AMV of the Day: Iwatobi Weather Service (Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club & Attack On Titan)

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Arleigh

This latest “AMV of the Day” was entered in this month’s AMV Contest at Anime Expo 2014. It’s definitely one of the more unique looking videos I’ve profiled for this series.

For one thing “Iwatobi Weather Service” by NekoKitkat25hug is a fanservice video. In the past, when I posted an AMV that was all about and celebrating fanservice it was usually focused on the female characters. I don’t think I ever picked one where it was the other way around. I must admit that I’ve never watched many anime that was a reverse of the typical harem-type story. The closest reverse harem anime I’ve watched would be Ouran highschool Host Club. That one didn’t even concentrate on the fanservice trope, but more on the romantic-comedy angle. With this video’s use of the swimming anime Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club it definitely focuses on fanservice.

Not my type of fanservice but I must admit that it’s quite the hilarious video (I’m sure appealing to those who have enjoyed this anime). The video also was helped by the use of The Weather Girls’ classic song, “It’s Raining Men”, which takes on a darkly humorous twist in the final minute when it’s literally raining men.

Anime: Free! – Iwatobi Swim Club and Attack On Titan

Song: “It’s Raining Men” by The Weather Girls

Creator: NekoKitkat25hug

Past AMVs of the Day

Sailor Moon Crystal: Act 2: Ami – Sailor Mercury!

Posted on July 20, 2014 by Semtex Skittle

Yes! We’re back! And let us all breathe a collective sigh of relief that the incredible full-length intro sequence has gone nowhere. It’s also full of straight-up awesome images. We see the various Sailor soldiers at war, and glimpses of the Dark Moon’s generals. It’s a pretty compelling sequence. I’m a fan. I had a lot of time to contemplate it, because Hulu is full of fail, and I think I had to watch 14 minutes of commercials before the episode resumed again. Apparently Lifetime has a new series called The Lottery, which seems to have the same premise as Children of Men.

Anyway. The cold open introduced us to Ami, who is drawn really beautifully in her Manga style. We all knew she was coming, but it feels very quick to have her arriving in episode 2. I’m already going to say that I’m a fan of the condensed format.

Just as importantly, it looks like we’re going to be introduced to some of our major villains: Jadeite is the cloaked figure we saw in Act I. He is, of course, the first of the Dark Kingdom’s four generals (Kings! according to the subtitles. Maybe that’s accurate! I don’t know!) to take on Sailor Moon. Giving him orders is Queen Beryl, who is herself the servant of a power still darker, and still yet unintroduced. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get the full picture soon. Jadeite’s mission is to recover the legendary silver crystal, the same object that Tuxedo Mask, Luna the cat, and the monster in Act I all mentioned already. Seems like a big deal.

Meanwhile, Luna is concerned about Usagi. The whole ‘Sailor Moon’ thing is kind of important, but Usagi is still… well… Usagi. But Luna mentions once again that there are allies, and a princess who we have no clues whatsoever about the possible identity of whatsoever. Usagi is starstruck by the idea of joining forces with Tuxedo Mask, and with Sailor-V, the vigilante superheroine. Luna, meanwhile, is much more interested in Ami, a student at Usagi’s school. Ami is pretty much the best student ever, much to the chagrin of Usagi’s peers, including that annoying Umaro. However, whatever her other faults may be, Usagi is friendly, and quick to introduce herself to new girl Ami after a little help breaking the ice from Luna. Usagi is naturally charming, and when their hands touch, Ami sees a sudden vision, much like the ones Usagi herself has seen. Hmmm. Odd.

Before you know it, the two girls at the arcade, immersed in the Sailor-V video game. Usagi remains incompetent, but Motoki (Usagi’s pleasant friend, who works at the arcade) rumbles by. Both Motoki and Usagi are taken aback by Ami’s skill at the game, which she has evidently never played before (beginner’s luck! hah!). Ami scores a cool prize, and Usagi puts the machine on tilt until she gets one too. This scene is actually really cool, it’s a nice moment of bonding, where we definitely see Usagi and Ami become friends. It’s easy to like Usagi in this version of the anime; she has a natural charm, and is genuinely pleasant, and very little petulance seems to come through here. I really enjoyed it. Luna, of course, has other reasons to be interested in Ami…

… As does Jadeite’s monster, who (nobody was confused by this, right?) has apparently taken over Ami’s extracurricular studies.

During the break, I was reminded for (all numbers approximate) the 74,000th time how much I hate eSurance commercials. Also, how do I get targeted for Navy Federal Credit Union commercials? I have nothing but respect for the armed forces, but I didn’t serve… and uhh… neither did anyone else in my family. It’s been a while. I feel like the targeting has failed on this one.

Anyway. It seems that people are being sucked into the evil study program. Jadeite must be thrilled. Usagi spots Ami, studying away, and invites her to get some ice cream. Initially thrilled by the idea, Ami soon goes robotic and walks away. I’m sure someone will start to see the pattern in this “energy sucking” thing sooner or later. Oh wait, Usagi and Luna see the pattern, pretty much instantly! Yay! Usagi also has another random meet-up with the tall, handsome black-haired, could-he-possibly-be-Tuxedo-Mask dude on the streets. They have a weird connection. Please don’t make it weirder by reminding me what ages are involved.

Usagi is using a very modern-looking laptop (yay!) while she and Luna pretty much accidentally discover Jadeite’s evil brainwashing. Luna reveals that Usagi’s pen (she won it, by playing TILT, guys!) actually is another cool Sailor Moon toy. She can use it to disguise herself. She uses this convenient newfound power to infiltrate the academy where Ami has been studying… and looks like is now being hooked up to total brain-drain by Jadeite’s monster. Usagi intervenes… and then transforms into Sailor Moon. One observation I immediately have here is that Usagi seems like much less of a coward than I recall her being early in the original anime run. Her question to Luna about transforming is not: “Oh, do I have to?” or “Oh, I’m scared of this horrifying weirdo” but instead, “In front of Ami? Is that okay?” I think it’s a positive change! She can have flaws without having to be weak all the time!

Her transformation sequence still basically takes forever though I guess we’ll probably see some abbreviation once there are multiple Sailors doing their thing. Also she kind of goes right back to crying. In the context, it’s kind of funny; I won’t lie. Soon enough, Sailor Moon is overwhelmed, and threatened with death by the monster. This breaks Ami’s brainwashing, and she (with a little assist from Luna) becomes Sailor Mercury! Her transformation is the soul of brevity, by comparison. Hmm.

Sailor Mercury shows off her new powers to sow confusion, we get a roughly five second assist from Tuxedo Mask (no, really), and then Sailor Moon hurls the boomerang of death for the win, and Sailors Moon and Mercury are left to talk it out, while a defeated and annoyed Jadeite looks on. Usagi and Ami are now friends for realsies. …And then in a coda, we see a vision of fire, and a young woman with dark hair. I wonder who she could be?

The subsequent Kay Jeweler’s commercial just makes me mad. The Starburst minis commercial does make me desperately crave some Starburst though. I guess that’s all for this week. Join me next time, as I continue to worship at the church of Sailor Moon Crystal, aka the greatest thing to happen to me this year, as I strive to continue to be in love with a show that I already saw once before.

Sailor Moon Crystal, Act I: Usagi

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Semtex Skittle

When I heard that the Sailor Moon anime was getting a new treatment for the 20th anniversary, my initial reaction was: “How soon does it start?Whyhasn’titstartedyet?GIVEMENOW.”

It’s an odd reaction, considering that I have never really been regarded as much of an anime fan. In truth, I’m not. There are some that I really enjoy, but for the most part, I’m barely more educated than the lay man about the field of Japanese animation. One very large exception to that generality, however, is in my regard for – and knowledge of – Sailor Moon. Like many other young people, I watched the dub version of Sailor Moon, produced for English audiences by DIC. At the time, I appreciated the complex story involving a kingdom a thousand years vanished, love throughout the ages, and evil back for its revenge. Sailor Moon R, in particular, I really enjoyed – the character of the Wiseman, and his manipulation and inevitable betrayal of his so-called allies was a cool story, especially for a cartoon. I quickly took to taping episodes on VHS for later viewing.

The dub has its limitations, however, and it wasn’t until much later that the Cloverway translation would bring the later chapters of the Sailor Moon story to the English-speaking audiences (and Sailor Stars would never arrive in an official translation). Part of this is because of the so-called sensibilities of a (specifically, the United States) North American audience. Anyone who knows a lot about Sailor Moon knows that it very casually doesn’t give a shit about gender politics or roles. The heroes are girls. They kick ass. Various male characters are deeply intrigued by them, or one another, or whatever. Various female characters too. It’s like the real world, only, you know, in a cartoon. A cartoon that is, whatever some others have claimed over the years, laden with a message of female empowerment.

I could not have been any more excited for Sailor Moon Crystal. Yesterday, I watched the first episode. Now it’s time to write. Unlike, say, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., this show is obviously going to be poetry in motion, so I doubt there will be much room for my usual sarcasm. I would appreciate it if you contained your disappointment until the end.

Act I: Usagi opens more or less identically to the original Sailor Moon anime version. But right away, we can see some differences. It is very apparent, especially during the title theme sequence (roughly 23 minutes of montage footage from later in the series, accompanied by some metal) that all of the character designs have been re-done, and are obviously intended to be closer to their original manga counterparts. Subtle changes in colour, in the designs of the character’s eyes, and minor bits of costuming, are all much more like the manga than they were in the first anime production. Sailor Moon Crystal even features a vine-and-rose border on the screen, to highlight the introduction of new characters, while Usagi voices over. It’s a surreal device, but this is anime, isn’t it?

Anyway, the first story is a simple one. Usagi is a bumbling crybaby. She doesn’t apply herself at school. But one day, as she’s sprinting to school – she’s already late, of course – she stumbles across a strange black cat with a crescent symbol on her forehead. She miserably fails an English exam, and is insulted in the streets by a haughty fellow who is, for reasons best left unexplored, wearing a tuxedo in the middle of the afternoon on a random Tokyo street.

A little later, at the end of Usagi’s otherwise miserable day, the black cat reappears at her window. The cat introduces herself as Luna. She can talk. And she’s been searching for Usagi for a while. She teaches Usagi how to transform into the Pretty Guardian, Sailor Moon, a dedicated fighter of evil. Usagi is initially excited by the opportunity to save her best friend Naru-chan from the predations of a monster… until she remembers that she doesn’t actually know how to fight. Fortunately, her new form possesses magical powers, with which she easily dispatches the creature. A shadowy figure watches the battle through a crystal ball, and pronounces himself impressed. He’s obviously the first enemy commander, Jadeite, but true to the manga (rather than the first anime), he is not introduced at all in the first episode, and Queen Beryl does not appear either.

I’ve never enjoyed watching anything with subtitles, but since Sailor Moon Crystal is in Japanese – including Sailor Moon’s original voice actress, reprising her role! – I had to suffer through them. They were the second most onerous part of the episode though – a distant second, actually, beyond Hulu’s commercials – which otherwise really took me back. I’m already committed to watching the whole series, so I might as well write about it as well. A definite recommend to any old-school Sailor Moon fans… it should be extremely interesting to see a new, pretty version of an iconic story.

AMV of the Day: The Breath of Spring (Bakemonogatari)

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Arleigh

Harem anime tend to be very popular with fans of anime and manga. One such series that has become a huge favorite with anime fans has been the Monogatari anime series. It’s from this that we get the latest “AMV of the Day”.

“The Breath of Spring” by VovanKoperativ uses the first installment in this series, Bakemonogatari, to help highlight why this series is an great example of a harem anime. The video take the song “Opportunity Nox” by Roxette and shows the series protagonist, Koyomi Araragi, in different situations with the many girls of Bakemonogatari. It doesn’t matter whether it’s Hitagi Senjougahara, Suruga Kanbaru or Tsubasa Hanekawa, our male lead will become enamored with all of them at some point during the series. While he inevitably will pick just one girl in the end it doesn’t stop him from becoming the perv that fans have grown to love.

Fellow site and anime contributor pantsukudasai will agree that this is also one of his favorite anime series of recent times though will mostly likely say that this particular video is lacking in Mayoi.

Anime: Bakemonogatari

Song: “Opportunity Nox” by Roxette

Creator: VovanKoperativ

Past AMVs of the Day

Trailer: Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal

Posted on June 7, 2014 by Arleigh

“Mūn Purizumu Pawā, Meikuappu!”

When it was announced in the summer of 2012 that a new Sailor Moon anime series was in production the anime fandom was all a-twitter about the news. Whether one was male or female, Sailor Moon was a major part of the viewing regimen of anime fans young and old.

It’s now two year since that announcement and we finally have the first trailer of the return of Sailor Moon back on the airwaves. The series title will be Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal, but it will most likely be shortened to just Sailor Moon Crystal to keep it simple. Toei Animation will be the studio doing the animation work while the series will premiere on the network Niconico in Japan while it will also stream on the website streaming service Crunchyroll.

It’s been over 20 years since the original Sailor Moon series went off-the-air and to say it’s back with a brand new season has made anime fans ecstatic (grumblings about the change in animation style notwithstanding) the world over.

Sailor Moon Crystal to premiere on July 5, 2014.

Song of the Day: Blumenkranz (by Hiroyuki Sawano feat. Paperblossom)

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Arleigh

Kill la Kill is one of the more recent anime to come out of Japan to become a major sensation both in and out of the Land of the Rising Sun. It’s a series that some have called as too much of a slave to it’s fanservice scenes while some have called the series as much deeper than it’s visual surface has shown. Whatever the case, the series sports one of the best anime soundtracks of the past year due to the work by composer Hiroyuki Sawano.

It’s from this series’ soundtrack that the latest “Song of the Day” arrives from. “Blumenkranz” is the theme song for one of the series’ integral characters. It plays as a sort of walk-up theme music and it has become a favorite of pretty much every fan of the anime.

While the original song as sung by Japanese artist Rie was still in German it was heavily accented and has even confused some German speakers. An anime fan and native German speaker, singer Paperblossom has done the best cover of the song which has all the German lyrics spoken properly. It’s this version of the song that has become my favorite version of the song. I actually think it’s the superior version with all due respect to Rie’s original performance of the song.

One thing I’m sure of that this song would make for a killer entrance music for anyone looking to enter a room with much haughty and superior attitude.

Blumenkranz

Ich möchte stärker werden,
weil unsere Welt sehr grausam ist
Es ist ratsam, welke Blumen zu entfernen

Du fragst mich, ob ich mit dir komm
Du flüsterst mir in mein Ohr
Du fragst mich, ob ich deine Hand nehm
Ich hab keinen Grund, dich abzulehnen

Du fragst mich, ob ich mit dir komm
Du flüsterst mir in mein Ohr
Du fragst mich, ob ich deine Hand nehm

(Du flüsterst mir)

Ja, ich bin viel stärker, als ich je gedacht hab
Fliege höher!
Laufe viel schneller!
Vergiss die Wahrheit nicht!
Ja, ich bin viel stärker, als ich je gedacht hab
Ich entferne welke Blumen
Wieso siehst du so traurig aus?

Diese Welt ist grausam
Es ist traurig aber wahr
Diese Welt ist seltsam
Es ist fraglich aber wahr
Ist der Blumengarten echt oder falsch?

Ich möchte stärker werden,
weil unsere Welt sehr grausam ist
Es ist ratsam, welke Blumen zu entfernen

Was willst du von mir?
Ich mag wollen oder nicht, ich muss den Feind verfolgen
Ich bin nicht frei von dieser Welt

Egal wie hart du auch bist
Fliege höher!
Laufe viel schneller!
Du bist sehr stark
Du bindest einen Blumenkranz
Wieso siehst du so traurig aus?

Song of the Day: Seioh Gakuen Kouka (by Yui Horie)

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Arleigh

I was told today that one of my favorite anime series of all-time was going to get a new manga adaptation. I am talking about Manabi Straight. It’s from this series that today’s latest song of the day comes from: “Seioh Gakuen Kouka”.

The song was first introduced in the series by it’s main character Manami Amamiya who also goes by the name Manabi. The character’s voice actress is the very talented and popular seiyuu and singer Yui Horie. The song is pretty much the school anthem of the fictitious Seioh High School where Manabi and her high school friends attend. The series goes through the girls’ ups and downs of being high school kids who bond through their love of each other and of their school.

“Seioh Gakuen Kouka” is the school’s anthem and Manabi sings it in front of the entire school during her first day as a transfer student. It’s definitely one of my favorite songs of any genre and type. It brings back my own memories of being a high school student and all the friendships made during those four years.

Seioh Gakuen Kouka

Ima wo ikiru deai no kisetsu yo
Mabushii hikari yume wo atsumete
Onaji seishun ayumu kiseki
Sakura iro no mirai tachi sora wo mau

Aah Seioh yorokobi doko he yo
Aah Seioh manabi no sono ni hibike
Kagayaku toki nakama to tomo ni aru

Ima wo ikiru yorokobi no naka de
Mabushii hikari kaze wo atsumete
Koi to kanashi jounetsu ni
Kibou iro no musume tachi chuu wo mau

Aah Seioh ai no hibi yo
Aah Seioh manabi no sono ni sodate
Kagayaku toki nakama to tomo ni aru

Aah miageta ao wa haruka
Aah tsukau toki kitto kitto
Kagayaku toki nakama to tomo ni aru

Seioh Gakuen Kouka (ver. English)

Live the present moment, the season of encounters.
The bright sunlight, the gathering of dreams.
The miracle where people walk through the same youth.
Cherry-blossom colored futures fly into the sky.

Ah, the cheerful sounds of Seioh!
Ah, let it resonate through Seioh’s garden!
When we shine, we shine with our friends.

Live the present moment, inside this happiness.
The bright sunlight, the gathering of the wind.
The burning love passion with
the hope-colored girls fly into the sky.

Ah, the days of love at Seioh!
Ah, grow up inside Seioh’s garden!
When we shine, we shine with our friends.

Ah, the blue sky we look up to is far away.
Ah, when we get a hold of it, for sure, for sure,
when we shine, we shine with our friends.

Anime You Should Be Watching: Redline

Posted on April 30, 2014 by Arleigh

“Hell, I’m just trying to keep this thing interesting. You can’t write me off like that. You’re just a voice, pal! You don’t know a damn thing about racing!” — Sweet JP

Anime has long distinguished itself from Western animation through its embrace of hyperkinetic imagery—an intensity of motion and visual energy that often prioritizes sensation over realism. While Western animation traditionally leans toward fluidity and physical believability, anime frequently pushes beyond those constraints, opting instead for exaggerated speed, explosive movement, and stylized impact. This difference isn’t just aesthetic; it reflects a broader philosophical divide in how motion itself is perceived. In anime, movement isn’t always about replicating reality—it’s about amplifying it.

Few films embody this ethos as completely as Madhouse’s 2009 OVA Redline, a project that takes anime’s penchant for excess and turns it into a full-blown artistic manifesto. Directed by Takeshi Koike, Redline is less a conventional narrative film and more a sustained audiovisual adrenaline rush—a sci-fi racing spectacle that fuses breakneck pacing with meticulous hand-drawn craftsmanship. The production history of Redline is almost as legendary as the film itself: Koike and his team spent seven years bringing the project to life, pouring millions of dollars and an extraordinary amount of labor into its creation, with over 100,000 hand-drawn frames used in the final product. The result is a visual texture that feels both raw and impossibly refined—so detailed and fluid at times that it borders on looking computer-generated, despite being entirely handcrafted.

Koike’s influences are unmistakable throughout. There’s a clear lineage connecting Redline to the work of his mentor, Yoshiaki Kawajiri, particularly in the sharp character designs and kinetic action choreography reminiscent of Ninja Scroll and Vampire Hunter D. At the same time, the film borrows heavily from Western graphic aesthetics, most notably the thick linework and heavy shadowing associated with Frank Miller. This fusion creates a visual identity that feels globally informed yet uniquely its own—an anime that doesn’t just borrow from other traditions but aggressively remixes them.

Narratively, Redline is deceptively simple, and for some viewers, that simplicity borders on a flaw. The film centers on a futuristic intergalactic race—one that deliberately rejects advanced hover technology in favor of visceral, ground-based machines, giving the world a gritty, almost rebellious edge. At its core, the story follows Sweet JP, a daredevil racer with a towering pompadour and retro greaser aesthetic, as he competes in the titular race—the most dangerous and prestigious competition in the galaxy. His journey is framed through familiar tropes: the underdog striving for victory, the thrill of competition, and a romantic subplot involving his rival Sonoshee, who is both a love interest and a formidable racer in her own right. JP and Sonoshee are given just enough backstory and personality to be engaging, but they never evolve beyond archetypes, and the film never pretends otherwise.

And yet, this simplicity isn’t necessarily a weakness—it’s a deliberate trade-off. Redline understands exactly where its strengths lie, investing nearly all its creative energy into delivering a sensory experience rather than a deeply layered narrative. The characters function less as psychological studies and more as conduits for momentum, existing primarily to carry the viewer from one explosive set piece to the next. What truly sets Redline apart is the sheer density of its animation: every frame feels alive with motion, detail, and intent. Backgrounds pulse with activity, vehicles tear through space with exaggerated force, and the action sequences are so relentless and visually packed that they almost demand multiple viewings, as it’s nearly impossible to absorb everything in a single pass.

This overwhelming kinetic energy is where Redline transcends its narrative limitations. It creates a kind of visual immersion that few animated films—Western or otherwise—have managed to achieve. Watching it feels less like observing a story and more like being strapped into the driver’s seat of a machine hurtling toward collapse. Some critics have compared Redline to the Fast & Furious franchise, particularly its later, more exaggerated entries. On the surface, the comparison makes sense: both celebrate speed, spectacle, and a kind of reckless bravado encapsulated by the mantra “ride or die.” But the relationship feels less like equivalence and more like inversion—if anything, Fast & Furious comes across as a live-action attempt to capture the kind of unrestrained energy that Redline achieves effortlessly through animation. Where Fast & Furious is still tethered, however loosely, to physics, Redline operates in a space where those limits don’t exist and doesn’t need to justify its excess—it revels in it.

Despite its relatively modest reputation compared to more narratively complex anime films, Redline has earned a cult status among fans who appreciate animation as an art form. It prioritizes craft, motion, and sensory impact above all else, achieving something rare: a pure expression of animation’s potential. That’s why Redline remains such an essential watch. It may not offer the emotional depth of a Studio Ghibli film or the intricate plotting of a Satoshi Kon work, but it delivers something equally valuable—a reminder of what animation can do when pushed to its absolute limits.

For the best experience, Redline deserves to be seen on the largest, highest-quality screen possible. Its dense visuals and explosive color palette benefit immensely from high-resolution displays, particularly modern 4K screens that can fully capture the detail of its hand-drawn artistry. While it’s accessible through streaming platforms like YouTube, watching it on a premium setup transforms it from a great film into a full sensory event. In the end, Redline isn’t just a movie—it’s a showcase, a flex, and a love letter to animation itself, proving that sometimes style isn’t just substance—it is the substance.

Anime You Should Be Watching

AMV of the Day: Strangers Like Us (Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet)

Posted on April 22, 2014 by Arleigh

It’s been a month since Anime Boston 2014 and I’ve decided to put up the third AMV to win one of the categories from the con.

This particular AMV won the Romance category and for once it uses an anime that I’m not familiar with, but after watching the video I’m definitely looking forward to checking it out once the blu-ray comes out sometime this year.

The AMV in question is “Strangers Like Us” by davenfonet who uses the Phil Collins song of the same title and the mecha series Gargantia on the Verdorous Planet. The video itself doesn’t go for the usual ballad-like tone, but instead goes for a much more fun romance vibe that doesn’t seem to win many Romance category contests. This time this type of romance AMV wins and the fact that it makes me want to watch the series after never having heard of it til Anime Boston means the creator succeeded.

Anime: Gargantia on the Verdorous Planet

Song: “Strangers Like Us” by Phil Collins

Creator: davenfonet

Past AMVs of the Day

Chopping the Log #4 Special A part 2

Posted on April 21, 2014 by pantsukudasai56

So, I’ve fallen way behind on my posting. But let’s face it, I never really intended to make this a truly regular column. If I had to blame something, and let’s face it, blaming something besides myself is much more fun, I’d blame going to Anime Boston with site founder Arleigh. I mean, it makes sense, doesn’t it? It kept me preoccupied for a time, and it’s a very convenient excuse. Hey Arleigh, where’s the rest of the Anime Boston AMVs?

Alright, now that the focus is taken off of me, I’ll come back to the last set I watched before I stopped actually posting, and that’s the final set of the anime Special A, or more informally known as S.A. This is based off a shojo manga, or manga made with girls in mind, by Maki Minami. It basically follows the exploits of Hikari Hanazono in her super rich and super privileged high school class consisting of the best of the best. Of course, Hikari comes from a very modest family, so naturally she is the hardest worker in the group because she knows what it’s like to not be born from a family that’s going to automatically give her an eight or nine figure inheritance.

And that in a large part is the problem I have with the show. It’s all about Rich People’s Problems. Yet another show showing us how rich people are just the same as us, they have all the problems us commoners have, just magnified because they’re rich! Yeah, sorry, not buying it. Frankly if I’m in line to inherit a couple hundred million dollars, then I don’t really care what sort of responsibilities I might have to deal with. Oh no, my parents want me to marry someone worth millions of dollars to make our family worth billions? Cry me a river.

That episode is just a taste of what they go through. Frankly, I don’t care about Rich People’s Problems. I don’t relate to it at all. Look, I don’t want my anime to be realistic. I want my heroes to kick ass an take names. I want them to struggle a bit, but come out winning in the end. I WANT SHINJI TO GET IN THE GODDAMN ROBOT!! Ahem. Sorry about that. Anyways, this show just did not resonate with me. Some of the side characters were quite interesting, such as the pairing of Megumi and Yahiro. Now that was interesting. Hikari and Kei? Couldn’t care less. It probably doesn’t help that Maki Minami doesn’t do a great job of drawing distinctive characters, and the anime reflects this. Yes, you can tell them apart, but they’re so similar that it can be hard at times. All in all, this comes across as a series drawn by someone who’s basically saying “wouldn’t it be awesome if you were a clueless normal girl who got to go to a super elite rich person school just because you were fairly smart, and the richest smartest boy in school fell in love with you?” Yes, yes it would, but that doesn’t make for a particularly compelling story, especially for people that just don’t get or care about rich people’s problems. I don’t care how much you want it to be true, rich people do not have the same troubles us thousandaires do, and nothing you do can convince me otherwise.

All in all, I say skip this series. The anime can be had for cheap, provided you don’t care about English dubs, and even if you want your dubs you can have it for half the price of the manga. The manga does expound a bit further upon the story than the anime (obviously) but the ending is completely obvious from the beginning, so there’s not much need to put yourself through it all. If you want to see a better story of Normal Girl in Rich Person School, then I totally recommend Ouran High School Host Club instead.