Kaichou wa Maid-Sama! Episode 1

 A new series everyone! How exciting, no? Here’s hoping I don’t want to rip it to pieces by the end of it.

Our heroine, Ayukawa Misaki, seems very tightly would and a bit on edge. She is the class president (or student council or something like that), at a recently turned co-ed school. For some reason I thought this was a story about someone breaking into an all-boys school, so it’s pretty awesome that it’s not..

Exposition time! We meet a boy named Usui who I am guessing is going to be her love interest, right of the bat. Misaki’s house is pretty crappy. She has a sister named Suzuna, and a mother who works in the hospital and paints weird things. Her dad is out of the picture and is your typical dead-beat. Misaki works at a maid café.

Predicted love interest catches her talking to herself while taking the trash out for said job. Misaki is very upset about this. Usui creeply waits outside for her shift to end and they discuss how hard things have been for her.

Misaki waits for Usui to say anything, but he doesn’t. He does however, show up at her work. And beat her in the school exams. They have a very awkward, very typical shojo moment where Misaki falls into Usui accidently when feeling sick.

Some creeper guys from the highschool find Misaki and do not treat her nearly as well as Usui does, who of course come to save the day. We end the episode on the balcony with Usui saying “Why don’t you be my personal maid for the day?”

I think I’m going to like this series. It feels like a simple breath of fresh air, stereotypical but fun and an easy passing twenty minutes. I was surprised by how quickly they seemed to push the two together, hopefully they’ll continue and we can see more of real relationship problems, which is often absent in shojo.

Salutations

Hello my lovely readers, if you exsist. *cricket noise*


Ahh, the wonders of silence.

Christmas is coming, and for me being the typical high school student that I am, that means days off of school burrowing inside my house, staying up until 5 in the morning holding my eyes open to stare at the dim light of my laptop screen, which is the only light in the entire room.

*cough*

Or you know, maybe I’ll go out and have a life. Who knows.

You may wonder what happened to my White Album review for the final two episodes. Well, here’s the story. I finished it, it sucked, and I started to write the review and then I got bored, and then at some point my computer shut off and I didn’t save the screen caps I took, and I didn’t feel like re-doing them.

With that series finally behind us, we are free to look to the future! First off, there is an anime called “Jewel Pet Tinkle.” If that doesn’t disturb you, I’m not sure what would. Am I going to watch an episode? I’m considering watching three minutes just so I can mock it incessantly.

I am getting ready to watch the first episode of Maid-Sama, which sounds like it should be free of the melo-dramatic drama we had with White Album. That was originally going to be this post, but then I decided just to talk about nothing instead.

Kimi Ni Todoke season 2 should be started up soon, and those two series should keep me busy.

I’m also considering branching out with reviews a little, and talking about more topics then just an episode to episode type thing. I’m not sure exactly what that means, but it will be awesome. Oh and you may have noticed the new blog name. For that we can thank the lovely Itsuma. I’m too lazy to think of one myself.

White Album Season 2 Episode 11

 So I'm currently using Microsoft Word 2010 to post this. I think that's pretty cool, I had no idea you could write blog posts on Word, and it almost makes up for Vista, don't you think? Also, for this episode I'm going to skip doing notes and just write the blog as I watch. We'll see if this saves time. Because time is money. So welcome to more of a commentary, going along for the ride, kind of experience for you. I think it will be fun.

There's a lot going on with Ogata right now, I guess somehow the whole world has found out he's lost it. Unfortunately I haven't really cared about this storyline from the beginning. Apparently he made it up some rumor about Rina smoking, so the reporter tells me, as we see television on television. I thought this was "breaking the fourth wall" but I googled it and that's something different. Also on the news we see Menou's racy pictures.

Akira's going to be fine! Yes! This is good news indeed. He doesn't want Misaki to visit him, good for him. I'm not sure why I like him so much, maybe because he's a decent human being. He tells Touya about Ogata, for some reason Touya flips out and starts worrying about Yuki but I'm not sure why because I'm still not sure what happened. I need to stop taking such huge breaks between reviews. It's also confusing that Touya cares about Yuki at all at this point, but that's another story. Akira is getting annoyed with Touya, who doesn't really seem worried about him, throwing in a "Glad you're ok" when he leaves, but bothers with him questions about Menou.

Rina does not believe Ogata is in the wrong, but does not view it as her problem, and instead suggests to Meou's mother ( I still don't remember her name), deal with Menou instead. They discuss the various scandals. The one I think I'm starting to get caught up on is Meron's songs are dubbed by that one girl she is always with. Rina wants to take her place in the Venus Festival, which I s awesome since she gave this up for Yuki, and now they would both get to do it.

Menou apparently knew Touya as a child. One thing this show does right is that it doesn't make us listen to the characters sing full songs every two seconds, this is probably the most we've heard some of the characters sing so far, and even then we are still seeing flashes of the characters and not just some performance.

Ogata kisses Yuki. This is messed up, but I'm so used to these kind of thigns from this show I have little reaction except "ew", because how much older is he then her? Well, at least it's better then Touya kissing someone, who actually didn't this episode. She doesn't even pull away right away, but does eventually, crying. She goes to Touya's. We flash quickly to Rina drinking something and ends up coughing violently.
The episode ends there, with Menou walking outside to see the two embracing, with the backdrop of Ogata calling the police.

I've liked this series, but I'm ready to move on. I feel like it lost something I used to like about it, and got too convoluted along the way.

White Album Season 2, Episode 10

I come with just one episode today, partly because we're nearing the end it makes it more dramatic, partly because I've been pretty busy lately, but mostly just because I feel like it.

Theme of this episode: Creepy horror movie lines.
Well, maybe that's just my opinon. But still.'

We open with a phone conversation between Yayoi and Yuki. Yayoi informs, in a pretty creepy voice "The Venus festival has been finalized." See? Horror movie in the making. I just reliazed this is the only time we have to see Yayoi the entire episode. That's pretty awesome, since she's the second most annoying character on the show (the first being Touya).

Next, is some conversation between Menou and Rina, but honestly I kind of didn't pay attention during this part, so I can't tell you what happened.

We see Mana-chan taking her exam, and although I'm pretty sure we see her crying at one point during the episode, we learn later she passes, so that's pretty good I guess.

Misaki tells Touya that she wants to break up with Akira. This makes me want to hit her over the head, because Akira has always seemed like a really cool guy, I have no idea why ANYONE would pick Touya over him. And then, of course, Misaki kisses Touya. Because I guess a different girl has to kiss Touya every episode now.

Now we reach the point in my notes where I have written "Touya's dad is dead. I hate Touya." That basically sums it up. Touya's dad dies, thinking about Yuki, although I'm not quite sure what was going on there. Touya of course, does not act like he's upset at all, he actually makes a pretty rude comment which I don't remember, but I know Akira told him off for it (yay Akira!). But then suddenly, when he's with Misaki he's crying and asking her "Just one time, just for today, I'd like you to fall in love with me." WHAT THE....? They persumably sleep together with the fun and creepy line #2 of the episode "Farwell, Misaki-San." I mean come on, that's just weird.

At one point we see a flash of this lady. Who is she?????


At one point we see a flash of this lady. Who is she?????

It's Haruka's birthday, and apparently Akira and Haruka are going out on a date. This was totally left field for me, but I am happy Akira finally caught a break. Want to know what Touya has to say about what should be at least a semi-suprising revelation? "I didn't know he could ride a bike."

Now we have a covesation with Rina and Mana's mom, that crazy lady who's name I don't remember. We get a look into Rina's past, where we learn her mom died at a young age, and also into Mana's past, who apparently used to be childhood friends with Yuki. Also, Menou is her daughter, which I feel like should be suprising but isn't because they are both crazy.

The episode ends with....Akira getting in a car wreck! If he dies, I will lose all hope in this show.

White Album Season 2, Episodes 8 and 9

Highschool Yuki and Misaki. Just for fun.

Aren't you all amazed at how much I've been posting lately? I don't think I'm gong to keep doing it every day, because I do actually have some form of a life outside of the internet, but I definately plan on a couple times a week, once a week at minimum.

I had some really good screencaps prepared from episode 8 but somehow lost them all. As you may have noticed, I'm kind of a lazy person and don't feel like going back for them. So you're just going to have to be content with subpar screencaps this review.

So onto the episodes. We open up with the girl that Touya ditched completely ignoring his attempt at an apology. YES! This was just awesome, I literally felt like cheering. An equally great scene was where Mana put on some headphones, and we hear what she is listening to isntead of Touya who is trying to talk to her in the background. Touya being spited like that just brings joy to my heart.

Just when you thought Yayoi couldn't get any more disturbing, she walks in to the boy's bathroom while Touya is innocently standing at the sink, pushes him down onto the toliet, and locks the stall door, all to confirm thier "plans for later." Maybe I should have suprised, but I really really was't. Not much suprises me about this show anymore, I think if Touya started being nice to people I might have a heart attack though.

The focus of these episodes shifts from the lovely Rina, who in fact we barely see at all, and instead moves to some characters we haven't seen in awhile, Haruka, Misaki and Mana. The Haruka and Mana stolyines kind of annoyed me, but I guess I have to talk about them don't I?

Well, Mana, for some reason unknown to me, goes Ogata style insane, flips over a desk, tears some stuff up, then runs away and gets on a taxi. Touya goes after her and finds her hiding out with Haruka at some kind of cabin, and Haruka is playing tennis. Which I remember is supposed to be a big deal because of her brother's death. Mana dissapeas and this is basically the end of her pointless storlyine because next time we see her she is totally happy and chipper and visiting Touya's dad in the hospital? Whateve.r

Haruka and Touya hang out and Haruka makes a move on Touya naked, and although we don't see anything it was rather uncomfortable for not just Touya but the viewers. Despite the fact he intially ignores his advances, he is still the hugest tool in the world and kisses her...well.

I tried to think of how many girls Touya has kissed on the show, and it's sad that I just don't know.

On the Misaki side of things, a journalist got the pictures of Yayoi and Touya from some poor photographer who seemes to be in way over his head. He apparently stabbed Misaki, not sure if we actually saw this or not, it must have been awhile ago if so. He threatens to show the pictures to the world if Misaki doesn't write an article for him. Menou comes and scares him and gives him some better material in the way of some trashy pictures of herself. How she knows Touya I really don't remember.

Menou swooping in to save the day.

The episode ends with Rina being upset with Touya, but neither him nor the views know why.

Well...not much to say about these episodes. It was nice to see some of the characters that were seemingly forgotten, but the Mana strorylne went nowhere, and I just couln't bring myself to care abot the Haruka one. I guess if I had to pick one I would say the Misaki/blackmail.

White Album Episodes 6 and 7.

FINALLY. FINALLY. FINALLY.
Yuki is no longer in the dark and bumbling around like a niave idiot. She actually used the word "suspicious" I've been dreaming of for who knows how long. And who brought me out of my perpetual misery? You guessed it- Rina. She admits, with neither chagrin nor pride, that her and Touya kissed. The way this conversation went was very confusing, Rina was so calm and I felt she was trying to make it come off as a challenege but just couldn't do it. After she leaves we see her holding back tears.

Who could though, when Yuki goes of the wall crazy and starts BITING HER WRISTS until they bleed? I feel like White Album has some kind of "intensity" quota they try to reach each week. This was just...wow. I didn't even know you could do that. But despite this show of blatant emotion Yuki refuses to hit Rina when it's offered saying "you're someone I love too." And even after she calms down does not really acceapt Rina's challenge. She claims she will "wait until she dies" or something like that, reiterating what she said to Touya's father the other day. That's dedication.

Here's a tame screencap of Yuki's freak-out. I don't do well with blood.

Speaking of off the-wall-crazy, we finally see the ending of the stupid painting plot in that we learn Ogata is INSANE. He has a room full of paintings, which he thinks are all the same, but are actually all different. When Yuki points out this fairly obvious fact he loses it, laughing and crying and generally looking pyscho. Yuki leaves and Ogata begins ranting about some stuff and tells Yayoi to take off her clothes. She of course has no problem with this because she's Yayoi, and begins to do it before Ogata tells her to stop because he was kidding. This whole thing was generally weird and kind of disturbing so I'm not going to talk about it anymore.

I decided to spare you and pick a picture of the painting room and not Ogata being insane.

Touya continues to suck and goes on a date with some girl who apparently had been one of his "saviour goddesses" in the past. I forgot about that plot point, I think I had kind of forgot Touya used to actually care about Yuki. In case you've forgetten as well, I think these were people who helped him and Yuki meet up, although usually unintenionally. Akira sees Touya on this date and goes to tell him off, but is stopped by Misaki. Why she stops him I don't know, but props to Akira. I really hope that's actually his name since I respect him now. Touya, whos officially the biggest tool in the whole world, DITCHES her to get in a car with Yayoi. I'm not sure if I've hated him since the beggining, but now there is nothing that I could see reedeming him in my eyes.

I actually googled insulting names to look for something to call him, but I want to keep this blog appropriate so I'll hold back for now. If I can find some funny ones that fit my quota, I'll post them. Feel free to email some in.

You poor, poor girl. And I'm not talking about the fact that he ditched you, I'm talking about the fact that you were for some reason attracted to him in the first place.

Now I'm going to cram in everything else. We see Haruka for two seconds, and I don't think we see Mana at all. There's something about some post Sakrua-Den memebers, but I didn't care. We see some flashbacks of Rina when she first got into the buisness, it took me awhile to reliaze that's what it was because flashbacks on the show don't have any sort of transtition or different coloring. I'm starting to see the lack of budgeting this show truly has, the art has potential but it's like they decided to stop trying. Finally, some girl who was laughing in an Ogata-ish kind of way invites herself to Touya's pad and then gets dragged off by some other guy. Fun.

These episodes were on the weird side, but I'm going to keep watching because why not? I've made it this far haven't I? I read somewhere the ending is horrible, so that should be fun, but we are still 6 episodes away from that.

I'm starting to wonder who on this show isn't crazy. Besides Rina.

So I'm starting to worry the size of the screencaps are too large and make the posts look too long. Feedback? This post is actually pretty short if you look at just the text. I'm trying to focus on just getting more content and getting on some sort of scedule so people might start to actually follow this blog.

White Album, Season 2 Episodes 4 and 5

So I was orginally going to talk to continue talking about this series in three episode blocks, but sooo much happened in these two episodes I decided to talk about them on thier own otherwise it might just fry my brain.

Episode 4 starts off, and as I haven't watched this show in several months I'm trying to remember what is actually going on. This is NOT a show you can just start and stop, it's much better watched all at once, because I got lost a lot. Made me appreciate the "Previously on..." reviews from many American shows. Because right away we start off with a super intense scene. Yuki is running after Rina in the rain, crying and begging her to reconsider her decision of changing record companies, which is the focus of these two epsodes. Rina, in her never ending awesomeness, tells Yuki not to blame herself.

At some point in episode 4 there was some weird sub plot about a painting, but I don't remember what this has to do with and mostly tuned it out. One thing that's bothering me, is the lady who is the head of M and M records, was she the same lady we saw hitting those girls, who we now see in the recording studio? I really should have found summaries or something. She looked downright evil at one point her car, I have "Eyes of FEAR" written in my notes because both her and Yayoi had great close-ups of thier eyes. I could have tkaen a screenshot of this, but I'm too lazy to go back and find it now.

Also we have a scence with Haruka and Mana-chan basically talking about how much they're both in love with Touya, along with Misaki and that one guy's name who I can't remember (Akira?), but I know I'm happy that they are dating now. This is about the only time you get to see any of them throughout the length of these episodes, so enjoy them while you can.

Now for the really juicy stuff, episode 5. Touya continues to show his wonderful dedication to his girlfriiend by making out with two other girls in this episode, Yayoi again (if you want to count her as a girl)...and wait for it...RINA! I'll hold off for talking about that for a second. The interesting thing with the Yayoi kiss is that someone TOOK PICTURES. This got me really excited, because I'm not sure who would care what Touya does (besides all the girls who love him), but I sense some blackmail coming and that at least should be interestng. Touya seemed generally negative towards Yuki in this episode in general, which was nice because before he was still being all lovey with her while cheating. I think he's starting to maybe at least be honest with himself.

So now to the Rina and Touya kiss. Touya was orginally avoiding Rina because of thier fight, which I know had something to do with Yuki, but he comes to see her now and check how she's doing. At first Rina just kind of shakes him off. "I'm Rina Ogata. You really think I'd cry?" I loved that line. They have a bit og a moment, but it doesn't really go anywhere. Touya turns around to walk away, but then stops and is about to ask her something when Rina bursts out in tears and asks Touya to kiss her, and BAM!

Usually I like to rant about Touyas infidelities, but this is Rina we're talking about so I'm going to let it slide.

So if that moment isn't enough to get your blood racing, we cut to Yuki walking up to Rina's room as well. This two episodes have been strung with little comments from both Yayoi and Rina about the letter, but Yuki of course remains completely trusting, dedicated, etc., especially with Touya's father when she says she'd "be ready to fall in love with him all over again" if Touya were to love her.

While she deosn't see the kiss, she does see Touya leaving and the look on her face makes me hope she might finally start trusting everyone a little less.

I still love love this show, I forgot how excited it makes me and will hopefully have some more reviews for you soon because I just HAVE to know what happens. I'm thinking i'll get rid of the ratings system though, I never knew what to do with it really, at least on an episode by episode basis. Maybe at the end of a series I'll find a more creative way to do it.