KOKORO CONNECT

Kokoro Connect is an anime from genre of drama and romance. The story involves five high school students, Taichi, Iori, Himeko, Yoshifumi and Yui, who are all members of the Cultural Research Club. One day, they begin experiencing a phenomenon in which they randomly swap bodies amongst themselves. As these five friends face many different phenomena at the whims of a mysterious being known as Heartseed, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.

The thing that attracts me to this anime is the deep bond among the five friends.The five of them encounter many obstacles caused by the Heartseed and each time they managed to clear an obstacle, their friendship deepens.

So in a way, the Heartseed is strengthening the bonds between them. When facing the obstacle, the drama involved developed in a suspense that will make you wander "What's next ?". There were several episodes that nearly made me cry. When they cleared an obstacle, I will feel very relieved and happy. That is how influential the story is to me. The triangle romance between Taichi, Iori and Himeko are also very sweet and funny. After I finished watching this anime, I had a different view on friendship and felt a need for a genuine and deep friendship.

 

Here's a link to the PV of the anime. Enjoy~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWcqFygFg08

SKET DANCE

Sket Dance is an anime from the genre of comedy and drama. The manga focuses on the (mis)adventures of Kaimei High School's campus support club, the Sket Dan,"Helper's Club"; included English acronym: "SKET (Support, Kindness, Encouragement, and Troubleshoot)"). Dedicated to the general improvement of campus life, the Sket Dan is devoted to solving any & all problems submitted by the staff or student body. However, due to its general lack of meaningful assignments & the unglamorous reputation of being just a 'group of handymen', the Sket Dan is treated with widespread contempt and it is composed of only three members.

The story is told through a series of short, self-contained stories focusing on cases undertaken by the Sket Dan and is usually told in the space of one or two chapters. Cases to date focus on a variety of issues from more humorous cases (like chasing monkeys around the school or helping a wanna-be samurai find out why he cannot win kendo tournaments) to more serious cases (like those hinting at Himeko's violent past or those concerning near-terminal illness).

Characters from previous cases often make cameos in later cases and recurring story lines, such as the Sket Dan rivalry with the school's Student Council.

As I'm a fan of comedy, this anime offered enough to keep me stick to it. The main protagonist's personality is something you rarely see in other main characters. The main character, Bossun is always portrayed as a lame person and cries easily but he is known for his enthusiasm in helping others, and he is quite optimistic and righteous. Bossun will do anything to get the request done and right, even if it causes him humiliation and embarrassment.He will also fight to protect his friends from danger. Besides the humorous interaction between the characters which all of them has bizarre personality, the face expression of the main character is definitely something that will make you laugh till you drop. For the gag lovers out there, check out this anime.

Here's the link the PV of the anime. Enjoy~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7fC92RZAAQ

SOUL EATER

Soul Eater is an anime from the genre of action, adventure and comedy. Soul Eater is set at Death Weapon Meister Academy located in the fictional Death City in Nevada,United States. The school is run by Shinigami, also known as Death, as a training facility for humans with the ability to transform into weapons, as well as the wielders of those weapons, called meisters. Attending this school are meister Maka Albarn and her scythe partner Soul Eater; ninja Black Star and his partner Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, who can turn into a variety of different weapons such as akusarigama, shuriken, and ninjatō; and Shinigami's son Death the Kid and his pistol partners Liz and Patty Thompson. The goal of the school's meister students is to have their weapons defeat and absorb the souls of 99 evil humans and one witch, which will dramatically increase the power of the given weapon and turn them into "death scythes", weapons capable of being used by Shinigami.

One aspect that attracts me to this anime is the concept that one's strength correspond to one's soul wavelength. Another fuel to one's strength is madness. A power that enable the meister to be immune to the pain of physical damage but a powerful madness will cause the person to lose itself at the same time, so this power is a double-edged sword. Another way to increase one's ability is to synchronize the wavelength between the meister and the weapon partner. Besides that, there is a lot of comedy involved in the anime. For several times, I laughed so hard until I had abdominal pain because of the funny scenes. If you're someone seeking laughter and action at the same time, I strongly recommend this anime.

KATEKYO HITMAN REBORN

Katekyo Hitman Reborn is an anime from genre of action and comedy. The story revolves around a boy named Tsunayoshi Sawada, who is chosen to become the Vongola Family's boss due to him being the great-great-great-great grandson of the first Vongola boss, who had moved to Japan from Italy during his own time. He is told by Reborn that he will become the tenth Vongola boss. Also, the other candidates for the position of the head of the Vongola Family have died. For these reasons, Tsuna is the only remaining heir. As such, Timoteo a.k.a. "Vongola IX", the current head of the family, sends Reborn, an infant hitman from Italy, to train Tsuna. Tsuna then unwillingly undergoes training from Reborn. Reborn's main method of teaching Tsuna is the "Deathperate Bullet" , which will make the person be "reborn" with a stronger self intent on fulfilling his dying will. Through his experiences, the initially clumsy and underachieving Tsuna unconsciously becomes stronger, more confident, and willing, which ultimately makes him better suited as the Vongola Family's boss despite continuing to reject his Mafia inheritance. He also starts making several friendships such as his crush Kyoko Sasagawa.

The main attraction of this anime to me is the comedy which can be found in most of the episodes and also the fighting scenes. The comedy involved are mainly played by the main protagonist, Tsuna, and his guadians.

The abilities found in the anime is powered by a person's resolution in the form of dying will flame with the presence of a ring. The flame are divided into seven elements (sky,cloud,lighting,mist,rain,storm,sun). Tsuna being the boss of the Vongola family has the sky flame. Another interesting thing is the contrast between Tsuna personality before and after going into dying will mode in which he become very charismatic. The bond between Tsuna and his tutor, Reborn is also very heart-warming.

FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST 

Fullmetal Alchemist is an anime from genre of adventure and science fantasy. The world of Fullmetal Alchemist is styled after the European Industrial Revolution. Set in a fictional universe in which alchemy is one of the most advanced scientific techniques, the story follows the brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric, who are searching for a Philosopher's Stone to restore their bodies after a disastrous failed attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy.

Edward and Alphonse Elric are two alchemist brothers searching for the legendary catalyst called the Philosopher's Stone, a powerful object which would allow them to recover their bodies (which were lost in an attempt to bring their mother back to life through alchemy). Born in the village of Resembool from the country of Amestris, the two brothers lived there with their mother Trisha Elric. Their father, Von Hohenheim, left home for unknown reasons and years later, Trisha died of a terminal illness, leaving the Elric brothers alone. After their mother's death, Edward became determined to bring her back through the use of alchemy, an advanced science in which objects can be created from raw materials. They researched Human Transmutation, a forbidden art in which one attempts to create or modify a human being. However, this attempt failed, resulting in the loss of Edward's left leg and Alphonse's entire body. In a desperate effort to save his brother, Edward sacrificed his right arm to affix Alphonse's soul to a suit of armor. Some days later, an alchemist named Roy Mustang visited the Elric brothers, and proposed that Edward become a member of the State Military of Amestris in exchange for more research materials to find a way to recover their bodies. After that, Edward's left leg and right arm were replaced with automail, a type of advanced prosthetic limb, built for him by his close family friends Winry Rockbell and her grandmother Pinako.

This anime is famous for its concept of story and the developement of the plot. The main rule in the use of transmutation in the anime is equivalent exchange. In order to obtain something, another thing with equivalent value must be sacrifice. This concept really promote the morale that if you want something, you have to work for it. The deep bond between the brothers are another highlight of the anime. The anime is divided into two series which is Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood.

Here's a link to the clip of the anime. Enjoy~
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvfV26Y15zQ

HUNTER X HUNTER

Hunter X Hunter is an anime from the genre of action and adventure. The story focuses on a young boy named Gon, who discovers that his father, whom he was told was dead, is actually alive and well. He learns that his father, Ging, is a world-renowned Hunter: a licensed profession for those who specialize in fantastic pursuits such as locating rare or unidentified animal species, treasure hunting, surveying unexplored enclaves, or hunting down lawless individuals. Despite Ging having left his son with his relatives in order to pursue his own dreams, Gon departs upon a journey to follow in his father's footsteps, pass the rigorous Hunter Examination, and eventually find his father. Along the way, Gon meets various other kinds of Hunters and also encounters the paranormal. 

The aspect of the anime that attracts me the most is the deep friendship between Gon and his best friend, Killua whom he met during the hunter examination. The bond between Gon and the other two of his friends, Kurapika and Leorio is also something very heart-warming. The powers and abilities found in the anime are also very interesting to see. The abilities are powered by Nen, a life energy and this energy can be used to developed individual skills based on the person's Nen nature. Even though the main protagonist in this anime is a kid, the comedy between Gon and Killua are pretty humorous. This anime actually debuts in 1998 but has a remake in 2011 in a better graphic. For now, the anime is still ongoing, so go check it out.

Here's a link to the trailer of the anime. Enjoy~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5-Is3sjnBY

PSYCHO-PASS

Psycho-Pass is an anime from the genre of science fiction and thriller. Psycho-Pass is set in a future where it is possible to instantaneously measure a person's mental state, personality, and the probability that a person will commit crimes, all through a "cymatic scan" of the brain. The resulting assessment is called a Psycho-Pass. When this probability, measured by the "Crime Coefficient" index, is too high in an individual, they are pursued and apprehended—with lethal force, if necessary. The plot focuses on a young adult named Akane Tsunemori who is a new police officer known as Inspector within Unit One of the Public Safety Bureau's Criminal Investigation Division. As an Inspector she hunts criminal alongside a special team of so called latent criminals (people whose Crime Coefficients are deemed too high, and without chance of recovery) called Enforcers. Both Enforcers and Inspectors use gun "Dominators", special weapons designed to fire only on those with a higher-than-acceptable Crime Coefficient. During some of Akane's first investigations, the group learns of a mastermind behind multiple crimes, Shogo Makishima.

The main attraction of the anime is its concept itself. The concept of the really drawn me into thinking about the pros and cons of the system of scanning a person's mental state. The other aspect of the anime that kept me watching it the the main antagonist, Shogo Makishima who had this really twisted ideas and yet can't be argued. The main antagonist was also portrayed as someone very charismatic which is not common to be seen in anime.  Besides, the dark side of the anime and the madness involved in it are something that is very interesting.

   Here's a trailer of the anime. Enjoy~

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgDBzAHg4wU