On the Verge of Lunacy

Yuuta Takemoto is an art school student who lives in the same apartment complex with two other schoolmates. He had a passion for building things such as sculptures. He is friends with Shinobu Morita and Takumi Mayama. Morita is five years older than Takemoto and is unable to graduate because he always missed his classes. Takumi Mayama is an architecture student in the same university. Mayama was in love with Rika Harada, an older woman and a well-known architect. When Takemoto was introduced to Hagumi Hanamoto, he fell in love at first sight. Morita also likes the girl and was more expressive of his feelings than Takemoto. Unfortunately for Takemoto, Morita and Hagumi seem to like each other a lot. Hagumi is considered a genius at painting and was greatly drawn to Morita’s creativity. They’re also friends with a pottery student Yamada Ayumi who is head-over-heels with Mayama. Unfortunately, Mayama doesn’t share her feelings and constantly rejects her expressions of love. ...

Nagai Kei only hears about the Ajin in the news and during discussions in his biology class although they have been known to exist for 17 years since they were discovered in Africa. Considered dangerous because they cannot be killed easily, Kei develops a fear for them when he learned from his class teacher that Ajin are not human. He feels horrified at learning they were used for experiments. In a freak accident while on his way home, Kei is hit by a truck. With a lot of eyewitnesses present, Kei realizes he wasn’t killed. He recovers fast, still covered in blood, and stands up to look at the people on the sidewalk. He announces to them that he isn’t an Ajin and runs away after stunning the audience with a scream. Kei just before he was hit by a truck. Kei is pursued by authorities. Who will he turn to for help? Kei becomes the third Ajin to be discovered in Japan. A manhunt ensues led by the law enforcement and Tosaki Yuu, a government official of the M...

This 12-episode sequel to Durarara!! features the same cast of characters and a few additions. Celty Sturluson seems to have become a favorite target of the enforcers and the media following the chases. Apparently, there is a bounty on her head and the police were not the only ones looking for her. The murders of a serial criminal named Hollywood is also a favorite subject by the media. The killer wears a different getup in every crime scene. Ryuugamine Mikado is approached by a classmate who claims to know his connection to the Dollars.  Ikebukuro seemed peaceful six months after the events of the first season, but there is a lot going on in the background. The series retained its signature storytelling which uses different perspectives from so many characters then tie them all up towards the end. It tried to replicate the pace and the intensity of the first season but it has failed in its job to keep me interested. They just added a few more characters th...

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE! Is a parody of the magical girl genre. Never has any series made me laugh at the concept alone. I was expecting a lot of funny scenes and most surely, the anime didn’t disappoint.  From left: Naruko Io, Zaou Ryuu, Hakone Yumoto, Kinugawa Atsushi, Yufuin En and Wombat The Earth Defense Club of Binan High School had no activities whatsoever. The club members loved to chill out at the Kurotama onsen (bathhouse) owned by Hakone Yumoto. While discussing an ingredient used in oden, a creature that looks like a pink wombat falls into the water. He calls himself Wombat and said he wanted to protect Earth. The boys protested and when the commotion caught Yumoto’s attention he spotted Wombat and proceeded to cuddle him, much to Wombat’s horror. Tawarayama Mangan-sensei passed out Wombat later takes control of the teacher Mr. Tawarayama and forms the five-man club. The boys suspected that the teacher had died and that Wombat had to...

Just before World War II began, the most powerful countries of the world were wary of each other's powers. One strategy to gather information is through sending spies. For such a purpose, Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki has created the D Agency to select and train the best. Applicants were screened through various tests. Those who survived were trained in various fields essential for their future missions. To be effective spies, they must be able to blend into the background and convince people of who they are.  First Lieutenant Sakuma was sent to D Agency for a mission. He describes the men as monsters because they were calm, cold and calculating. The series has 12 episodes, each one about a different mission. The characters all look plain and almost indistinguishable, staying true to the series's objective of presenting Japan's ultimate spies. Lt. Col. Yuuki (middle) witht he 8 spies of D Agency Spies playing two games at once. The visible game is p...

Miyamizu Mitsuha from Itomori is bored with her life. When she wakes up one day, everyone around her was weird, claiming she was acting silly the previous day. Clueless as to what they meant, Mistuha didn’t think there was anything wrong with her.  Tachibana Taki from Tokyo woke up feeling strange. He was quite sure he was a girl. His suspicion was confirmed when everything that he did that day seemed unusual. He realizes that he must be another person placed in the wrong body. This suspicion was confirmed when they both realized their spirits were switched. Mitsuha’s classmates tell her she sometimes doesn’t seem to be herself. Now that she knows about the body swap, it all made sense. Meanwhile, Taki found  entries in his journal that he certainly didn’t write. Add to that their hazy memories of the events from yesterday. They don’t seem to remember the body switch. The only evidence are the notes. They left these messages on paper, their cell phones and by writing ...

Takamiya Naho received a letter ten years from the future. What was even more uncanny was that she wrote the letter for herself. There were instructions in the letter about saving a transfer student named Naruse Kakeru. At first she didn’t believe it. The Naho from the future expressed her regret of failing to do a lot of things and for not making the right decisions. The letter tells the young Naho to do her best to make Naruse happy. She found out how important the message was when she read that Naruse would no longer be around ten years from now. Naruse Kakeru and Takamiya Naho Naho and Suwa Hiroto with baby from the future Orange is a sad tale of friendship, loss and young love. It takes the character type of Naruse, a lead male character who has a painful past, even further. It explored the helplessness of depression, a psychological illness greatly misunderstood by most people. Naho on the other hand does not have qualities that set her apart fr...

The sequel of Noragami introduces new characters and a new complication in Yato and Iki Hiyori’s relationship. Yukine is now at peace with his role as Yato’s Regalia and they have become close friends and companions. However, Yato is still poor and struggling. Despite that, Hiyori refuses to leave Yato’s side even if the others have advised her to have her soul fixed. The danger of severing her soul is still present. In the previous season, Bishamon was introduced as a deity who held a grudge against Yato. In Noragami Aragoto, that past is explored as it was revealed that Yato made a terrible crime. There were hints about Yato’s dark past in the prequel, but it was not until Bishamon decided to go for a full pursuit that Yato’s sins were exposed. Bishamon had a problem with one of her Regalia, similar to what happened to Yato and Yukine earlier. Will they be able to stop Bishamon? How will Hiyori react? And what other forces are after Yato? Bishamon In my rev...

At the rise of the Demon God, it was prophesied that six heroes called the Braves of the Six Flowers will rise to meet the challenge. They are chosen by the Goddess of Fate and given a mark to distinguish them from other people. You cannot wish to become a Brave but that did not stop Adlet Mayer from wanting to be among the chosen. He proclaims himself as the strongest man in the world. When he was captured and detained after interrupting a competition between two warriors, he met Princess Nashetania who claimed she is one of the Braves. Adlet was chosen as a Brave that night while in detention when a mark appeared on his body. They travel together. On their journey they heard tales about the Brave killer on the loose. They meet Flamie who was revealed to be the Brave killer by the knight Goldov, Nashetanya’s sworn protector. Flamie wanted to fight the Demon God herself, being a Brave as well, but Adlet was relentless in convincing her that they should all travel as a ...

Tachibana Hotaru believes in fighting for the right. As the high school Student Council President she believes it is part of her duty to protect the weak from bullies and malcontents. She is sometimes mistaken as a boy because of her short hair and demeanor. It was therefore not surprising that she wanted to avenge her best friend Kanae when she was conned by a host. Hotaru looked for the host Matsuoka Masamune. She was challenged by Masamune to a survival game. Tachibana Hotaru Hotaru lost when she took a bullet from a toy gun so she was forced to join Masamune’s team Toy Gun Gun to pay the damages in the host club during the confrontation. She was introduced to the other member Yukimura Tooru, an erotic mangaka, who at first refused to accept her. When they won for the first time together, Yukimura relented and accepted Hotaru as a member. Matsuoka Masamune Yukimura Tooru Hotaru didn’t think so badly about the survival game anymore. In fact she was star...

Childhood best friends Tsukimoto Makoto and Hoshino Yutaka have a passion for table tennis. Tsukimoto is nicknamed Smile, the complete opposite of his cool and calm personality. Hoshino or Peko on the other hand is carefree and confident. The coach of the Katase High School table tennis team, Koizumi “Butterfly Joe” Jou, took an interest in the unpolished talent of Smile. Smile was not interested however. He just wants to play but has no dreams of doing competitive table tennis. Butterfly Joe was able to convince Smile later on and a lot players and coaches looked forward to matches with him. Peko slowly faded into the background although he initially started as the best player in the Katase team. His nonchalant attitude towards training and competition resulted in a loss against the Chinese student Kong Wenge. Instead of training harder, Peko decided to spend his time eating junk food and skipping practice matches. Best friends Tsukimoto Makoto and Hoshino Yutaka ...

The Mizuho High School men's basketball team was non-existent when Aikawa Kazuhiko transfered from Tendouji High. Mizuho had only four members in the team after the previous coach left when he was attacked by one of the players, Fujiwara Takumi. The team was banned from competing in any tournament for a year as a consequence. Aikawa's persistence gave hope to the four remaining players Fujiwara, Miura Ranmanru, Ishii Tsutomu and Dobashi Kenji. They would have to face opposition from school officials however who are wary of another embarrassing incident. But Aikawa was not just a good player. He was rumored to be a genius and can jump higher than most people. Perhaps there is hope yet to redeem the basketball club's image. Mizuho boys' basketball team would have to overcome personal issues, face confrontations from hurt upperclassmen and most especially endure the ridicule of other teams. Mizuho now has five players but they are inexperienced, undermanne...

High school freshman Daimon Kaito is a genius when it comes to solving puzzles. One day he received a strange device along with an invitation from a person named Minotaur to solve a puzzle in a ruin. He was accompanied by friend Itou Nonoha who, although not as good with puzzles like Kaito, managed to help him in dangerous situations. At the center of the maze, Kaito found a bangle which helped him solve the problem within a short time. The bangle is known as Orpheus which glows whenever Kaito is forced to solve an impossible puzzle. The group behind the life-threatening puzzles is known as POG. Kaito, now a Solver, teams up with fellow puzzle geniuses to solve POG's puzzles and find out the group's purpose in creating such problems. Unknown to Kaito, their high school Root Academy knows about these philosopher's puzzles and is connected to POG. During his adventures, Kaito met new friends who were also good at solving puzzles. Sakanoue Gammon solved puzzle...