5 Reasons to Watch the 3 Seasons of Kuroko No Basket | Anime Rec

Kuroko no Basket / 2nd Season / 3rd Season
MAL Top Anime List*: #106 / #65 / #49
# Episodes watched: 75 / 75 (25 per season

Aired: Apr 8 to Sep 22, 2012 / Oct 6 to Mar 30, 2014 / Jan 11 to Jun 30, 2015

Comedy, School, Shounen, Sports

Rating:

Teikou Junior High School's basketball team is crowned champion three years in a row thanks to five outstanding players who, with their breathtaking and unique skills, leave opponents in despair and fans in admiration. However, after graduating, these teammates, known as "The Generation of Miracles," go their separate ways and now consider each other as rivals.
At Seirin High School, two newly recruited freshmen prove that they are not ordinary basketball players: Taiga Kagami, a promising player returning from the US, and Tetsuya Kuroko, a seemingly ordinary student whose lack of presence allows him to move around unnoticed. Although Kuroko is neither athletic nor able to score any points, he was a member of Teikou's basketball team, where he played as the "Phantom Sixth Man," who easily passed the ball and assisted his teammates.
Kuroko no Basket follows the journey of Seirin's players as they attempt to become the best Japanese high school team by winning the Interhigh Championship. To reach their goal, they have to cross pathways with several powerful teams, some of which have one of the five players with godlike abilities, whom Kuroko and Taiga make a pact to defeat.

In all honesty, it's been a long while since I've truly been enthusiastic about anime. When I started watching anime around ten or eleven years ago, I could binge watch for months on no end, finishing one anime after the other like it was a contest and I was out to win all the prizes.

But when I got back into reading and writing, that kind of waned. I started keeping mostly with manga, with the very occasional anime watch. In fact, for the last few months since I vowed to try some of the more popular anime out there, I have started and stopped a large number of them, simply because they didn't grab my attention long enough.

And then came Kuroko no Basket. I have no idea what possessed me to give this sports anime a shot, but thank god to that demon/angel because this is the first anime in ages that consumed me to the point of nonstop watching. I finished 75 episodes in a mere week, work and everything. I basically did nothing but watch on my spare time. And now, I'm going to be the demon/angel on your shoulder tempting you to watch this series, using a ton of gifs and quiet a few words!

#1: You Don't Need to Love Sports 

I know, I know. The first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the words "basketball anime" is... meh, I'm not really into basketball. Or any type of sports. I thought the same thing. Well, you really don't need to be to love this anime.

In fact, this anime is exactly the reason why normal sports don't interest me. Normal sports don't have special moves that make the ball disappear, or change your eye color, or make fucking lazer beams shot from your eyes, do they?

And okay, all these are just visual aids to make everything cooler. None of the characters really have super powers. But... boy, how cool it is.

And if you already love sports without those super powers, imagine how much you'll love it with them! (just, bear in mind, it's not a 100% realistic representation of the sport. As demonstrated by the superpower-esque situation).

#2: Great Characters and Character Interactions 

You know, the key element to any story is its characters. A boring, weak, or pathetic character can make you indifferent or hateful toward the story. But strong, interesting, versatile characters can bring even the most unoriginal story to life. Combine that with a great plot, and you have a recipe for success.

Well, the characters in Kuroko no Basket are the absolute best. I love them so much it's ridiculous. First we have our trusty shadow Kuroko Tetsuya, the namesake of this series. With such an adorable, admirable and strong main character, how can you not love this show? 

His partner and his "light" is Kagami Taiga. Hot headed, serious, never-backs-away-from a fight. He is loud where Tetsuya is calm and quiet, making them the complete opposites, but you know what they say - opposites attract. It might sound a little gay. A lot of the fangirls (me included) kind of hope it is gay because these two compliment each other so well... but, canonically speaking, there is nothing less than straight about these two. Either way they're great characters.

Individually, all the characters in this show are very strong (and heck amusing), but it's the interaction between them that really seals the deal as a great show. It's funny, it's charming, it's human, and each character develops and builds alone and as a group as the story moves along, creating the coolest basketball team to ever basket (and they have some wicked cool competitors in-series). 

These characters will make you root for them like crazy. You will jump out of your chair in happiness when they win. You will bite your nails as they struggle game after game, never to give up. You will cry with them when they lose. 

Because these amazing characters will make you unable not to. 

#3: FRIENDSHIP IS EVERYTHING... and yet not too cheesy 

Kuroko no Basket is not the first (and it's not going to be the last) anime to focus on friendship. However, Kuroko takes it a step farther while simultaneously taking it a step down.

A step farther? the whole idea behind Kuroko no Basket is team play. "Kuroko no Basket" literally means "the basketball which Kuroko plays". Kuroko is a team player. His biggest role is to support the team and give them the best position to score and win the game. He is a player that cannot play by himself... nor does he want to. 

He believes that a game played "by yourself" relying solely on your own abilities is not a fun game, because even if you win you have no one to celebrate it with - so what's the point? And he's out to prove it to everyone else... which means the opposing teams also get incredible character development! 

Indeed, the whole point of Kuroko no Basket is "Team Play". It's not enough just to be friends to have a good team play (you need to trust each other, to have individual strong abilities but also to understand your role in the group in order to create good 'team play') but friendship is still a key element. 

Taking it a step down? You're not going to find cheesy deceleration of friendships and eye-roll worthy moments around this theme. Or at least, not in the normal way. Everyone fall into an effortless friendship, and every such gesture is timed, fitting and tasteful. Never once did I snicker and thought it over the top, which I think often in anime, sports or otherwise. Kuroko no Basket found the perfect balance between making friendship a focal point but keeping it subtle.  

#4: Exciting, Nail Biting Action! 

These are just basketball games, you say? THESE ARE NOT JUST BASKETBALL GAMES. The amount of tension and anxiety these games gave me is on per with saving the world action. Dear god almighty, my nails! My poor nails! Gone, just like that. Because of a bunch of basketball games.

If that doesn't say you need to watch this series, if only just so you could see how this is possible, I don't know what will. 

#5: THE FEELS

This is just a stupid anime about basketball, Nitzan, you say.
There is no way it can kick you in the guts with feels, you say.
Stop lying, you say.

WELL, YOU'RE STUPID AND NO I'M NOT LYING.

I was drowning in feels.

btw yes, this well known gif is is my babe Kuroko 

 Basketball punched by feels.

It was a feels field day! Ohhh, it starts light enough. You get a hint and a warning of it in the first season, but it fools you into thinking this is just going to be a fun romp in the grass. Season two has some heartbreaking scenes, but it's not full out yet. But THEN... then comes seasons three and WHAM, you're under attack. And you're going to cry, goddammit, and you're going to love it!

Don't mind me. I'll just just sitting here, crying.

*The number detailed here is accurate to the time this post was written on. 

Get Ready To Have Fun With "Bromance" | Drama Review

Bromance / Taiwan
18 out 18 Episodes, completed

Aired: Oct 18, 2015 to Feb 21, 2016
Episode Duration: 75 min. (1 hour, 15 minutes)

Romance

Rating:

Because of one simple word from a soothsayer, Pi Ya Nuo has been raised as a boy all her life. By chance she saves underworld mob boss Du Zi Feng and his sister. His sister falls in love with Pi Ya Nuo at first sight. Things gets complicated when the she becomes "sworn brothers" with the mob boss, just as her 26th birthday comes closer, and with it her chance to finally live as a woman. As her 26th birthday approaches, she must decide if she wants to return to a woman or continue to be Du Zi Feng's best pal.

So, welcome to Bromance, where one girl disguised as a man meets a triad boss and falls madly in love with him (and vice verse).

But don't worry, these are the nice triad. The ones who own amusement parks, have nothing to do with the underworld and just want to bring happiness to everyone. Even their enemies are considerate; opting to shot at them with paint-guns as warnings and doing everything themselves so they'll be easy to find (this might has to do with good henchman being expensive and bad henchman just being unreliable. IDK).

Okay, now that I got through this ridiculous part, I can move on to the actual drama - BECAUSE I LOVED IT. Why? Easy.

A GIRL PLAYING A GUY CONVINCINGLY

One of the trickiest parts of doing this type of drama is that the audience has to believe the girl playing the guy, so you won't be left wondering how no one figured it out earlier. A bit like how I come out of every Superman movie thinking the universe dumb for no one catching that he's Clark Kent?! 

Anyways, Lai Megan, the actress who plays Pi Ya Nuo (pronounced like Piano) does a phenomenal job of acting, moving and talking like a guy. Her guy-act crumbles the further we get into the story and the more Pi Ya Nuo falls in love, as the characters herself stops wanting to act like a guy, and it's was beautifully done!

MAIN CHARACTERS WITH SIZZLING CHEMISTRY

It is hot in here, or is it just these two burning my screen? 

Du Zi Feng and Pi Ya Nuo  have a great chemistry between them from the get go. The sexual tension and the way they gravitate toward one another is wonderful. And their relationship is so fun and comfortable you got to love them.

Their interactions often made me giggle at my screen or hide my face because HOW ARE YOU NOT EMBARRASSED AT ALL THE SWEET NOTHINGS YOU JUST SAID I'M EMBARRASSED FOR YOU! but in a good way.

VERY LITTLE ANGST 

If you're looking for a drama that throws angst at you at every turn, breaks up your otp a bazillion times, throws obstacles upon obstacle at them, leaving them crying at the end of every episode... look someplace else, because this is not it. But don't worry, almost every other foreign dram I've seen is so I'm sure you'll find one soon. 

In Bromance, there are so many places that felt like set-up for some angst or another, but it never fell into these traps. It was like the drama was deliberately saying: "you thought we'd go there, but no - these two are perfect for one another and stupid things like these aren't going to bring them down. Muhahaha we fooled you!"

AWESOME SUPPORTING CAST 

All the characters surrounding Du Zi Feng and Pi Ya Nuo were great as well, adding color and variety to the plot. But all of them, almost without exception were loving and supportive. At the end of the day, even if they were dismayed by the (apparent) gay relationship, they were there for their loved ones.

THE ONE DOWNSIDE - WEI QUING YANG AND NANA'S STORY

Amidst the fun love story of Du Zi Feng and Pi Ya Nuo, we have a secondary love story... that felt like a complete tone-change to the point of whiplash and ended up leaving me very unsatisfied. Don't get me wrong, I liked these two, but it felt like all of the sudden I was watching a very different drama... and then it just ended like that? I felt no satisfaction! If you put them in the drama, you should at least give them and their story the respect it deserves! 

SO

If you want to watch a show that will make you SQUEE and SQUEEL often as the two main characters grow closer and closer, will warm your heart and make you feel very protected and satisfied, that will make you laugh inappropriately and affectionately at times for how ridiculous it is...

Bromance is the show for you!

Top OTP from Embraced by the Moonlight by Saki Hiwatari | Manga Review

Embraced by the Moonlight by Saki Hiwatari
Proceeded by: Please Save My Earth
Completed at 85 Chapters, 15 volumes
Reading Status: Finished

Published: Sep 26, 2003 to Nov 26, 2014
Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rating:

Since the conclusion of the original series, Rin and Arisu are leading happy lives. Their son, Ren, is a very normal boy. But one day, a man and a woman as beautiful as an angel appear in front of him and tell him about a power! What is this power Ren suddenly has? The much anticipated sequel to "Please Save My Earth"!

This idea is inspired by Nick and Nereyda's Infinite Book List.

A LOVE THAT TRANSCENDS AGE

I've talked to you before about Please Save My Earth, one of my favorite manga. And in it, I've mention Rin and Alice's love - Rin and Alice have memories of their past lives, where they were a married (alien) couple on the moon. I loved them in Please Save my Earth. But in Embraced by the Moonlight? I SHIPPED THEM SO HARD IT HURT.

This is not your regular type of shipping, where you anxiously wait for them to realize their feelings and be together and have beautiful babies, because that ship has sailed with the ending of Please Save My Earth. Instead, we're transported about fifteen years into the future. You get to have this experience with very few couples that you love.

ALICE AND REN ARE MARRIED. They have an eight year old son themselves. And they're one heck of a couple. We get to see what the future holds for these two - we get to see them blissfully happy, we get to see their matrimony fights, we get to see how they are still facing their past lives and how they continue to affect them to this day.

While a huge part of this sequel series is actually about the next generation - Rin and Alice's son Ren and their friend's daughter Kachiko, Rin and Alice are a major part, and all of Ren and Kachiko's adventures somehow connect to the journey Rin in specific has yet to finish from book one.

These two are one of my biggest manga OTPs, and I have spent the majority of this manga smiling broadly and enjoying every moment of seeing them together.

Aside for this dashing couple, the manga has a ton more to offer. Firstly, you have the adventures of two young kids that manage to be mature and deal with life altering subjects while still acting like kids would. This is so important to me because oftentimes, stories decide to neglect the "kid" aspect of the equation in order to have "meaningful" adventures.

Then, you've got a BROTP TO SHIP THE SHIT OUT OF! In PSME we got to see very little of Rin and Shion's interactions, and what more we never got to see them separated. What is their relationship like? How does Rin feel about Shion and vice verse? We get to explore all this in Embraced by the Moonlight and let me just tell you... EPIC BROTP. Literally gives me life.

And not just these relationships - every character and relationship in this manga are complicated and layered and are not just black and white - the adult and child ones.

Whaaat? still not convinced you should read this manga. Okay. How 'bout I tell you IT'S SO FUNNY AND CUTE? And so hopeful about life? AND THE FEELS ARE HAVING A FIELD DAY WITH IT!

Seriously, I implore you to read this manga series. Even if you don't like manga.

And someone please come asdfghjk with me over Rin and Alice!

Three Reasons To Read Please Save My Earth by Saki Hiwatari | Manga Review

Please Save my Earth by Saki Hiwatari
Completed at 138 Chapters, 21 volumes
Reading Status: Finished

Published: 1987 to 1994 (no dates specified)
Mystery, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi
Rating:

Mystic dreams of a previous life in the moon lead to the bonding of seven students in an attempt to uncover the secrets behind what they have forgotten. As various truths are sought and avoided, Alice must hurry remembering if she is to save the fragile Rin from self-destruction. For only after facing the grave errors of the past, can they all move forward and live fully in the present.

I'm a huge manga fan. And Please Save my Earth is one of those manga I find myself re-visiting often. And whenever I do, I get flooded by feels just as if I was reading it for the very first time. It's one of these manga that I would recommend for anyone, and here are the reasons;

Please Save My Earth tells not one story - but two. The first one is of six modern day teenagers and one eight year old child who have memories of their past lives. Those memories and personalities interfere with their present lives, especially for the eight year old.

The other story-line is that of their past lives - seven alien scientists from planets far more advanced than earth who were stationed on the moon and died there from an outbreak, which led to them being reborn on earth.

Please Save My Earth expertly weaves together the two stories, one a tale of finding a way to release the memories and finding one's self, and the other a heartbreaking tragedy tinged with hope, making you desperate to know more about both and specifically the characters of the leading four: Rin and Alice and their past selves Shion and Mokuren.

Every character in this manga series is just so flawed and imperfect, in the most lovable way. You will love them to pieces, because they're real and gray and layered and they're not just one thing or the other. That's why the story looks slightly different from every character's eyes.

Also, this idea of reincarnation is way cool. I hope I was an alien in a past life.

This is probably the one most people are going to have the biggest reserves about. Please Save My Earth features many complicated and layered romantic relations/feelings. But the main two are something even beyond that.

The first relationship happens in the past; between two scientists aboard the Moon Base. One is a man who only knows war, fear and loneliness, he has a very weak grasp of what love is and he is afraid of it. The other is a woman who receives adoration from everyone around her because of her abilities and beauty, but only wants one person to love her for herself. 

imagine you had the memories of this love. This wretched, often misguided love that ended before having enough time to blossom because of the disease. And imagine that you're now eight years old, and the woman you've loved --and presently love-- is nine years older than you and has no idea about anything.

I bet you just went "Whaaa?"

Yes, there is a giant age gap. And it's the type of age gap that bothers people more because the woman is older (not that I understand the double standard there). And yes, the boy is incredibly young. But if you read the manga, you see all those are just incorrect assumptions--or rather, meaningless ones.

Because Rin, the boy in question, is more adult than child due to his memories, and the love he feels for Alice is not some fleeting infatuation, but the real deal. And even if you're skeptic at first, by the end of the manga you will believe this love with all of your being.

Yes, I cry. Every. single. time. 

It's like, I can't deal with all these emotions, from the past and from the present. You get so in-tune with these characters that you can't separate yourself from them so when you see their tragic pasts; you are sure to cry. When you see the past trying to take their present and making them miserable; you are going to cry! And when you see them finally grasping happiness after everything... you guessed it; you will cry!

\

Honestly, one of the more underrated manga out there, despite being somewhat of a pioneer in the Shoujo genre in Japan - I highly recommend it to everyone out there. The art-style is very eighties (if you read manga, you probably know what I mean) but another nice aspect of the manga is watching it evolve and get some fineness as the series progresses.

Get Ready to Bawl Your Eyes Out With Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki | Manga Review

Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki
Completed at 107 out 107 Chapters, 24 volumes
Reading Status: Finished

Published: May 18, 2006 to Mar 18, 2015
Adventure, Mystery, Fantasy, Shounen, Supernatural
Rating:

The air of celebration surrounding fifteen-year-old Oz Vessalius's coming-of-age ceremony quickly turns to horror when he is condemned for a sin about which he knows nothing. He is thrown into an eternal, inescapable prison known as the Abyss from which there is no escape. There, he meets a young girl named Alice, who is not what she seems. Now that the relentless cogs of fate have begun to turn, do they lead only to crushing despair for Oz, or is there some shred of hope for him to grasp on to?

If you're looking for a funny, cutesy manga to pass your time with, LOOK AWAY BECAUSE PANDORA HEARTS IS NOT THAT. While immensely funny at times, Pandora Hearts is heartbreaking in it's core, weaving through dialogues, characters and beautiful art style an intricate, gut wrenching tale of love, loss and obsession.

From the very beginning, Pandora Hearts engulfs you in this sense of mystery and intrigue. What is going on here? What is the truth? What is the motives behind the characters actions? It piles questions on top questions, wrapping it up with a cast of endearing, funny, sweet and somewhat broken characters.

The main core of the manga are Oz, Alice and Gilbert. And yes, there are some very clear elements of both Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz interwoven into the tale.

Oz is the successor to the house of Vessalius, one of the four dukedoms of this fantasy world. He is a lovable but odd child. He has a hard time believing he is lovable. Believing he is worth something. He doesn't fight for anything, and at times seems oddly detached from this world. Someone might need to literally beat him up in order for him to realize his own self worth.

None of it is helped by his disastrous 15th birthday coming of age ceremony, where the party is disrupted and Oz gets cast into The Abyss, a twisted, eternal prison, for the simple sin of "existing".

The Abyss is what gives birth to "Chains" - strangely toy-like creatures with superpowers who can only exist in the real world by forming a contract with a human... and eating other humans. There, Oz meets Alice - a human shaped chain who offers to help him escape this prison if he forms a contract with her.

Oz does, forming a connection beyong a simple contract with the spunky girl. Alice is a peculiar chain. First of all - she has a proper name. She is human in her looks and behavior - acting a bit like a naughty child; she loves food; she is funny and sweet and innately attuned to Oz's feelings and moods. She tries to cheer him up constantly, because he "is her manservant and only she is allowed to make him sad". In short, she is a delight.

But why is Alice so different? Yet another mystery slowly unraveled by this manga.

cool Gil!

.... Real Gil...

And finally, the person who awaits Oz and Alice in Real Life, working to free Oz on his end - Gilbert. Oz's servant and best friend, he defines himself by his master, he will do anything for him, he is a bit weak and he's very insecure. He balances Oz's devil-may-care and Alice rush enthusiasm perfectly.

These three are squad goals and I love them dearly. Together, they work to find the truth behind what happened to Oz, what happened one hundred years ago... and what is about to happen next.

Around them are funny, odd, sweet, smart and crazy characters; from the Mad Hatter whom I long to give a hug, to Liem and Sharon, the count, UNCLE OSCAR (I love him), Ada, Elliot, Leo and of course... Vincent. Wacked-up, strangely endearing, impossibly impossible Vincent.

Everyone in this manga are such a mess, but a mess I loved.

Now when I first started this series, it was still on-going, and in it's relatively happy-go-lucky, just-fun-and-games stage. So I was not expecting it to punch me in the face suddenly and then keep punching non stop. Seriously, I started crying at around chapter 54 and continued crying up to the end.

I am not okay. This is not okay!

If you're looking for a manga that could really hit you in the feels and make you both engross and interested and completely heartbroken for everyone at the same time, manga with bitter-sweet endings, then... this one is for you.

Otherwise , stay away because this will break you.

Hope this review made some form of sense! lol

Anime Review: Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S | Generic But Watchable

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S
12 out 12 Episodes, completed

Aired: Apr 5, 2009 to Jun 21, 2009
Prequel to Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica

Drama, Fantasy, Music

Rating:

Shinkyoku Soukai Polyphonica Crimson S (yes, that is a mouthful!) opens with two unknown characters fighting. A little orphan boy is crying. His tears transition with the dropping blood of the winged woman, illustrating a connection. The boy starts to sing to make himself feel better, attracting the spirit. She starts talking to him.

And this is where it gets UBER CREEPY. This overly sexualized adult woman says she wants to keep the boy all to herself. Then she leans in for (what appears to be) a kiss, but gets interpreted.

Fast forward twelve years, and that boy is now studying in an academy famous for it's Dantists program. A Dantist is a specialist who attracts spirits with his music, and can use them to help him do all sort of stuff.

However, Phoron is not so good at being a Dantist. For some reason, his music doesn't transition with the spirits at all, despite his early childhood success. Remembering the song that brought the spirit to him to begin with, he sings it again (in his childhood, baby, girly voice to boot. That sounded very strange coming out of a teenager who has a very pleasant male voice when he speaks).

And thus, a spirit wakes up. Creating a bit of havoc, and with beautiful animation (one of the only beautifully animated moments in this series, which in on a whole pretty average to ugly in it's animation) a girl bursts from the raving spirit.

And who that girl is? The spirit he met at the beginning! Only... she now looks younger. I'm assuming that's done so it won't look so creepy between them, though that train has sailed on the first few minutes!

And thus, starts the adventures of Corticarte and Phoron. And yes, the names are hella odd in this series.

How did I do with this summary? You like? 

One of the only truly beautiful animation scenes. Couldn't find a gif, sorry! :(

For me, this show is probably between two and a half stars to three. On My Anime List I gave it a score of six which translates to "fine". My emotions about this series switched from exasperated annoyance, to mild amusement, to general meh-ness, to slight interest. In that order, actually.

If I were honest, I had no intention to watch this. I thought I was watching one of the shows on my "currently watching" list from three-four years ago which I'm trying desperately to clean up. But turns out, I was originally watching season one which chronologically comes after this one #canIbeanymorestupid

I don't think I will return to the sequel after watching this. I can tell, looking back, why I probably started with the first season. It's because of the music and the singing. I have this thing with musical anime. I kind of love them. And maybe the first season isn't an assembly of cliches like this show was, but in this one you could tick off the list with your fingers:

☑ A hero who doesn't want to fight, but will because the bad guys cross a line and they're "the only ones I don't want to lose to" - check

☑ Two to three girls in love with the main character at once even though he's kind of useless and oblivious - check

☑ One of them is a sickly girl - check

☑ One of them is an out-going honest girl - check

☑ The mysterious authority figure (headmaster in this case) - check

☑ The bad guys explain themselves to the good guys - check

Etc. And even the execution of the many tropes and cliches this show uses was generic to a fault. At least try to spice things up! Maybe the hero is unapologetic about being kind of not wanting to fight instead of saying sorry every two minutes. How 'bout that?

On the other hand, that didn't mean it wasn't fun to watch. I enjoyed rolling my eyes at the show. Enjoyded being like "AHH SO RIDICULOUS" when they were being super cliched. Enjoyed laughing at the "listen to your heart" and friendship is fabulous and don't give up and all that stuff. Enjoyed sniggering and tsking my tongue at it.

It that super cruel? yes.

Will it mellow it a bit if I say I also enjoyed it 'cause it was cute and from episode seven or so it really picks up on the action? No? hmm... figures, really. I am a horrible person.

Side note: the one-man orchestra looks ridiculous. Like an oversized butterfly, but not in a good way. At least not worn by our characters.