Anime Watch: Your Lie in April

Hiyo, Bunnies!

Have you ever heard of this series called Your Lie in April aka Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso [四月は君の嘘]? It was originally a manga series that started in 2011 but didn't get an anime until last year. It's a romance drama with gorgeous art!

The story is about a middle-schooler named Kousei who was a piano prodigy as a child until his mother's untimely death. She was his teacher and a very fierce one at that.

Since she passed, he had a breakdown and felt he could never play the piano ever again. Kousei saw his life going black and white. That is, until he and his friends, Watari and Tsubaki, meet Kaori.

Kaori is an amazing violinist who, unlike Kousei, is a free spirit and goes wherever the music takes her. She is able to take sheet music and turn it into her own masterpiece. Her very being allows him to see color in his world again. She makes him want to play the piano again. She makes him live and feel.

I read some of the synopsis of the series and see that it's supposed to be a tragedy. But I'm not sure how much more tragic you can get than by losing one's mother. I'm only up to ep. 8 so I will have to wait and see. It's a very beautiful series to watch and the art is just so amazing. The colors go perfectly with the mood of the scenes and the character designs are very nice to look at. It also features many classical pieces! (Wonderful for the classical music fans!)

I also love both the opening Hikaru Nara (光るなら; If You Will Shine) by goose house and the ending Kirameki (キラメキ; Sparkle) by wacci!

Check out the trailer to hear a clip of the OP~

If you love series like Boys Over Flowers, Full Moon O Sagashite, Honey and Clover, Kimi Ni Todoke, La Corda d'Oro, Sand Chronicles or even Nodame Contabile - I highly recommend it! I hear it could be the anime of the year!

And to think I only found out about this series because Tokyo Otaku Mode posted the release for the Kaori figure! So give it a watch!

See you soon! 

30 Day Video Game Challenge - Day 7: Favorite Game Couple [02-26-15]

Hiyo, Bunnies!

Today I'd like to tell you about my Favorite Game Couple! A lot of video games, especially in RPGs, have romance. Or there is at least a character, if not the main, that gets a love interest. For most of the Final Fantasy series, the story revolves around it. For other games, it just kind of happens. And then, there are the games that you would never think would have a romance. I've noticed these tend to be horror or survival games.

I'm hoping there is someone out there reading this knows or remembers this series as these games were my favorite games for a very long time. Not many people played them because they weren't as super popular and the fighting system was a bit different from the norm.

I'm talking about

Shadow Hearts

The first Shadow Hearts is an old PS2 game from Azure and Midway in 2001. It is the direct sequel to an older game on the PS1 called Koudelka. The story revolves around a young man named Yuri who has the power to change into the monsters he defeated and fused with. He was sent by a mysterious voice to protect a priest's daughter named Alice who has the ability to heal and perform exorcisms.

As the story progresses, you see these two characters develop from being just a typical skirt-chaser kind of guy and a naive girl to a real relationship. Yuri soon realizes that this is more than just a mission to save a girl.

That everything happens for a reason and that the voice speaking to him is not just there to drive him crazy. He sees that she is able to tame his demons. That she is literally his guardian angel.

I won't go any farther into details but their relationship is pretty important to the story and it turns out to be really sweet! Now if you do intend to play, remember that it is a horror game. There are a lot of demons and creatures from actual folklore. But if that's your type of game or you're like me that feel you can handle it, definitely try to find a copy of this game! It's so worth it!

See you soon!