Girl from the Ring + Four 'hot' guys = The Wallflower

At first glance I thought that this was going to be a very average anime; but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised.

While most of the male characters in 'The Wallflower' look like drag queens, I decided to put up with how they were drawn and I found myself falling totally in love with the show. Not because it was overly romantic (which always scores big points with me), or that it was a reverse-harem anime. No, the reason I fell in love with 'The Wallflower' is because of the main character.

Sunako Nakahara fucking rocks. She's stubborn, obsessed with weird things and uses a nosebleed as a protective measure against pretty boys. She had been an average girl who was worried about her appearance and how people saw her. However, after being rejected by a boy she had been in love with for two years, she finally snapped and totally let go of herself. She developed a fetish for gore, horror and everything that girls generally scream at. She also began to abhor light and grew her bangs long so that she couldn't see the 'dazzling creatures' around her. However, things for her take a turn for the worse when her aunt sends her to live in the mansion she rents out; so she's forced to live along side four 'gorgeous' boys. Not only that, but if the boys manage to make her a 'lady' by the time her aunt comes to see her again, then they won't have to pay rent for living in the luxurious mansion.

So after being forced to cut her bangs and see the 'dazzling' creatures properly, she starts to have nosebleeds (that can't physically be possible) whenever she sees any of the boys, specifically Kyohei. Seeing so much blood coming out of a person's nose really reminds me of the vampire anime called Karin, which I'll be reviewing later. But anyway, I think it's a pretty good anime, though I don't really go for the way the guys really do look like girls. I'm all for bishy, but not that bishy.

The plot is pretty good, with a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, and you can become really fond of the characters because of how bizarre they all are. Although it could have been quite typical of the reverse-harem genre, the original main character (Sunako) makes it stand above the rest of them by giving it a fresh and unique twist. The themes of vanity and self-acceptance underneath the comedic demeanor of this story makes it quite thought provoking at times and you come to appreciate how much work the mangaka put into writing the manga.

The most interesting developing romantic relationship is mainly between Sunako and Kyohei. While the two of them refuse to accept the possibility that they like each other, it's pretty obvious towards the end of the series, depsite the open ended finale. They're pretty hilarious to watch really, seeing as they're so similar, what with their competitivity and their hatred of their looks. I also found it quite hilarious when they smashed into each other during a ping-pong match and accidently kissed one another; though I think I was laughing mainly because it looked more painful than anything else.

My second favourite couple have to be Takenaga and Noi. While they're not really a central couple to the series, the glimpses we see of them together are quite amusing. With Noi's exaggerated female fantasies and Takenaga's shyness, they're elicited a couple of giggles from me because of how stupid they looked sometimes. I also had to cringe a little too, especially when Noi went all moe over Takenaga in a business suit.

The soundtrack was pretty good as it suited the weirdly gothic theme of this series, and the artwork wasn't that bad. My only objection is to how Ranmaru and Yuki were drawn. They seriously look like drag queens. Just look at the pictures above and you'll see!

Anyway, as a whole, this wasn't that bad. It wasn't the best, but it was quite funny in some bits and it didn't require much brain power to watch. So if you're ever bored and you want to watch something amusing that won't be too taxing on the old noggin', then this is good choice to watch. Just make sure you're not weak at the sight copious amounts of blood.

Adios.

Pretear - The Corniest thing I've ever watched/read

Where do I even begin to start with Pretear? Okay, I'll start from the very beginning.

After randomly browsing the internet for anime I should watch, I stumbled upon the Wikipedia page for Pretear. While I thought that it didn't look that great, I noticed that it was a reverse-harem anime and I naturally got curious (because I'm very pro-reverse-harem). After downloading it and opening the file for the first episode I knew that this was going to be the funniest thing to watch. Not because it was a comedy, but because of how CORNY it was.

In the first couple of minutes into the first episode you're introduced to way too many main characters and you're left going, 'Okay, what the fuck was that?' You're left bemused not just because of the sudden splurge of characters but because you have to double take when you see the drag queen with the blonde ponytail and heeled boots. That's right, it's actually a guy.

When you're eventually introduced to the main character you'll soon realise that she's one of those characters that are akin to marmite. You either love her or hate her. Himeno = marmite. Personally, I don't think she's that bad. She's pretty much a typical, stubborn high schooler which I liked, but the fact that she did martial arts pissed me off. It wasn't just because it's the main thing that turned her into a mary-sue character, but because there was no real point to it, other than give her an excuse to punch Hayate whenever he gets too close and pervy. Other than that, she's a decent character for a reverse harem.

The other characters aren't really that great. While each of the characters have their own personalities and seem to have been thought out, I found myself wondering why there had to be so many. While the little kid characters were cute, I didn't think they were necessary for the plot and they only managed to confuse me further when first watching this. As for the adult characters... I have big issues with them. The character of Kei really pissed me off in the anime; he was stuck-up and self-obsessed. Same goes for the manga; he was stuck up and self-obsessed, but he had reason to be. In the manga he looked normal, he didn't look like a cross dressing weirdo.

One of the other main characters I have issues with is Sasame. When watching the anime for the first time, I found myself wanting to punch him when he said 'So do I' after Hino said that she believed all guys should be like him. I also found that half the things he said were some of corniest things I've ever heard in my life. It's worse than watching my mother's filipino drama films! And those were pretty bad! Thankfully, Hayate wasn't as corny as him. He seems like one of the most realistic and hilarious characters in the whole thing and he provided me with a great about of comic relief, as did the whole relationship with Hino.

The general plotline was relatively simple. Girl has to save the world with the help of seven 'supposedly' hot guys. There is very little in the way of twists and its all very linear, which is good for little kids, but not that great for 17 year olds who want something that can get their teeth into. With names like 'The Princess of Destruction', 'The Snow White Princess Pretear' and 'Puppet of Darkness', you wonder what in the hell the mangaka was thinking when he was writing the story. I mean, even my 8 year old cousin cringed at the names!

The art itself is bogstandard. Nothing stands out except for the creepy affects used in the anime when their eyes go emotional; it scared my cousin slightly when she first noticed it, which isn't really the effect desired from a romance scene. The costume designs were rather bizarre and crappy, though I loved how colourful everything was in the anime. (I <3 colour!)

In general, I think this was a pretty boring anime. Nothing elevates it above the rest and it's kind of embarrassing to watch with anyone except your younger siblings or cousins. The only thing that really makes it stand out is that it's one of those things you can really take the piss out of and not feel guilty about it because you know you're right.