Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Elantrians were like gods before an event known as the Reod changed everything. The beautiful creatures became cursed wretches despised and hunted; their powers, which were known the world over, vanished; and the once beautiful Elantris became a home for the outcasts cursed by the Shaod, the process which turns a person into an Elantrian, years after the Reod.

It is in this backdrop that Raoden, Sarene and Hrathen must try to survive and outwit the people and forces that try to threaten the already tense Arelon which is situated near Elantris.

Raoden is a prince of Arelon who one morning discovered he had become an Elantrian. To the rest of the world he is considered dead and is secretly dumped in Elantris. Sarene of Teod was supposed to be Raoden's bride. But with the "death" of Raoden, Sarene's position in the political affairs of Arelon and Teod changed. She suspects however that there's more to Raoden's death than what the people are willing to reveal. The Derethi gyorn Hrathen arrives in Arelon to fulfill an important mission. In three months he has to convert Arelon to Shu-dereth before the armies of Fjordell arrive with a different method of conversion. His intervention might be the only way to save the people of Arelon, but with Sarene trying to interfere with the plans, the princess might be helping to speed up the coming of a disaster instead.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the book is the means by which magic are performed. It is well-thought out than most and it's impressive how everything was shown to be connected in the end.

The three main characters are easy to like. It's been a while since I've encountered a female character who is not portrayed as another sex object or of less import than the male protagonists. The book just shows that you do not need a lot of sex scenes and brutality to make it effective. There are parts in the book where the pace seems quite slow and you're just wishing that something big might happen. Otherwise this is an impressive debut and I salute the author for a satisfying novel.

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Mushishi Zoku Shou

Just like the first series, Mushishi Zoku Shou is intriguing and beautiful. The sequel was able to retain the mood and the quality of the previous series. Still episodic, it has the same qualities the fans loved in the first installment.  It almost feels like you're just continuing the first series.In a short 10-episode series, the viewer is taken by Ginko to the strange world of the mushi. The cases involved here are more complicated and mind-boggling. How the series can be so effective with such format and pace however is still amazing. One factor probably is how each case is concluded. The art is one of the best and it is consistently good from the opening song up to the last.

Mushi are neither good nor bad. They exist because they do. Whatever purpose they have is as mysterious as the question of the purpose of life. The series has managed to consistently put forth that idea. What was slightly different however is that people who are affected by strange phenomena are shown in a different light. Perhaps just like the mushi people are not inherently good or bad. We just make do with what available choices are offered to us.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Mushishi

Mushi are basic lifeforms, but to name them only as such is insufficient. Neither good nor bad, the mushi are not so different from animals and plants. They can affect and imitate other living creatures and cause phenomena. Unlike other living beings however, most people cannot see them although they are everywhere. But a few gifted people can. Ginko, a mushi master (mushishi) travels all over Japan searching for answers about the mushi. He has a tendency to attract mushi so he never stays in one place. In his travels, he helps people affected by mushi.

Mushi is episodic and has no overarching story. It has 26 episodes that are not directly related but when put together add to the understanding of the nature of the mushi. The pace is slow just like the laid-back Ginko and the calm, mysterious feel of the places he visits. Ginko acts like a sort of detective as well and that is why it's amazing how such a series with a relaxed pace can get your mind racing at certain moments.

Ginko

Unlike most protagonists, Ginko does not have superpowers and great physical abilities, except for the gift (or curse) of being able to interact with and understand mushi. One would think that the slow pace and episodic nature of the series would make for a bad series, but Mushi has the power to draw viewers who like occult, mystery and are looking for something different. Most series have stories whose main character is central to the continuation of the story and whose appearance is essential most of the time; but in Mushi, Ginko acts like a sort of guide in the various stories.

The animation is beautiful, the mood consistent, and once you start to like the series, you can never just stop halfway. It provides a good break from all the explosive and fast-paced series that try to compete for attention nowadays, but it does not lack the elements also present in most of the best that was ever made. What else can I say except that this is one of the best, and beautiful, series I've ever watched.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Tokyo Ghoul

Tokyo has had a rise of murders lately that authorities can only blame on the ghouls. These ghouls appear as and mingle with humans. But unlike the latter, they can only consume human flesh. The recent murders are attributed to binge eaters, ghouls who eat more than they are supposed to consume. Kaneki Ken almost became another victim, but his survival meant changes he was not prepared to accept. 

Some time during his operation, something changed in his body. These changes became manifest when symptoms began to appear. This 12-episode dark fantasy series shows how Kaneki's entire life changed because of a seemingly normal encounter with a girl. Not only does he have to fight for his humanity and accept his life as a ghoul at the same time, but he also has to deal with forces who are after him.

Kaneki Ken

Confused, terrified and unwilling, Kaneki makes for a perfect tragic (though sometimes too whiny) hero. The series starts off strong with so much promise. Dark and gory, you would expect plenty of fight scenes and blood. Everything was going well until I started notice that bloodiest scenes are censored. I understand the need for censorship but I could think of better and less obvious ways to hide the grisly details.

New friends, new life

The animation isn't bad except for the part I already mentioned. Most of the characters are generic types but likable. The most notable however are the sadistic ones and the clever opponents. If you find Kaneki annoying, there are plenty of interesting characters to choose from. If you're also into gory stuff, I think you'd like Tokyo Ghoul although there are other series who can pull off the fantasy-horror genre better than this. It's not one of the best I've seen from this genre but it has some good points.

Rating: 6 out of 10

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus

Noah's Ark Circus has gained a lot of attention for their grand presentations and breathtaking stunts. Disaster seems to follow the group however as they leave a wake of several disappearances in the towns they visit. Children have gone missing wherever Noah's Ark Circus shows up, but the authorities have yet to find proof that the two are related.

Set within but not included in the events of the first season of Kuroshitsuji, Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis are sent by the queen to investigate the disappearances and find a link to the Circus. To do so, the duo has to join the group. This 10-episode third installment of the series released after Kuroshitsuji II, focuses on the hilarious but not without the bloody encounters of the young master and his demon butler with the mysterious Noah's Ark Circus.

A few characters from the first two seasons will reappear but most of the events will happen within the circus. Less morbid than Kuroshitsuji II, the series showcases the investigative skills (not to mention social skills and stage talent) of Ciel and Sebastian. If you enjoyed the humor of the first series, you will like this. The animation is better than the previous installments and it has a good opening song. And of course there will be some fight scenes. If you are expecting some hints at how this affects Kuroshitsuji II however, there isn't anything. Lastly, it goes without saying that you should not watch this before you complete the first series. 

Rating: 8 out of 10

Kuroshitsuji II

Several months after the events of Kuroshitsuji, the series introduces a new pair quite similar to Ciel Phantomhive and Sebastian Michaelis. Like Ciel, Alois Trancy has a tragic past. He does not know his parents because he was taken when he was a baby. He grew up and worked in a village and everything seemed fine until a massacre took his best friend from him. Alois then later turned up in his real home with a very skilled butler named Claude Faustus.

How Alois and Claude will affect Ciel and Sebastian is at the heart of this 12-episode sequel to Kuroshitsuji. Most of the cast from the previous season will reappear. The events after the final episode, whether Sebastian was successful at devouring Ciel's soul, will also be revealed in this sequel.

Although the opposing pairs of master and servant are similar in their circumstances, they're very different in their motives and methods. Whereas Ciel is calculating but fair, Alois is sadistic and needy. How different the butlers are remains to be seen and will certainly be a deciding factor in the end. That the two factions will battle it out in the end of this series is made clear in the first episode.

Claude and Alois

If you enjoyed most of Kuroshitsuji's dark side, Kuroshitsuji II has more. With fewer humorous scenes, the series has turned into a battle of wills and strategies. Both sides seem to be of equal strength, but whoever can out-think the opponent first might come out victorious. It seemed that they lacked opponents at par with Sebastian in the first series that was why everything seemed so easy until the final confrontation. This sequel however gives them a tougher challenge.

I loved the twist at the end of this sequel. Heartbroken and a bit shocked, yes, but it was a better ending than I expected. Look forward to more fight scenes as well. The first installment was okay, but this one made the series better. Who knew that a story about a boy and his demon butler could be this interesting?

Rating: 8 out of 10

Kuroshitsuji

Set in the Victorian era, the queen's watchdog Ciel Phantomhive is a name to be feared in underground London. The ten-year-old head of the Phantomhive household is just biding his time to exact revenge on the people who murdered his parents and put him through a humiliating torture afterwards. After his brief disappearance, Ciel reappears with a mysterious butler Sebastian Michaelis who seems to be capable of doing everything, even the most impossible tasks. The others are unaware however that Ciel and Sebastian formed a contract so the boy can accomplish his goals. With very few leads, Ciel's best hope to find the perpetrators is by solving crimes the investigators could not handle.

Members of the Phantomhive household; Ciel in front

This 24-episode series with a title like Black Butler might seem frivolous and a stuff for girls to squeal over, but it does have some interesting twists near the end. There is also a significant change in the overall mood when Ciel and Sebastian find some clues to the murderers of the Phantomhive. Kuroshitsuji is not without some bloody fights and grisly deaths; this is after all about a demon who wants to devour the soul of a troubled child out for bloody retribution. Sure, the fight scenes are not on par with most action series but if you want to see people die in a fight (not just become buddies later) then you won't get disappointed.

Ciel and Sebastian

It has some good mix of humor, action and mystery. The characters are not so hard to like. Just do not let a few enthusiastic fans discourage you before giving the series a try. If you're also into detective stuff, the series has a lot of episodes that involve solving crimes. There's one case involving Jack the Ripper. As for the accuracy of a Victorian-era setting, I cannot vouch for that (I'm no expert) although from the examples I've seen I think the series can fairly stand up to that scrutiny.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic

This 25-episode series tells of a young boy's quest to find the meaning of what it is to be a magi. Aladdin's adventures take him to different places and allow him to meet different people including Alibaba Saluja. The latter dreams of conquering a dungeon occupied by Djinns, which are scattered throughout the world and hold treasures and power. The two become instant friends but that friendship will be tested when they are separated. Transported to a foreign land, Aladdin gains some understanding on what a magi is. Meanwhile, Alibaba is forced to face a task he has avoided for most of his life.

Set in an alternate ancient world and inspired by the tales from the Arabian Nights, the series takes the viewer to familiar yet strange places, ruled by by various powerful forces. Whether the two young boys will be able to achieve their goals will be determined by the alliances they forge and the difficult decisions they have to make.

The magic system used in the series is pretty easy to understand as it has parallels in some myths. The series also borrows some names, but do not expect them to be represented the same way they are written in literature. The combat system, which is passable, uses both magic and melee or projectiles. Most of the important fights however are not resolved in this first installment.

Characters whose names have been taken from literature are not exactly replicas, but the changes seem to fit the story. If you are not into young guys who are indecisive and sometimes whiny, you might not like Alibaba; the others are okay although you generally find such character types in most series.

If you're into mythology and history, you might find Magi interesting. You do not need to have a background of the Arabian Nights however to understand the magic and combat system and the setting in the series. Everything else just seems generic to me. A young protagonist is destined to do something great but he doesn't understand his powers. He meets friends who help him and the foes try to stop him; but in Magi you get two such heroes in Alibaba and Aladdin.

Rating: 6 out of 10