 4.
What do you plan on watching this summer?

Based on the light novel series “Rail Wars! -日本國有鉄道公安隊-” written by Toyoda Takumi with original illustrations by Vania 600, “Rail Wars!” promises to be action anime with plenty of comedy.

The story is focused on Naoto, a student who joins the Japanese National Railways hoping to find a comfortable job but finds himself assigned to the security force where he must not only deal with challenging situations but his eccentric colleagues too.

The first episode was quite entertaining, with lots of comedy and action revolving around this group of oddball characters and their daily shenanigans in the workplace which makes the show feel similar to “Working!!”, “Servant x Service” or “You’re Under Arrest”.

Perhaps my impression that “Rail Wars!” seems akin to “Working!!” was reinforced by Fukuyama Jun’s performance as Naoto, a character rather similar to Takanashi Souta from “Working!!” whom he also voiced.

Animation by studio Passione was quite good, next to the characters who were well animated, especially in close-up scenes, railway otaku will rejoice that the trains were well done too and surprisingly did not obviously look like CGI animation spliced in with the normal animation. Let’s hope the studio manages to maintain this level.

Trigger happy Aoi is voiced by Numakura Manami who previously voiced Takao in “Arpeggio of Blue Steel: Ars Nova”, Riko in “Love Lab” and Nanami in “Gokukoku no Brynhildr”.
Uchida Maaya voices busty Haruka, she voiced Syaro in “Gochuumaon wa Usagi Desu ka?”, Rikka in “Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!”, Hiyori in “Noragami” and Mao in “GJ-bu”.

Nana is voiced by Horie Yui, she’s tackled many roles like Hanekawa in “Bakemonogatari”, Millhiore in “Dog Days”, Minori in “Toradora!”, Naru in “Love Hina”, Akane in “Kämpfer” and Raika in “Papa no Iu Koto wo Kikinasai”.
Nakahara Mai voiced stern bespectacled Gonou, she previously voiced characters like Nagisa in “Clannad”, Saya in “Servant x Service”, Rena in “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni” and Zakuro in “Otome Youkai Zakuro”.

“Rail Wars!” has got me hooked from this first episode on, I sincerely hope the rest of the show will be just as good. If you like action comedies centered around the workplace like “Working!””, then definitely give “Rail Wars!” a try.

Cannot believe missed spotting this show in the summer anime line up! Also known as “Secret Princess”, this new comedy anime is based on the “ひめゴト” manga by Tsukudani Norio that was originally serialized in “Waai!” magazine.

Of course, with this story originally from “Waai!” magazine, you can expect plenty of trap and cross-dressing shenanigans. Not only is main character Hime a cross-dressing boy, but several of the supporting cast cross-dress as well.

As I am prone to enjoy anime featuring cute trap characters like Hideyoshi in “Baka to Test to Shoukanjuu” or Mako-chan in “Minami-ke”, and previously read some lovely serializations from “Waai!” magazine like “Sazanami Cherry”, definitely had to give “Himegoto” a try.

Although the main plot premise for having Hime cross-dress feels rather uninspired and the situation of forcing an effeminate, cute boy to cross-dress is nothing novel for a trap story, the first episode was nonetheless enjoyable.

Do wonder if “Himegoto” will employ the same comedy style throughout, as some of the humor and puns were not only somewhat risque but felt more farcical than funny. With characters using aliases like ‘unko’ or ‘juchachikin’, it is obvious we should not expect this series to provide refined comedy.

The animation by studio Asahi Production is rather mediocre and not very impressive, with most care visibly having gone into rendering Hime as cute as possible. Though for this type of production this particular level may not be entirely unexpected, and thanks to the short episode running time, the plain animation does not feel too bothersome.

The main cast of characters seem to be voiced mostly by voice talents who have little other roles attributed to them, though some supporting characters do have more renowned voice actresses portraying them, like Arikawa who is voiced by Akasai Chinatsu, she also voiced Nibutani in “Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai!” and Maki in “Love Lab”.

Mitsunaga is voiced by Sakura Ayane who also voiced Cocoa in “Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu ka?”, Natsumi in “Non Non Biyori” and Marii in “Joshiraku”.

With the episode running time clocking in at four minutes only, this series literally takes only a few minutes to watch each week so plan to keep up with this trap comedy.

Absolutely adored the first season of “Yamano Susume”, the anime adaptation of the “ヤマノススメ” manga by Shiro, so was eagerly awaiting the start of the second season. Also titled “Encouragement of Climb”, this type of light-hearted slice-of-life series is easily my favorite genre and the style of anime that I most enjoy.

Am delighted this second season not only features episodes that are over ten minutes long, which is well over the first season’s brief three minute episode length, but that it will be a two cour show scheduled to run for 24 episodes.

The first episode was lovely, it was great to see Aoi, Hinata, Kaede & Kokona again and watch these endearing girl friends have fun mountaineering and engage in leisurely talk.

Personally prefer when sequels are handled by the same studio and feature the same cast of voice talents because this benefits continuity. Luckily, studio 8-Bit is once again in charge and the staff features the same director and character designer as for the first season, which leads to an identical look and atmosphere.

There really is no discernible difference when watching the first episode of this second season compared to episodes of the first season. A real delight to have such continuity in terms of visual style and atmosphere, especially considering there was no real reproach to make on the quality, style and directing of the first season.

Energetic Hinata is once more voiced by Asumi Kana who also voiced Nyaruko in “Haiyore! Nyaruko-san”, Marika in “Nisekoi”, Komari in “Non Non Biyori” and Kaoru in “Tamayura”. Iguchi Yuka voices Aoi, she’s tackled roles like Norie in “Tamayura”, Yuu in “Sakura Trick” and Mako in “Girls und Panzer”.

Kaede is voiced by Hikasa Youko, she previously voiced Shino in “Seitokai Yakuindomo”, Houki in “IS: Infinite Stratos” and Mio in “K-ON!”. Ogura Yui voices Kokona again, she also voices Tsukiko in “Hentai Ouji To Warawanai Neko” and Alice in “Kami-sama no Memo-chou”.

Horie Yui joins the voice cast as Yuuka, she’s tackled many roles like Millhiore in “Dog Days”, Hanekawa in “Bakemonogatari”, Minori in “Toradora!” and this season also voices Nana in “Rail Wars!”.

Other new characters that have yet to appear are Honoka and Hikari. Touyama Nao voices Honoka, she also voiced Suzu in “Inugami-san to Nekoyama-san”, Yune in “Ikoku Meiro no Croisée” and Karen in “Kiniro Mosaic”. Gibu Yuko who voices Hikari previously voiced Maon in “Tamayura and and Nozomi in “Senkyo to Koi to Chocolate”.

“Yama no Susume Second Season” is likely to become my favorite anime of the season along with “Hanayamata”, which also seems to be an enchanting slice-of-life show.

Like to have some action or mecha sci-fi series in my weekly anime menu, so decided to try “Aldnoah.Zero” since its promotional trailer made it look quite promising.

Last season’s “Sidonia no Kishi” was an excellent sci-fi series, must admit I do not have especially high hopes for “Aldnoah.Zero” from the summer season line-up since it could become yet another mediocre mecha series full of overused elements.

In fact, the first few episodes contain plenty of tried-and-true tropes from this genre and the show did not manage to really pull me in. While the mecha designs were appealing enough and the action quite fluid and well animated, am somewhat conflicted about the character design style and character animation by studios A1 Pictures and Troyca.

Although, with Urobuchi Gen among the writers, this series might surprise after all considering he not only worked on “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” but “Suisei no Gargantia” too, which was a very good yet underrated sci-fi mecha show.

Already have plenty of anime to watch each week, nonetheless decided to keep up with “Aldnoah.Zero” for now since the show does have plenty of potential.

Adapted from the “さばげぶっ!” manga by Matsumoto Hidekichi, “Sabagebu!” is a comedy series about a group of girls, member of their school’s survival games or airsoft club, similar to “Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu” and not unlike “Upotte!”.

From the first episode on, the show pleasantly surprised me, not only by determinedly opting for the comedy genre, but all main characters are either total oddballs or have plenty of reproachable characteristics, which is quite refreshing.

Where Yura from “Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu” was a meek, timid girl who suffered trying to grow and find herself, and Funco from “Upotte!” was an energetic and honest girl, Momoka from “Sabagebu!” is more than meets the eye.

At first Momoka may seem to be the typical good girl protagonist struggling to keep up with the quirky characters from the airsoft club, she is soon revealed to be just as much of an oddball like the others. In fact, she’s likely the most ruthless one of the bunch.

Alas, animation by studio Pierrot+ is rather mediocre, while some scenes do show sufficient care, most episodes contain plenty of scenes with rather basic animation which can feel a bit off considering one of the show’s selling points is showcasing the girls in elaborate combat scenes.
“Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu” had better animation overall and its delusional battle scenes were superior in comparison to those seen in “Sabagebu!”.

A shame really, as in terms of how it delivers its story about girls dabbling in survival game/airsoft, to me personally “Sabagebu!” is a more enjoyable series already since it wholly chooses the comedy genre instead of trying to cram in a dramatic personal growth plot into the story as well.

In “Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu” that caused a rather jarring juxtaposition between the airsoft comedy moments and the drama scenes, which ultimately made the show feel like its main story was composed of two different genres that never really came together.

Momoka is voiced by Ohashi Ayaka who also voiced Maccha in “Go! Go! 575”, Uzume in “Fantasista doll” and Fleur Blanc in “Eureka Seven AO”.
Uchiyama Yumi voices Miou, she previously voiced Youko in “Kiniro Mosaic”, Nagi in “A Channel”, Ruri in “Nisekoi” and Erika in “Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei”.

Cosplay aficionado Kayo is voiced by Touyama Nao who also voiced Chitoge in “Nisekoi”, Karen in “Kiniro Mosaic”, Yune in “Ikoku Meiro no Croisée” and Yuna in this season’s “Glasslip”.
Ookubo Rumi voices Urura, she’s tackled roles like Chinatsu in “Yuru Yuri”, Kazuki in “Galilei Donna”, Touko in “Servant x Service” and Yuzuko in “Yuyushiki”.
Maya is voiced by Lynn who doesn’t seem to have any other major roles attributed to her.

Will keep on watching “Sabagebu!” and do recommend the show to those of you who enjoyed “Stella Jougakuin Koutouka C3-bu” or “Upotte!”.

A magical girl action comedy based on Type Moon’s ‘Fate’ universe, the manga“Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤ” by Hiroyama Hiroshi already spawned an anime adaptation last summer. Its sequel manga “Fate/kaleid liner プリズマ☆イリヤツヴァイ!” now gets its own anime adaptation with “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!”.

Really enjoyed the first season of this show which takes known characters and elements from Type Moon’s ‘Fate’ universe and puts them in a magical girl genre setting, leading to a fun and entertaining series that is more lighthearted than the usual ‘Fate’ stories and feels akin to the classic “Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha”.

Joining the cast of characters for this second season is Kuro, a darker version of Illya who mysteriously appears when the magical girl summoned all her powers. Swiftly going after Illya apparently intent on taking the girl’s life, who is Kuro really and what is her true goal?

Even though Kuro seems to be after Illya’s life, there’s no doubt that this sequel will be a lighthearted comedy overall and feature only a few dramatic scenes or desperate battles where a positive outcome is never in doubt. There will also be plenty of shoujo-ai shenanigans, the second episode even featured a rather bold kiss between Kuro and Miyu.

Studio Silver Link is once again at the helm for this sequel, their work on the first season was terrific and they seem set to continue on that trend as the first few episodes of “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!” too featured excellent animation with the same overall style and vivid colors as the original.

Not only do the voice talents from the first season reprise their roles for this sequel, but voice actress Saito Chiwa delivers an excellent performance as Kuro. She previously voiced many other characters, like Aika in “Aria”, Senjougahara in “Bakemonogatari”, Humora in “Puella Magi Madoka Magica” Uomi in “Seitokai Takuindomo” and Francesca in “Strike Witches”.

Miyu is voiced by Nazuka Kaori who also voiced Eureka in “Eurkea Seven”, Lynette in “Strike Witches”, Ayatsuji in “Amagami SS” and Kazuho in “Non Non Biyori”.
Kadowaki Mai voices Illya, she previously voiced Sanya in “Strike Witches”, Keiko in “Amagami SS” and Mimi in “Kodomo no Jikan”.

Luvia is voiced by Itou Shizuka who also voiced Haruka in “Amagami SS”, Koko in “Jormungand”, Takao in “D-Frag!” and Hinagiku in “Hayate no Gotoku!”.
Ueda Kana voices Rin, she’s tackled roles like Yumi in “Maria-sama ga Miteru”, Heidemarie in “Strike Witches”, Sakuya in “Hayate no Gotoku!” and Saki in “Saki”.

If you enjoyed “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya” or like the magical girl genre then you should definitely watch “Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei!” as it promises to be another excellent lighthearted magical girl comedy with plenty of action and yuri innuendo.

Noticed this slice-of-life series in the summer anime line-up and although originally opted not to add it to my weekly anime schedule, quickly reversed that decision after watching the first episode.

Adapted from the “ばらかもん” manga by Yoshino Satsuki, “Barakamon” is a delightful slice-of-life comedy full of life and joy, following a young, hot-headed calligrapher’s journey of learning and self-discovery during his time living on one of the Gotou islands near Kyushu, Japan.

While main protagonist Seishuu’s turmoils as a calligrapher may at first sound rather foreign for those not immersed into creative art as a profession, was nonetheless able to somewhat relate to his struggles, even if he may be a rather generic main lead in some aspects.

The same goes for the other characters, while they may not be really novel or refreshing characters, the show’s overall atmosphere and perfect balance between comedy and heartwarming slice-of-life moments make them very likable. One can’t help to gleefully follow them into this journey of the simple, yet colorful daily life on this island.

Next to Seishuu, the real star is lively Naru who next to her token comedy scenes, never comes across as a cheeky, annoying brat but her childish optimism and energy is a supportive pillar for the whole cast as she truly is a bright ray of sunshine and sometimes even becomes the voice of reason.
Naru reminded me somewhat of Yotsuba from “Yotsuba&”, makes me wonder if an anime adaptation of that stellar slice-of-life manga would be somewhat like “Barakamon”.

Although “Barakamon” may not sound like it based on its core plot of Seishuu’s struggles to grow as an artist, it really is a heartwarming slice-of-life comedy not unlike “Non Non Biyori”, “One Off” or even “Aria”. It showcases its viewers what seem to be but small moments in life, but those small moments become significant, heartfelt experiences to the characters living them.

Animation by studio Kinema Citrus is quite good, with enough care going to animating the characters, their various expressions but most of all they perfectly render the rather outdoor, hard working yet bright and leisurely feeling of life on the island.
Visually the styling is rather typical though and can make the show look unoriginal as one can’t shake the feeling of having seen most of the designs before in other franchises.

Even though for me personally the top contender for most enchanting series of this season is undoubtedly “Hanayamata” along with “Yama no Susume Second Season”, do recommend “Barakamon” to fans of the slice-of-life genre or heartwarming comedies as it has been a delightful show so far.

When Max Factory’s scaled figure incarnation of Tsurugi Yagami from “Sasami-san@Ganbaranai” became available for reservation on the Good Smile Online Shop earlier in March, decided she was too cute to pass up on and ordered her.

Even though the parcel had already shipped out from the Good Smile Online Shop on July 18, the figure only arrived on my doorstep today as the package was withheld by customs.

Luckily this figure is well worth the wait as she’s simply adorable, the gaming pose and facial expression perfectly capture Tsurugi’s playful character. As usual for Max Factory products, the quality and finish of the figure are impeccable.

Although it could be considered a somewhat plain figure since it lacks an elaborate costume or accessories, several small details give it just that little bit extra, like the sculpting of her toes, complete with painted toenails. Was surprised to discover that the legs can actually be detached, allowing you to remove the green shorts if you should desire to pose Tsurugi in her pantsu instead.

If you would like to purchase this figure of Tsurugi Yagami, it is currently available at Ami Ami, Hobby Search and Archonia.

Really loved the first season of “Non Non Biyori”, so am anxiously waiting for the second season of this lovely slice-of-life anime to air. Luckily, the seventh volume of the “のんのんびより” manga which was released just last month, came with an original anime DVD episode.

Studio Silver Link who created the first season of “Non Non Biyori” also produced this OAD, along with it using the same opening and ending themes and all voice talents reprising their roles, there is no difference in style or quality with the first season. Its story of the entire gang going on a trip to Okinawa after winning tickets in a raffle easily follows on the events of the first season too.

Even though the OAD is a bit shorter than the usual episode running time, it nonetheless felt like it was filled to the brim and the various scenes showcasing the girls getting ready for their trip seamlessly flowed into each other and perfectly captured the leisurely slice-of-life atmosphere typical for this series.

Adored this OAD episode, it was great to see all the characters back again up to their usual antics and it really makes me look forward to the second season.

Next to having lots of cute and endearing characters, “Non Non Biyori” is a lovely show to watch for its leisurely slice-of-life pace and enchanting backgrounds of the Japanese countryside.

So, if you like the slice-of-life genre and enjoyed series such as “Tamayura”, “Yama no Susume”, “A-Channel” or “Aria”, then you definitely should watch “Non Non Biyori”.

Initially had not planned on watching “Jinsei”, the anime adaptation of the light novel series “人生 – La Bonne Vie” written by Kawagashi Ougyo, but after reading good comments about this show from fellow anime fans, decided to give this comedy a try.

The comedy style and main premise reminded me somewhat of “GJ-bu”, although that may be an association made simply because the opening scene of “Jinsei” features a figure of Mao from “GJ-bu”.

Must confess am not entirely sure whether to keep on watching “Jinsei” or not. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the first three episodes, I did not enjoy the fourth and fifth episodes as much.

Those episodes shifted focus to the feud of the life counseling group with the competing journalism club and featured a more absurd comedy style like “D-Frag!” which for me clashed too much with the style of the earlier episodes.

Preferred the style of the opening episodes of “Jinsei” which revolved entirely on the four main characters and their life counseling section work.

Regardless, overall “Jinsei” doesn’t really surprise or excel, it uses all the typical elements and jokes seen in most anime comedies that revolve around one male character in a group of cute girls. In fact, the first episode already contains a wet gym uniform scene leading to the impossibly large chested girl of the cast getting gratuitously groped by one of the flat chested characters.

While Fumi and Ikumi are generic template characters, respectively the busty elegant young lady and energetic sporty girl type, luckily bespectacled Rino is a more interesting character. She is also rather obviously put forth as the show’s main selling point and they never never miss a chance to emphasize her cuteness.

Animation by studio Feel is quite good, as expected most care and attention goes to render the girls as cute as possible, the studio seems to ensure all key scenes are well polished.
Must say though that the backgrounds or overall animation level does not seem on the same level as the studio’s previous work on other series like “Minami-ke Tadaima” or “Papa no Iu Koto wo Kikinasai”.

Surprisingly, some of the main characters are voiced by voice talents who do not seem to have much or any other roles credited to them, like bespectacled Rino who is voiced by newcomer Nitta Hiyori.
Busty Fumi is voiced by Toyota Moe who also voiced Sakura in “Kyoukai no Kanata”. Energetic Ikumi is voiced by Suwa Ayaka who also voiced Saori in “Captain Earth” and Ruri in “Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara”.

If you’re looking for a run-of-the-mill anime with plenty of cute girls and the typical humor style used in school comedies, then “Jinsei” is worth giving a try.
Who can resist a megane kuudere like Rino anyway?

Read some excellent news, at the recently held “Working!!” and “Servant x Service” summer festa crossover event it was revealed that production for a third season of “Working!!”, the anime adaptation of the four panel style manga by Karino Takatsu, has been green-lit!

Adored both seasons of the “Working!!” anime, it is an outstanding slice-of-life styled comedy about a group of quirky characters and their daily life working together at a family restaurant.

With its mix of oddball characters ending up in crazy situations, each episode of “Working!!” is full of laughs. Cannot deny though that the comedy highlight of this show for me are the trap shenanigans with the irresistibly cute Kotori-chan!
憧れの少女ですね。だが…男だ!

Can’t wait for this third season and hope that it will come soon in 2015. If we could get a second season of “Servant x Service” in the near future as well, that would be lovely!

Suppose though that a Kotori-chan spin-off anime will forever be a delusional fantasy?

After last season’s “Nagi no Asukara”, studio PA Works returns with another original anime project titled “グラスリップ”. In what seems to increasingly become their trademark production style, “Glasslip” is a romantic drama with some slice-of-life elements set in a small town offering plenty of enchanting backgrounds.

Must confess have one major regret about “Glasslip”, this even though the series is nowhere near finished and it is unsure how good the show will have been when all is said and done at the end of the season, but I do feel that the studio is not bringing out the full potential of “Glasslip”.

Considering PA Works brought us a memorable romantic drama with “True Tears” and an endearing slice-of-life show with believable teen romance in “Hanasaku Iroha”, personally believe they should have kept “Glasslip” realistic and entirely omit the supernatural plot element of Kakeru hearing voices and Touko seeing fragments of the future.

Although these plot items are used to bring Touko and Kakeru together as well as serve as a catalyst for Touko’s inner turmoil, they are a cheap plot gimmick where the writers could have used more realistic scenarios instead. Omitting those elements, they could have made “Glasslip” an enthralling romantic drama.

The show definitely has that potential, in fact it already showcases that much with Sachi and Hiro’s romance, a subplot which while affected by Kakeru’s appearance and his relationship with Touko, is not related to either character’s seemingly supernatural abilities.

While Sachi and Hiro’s romance is more low key than the strife between Kakeru and Yukinari to win Touko’s heart, it is undoubtedly the most realistic and well written relationship in the series so far, with subtle moments and two characters that show surprising depth.

While Sachi may seem to be a gentle, soft spoken girl with fragile health and Hiro a cheerful but clumsy boy totally smitten on her, throughout the already aired episodes both characters were shown to have more depth than even main lead Touko. Especially the latest episode which showed that Sachi can be quite mean and conniving, whereas Hiro is not a spineless or clueless guy who will let himself be used.

If studio PA Works would use that realism and character depth for all of the characters in “Glasslip” and ditch the supernatural elements, then this series could be another unforgettable romantic drama like “True Tears”.

Lead character Touko is voiced by Fukugawa Seria who doesn’t seem to have any other major roles credited to her name.
Bespectacled Sachi is voiced by Taneda Risa who previously voiced Rize in “Gochuumon wa Usagi Desu Ka?”, Yukari in “Yuyushiki”, Mirai in “Kyouai no Kanata”, Saki in “Shinsekai Yori” and Aya in “Kiniro Mosaic”.

Hayami Saori voices Yanagi, she also voiced Ayase in “Ore no Imouto ga Konnani Kawaii Wake ga nai”, Asishu in “Mangaka-san to Assistent-san to”, Anya in “Soul Eater Not!”, Yukino in “Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru”, and she also voices Miyuki in currently airing series “Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei”.

Touko’s younger sister Hina is voiced by Touyama Nao, she also voiced Karen in “Kiniro Mosaic”, Chitoge in “Nisekoi”, Tomo in “Tamayura ~More Aggressive~”, Yune in “Ikoku Meiro no Croisée” and this season also voices Kayo in “Sabagebu!”.

If you are looking for a nice romantic drama series and do not mind some anime typical teen angst or supernatural plot elements, then “Glasslip” is definitely worth your time.

At Comiket 86, this year’s summer edition of the vent that took place last weekend, Kantoku from the circle “Afterschool of the 5th Year” published a new volume of his ‘Tachiyoumi Senyou’ doujin series.

Following volume 34 which was released at C85, this new doujin contains full page color illustrations featuring characters from recent anime series which include “Nagi no Asukara”, “No Game, No Life”, “Atelier Escha & Logy ~Tasogare no Sora no Renkinjutsushi~”, “Saikin, Imouto no Yousu ga Chotto Okaishiin da ga” and “Sekai Seifuku: Bouryaku no Zvezda”

My favorite artwork from this doujin is undoubtedly this gorgeous and somewhat daring illustration of Chisaki and Manaka from “Nagi no Asukara”.

There are also some illustrations in the book from currently airing series like “Barakamon” and “Sword Art Online II”.

Except for a few black and white rough sketches, this volume surprisingly features nearly no art of Kantoku’s mascot characters Kurumi and Shizuku.
Perhaps they will be more extensively featured in an another upcoming book, maybe in a new volume of the artist’s ‘Check’ series?

As usual for Kantoku’s releases, the book concludes with several pages of line art and rough sketch images.

Fans of Kantoku’s work can purchase the ‘Tachiyoumi Senyou 35′ doujin at Toranoana.

For C86, Tony Taka published ‘Tony’s 改造 note’, which unlike the Kantai Collection inspired doujin ‘Tonikore’ from C85 is not a typical T2 Art Works doujin release split between full page illustrations and a black & white hentai story.

This new book is similar to ‘Recollect’ and ‘Recollect2′ since it features all full page color illustration and only a few pages showcasing rougher, unfinished artworks. At 44 pages only, the book is alas twenty pages thinner than ‘Recollect1′ and ‘Recollect2′.

Must emphasize though that ‘Tony’s 改造 note’ features mostly alternate versions of illustrations that were already published in other books or previously appeared elsewhere, but return here, reworked into what is usually a more ecchi version.

Whether that would make this book a worthy purchase, is up to everyone to decide for themselves. Important to mention is that next to shifted or absent clothing, the characters in these alternate versions also feature a different facial expression.

Most of the artworks in this book are actually quite explicit, so it was challenging to pick examples to showcase here, but the above two are easily my favorite illustrations from this release considering they are very erotic without being overly explicit.

If you are interested in acquiring ‘Tony’s 改造 note’, it is available at Toranoana.

The final “Ghost in the Shell Arise” OVA titled “Border 4: Ghost Stands Alone” was recently released. This fourth episode sees the resolution of the previously mentioned ‘Fire Starter’ virus plot and also shows us how Motoko and her elite team who were working for but still operating independently from Public Security Section 9 now join under Aramaki.

While we do get some brief references to Togusa’s family life as well as hints of Motoko and Batou’s key characteristics as depicted in the “Ghost in the Shell” movies and series, overall this finale seemed to focus the most on tying all loose ends from the previous episodes.

Do feel that the philosophical element of the core plot which revolved around people who struggle with being cybernized casting away their very self and essence onto the net, was somewhat lost due to the fast pace and various political scheming sub-plots.

Of course, it is typical for “Ghost in the Shell” to feature plenty of action, political intrigue, espionage as well as questions about what it is to be human offset against having become fully cybernetic.

While I still do think that Production IG did not achieve the level of animation style with “Ghost in the Shell Arise” compared to the animation seen in previous “Ghost in the Shell” releases, overall this OVA series is a must see for every fan.

During the previous summer edition of Wonder Festival, figure creator Kotobukiya showcased an unpainted prototype of Annabel, the next figure in the Tony’s Heroine Collection series from their 4-Leaves product line.

Following the absolutely gorgeous Tony’s Heroine Collection “Peace Keeper” Daisy figure that was released earlier this year, “Fairy Garden” Annabel is an original character created by Tony Taka and the figure is based on an illustration that was featured in the 2014 edition of the artist’s ‘Self Select Calendar’.

Like Daisy, Annabel will be a sizable 1/6 scale PVC figure with a rather daring costume and will boast colorful butterfly wings. The figure is tentatively scheduled for release towards the end of February 2015.

You can preorder this new Tony’s Heroine Collection “Fairy Garden” Annabel figure from trustworthy online stores such as KotoEU, JList, Hobby Search or Ami Ami.

Personally I preordered the figure at KotoEU, Kotobukiya’s official online store for direct sales to European customers. While they previously only offered shipping through EMS, they now also have a standard air mail shipping option.

One of the first new series to air this fall season is “Terra Formars”, the anime adaptation of the sci-fi horror manga “テラフォーマーズ” written by Sasuga Yuu and drawn by Kenichi Tachibana. Saw some comments that this series might be akin to “Attack on Titan” due to its bloody story full of death and gore, hence decided to check it out.

Unfortunately, am rather let down by “Terra Formars”. Where “Attack on Titan” excelled in building an eerie, oppressive atmosphere of a world where mankind is on the brink of extinction facing a formidable foe in a desperate battle for survival, “Terra Formars” fails to deliver any such gripping atmosphere or story in its first episode.

The “Terra Formars” core plot seems to be a fairly basic sci-fi type story centered on showing the viewers lots of blood and gore, do not expect this series to bring us anything truly novel or even have interesting characters or compelling storytelling like “Attack on Titan” has.

While overall the animation level by studio Liden Films was quite decent, the excessive amount of censoring feels rather silly for such a series filled with gore and am personally not a fan of the character design style which reminds me of older series like “Tenjou Tenge”.

Personally, I will not continue watching this series but if you’re looking for an action packed show with plenty of bloodshed, you can give “Terra Formars” a try. The series is available on Crunchyroll.