Shugo Chara!

So, I had started to watch Shugo Chara! about a year or so ago.  I am so happy to finally reach the conclusion of the anime series.

I think series would be great for kids (as long as you don't mind the age difference between Amu and Ikuto and him sleeping over at Amu's). I haven't read the manga yet, but there is probably a good number of fillers judging how some of the episodes didn't seem to be needed for the plot.

Some things to be aware of also, is that at the start of every Shugo Chara! Doki episodes, Amu's guardian characters (Miki, Su, and Ran) are pretty much telling you what is happening in the episodes you are about to watch (which sometimes then makes you feel like what was the point of watching it).  So you may want to skip that part of the opening if you are not wanting to see what is going to happen in the episode.

Then for the Shugo Chara! Party! episodes, the first half is watching live action Amulet Clover, Amulet Diamond, Amulet Spade, and Amulet Heart doing various competitions with each other, teaching you a dance, or gathering prizes for the give a way that happened in Japan awhile back. Also, there is something called Puchi Puchi (which is a story with just the guardian characters either pretending or socializing with each other), which is not relevant to the story either. It was amusing to watch sometimes. The second half is anime continuing from where Shugo Chara! Doki left off.  We somewhat see the Guardians candidates coming in and learning what it is like to be a Guardian.

For those who are wondering who Amu ends up with, the end of the series doesn't show it (and neither does the manga from what I heard).  So this is where our world of fan fiction comes in or we can use our own minds to create the end we prefer.

This is my second 100+ anime series that I have completed in watching.  I have to say, I think it can get tiring to watch unless you are watching it as it is coming out versus it all being available.  I sometimes get tired of watching long running series and have to take a break from it.

I do not feel like it is a must watch series, but if you are in the mood for cute and fluffiness, I would recommend to watch it.  The music is also very catchy and peppy.

And for anyone who is wondering, I was cheering for Team Ikuto. <3 br="">

El Cazador de la Bruja

This is an interesting one season anime.
Bounty Hunter is hired by someone to protect a bounty and go where ever she goes instead of actually turning her in.
Bounty turns out to be a witch.
Bounty Hunter + Witch = Interesting Series

*Spoiler Alert*
By the last episode and all is said and done, the two characters tried to settle down. Only to find that they are still somewhat being chased. So it makes sense that the two can only keep traveling until the end of their lives.

The animation was wonderful. I love how the characters were designed. There were some what small weird moments in the series, so I would definitely suggest only teenagers and up. Wouldn't recommend for children.

The Woman In Black

Daniel Radcliffe has a major movie role outside of the Harry Potter films!  Horah!!!!
So, if you've had read the book, be ready for some surprises, because there are some differences.
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SOME SPOILERS AHEAD PAST THIS PICTURE!!!!!!

So one of the minor differences was how the villagers reacted to Arthur.  In the book, he was at least somewhat welcomed, but the villagers always made sure to avoid the subject of the woman in black (in the movie they pretty much avoided him all together except for about 2-3 characters).

Major Difference Number 1:  This version of the story is not at all a looking back into the past like the book was.  In the movie, Arthur's wife has already been died, but he still has his son (book ver.  Arthur was remarried and had some children with the 2nd wife).

Major Difference Number 2:  Arthur tries to calm the spirit of the woman in black by reuniting the physical bodies of her child and herself.  In the book, Arthur never comes across this idea, instead, he basically runs away after being scared of his mind (and gets married to his fiance and has a baby).

Major Difference Number 3:  Arthur and his child both die at the end!  In the book, the story ends with Arthur finishing the writing of his experience of the woman in black.

Whether or not you were a fan of the book, definitely check out the movie.  If you've read the book, you will get to enjoy two different worlds of the story.

The Three Stooges (Movie)

My husband loves the Three Stooges, so I checked it out of the Redbox for him.
There were some funny parts, but I would rather rent then own the movie.
I think it is great that The Three Stooges finally have a movie (although the original actors have all past away).  The original group had a hard time because they never really got a rise nor did they get to do a full-length movie like they wanted.  They only got to do short films.

I did like how at the very end of movie before the credits the directors did a quick, "This isn't real" speech for the kids. 

Kimi Ni Todoke (Live-Action Version)

So, I ran into this series by this lovely AMV.  So after watching that and having issues with finding the episodes on my Xbox, I did find the live action film Kimi Ni Todoke.

And I have to say, it was a very sweet film.  Now, I haven't personally ran into any girls this shy, so I can't say how realistic she could be, but the way the other characters seemed very realistic (which I guess would turn her into realistic then, wouldn't it?  LOL.  Oh dear).

So, if you are in the mood to just watch a sweet, semi-slow develop romance and where the actors and actresses are adorable and cute, check this movie out!

Natsuyuki Redevous

This story follows Hazuki, who falls in love with the widowed flower shop manager.   When he gets to her house for the first time though, he runs into a half-naked man clinging to Rokka.  Hazuki thinks he is being told off in this fashion, only to find out later that the man is ghost of Rokka's first husband.  This anime is based off a 4 volume manga and was made with a total of 11 episodes.

*Slight Spoiler Alert!*
Now, after I finished watching the final episode, I noticed a good number of commentators felt that the series went down after Shimao (the late husband) took over Hazuki's body.  Personaly, I think the story wouldn't have gone very far with Shimao just annoying Hazuki at the flower shop and trying to ruin the relationship Hazuki was trying to grow with Rokka.

I wouldn't say this series is a must-see, but if you are in a mood for a more mature romance with some supernatural (ghost-wise) involved instead of those high school romance love, check it out.  =)

Here's the first episode on Hulu.  It is also available on Crunchyroll.

Blue Exorcist

So I just finished watching this today and started watching it this past Sunday.  This series is AMAZING!  Now, I did read the first three manga volumes of this series, but I wasn't extremely crazy about it.  This anime version had me hooked!  I love how the characters "pop" in this series by the way they are colored.  I highly recommend this series to be watched by everyone.  And I think you would love the plot and interesting twists there are towards the end.

This series has no horror what-so-ever, unlike the titles that tend to come out in America (and the moment it has the word "exorcist" in it, it is guaranteed to become an action flick).   This series made me think a little of Chorno Crusade, where there is Chrono who fights along with Rosette to help get rid of demons that are threatening humans.  There is that same hate/love relationship conflict with demons.

I know for some people, they may not like the whole sympathizing with the demons in this series, but I think that is more of what the Japanese culture feels about it (I need to do some more research on this).  I think to them, demons can be either totally bad or there are some good ones.  With this being focused more on a Christian belief and perhaps some youkai like demons, and Satan being the huge bad-guy, some people may start to dislike the series due to that.

Me, I keep an open-mind while watching.  I think of more of the plot and how it was presented.  And one thing to keep in mind is, it is FICTION.  That's the whole fun while we are watching or reading.  We go to a different world.  Sometimes, we don't like that world, but at least we know it is not true.

Some other things to note is, when I went to the official site, (I haven't mastered learning Japanese yet) there seems to be a movie coming out in Japan on December 28, 2012.  There has also been a live action version created.  That would be interesting to watch!

There is a total of twenty-five episodes.  Manga wise, there is currently nine volumes out, and the story is still continuing there.

Here's the first episode.  It is also available on Crunchyroll.