samaru January 24th, 2007
I was looking for some South Park fan art, and I ran into these images. Part of what makes South Park funny, is the shitty art they use, so I don’t think an Anime version of these characters would work. It pains me to say that too, being such an Anime fan. Anywho, here are the images:
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samaru October 31st, 2006
After hearing a lot of rave about this Anime, I decided to give it a go. I have to admit, I was very reluctant watching an Anime about a little girl who wants to be a singer and encounters angels. Not only that, but these “angels” wear silly costumes (one wears a kitty hat, while the other wears bunny ears- check out the screenshots below). Yes, the premise sounds sort of silly when you think about, however, after you watch it, learn the reason for these silly costumes, learn more about the characters, it begins to unravel itself into a damn fine Anime. The characters are so likable that you’ll find yourself relating to them. And of course, there’s the good ol’ plot twists - what no good Anime is without. No wonder it’s currently Top 4 out of 200 at AnimeNfo and got five stars from two reviews at THEMAnime .
The Plot
The story starts out sort of childish, but it progresses and gets very intense halfway. It begins with Mitsuki, a little girl that learns from two Shinigamis (death gods who come to collect souls when humans die) she’s got one year to live. She has a throat tumor, you see. Because of this, she is determined to become a pop singer no matter what it takes, and the two Shinigamis agree to help her. Within this one year (throughout the course of this series’s 52 episodes), Mitsuki experiences things she has never had a chance to before. The two Shinigamis, Meroko and Takuto, eventually befriend her and all three become inseparable. They all become best friends and unite to tackle the challenges they encouter in this story filled with some of the most emotional scenes I’ve encountered in Anime. This is a drama/comedy. Here’s some screenshots.
The Music
I liked the music so much that I’m inspired to learn at least one of the songs. Most likely “Love Chronicle.” This is such a simple song, with great chords that really portray some of the sad AND happy scenes of the Anime. The beginning and end of the song, with its sweet harmonic 8th notes portray the more joyous/funny scenes of the Anime. Everything in between is emotional. The differences in tone sort of illustrate the story of the Anime.
In any case, these are four piano arrangements I’ve found on the Internet. They are the sheet music with its MIDI/MP3 equivalent so you hear what it sounds like.
Myself: PDF Sheet Music | MP3
Eternal Snow: PDF Sheet Music | MP3
Love Chronicle: PDF Sheet Music | MIDI
New Future: PDF Sheet Music | MIDI
samaru May 7th, 2006
Just goes to show the versatility of Anime. “Cooking Master Boy” is about Mao, and his adventure to follow the footsteps of his mom and become the best chef in China. Taking place in 19th century China, he goes through the hardships of becoming a master chef. Being only 13, he goes through constant discrimination of his age and his culinary talent is always questioned at first.
I recently just inherited all the 52 episodes and just watched eight episodes. I’m very intrigued by its originality. “What… an Anime about cooking? Could this work?” So far so good I say. Has good humor, and the action is deliveried by chefs constantly competing. The episodes I have are in Cantonese, so it gives it more of a Chinese touch, rather than Japanese, which is mostly what I’m used to hearing when watching Anime.
Like most Anime, the characters are obsessed with what they do. Mao knows foods and ingredients down to a science. The characters he competes with are masters in their line of work - from knife handling to wok acrobatics. Competitors are usually willing to do anything to win, and yes, this includes violence and sabotage.
I’ll keep watching this for its uniqueness. Good so far!
Screenshots from the Series
Episode Summaries
Review
Update from May 13, 2006:
Having watched 20 more episodes, I’m beginning to like this series. When I first started watching this series, I just believed that being a chef is about cooking food that tastes good. So far, the message in the series is that there’s more than just that. Through what’s happened in the series so far, being a chef means:
Also food isn’t just about taste. It’s about:
samaru February 23rd, 2006
Similarities in the series. Some similarities may be stronger than others. Some may be vague, but still something both have in common. ^_^
samaru September 13th, 2005
Similarities in the series. Some similarities may be stronger than others. Some may be vague, but still something both have in common. ^_^