Interviews With Monster Girls Review

I love it when I find a show that surprises me! It's like looking at you're bank account and seeing that you have more money than you originally thought! I definitely found a show like that in the winter season! I was a bit skeptical about Interviews With Monster Girls but it turned out to be one of my more favorite shows of the season! Let's take a look and see what makes this show better than people may think! Also if you want more stuff to see then check out my YouTube channel, GiraffePants Anime where I do reaction episode to anime series. I'm currently reacting to Berserk 2017 so if that interests you, then check it out!

*NO SPOILERS SO READ ON!*

SYNOPSIS

Tetsuo Takahashi is a biology teacher with a fascination for Demi people, half-human half-monster hybrids that have integrated into present society. His urge to study them (academically) is answered when all of the sudden, three demi students enroll into the school as well as a demi teacher! Takahashi quickly befriends the girls quickly and begins to study them hoping to learn more about demi life and how different (or similar) they are to humans.

STORY

As I said earlier, I was pleasantly surprised by this show. I came into this show worried because when you look at the title, you immediately start to think bad things. My first thoughts were, inappropriate harem, ecchi, and huge flop. Luckily, my thoughts were wrong! This show provides a nice story that really warmed my heart. I enjoyed the bond between teacher and student as it grew into an acceptable friendship. It's the characters that really make this show. I'll talk about them later so let's focus on other aspects. The pacing of the show could have been better. There were times where the story was moving slow and other times where it felt too fast. It really went back and forth around the spectrum. For example, there was one episode solely focused on Sakie, the demi teacher and we learned about the fact that she's monitored by a detective to make sure she doesn't use her succubus powers for evil. Although it was an insightful development into the life of Sakie, I felt it was unnecessary that the show take a whole episode to explain this point. I think that the show could have been more effective if they had shortened that side story and continued with the main plot. There were times that the show flowed nicely though. The arc focused on Yuki, the snow woman, was well done and was what really got me thinking, "Hey! This show could be good." That's what the show did best; these more sincere and more serious moments. This show likes to have these moments of conflict with the demi girls. As we all know, it's hard to find our place in society; now imagine trying to find our place as a demi human. We're going to run into some problems and that's just what happens. Our main characters face issues that only they can and it makes the show feel fresh and insightful. How do you go around while holding your head? How do you deal with heat as a vampire? How do you get around being a succubus? Interesting questions are answered and not only do our characters grow but so does Takahashi, the man studying them. I absolutely loved this side of the show; it was everything I could have hoped for and I was impressed.

There's also a nice touch of comedy in the show. Most of it isn't die hard laughing level of humor but it does make you chuckle or throw out a giggle so often. Some comedy includes the demi girls' mischievous acts or their (including the demi teacher) blunders due to the crush they all have with Takahashi. That's another thing that needs addressing. This crush that the demi girls have for Takahashi is surprisingly nice. I thought I'd hate it because I thought it would be weird (Teenagers shouldn't have a thing for their teacher after all) but the show managed to make it work. These feelings that the girls hold for their teacher is made up of one part romantic feelings and two parts admiration. This admiration comes out of a respect the girls have for Takahashi's character and the way he treats them. I'm much more okay with this kind of romance compared to if the girls just thought he was hot or something. It makes the romantic feelings feel more real and adorable. One last comment; I was ultimately not pleased with how the season ended. The pool episode was nice but it didn't give me the closure I was looking for. I can understand if people were to say that the second to last episode is more like the finale and the last episode is more like a bonus but it may throw you off if you're looking for a grand conclusion in the last episode.

CHARACTERS

Let me say...I fell in love with the main cast pretty fast. I immediately found them interesting and fun to watch. They're not crazy characters in the slightest but they do feel real and it never feels like their personalities are being forced. The personalities aren't complex but they aren't simple either. For example, Yuki goes through a great transformation in the show. She starts as a kind but rather quiet and reserved person but then we come to see that she has an interest in comedy and loves reading funny manga! Later in the show, Yuki begins to come out of her shell and begins to share among her friends and Sakie. By the end of the show, Yuki becomes quite a talkative person and cheerful while still holding the kind personality she had in the beginning. It was nice seeing growth in characters but even seeing the girls just having fun was great. The demi girls' chemistry is well done and the perceived bond between them is strong. These three demi girls become friends really fast you almost think they've been friends since birth! The point I'm trying to make is that the characters are great in many aspects and is probably the biggest strength of the show!

MUSIC

The music for this show was ok; nothing spectacular but not horrendous either. The opening song for this show is, "Original" by TrySail. The song is nice but far from memorable. The vocals were pretty good but the music felt lacking and a bit reminiscent of too many other openings. The ED is, "Fairy Tale" by Sangatsu no Phantasia. This song was much better than the OP but still lacking overall. It was good because it helped you cool down after the episode was relaxing to listen to but lacking because it too sounded like other EDs I've heard before. Pretty much the same could be said about the music within the show. Music is very simplified in this show and that's not necessarily a bad thing but it didn't help me personally. Ultimately, it's up to you whether music is an important part of the story telling process.

ANIMATION

Here's another area where a have a bit of concern. Now don't get me wrong; I think the animation is good, but that's as far as I'd go. I wouldn't say it's great, just good. Again, nothing bad with that but I feel like A-1 Pictures (The guys in charge of this) could have done better. If you've read my review for WWW.Working (If no go read it) then you know that my feelings for A-1 Pictures are complicated. I Like A-1 Pictures but their animation quality has been flip flopping like crazy since 2016. There are definitely moments where the animation shines and has more detail than usual but for the most part, the animation and art style is very simple. Now I don't think it hurts the show but I know we all have preferences so I put this up here. A positive about the animation is that it mixes well with the comedic cues. The comedy is heightened thanks to the help of the animation. Expression changes are hilarious this show. Someone will be eating a cookie and all of sudden the cookie cracks (the cookie didn't deserve that) and a devilish smiles appears on their face! To wrap up what I've said; the animation could have been better but I don't hate it.

FINAL VERDICT

Technical Score: 7.4 out of 10
Interviews with Monster Girls has a lot to offer someone watching. It has a great story that hits a lot of ideas and lessons with a finesse you don't see a lot and well-built characters that keep us entertained. This story never feels rushed beside the fact the pacing is an issue as well as the ending (hoping for a second season). Both music and animation are sub-par but never hurts the story this show wants to tell. If you're more interested in story than fabulous display then I would recommend you check this show out if you haven't already.

Personal Score: 7.7 out of 10
As you already know, I was pleasantly surprised by this show. I think it's nice finding gems like these; It might be lacking in some aspects but it makes up for it with its story and characters. This is a show I can look at in the future and say, "Man...THANK GOD that was good otherwise it would've been a waste of my life!" Please check this show out if you haven't seen it, I am sure (not really) that you'll enjoy watching these cute demi girls have a lovely adventure along with their lovable science teacher!

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Review

Raise your hands if you like dragons? I'm now going to assume you all raised your hands. Dragons are probably one of the coolest ideas to come out of or brains. Giant flying lizards capable of supreme destruction and chaos but also complex creatures capable of high intelligence. I love dragons so much that I've given my car a dragon name (it's Kazonnoth The Marvelous if you were curious) so it shouldn't come as a surprise that I was excited about Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid when it started back in winter. The winter season is far over now and after a good thought, I determined that Kobayashi's Dragon Maid was definitely one of my favorite shows from the winter season. From great animation, to nice comedy, this show had a lot of good things about it which brought me a lot of joy so go get some chips (or whatever, I don't know what you like to much on) and enjoy this review of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid!

SPOILER FREE (THANK GOD!)

SYNOPSIS

Our story begins when Miss Kobayashi, a normal office worker opens her apartment door to find a ferocious green dragon at her doorstop. The mighty dragon then turns into a cute maid and offers to work in her household as a maid due to a drunk experience the two shared deep in the forests of Japan. After remembering the incident, Miss Kobayashi allows the dragon Tohru to live with her as a maid (although reluctant). What possible Hi-jinx cold this pair get into, right?! (That totally sounds like the end of a 90's sitcom commercial). 

STORY

Although the premise of the show is quite simple, the show takes that simple premise and turns it into a lovely story full of different themes. I think it's due to that very simplicity. Kobayashi's Dragon Maid isn't confined to any boundaries, it's free to experiment and do as it pleases. That freedom allows the show to really thrive because the story progresses for the most part naturally and doesn't feel manufactured (except for that beach episode, we all know the animators just wanted to draw the dragons in swimsuits). The story takes its events and is able to turn them into a learning experience for the characters (mainly Kobayashi and Tohru) and in return, they grow a little more as people (or dragons, don't want to species racist). I like the themes that this shows plays with. It likes to play with the idea of family which I thought was really great. Both Tohru and Kobayashi are used to being lone wolves but then suddenly living together (along with Kanna) teaches them the good things about having someone by your side and what it means to be part of a family. It's not just Tohru and Kobayashi though, Fafnir and Lucoa also find a human companion to grow with so companionship reaches many characters of this show.

Another big positive I have to give this show is its comedy! I'm not saying it's the best comedy in the entire world (I would give that honor to Nichijou) but it does a good job and was probably the funniest show of the winter season. It answers all the hard hitting questions we ask ourselves everyday like how would dragons play dodge ball?! Ok, perhaps not 'hard hitting' but fun none the less. The majority of the show's comedy comes from the dragons' attempt to fit in with human society but as you can tell, that more or less fails! Whether it's dodge ball or a play, they find a way to give it a dragon twist! I really enjoyed seeing the dragons not fully understanding some aspect of human society and making an absurd scene out of it and along with good animation, the execution of these funny moments are fantastic! Overall, the show does a good job of telling its story and making me laugh along the way.

CHARACTERS

If I had a negative for this show it would be in this department! The characters themselves are very good. I enjoy every one of the characters because I find them all to be hilarious and well fleshed out. Their personalities may be more on the simple side but I enjoy them a lot so I don't find it to be a problem. My issue with the show is different. My issue is that there are a number of characters that do not get enough screen time. I don't know if it's because of the original source, the direction or other outside factors but I was disappointed when characters that could have made the show even funnier didn't get any time to shine! I'm referring mostly to Lucoa and Elma! I wanted Lucoa to be more than a big sister character with titanic (YES TITANIC!!!) mounds and I wanted Elma to be more than a dragon that's used for food gags! The episode when Elma finally appeared (after like eight episodes!) and it was my favorite episode! I wanted so much more from her and then the show just nipped those dreams in the bud and made her a useless gag character! (Can you tell I'm angry?) I understand that Kobayashi and Tohru are the main characters and deserve a lot of the screen time but what is the purpose of these other characters if they're just going to be used for gags! There needs to be a balance and the show did not find it (in my opinion). 

MUSIC

Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid has some pretty good music. My favorite piece of music is the opening, "Aozora no Rhapsody" by fhána. This song is super addicting! I generally like fhána's work but I thought they killed it with this song! It really showed off the personality that this show has; energetic, happy, and a bit random. You can't help but tap your feet along to the beat as you wait for the show to start. The ED, "Ishukan Communication" by Choro-gonzu, Yuuki Kuwahara, Maria Naganawa, Yuuki Takada & Minami Takahashi is also pretty good. I enjoy the chorus a lot and it gives off a lot of the same energy as the opening. The majority of the music in the show gives a happy strolling feeling and sometimes a feeling of curiosity. The music is used to describe the mood of the environment. Whether wanting to depict a heartwarming scene or a comedic moment, the music does a good job at laying out the scene. I would say that the music does a satisfactory job at effectively aiding the show.

ANIMATION

The animation is fantastic, Kyoto Animation has done another great job! Kyoto Animation always brings great quality animation and it shines here as well. The animation throughout the show is consistent but gets a whole lot better during comedic or action scenes. The best example I can give is the scene where Tohru and Kanna are playing (if you call what they were doing playing) on an open field. There is a lot of work put into that scene and ends up becoming one of the best moments for the show. Dragon Ball Z could only wish to meet this level of quality!!! Another great example is the scene where Kobayashi holds Tohru's boobs. (I don't want to sound pervy, but there's no other way to say this) The fluidity of Tohru's bazongas as they bounce up and down is so (unnecessarily) well done that I can't help but stand and give a huge applause! I also applaud the moe character design! I'm picky when it come to the moe genre but I definitely like the design of these characters. The show uses a variety of bright colors for their characters and I say 'good choice!' The color palette makes the characters stand out a lot (which is good since they're dragons!). I think the eyes are the best part of the character designs because they're just so big and full of color (hell, Lucoa has double the color!). I have nothing but positives to say about the animation quality but I'll leave it at that, good job KyoAni! 

FINAL VERDICT

Techinical Score- 8 out of 10 (B)

I loved watching this story of new friendship and family. It made me laugh so much with its comedy and had me in awe at its animation! You can tell a lot of work was put into this show and it really shows. This show is full of addicting music that gets stuck in your ears and helps tell or lovely story. There were characters that deserved more time on screen and could've improved the show but overall, this was an enjoyable show!

Personal Score- 8.2 out of 10 (B)

I enjoyed this show a lot, mainly in part that it reminds me of one of my favorite comedies, Nichijou! It has good comedy that can be totally random but enjoyable none the less and a set of characters you can't help but love. I was genuinely excited for every episode that came out and I loved seeing the relationships between humans and dragons grow into beautiful companionship. 

I hope you guys enjoyed this review! If you did, drop a +1 or comment down below about any other shows you want me to review. I have platforms you can follow me on so you know when a new blog comes up so check out the links I have below for Google+ and Twitter! Also check out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime for anime reaction videos! I currently have series for Berserk 2017 and Danmachi Sword Oratoria so if that interests you, check it out! That's all I have to say so I hoped you guys enjoyed and I'll catch you next time!

Twitter: @giraffe_pants
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Top 10 Orange Haired Anime Girls

I'm back guys with another Top Ten post. Orange is a rare but enjoyable hair color that we don't see often in anime but when we do, it does not disappoint. Today I want to give you all my top 10 favorite orange haired cuties! If you guys like this post then consider following the blog or check out my YouTube channel, GiraffePants Anime! Let's get started then!

10. Marika Tachibana

Starting off this countdown is Marika Tachibana from the popular romcom, Nisekoi. Marika is very much the kind of girl who cares for impressions. She loves being fashionable and keeping up the image that she's 'princess' like but that's not why I love her. No, I love her for who she really is! She's actually a country hick who's embarrassed by her accent. She's actually very nice even is she hides it with her prideful nature and up front personality. The fact that she tries to be perfect even though she isn't is pretty relatable. You can more or less understand what she's feeling because many times, we're like that too. She had a layer of depth that isn't hard to understand so you grow to like her. She also happens to be a frail girl; not able to do much physically (and for some reason that makes my heart squeeze) but does her best to keep up with everyone which is admirable in a way. She is I guess, a secret sweetheart and that's enough to get her at the #10 spot.

09. Rin Hoshizora

At #9 in the countdown is Rin Hoshizora from Love Live! Rin makes it onto the list for being quite the enthusiastic ball of energy. You know how there are people that are very energetic but not annoying; yeah, that's Rin right there. Rin has a wonderful atmosphere about her and you can't help but smile when you see her. She keeps a positive mentality and works hard so in a way she's like Honoka but better (did I piss anyone off because that was my intention). She's also a bit of a tomboy and I love tomboys! Tomboys make the world go round! Add that with fact that she's also a bit of a neko girl and hot diggity do we have a contender! I love it when she does her little cat face; It's so fucking cute sometimes I melt! Sure, she may not be the most shapely girl but that doesn't matter when you have a lovely personality. Rin hits up the list at #9 for that exact reason and deserves it too!

08. Erina Nakiri

Next on the list is Erina Nakiri  from Shokgeki no Soma! Ah Erina, she isn't everybody's favorite girl from the show but she still is a great girl. I know that it is debatable whether her hair actually qualifies as orange but for the sake of keeping the peace, I consider it in the orange family. Erina makes it on the list mainly for 3 reasons! The most shallow of these reasons is because well... she's freaking hot (but isn't every anime girl hot)! Despite only being like 16, she has a body that could be termed 'daaaaaaaamn!' The second reason is (like most girls from this show) she can cook! She happens to be the best cook at the academy so yeah, getting to eat her food must be a major plus!!! I still don't know why I like girls who can cook (it must be a primal thing). Lastly, the third reason why I like her so much is that she's a tsundere that I like. I'm not the biggest fan of tsunderes but she's an exception for sure. For these simple reasons, Erina land at #8.

07. Chiho Sasaki

At #7 on the list is Chiho Sasaki from The Devil's a Part Timer. Chiho is and adorable ball of laughter. She is definitely one of the more funny girls on this list. She can be very eccentric and is quick to jump to conclusions! It is hilarious to see her act without thinking and she made the show really great! She makes the greatest facial features and says the craziest things sometimes, I can't stop laughing because of her (which is a good thing)! The best way to a man's heart is through his stomach (but that doesn't apply here at all) so the next best thing is through laughter! A girl that can make me laugh gets waifu points all the time! It doesn't hurt that she's also very well curved (cue the pervy monkey face). I mean, they're ridiculously huge aren't they? Anyway, Chiho makes the list for being so darn funny and I love her.

06. Nico Niiyama

At #6 in the countdown is a newer girl in the industry, Nico Niiyama from Kiznaiver. It hurts my heart that her name is Nico (cause I absolutely hate Nico from Love Live!) but that didn't stop me from putting her on the list! I love Nico mainly because she is just so damn weird and I fucking love weirdos (in anime, not in real life). Nico rocks that good kinda weird that we all love. She has crazy highlights, has different high knee socks, does weird things, talks about shit that doesn't exist; everything she does is just super adorable. She's just a great character in general really; she makes me cry, laugh, smile, cry more (I cry a lot for her) and she's so tiny I just want to pick her up and put her on my shelf. I actually don't have a shelf but if I did, I would put her there. The point is, I LOVE Nico with a passion Which gets her to #6 on this list (If I love her that much imagine the next 5). 

05. Kotoura

At #5 on the list is Kotoura from Koutora-San. Kotoura makes it at #5 because just as with Nico...I fucking lover her!!! Where do I even begin! I love her personality; she's very distant at first but immediately turns into a caring girl who wishes for life to get better. She can be pretty shy (which is adorable by the way) and her small stature is to die for (this small thing is gonna continue just so you know). She can be funny sometimes and I love how she can get so easily embarrassed. It makes me want to buy a plush or something (but I can't or my parents would disown me and I need somewhere to sleep). Most importantly, It touches my heart how much she's suffered. Poor thing has been through too much and I just want to hug her and heal her and be there for her!!! She's like a wounded puppy and then you take care of it but then you get too attached so you just decide to keep it! I kinda went off topic but the point is, I NEED TO HUG HER! These are all the reasons why Kotoura makes it on this list.

04. Papika

At #4 in the countdown is another new girl, Papika from Flip Flappers. Papika is on this list because she is a pretty rad character. She's energetic, optimistic, an airhead, and very loyal. There are plenty of girls in anime that sport these characteristics but Papika does it with this feel of genuineness. That's the best way I can explain it anyway. Even when things look bleak, Papika can still find a silver lining in the situation. She's also happens to be one of the few magical girls I like. I'm not a huge fan of the genre but Papika and the rest from this show are definitely an exception! She flies on a surfboard thing and shoots crazy energy blasts (none of that love attack bullshit). It looks like some Dragon Ball Z level shit which makes her pretty awesome! Plus Look at that crazy mess of a jungle she has going on her head. She looks like a feral child, but in a good way (If there's a good way). These reasons get Papika at #4 on the list.

03. Shizuku Mizutani

The next beautiful girl on the list is Shizuku Mizutani from My Little Monster. Mizutani makes it on the list for being a secretly cute character. When I was first watching the show, I didn't know what to expect from Shizuku but she turned out to be a great character. Before I knew it, I had fallen in love with her. I think what first grabbed me was the fact that she was socially inept! I myself  am socially awkward so seeing her act weird around people got me laughing. Then I saw her trying to interact with people and become more social and I couldn't help but smile! As I kept watching, I started to see cute things that she would do like jump to conclusions or make complicated thoughts and I found it all to be cute. She just came out as a real surprise because I really like her character a lot and her voice is so cute too! It's not that girly or super high pitched (I mean really. What's the deal with Japanese women having incredibly high vocal chords) but it's still cute. There are plenty of things that I like about Shizuku but these are some of those reasons.

02. Aoi Miyamori

The runner up on this list goes to Aoi Miyamori from Shirobako. Aoi makes this list for being another well done character. She's possibly my favorite character of the show and for good reason too (I mean look at that gif, HEART SQEEZE)! Aoi is a production assistant at an animation company and works very hard all the time. I mean if you've ever seen the show you know she works hard. She also drives like crazy and puts everybody's life on the line just for a parking spot (It's like watching Tokyo Drift). She's real hood!!! Jokes aside, Aoi cares a lot for the company that she works for and for her friends as well. She faces a lot of problems while working but always seems to find a way to solve the issue and make everyone happy. She's also very cute (like I have to even say though). God I love her hair! It's so fucking hot (I don't know why, I just like short hair). Her personality is very charming. Again, Positive, energetic, nice are all words that you can use to describe Aoi but I've said that too many times on this post. Anyway, Aoi is a great character and gets high on my list but who's number one! 

01. Inami Mahiru

Yes, at #1 on my list and my favorite orange haired cutie in anime is Inami Mahiru from Working! Where shall I begin; Inami has a lot of good qualities about her. She is always thinking about others and makes sure to handle issues with the utmost care. She's very sweet (even if her actions don't reflect it) and she's always trying to improve. The even bigger reason why I love her so much is because she makes me laugh like crazy! She is a very funny character; she has this weird quirk where she hits men...constantly. She has androphobia (fear of men) so whenever she sees a man she winds up her fist and sends them straight to the moon (even if that wasn't her intention). Honestly, I die from her constantly knocking out guys out of nowhere and it never gets old! Add the fact that she is sensitive about her small breasts (plank status) and we have a definite winner. Like I said, No better way to a man's heart than through laughter. Inami's charm and quirkiness get the #1 spot in my list and If anyone has a differing opinion...fight me (actually don't, I have no experience whatsoever in combat, besides SSB). 

I hope you guys enjoyed the post! If you did, consider following the blog or checking out my YouTube Channel, it helps me out a lot. I'm currently doing react series for Berserk 2017 and Sword Oratoria so if that interests you at all please check it out. I'll have more posts up as soon as possible so stay tuned and until next time, I'll see you guys later. 

Music Awards Winter 2017

The winter season is over and with every season comes new great music but which OP's and ED's were the best of the season? Today I will be giving out four music awards for winter's set of music! The four awards are:

• Best Audio OP 
• Best Visual OP
• Best Audio ED
• Best Visual ED

For each award I will be doing a top 3. I will only be posting music for the top spot in each category but I will talk a little about the runners up as well so don't worry. Out of the 12 possible spots a show could land in, I only have six shows that are featured on here. That's not to say that other shows not mentioned here did a bad job. It just means that these six shows pulled in clutch in each respective category. I would like to remind everybody that this is based merely on my opinion so you don't have to give two shits but I hope you enjoy this little post. Also I have more awards coming up exclusively on my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime, so check out my channel to see that exclusive content.Without any further interruptions, let's start these music awards!

Best Audio OP

        Let me just start off by saying that female singers really killed it this season. I generally prefer female singers but all of my OP award spots go to groups with female leads. That's insane! 3rd place in this category goes to Scum's Wish (Kuzu no Honkai) for their opening song, "Uso no Hibana" by 96neko. This Pop-Rock song was absolutely great to listen to. From that infectious guitar rift (you guys know which one I'm talking about) to the lead singer's vocals, The slightly fast paced song really represented the roller coaster of emotions this show was. Aw, and that piano bit at then end hits me good! 

In 2nd place is Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu for their opening song, "Imawa no Shinigami" by Megumi Hayashibara. I really like the feeling this song gives off. It feels for lack of a better term 'other-worldly.' The mix between Orchestral and Jazz was a very good decision. Add that with Hayashibara's voice and you have a smooth jam that gives you a bit of chills. 

Finally, in 1st place for 'Best Audio OP' is 3-gatsu no Lion for their OP, "Sayanora Bystander" by YUKI. This was my favorite song of the season! The music is good but what makes this song my favorite is YUKI's voice. It's like rough but sweet at the same time and I LOVE IT! Especially in the second half of that song; she begins to sing with much more emotion and it nails me in the heart so good! I also like the inclusion of piano; I am a big fan of pianos in my OPs so that was a plus. Overall, this is the type of song that gets me going. I like songs where I can feel the emotion; feel the very nature of the show! This song did that for me and for all these reasons it lands in my number one spot!

Best Visual OP

There were a couple of OPs this year that did a great job visually. They used a variety of different techniques to make their openings come to life! This award goes to the show that dazzled me best with their OP performance! 3rd place goes to Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid for their OP "Aozora no Rhapsody" by fhana. Kyoto Animation did a great job with this show in general but the OP is just fantastic. The whole OP just screams zany and weird much like the show. We have dragons doing silly worm dances, multiple Tohrus sprouting from each other, Fafnir's head blooming from flowers. I love the weirdness of this OP because it's just so eye catching. That and fluid animation from Kyo-Ani make this OP all the better! 

       2nd place is 3-gatsu no Lion for their OP, "Sayanora Bystander" by YUKI. Aside from the fact that this song is my favorite of the season, Studio Shaft really made the OP creative and just artistically beautiful. For example, the scene with the flowers blurring in and out was beautiful  and then when the chorus hits, we just get an explosion of animation in its glory. Rough line art and constant movement make those 15 seconds look badass! 

In 1st place is Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju for their OP, "Imawa no Shinigami" by Megumi Hayashibara. That's right, we had a little switcheroo with the #1 and #2 spot. The Opening for this show was well directed to say the least. This opening is full of meaning and symbolism that I can't touch on (case then this post would be long!!!) but If you look at the OP and start to think what happened in the show, you'll be able to notice what little scenes in the OP mean. In fact, it's kind of fun because you find new meaning in scenes every time you watch it. Anyway, this Opening lands at #1 for being full of everything an OP should be filled with like symbolism and deeper meaning. 

Best Audio ED

Onto a new award. Now, the EDs weren't as strong as the OPs but there are some golden gems worth talking about. This award goes to EDs that had killer music and awesome vocals. Starting with 3rd place is Saga of Tanya the Evil for their ED, "Los! Los! Los!" by Aoi Yuki. Aoi Yuki (the voice actress for Tanya) delivers a great song! It was actually quite unexpected but I guess for that very reason, this song makes the list. The song gives off a victorious feel; Patriotic in a way. I guess it should since the lyrics are about going to war and fighting for the empire! I especially love the part where she stops singing and just shouts out like a military commander. That part gives me the chills!

In 2nd place is Scum's Wish for their ED, "Heikousen" by Sayuri. I like this song because I think it's very beautiful. Beautiful and lonely at the same time, much like the show itself. Even the lyrics give a lonely feeling; talking about never being able to touch the one they love so they'll just have to do their best to move on! Oh god the tears are starting to roll! This song touches my heart and for that, it gets 2nd.

In 1st place is Tales of Zestiria for their ED, "INNOSENSE" by FLOW. The best way to describe this song is...'RAD!' This is the kind of song you listen to get pumped up; like a battle song! Yeah, if you haven't noticed, EDs have done a good job of representing the show! The best part is the very beginning! The guitar rip followed by the string section followed by the yell from FLOW make those beginning seconds truly epic! The 'flow' of the song (see what I did there) is pretty damn good too; It immediately gets you excited but then cools down a bit and then comes back with full force to give us a cool ending! This is my favorite ED of the season and gets the award for Best Audio ED.

Best Visual ED

The last award! There weren't a lot of EDs with great visuals. There were many that were just single shots and maybe they pan toward a direction but that's about it. I was able to find a couple of EDs that had great visuals though so lets start. In 3rd place is Tales of Zestiria again for "INNOSENSE" by FLOW. Ufotable always does good animation work but it really shows here in the ED. The beginning starts with some stills that look incredible. Each character looks like a bad-ass hero of justice and then the shot of them looking up at the lord of calamity is epic! Then there's the section where everyone jumps out to fight transition to a still posing all cool like!  This Ed definitely deserves to be up here.

In 2nd place is Scum's Wish for their ED, "Heikousen" by Sayuri. What I love most about this ed was the art style. It's very rough and almost mosaic. Everyone is nude but not graphically nude and the mirroring is interesting. It really mixed well with the song and lyrics; this is why I say the mirroring effect is interesting because it compliments the lyrics (Parallel line and what not). For these reasons, this songs gets 2nd place but who's number one.

In 1st place is 3-gatsu no Lion for their ED, "Orion" by Kenshi Yonezu. This was a nice ED to look at. I love how the blizzard was animated and just the overall minimalist style of animation. There's a light watercolor touch to the ED which is always a plus in my book and seeing Rei in some of those scenes had me choke up a bit (especially the scene with Rei in the rain). Combine that with some kickass singing from Yonezu and we have our winner. Studio Shaft did a good job this season and their ED gets 1st place in my book.

Sorry, couldn't find a video for this one so here's a shot from the ED.

I hope you all enjoyed this post! If you did, please check out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime. I got exclusive content on there such as anime episode reactions, and more reviews! I'll have more posts up as soon as possible so stand by and I'll see you all later!

The Great Anime Debate: Is CG any Good for Anime?

Well, you knew I would eventually create this post. Which anime blog wouldn't have a post about CG and its impact in anime. Anybody who knows anything about anime knows that there is an everlasting debate whether CG in anime is any good. If you live under a rock and don't know what CG is (in that case I wonder why you clicked on this post) then simply...it's 3-d animation like Toy Story or any other Pixar movie in fact. I thought it was only right to do my part and add my own post on the subject. This is a great time to write this post because Berserk 2017 is only weeks away and I have things to say! So without any further interruptions, let's begin.

Why Even With CG!?

Before I give you my stance and you either start a flame war or praise me (hoping for praise), let's see why anime even uses CG to begin with. If you don't really care about this part you can scroll down and just see my opinion but if for whatever reason you hunger for knowledge and shit then let me explain the most general reasons why anime, which is 2-D would ever use CG.

Reason #1: Artistic Vision

CG has the ability to be really great and has in fact changed the animation industry for the better. That can be said especially for the west. We here in the USA have animation giants Pixar and Dreamworks who have filled our childhoods with pure happiness and there are plenty more companies that have been quickly rising including Blue Sky, Warner Animation Group, Illumination, and Sony Pictures Animation. Of course all these companies make movies, not series which require 3 to 5 times the content. When you only need to fill out 90 minutes compared to several hours, you have more time to polish your work. I'm getting off track; the point I'm trying to make is that CG can be very beautiful and that could very well be the reason why Japanese animation companies choose to put CG in their anime. They want to create that same beauty that has taken over the 21st century by storm and want to contribute to the still rather new animation medium.

Reason #2: Bitches Got To Save Money

Time for the more pessimistic view of CG in anime. Saving money is always on companies minds when making a product. If you can find a way to save money while more or less keeping the same quality then why wouldn't you use it. CG saves money for traditional animation companies in the long run because the cost of making 2-D animation is high! If you want more detail, I suggest you go to the internet for more in-depth explanation. Some people have this weird belief that CG is more expensive because it's the newer art-form and looks more advanced but compared to 2-D animation, it is a lot cheaper. Entire shows can be made on a small budget thanks to CG (*coughs* Berserk & Ajin) but the idea of CG series is still not all that welcomed yet. Anyway... I can go on about the financial implications of CG animation but this isn't an Economics class so we'll move on.

Reason #3: CG Saves Time!

CG has the great ability to save time because of how reusable it is. Unlike in traditional animation where you have to redraw a lot of things over like character movement, expression and what not; in CG you just have to make the model once and then you can use that same model throughout the show. There isn't any need for redrawing. It's all ready thanks to the advancements of technology. CG is especially useful when you have to animate tons of people and don't feel like drawing them all. We've seen these kinds of things; CG cars or robotic looking civilians walking through a city. We can tell when CG is used to save time and to be honest...those usually don't look all that great. There are examples of good CG to save time. Drifters for example did that at the very beginning of the show with the scene about all the soldiers heading to fight. That looked pretty good but that's just one example and I can't really think of another one right now. Artistic vision, saving money, and saving time are general (don't get on my ass about other reasons; I know there are other reasons) reasons why we have CG in our anime and now the question comes. Is CG any good for anime?

Do I Hate CG?

Now listen everyone...I DO NOT hate CG itself. I think when CG is executed properly, it can be the most beautiful art medium ever but It just doesn't work for anime. It is very hard for animation companies to make CG look good because they have many restraints that prevent them from polishing it. I understand why sometimes, they're forced to use CG for the sake of making the deadline or complexity but CG can really break our immersion of a show.

Let's use a simple example. I'm pretty sure we all know The Amazing World of Gumball. I can safely say that most people think this show is cool because it mixes different art mediums and integrates them all into one show. That may be cool, but it totally destroys the possible immersion for the show. The Amazing World of Gumball will not immerse you into the world because the animation is too much to take in. You as the viewer can easily differentiate the changes in animation; this leads to you getting subconsciously distracted and not immersing yourself into the world of the show! If CG is noticeably bad or distinguishable in any way, it is possible for your immersion to be shattered.

I'm not saying CG will always break immersion. CG can be just as good at creating immersion as traditional animation. If you have ever seen Ghost in the Shell Innocence, there's a beautiful parade scene that mixes both 2-D and CG animation. We can tell there's CG but it is WAY better than most CG in anime. The two mediums mix really well together and make it a super cool scene. I'll leave that scene down below or leave a link to the video if the video is not playing here on Blogger. (The linked version looks better)

Ghost in the Shell Innocence Parade Scene

This is what the anime industry should strive for. There's beginning to be a norm where we expect CG to bad, average at best but we as viewers should help animation companies understand that we won 't tolerate bad CG. Hopefully, the increase in technology and fast growth of the animation industry will make it easier to bring high quality CG in animated works. There are shows out there now that are trying to turn CG into a more accepted medium; more of a norm so to speak. Let's talk about those and see whether they're helping the CG movement.

Berserk (2016)

Now, I'm not gonna talk about whether the show was any good or anything like that. I'm merely gonna talk about the CG. Berserk attempted to continue its series in a completely different art medium and man...that was not a good decision. There were times that the CG looked acceptable but there were just as many times where it didn't look too great. Characters in the air were there for a frame longer than they should of, face movement seemed mechanical and movement wasn't much better at times. A lot of times, my immersion of the show was broken (we're talking about A LOT of times) and it was hard to concentrate on the show. It didn't make it better that there were 2-D scenes that looked freaking gorgeous followed by the CG. I'd end up saying "Baby come back!" and hoping for another couple of seconds where the show would switch to 2-D again. I ended up enjoying the show though because even though the CG sucked balls, the story made up for it. I'm hoping they polish off the CG with Berserk 2017 in the spring. Overall, the CG in Berserk left me unsatisfied as a viewer and slightly ruined a show I loved (cue in sad violin).

Ajin

Here's another dominantly CG show I recently saw last year. I was hesitant to watch the show because I feared for the CG but the story of Ajin was well done so I stuck with it. Compared to Berserk, Ajin was a lot more fluid. The movements seemed more natural and faces were much more complex. What Ajin lacks that Berserk did a better job was in the detail department. Ajin was a lot less detailed; faces lacked depth and distinguish-ability and backgrounds were much simpler. I liked the show but I can't stop but feel it could have been better in 2-D. It's strange that this phenomenon exists where we see something from Pixar or Dreamworks and we aren't turned off by it but the minute CG is in our anime, we get critical. That may be a bad example since both are quite different. A better example is Jimmy Neutron. That show was full CG but I don't hear anybody complaining about it! That was a show that faces a similar environment like anime but for whatever reason we're more critical about anime than we are western television. 

If you guys are to learn anything from what I've written, it's that CG still has a way to go to be implemented and accepted by the masses. Just like in any form of media, there a good and bad side. I think it would be best if we support companies that try to integrate CG into mainstream animation and not forget the positives of CG. Right now, CG might not look great in or anime but with time, I'm sure it will develop into the kind of quality we expect from CG animation giants Pixar or Blue Sky.  We need this crappy CG in our anime so we can get better CG in the future. So my answer to the question of this post is Yes, CG is good for anime.

I hope you all enjoyed this post. Please feel free to comment down below about whatever you want and follow the blog if you like what I do. Also, it would be awesome if you could check out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime, for more great content. I'll have a new post up ASAP so stay informed and until next time, later!

Top 10 Green Haired Anime Girls

This has been the hardest list that I've come up with so far and that's not because I couldn't decide on who to put on the list. It's because I hardly had any green-haired beauties to choose from. I was really struggling to find some ladies but after some tough digging I've done it. I would love to present to you all my top 10 green haired girls. Let's see if your favorite makes the list!

*NOTE* SPOILER FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!......maybe.

10.CC

To start of this countdown I have CC from the ever well known Code Geass. I know some of you are angry already... "HOW THE HELL IS CC NUMBER TEN!" Nobody freak out but I haven't seen Code Geass yet! Yes, start throwing the comments; I haven't seen the show yet but I do plan on watching it sometime this year. So why is CC even on this list. You know how you browse on the internet and find an anime girl and you're like "She's cute" and then you find out that there are a lot of pictures of her so you know she must be from something but you don't care. You just wanna keep looking at her and how cute she is eating pizza. Yeah.... that's basically what happened. I found CC before I found Code Geass. So in reality I just like her cause I find her cute but on another note, I think her love for pizza is absolutely wonderful. I fucking love pizza so I know we could be lovers in some weird dimension where 2-d and 3-d exist on the same plane; You know what? I'm gonna stop talking so I don't sound like a pathetic idiot. Moving on.

09. TATSUMAKI

Next on the list is Tatsumaki from One Punch Man. Tatsumaki makes onto the list just because she's pretty cool. Her character design Is pretty simple but I think the simplicity is what makes her stand out. Just a long form fitting black gown with slits (by the way, slits are hot!) and curly emerald hair make her look like a girl who don't gives no shits! Her power is sick too. Since the beginning of time, telekinesis has been people's favorite power (You have Star Wars to thank for that) and Tatsumaki demonstrates just why we love it so much. Moving shit with minimal effort and floating in the air like a god damn genie are all plenty of reasons to feel like the coolest person in the world! God! Now I want Telekinetic powers! Tatsumaki would be higher on this list if she had more screen time. We see her for like a total of five minutes (I don't even think I'm joking) and that will never be enough to land you at the top spot. Whenever a second season comes around and she makes a grand appearance, I'll put her higher but for now, #9 it is.

08. AKENO SHIRANUI

The next lovely girl on the Top 10 is Akeno Shiranui from My Bride is a Mermaid. If you guys remember this show you know how funny it is but also how crap the animation was. Anyway, Akeno came onto the show towards the later half and she wasn't funny herself but the situations she put herself in were funny. Akeno is pretty cool because *Spoiler Alert* She's a freaking mermaid! I mean who wouldn't want to be friends with a mermaid! Ever since The Little Mermaid everyone thinks mermaids are hot and I am one such man! It's also cool that she's also has that loyal knight kind of personality and carries some weapon with her. I forgot if it was like a kendo stick or a katana but she's a force to be reckon with. She doesn't get that much further down the list because well, there's not much else I can say about her. Side characters don't get enough time man.

07. TSUBOMI KIDO

On #7 in the list is Tsubomi Kido from Mekakucity Actors. I don't remember if this show was popular but I certainly liked it. Tsubomi is a pretty rad character and you can tell just by looking at her. She has a pretty sick character design. She's rocking the gangster look with the rolled up pant leg and minty converse! She just screams cool; so cool in fact that she wears two sweaters to keep herself warm (cue in chuckle)......I'm not very funny. I actually do like her two sweaters; the inner one covers half of her face so she looks like a modern ninja and then her outer sweater makes her look like an assassin! Overall she's just a mysterious looking character and not gonna lie....that's kinda attractive. She's a very attractive woman; actually she's pretty in an androgynous way because you can't really tell if she's a boy or girl. I like her personality too because for the most part she's calm and collected and she's a bit of a tomboy. If you've read my other top 10 female blogs then you know I love the calm and collected girls! Sadly, Tsubomi doesn't reach higher than #7 just because I don't remember the show that well so I can't completely recall her character. Now I'm thinking about watching that again.

06. BISCA CONNELL

At #6 in the countdown is Bisca Connell from Fairy Tail. We don't get enough cowgirls in anime, I mean there are some and Bisca is one of them. Bisca is pretty cool cause she's a combination of magic and gun slinging. There's not much to her personality since she's a side character but there is a lot to say about her power. Bisca has a whole arrange of magic guns from snipers to bazookas and dual wielders. Each one is able to deal some major damage and she can change gun to gun with ease with her requip ability. A woman who can stay deadly and beautiful get a plus in my book. During the first season of Fairy Tail, I didn't really like her design but the redesign she got for the second season of Fairy Tail is definitely better and makes her way hotter! Bisca can't be any higher then #6 because just like many of the girls you see on this list, she's a side character and doesn't get a lot of time on the screen. What a damn shame!

05. PONZU

The next girl on the list is Ponzu from Hunter X Hunter. Ponzu wasn't on the show that long but when I saw her, I knew that I liked her! I find her to be a cool character overall; I think the biggest factor to why she makes the list is because of her ability. I mean she's wearing a beehive on her head! That's fucking cool! I hate bees so the fact the she ain't afraid of no bees and has actually tamed them to do her bidding is pretty badass! She also knows how to fight with chemicals. She can create some cool traps and she even made like a lethal sleeping gas so not only is she a bee tamer but she probably has a degree in chemistry.Lastly, I like Ponzu because she's short. I actually don't know if she is short but because she wears cute baggy pants and a giant hat that's a beehive, she looks pretty short. If she was a more recurring character, she would definitely be waifu material but She's not so she only comes up to #5. 

04. AIKO KUDO

Continuing with the list is Aiko Kudo from Baka to Test at #4. There's not a whole lot I can say about Aiko due to the fact that she's a side character in the show. We don't get to see her a lot but the times we do see here are great! She is such a funny character; I love the gags she pulls with Kouta and his camera! I think what I love most about her is what a tease she is; she'll tug at your heart strings a bit and... I don't know I just like that forwardness about her. I'm also a huge fan of short hair so her spiky minty hair is pleasant to look at. Props for her being a bit more of a tan girl. You can't really tell when she's next to other characters but she's a slight more tan and westerners like me dig the tan! I wish she was in the show more that way I'd have more things to say but sadly side character's don't have much story to them. 

03. SUU

Next on the list is my #3 spot, Suu from Monster Musume. Now... I have no idea whether Suu actually counts because she is a girl but she's also a slime monster so that's weird. I decided she counts but if you want to fight me on that you can down below in the comments section. Anyway... Suu makes it on the list for having a great design! I love her big eyes, they almost looks soulless cause they lack pupils but I actually like eyes like that. I also LOVE her slime hair! I don't really know why I love her hair so much but just the fact that it's slime hair is pretty awesome and it looks amazing. I also like it when she's wearing her rain coat and boots because there a little big for her and makes her look cute as hell!!! The fact that she doesn't really talk is a plus! Nothing better than a woman who's pretty and doesn't talk! HAHA!. I immediately apologize for the joke, don't kill me......please...please.

02. KAYANO KAEDE

At # 2 on this list is Kayano Kaede from Assassination Classroom. I love Kayano because she's an interesting character. For a huge majority of the show, she was just kinda like a side character but then towards the second part pf the show, she becomes more of a major player. I don't want to spoil anything so I won't say anymore but I love how she becomes an important character with backstory and purpose in the show. Assassination Classroom lacked character backstory and I think that's because there are just so many characters so seeing Kayano being one of the few characters with a story makes her that much better. She's also pretty comedic. I enjoy her inferiority complex; I feel like that trope is a little played out but she makes it work. Even funnier is her love for pudding. She just loves pudding so damn much and I love it. First it makes me laugh and then it makes me go "Awwwwwww" because it's so adorable. I can get behind a pudding loving cutie!

01. MIRA YURIZAKI

Yes my friends, at #1 I have someone few may know about; mostly because she's only been around for a year but she is my favorite green haired lady. At #1 is Mira Yurizaki from Dimension W. I love Mira for many reasons. First and foremost, Mira is just so darn cute! Her character design is my favorite part; from her cute short dress, to her pistachio voluminous hair, to the robotic tail and ears, She screams adorable! Second, I love her voice. I think the voice Mira was given was just perfect for her. It was nice and sweet but not too much that she sounded like some idiot loli or anything! This one is kinds weird because she's voiced by Reina Ueda and I don't necessarily love any of her other roles. I know some of the characters that she's played but for the most part, I don't know much about Ueda so I was kinda shocked since the voice wasn't someone I knew well. Last reason, She's straight out cool! I mean I would love for Mira to be real. She's a cute girl who's also a super fighting robot! Plus, she's also like a neko girl with her ears and tail; so Cute + Neko + Robot = Waifu 4 Laifu!!!

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this post. If you got something to say, add, or complain about feel free to comment down below! If yo like what I do then follow and check out my YouTube Channel, GiraffePants Anime for more great content which I'll leave a link down below for. More posts will come soon so sit tight and I'll see you all next time!

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