Death Parade

To me, this was the catchiest intro to an anime this season. I literally can't get it out of my head whenever I think about it, even now. *Boom, boom, boom, dancing through the skies* Just listen to it. :)

The cast.

It's dark and it's entertaining. 

The show is about being judged once you die, so characters appear in a bar named Quindecim and are asked to play a game. The actions of the person, as well as the outcome of the game, determine where that person goes after death. But, they don't know they are dead. 

Not every episode is about those who die though, we learn about those who work in Quindecim (Arbiters) and why they exist.

I'm not doing this anime any justice.

Decim and the unnamed girl.

It's touching when you go on a journey with the Arbiters and learn about their ways, and the ending is so emotional. So characters are so annoying that they irritated me, and some I loved even though their motives were unjustified. You can connect with a guest in each episode, and you can understand why they do the things they do. 

It also teaches us to not take our life for granted and to fulfil it as much as we can a life can be short. What anime actively teaches you things? (Besides the medical one I am currently watching?)

Nona.

A couple of scenes are a little gross, but it's not over-bearing and contains enough blood for the gore-lovers not to be too disappointed. The intro is really happy compared with the content and I love the change of pace. So give it a try. 

[There was a 'pilot' for this season published in Anime Mirai 2013, under the title of Death Billiards and I highly recommend this too.]

Unconditional love,

Cazzie x 

Hakkenden: Touhou Hakken Ibun (Seasons 1 & 2)

How can something be so beautiful and so sad at the same time?

These two series follow on from each other fairly well, and even the episode number (in the anime, not as listed) follows on in ascending order. It's as though the series was supposed to be one long one, but they decided to put it in two halves (I have not read up on this, nor know the actual reason behind this decision).

Shino.

The story follows Shino, an apparent pre-pubescent boy, and his childhood friends, Sousuke and Hamaji. They were orphaned due to a terrible incident in their village five years prior, and stuck together as family, the only survivors. With strange ties to the church, a lack of memories of the past and demonic powers, this story covers it all. Some things are not even revealed until the very end, so it has plenty of questions to keep you watching.

Hamaji.

I found it really intriguing, there are hints to keep you guessing but it is also pleasant to watch by just going with the flow and not thinking too much. I would also call this a casual anime, you get obsessed with watching it, but you don't feel the need to watch every episode in succession (it came out a year or two ago, so I watched it when I had the time, instead of making time for it).

Sousuke fighting himself/ other half.

If you liked Spirited Away, Fruits Basket, or any other anime with spirits, demons and all things legendary, then check this out. You won't regret it, that is my personal guarantee.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Ookami Shoujo to Kuro Ouji (Wolf Girl and Black Prince)

I haven't posted over Christmas as I went to see family for the week, which means I caught up on my anime today and I am writing the posts now (they will be uploaded over a couple of days).

Firstly, this is the most beautiful ending to a series I have seen in a while, no loose ends, no real questions (that bothered me) and it all wrapped itself up nicely. Being a comedy and reading the synopsis before starting the series, I was skeptical.

"The story centers around Erika Shinohara, a vain 16-year-old girl who tells her friends about her romantic exploits, but she actually has no boyfriend. She claims that a handsome boy in a candid photo is her boyfriend, but it turns out that boy is a schoolmate named Kyouya Sata. She has no choice but to make him her fake boyfriend. Unfortunately, Sata may look like a sweet person, but he is actually an ultra-black-hearted sadist. Sata takes advantage of Erika's weakness and treats her like his dog." (From animeultima.tv)

It reminded me of the film Easy A with Emma Stone, except Erica wanted everyone to know about her fake boyfriend. She is really relatable, in some aspects, but is a typical girl. She wants to impress some new friends, and her lie just gets bigger and bigger, but I found that even though she is the main character, the story actually focuses more on Sata. He is the heartthrob of the school, and every girl wants him, but he is not interested in anyone. 

If you want to watch a light hearted comedy, with plenty of character development, this is for you. Also watch if you like Baka no Test, shame there's no cross-dressing though.

Happy Watching.

Unconditional love,

Cazzie

Introducing: Project Happy UK

As a follow up from my previous post, I want to share with you the first video we produced as part of Project Happy.

We currently have a blog set up, with tips on getting through uni, and dealing with stress, among many future topics we will cover in relation to mental wellbeing. You can find it at www.projecthappyuk.wordpress.com  where Sarah and Katharine post weekly on Sundays. (I used real names for once).
We also have a twitter and instagram set up, both with the usernames @projecthappyuk.
Please follow and support us, if you have any suggestions, we will be sure to look into them and see what we can do. You can email us at: projecthappyuk@gmail.com

Thank you as always.
Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Tokyo Ghoul

THAT ENDING!!!

I need a new season and soon.

So I've realised that the anime I've watched this season all have shocking or rushed endings, and this was a tiny bit of both. Mostly shocking. And so fricking badass!

So, based on the title, take a guess at what this anime is about.
Ghouls in Tokyo?  You're right.

I hate this guy...

So ghouls are born as they are, a separate race from the humans, who live solely on human flesh.
Mini spoiler: Their bodies reject human food.
Humans do not turn into ghouls, and ghouls do not turn into people, but they can pretend to be human and live amongst them. Ghouls almost live in fear of humans, so they blend in and do not let humans know they are ghouls. (Was that a bit repetitive?) So what happens when a human is interested in dating a ghoul? Watch this and find out.

This dark, action anime presents you with the life of Kaneki, a human, living in Tokyo. If you're fine with blood, enjoy action scenes and plenty of rivals, you should give this a chance. Admittedly it gets darker the further in the series it gets, but I liked that about it.

I really don't know what to say without giving away the storyline. The storyline itself is pretty basic but the design and the way it is told is what makes it amazing. I shall just leave you with some images instead.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

<3 OH MY GOD!! I just remembered while looking through images, that I LOVE LOVE LOVE the opening song. I need to buy it ^.^

Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus

W..T..F?!

So I watched this with my sister and we were amazed that it was only ten episodes long. The beginning is intriguing, and unlike the first series, this takes on just one case throughout. It starts shortly after the curry contest in the first season, and Agni is back of course. :)

I don't know what to say without giving too much away.. Well, Ciel is in his London townhouse instead of his luxurious mansion, so we have a change of location. We see more of the servants fighting skills, oh, and there's a mysterious circus that Ciel and Sebastian join. The new cast makes scenes cheerier at first glance, but there is something sinister going on. Something worse than I could have thought possible.

Don't get me wrong, I love Kurohitsuji so much but this was too dark. It even added a new theory to my brain (I haven't read the manga at all) and kept me thinking all the way through. I just didn't like the ending. It was too dark...

SEBAS-CHAN!!! Grell also makes his appearance and is always infatuated with his Sebby. Grell is just so cute that I wanna pinch his little cheeks. :3

That is all I can say... I shall remain with my jaw hanging open and staring at the screen. Wishing for more.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Black Rock Shooter

8 EPISODES!? Only 8 episodes?

I think this is the shortest series I've ever watched, excluding OVAs, and obviously, it was watched in one session with my friend.

A little fetish escaping into anime?

Can I just say, that by the time I finally realised what was going on in the first and second episodes, and how they related both parts of the story, they introduced a new character to confuse me again. Also, the graphics are amazing. Not just the art, but how they created half of the scenes using 3D animations techniques, and then converted this to the 2D anime we all know and love.

Two worlds co-exist and take on the 'pain' of that world. Black Rock Shooter (yes, that is her name) lives in a world without emotional pain, but solves everything with violence. Her very existence is a battle to stay alive in a world that would no make sense to us. To cope with this world, she can transform her arm into a canon to aid her efforts.

Mato and Yomi

Meanwhile, Mato Kuroi is a middle-school student trying to reach out to befriend a classmate who keeps pushing her away. Although there is a reason for her classmate Yomi Takanashi to stay alone, Mato does not give up easily. This makes her school life a little more complicated than it used to be.

But, how do these two worlds relate? Why is survival for Black Rock Shooter more intense, action packed and filled to the brim with danger? Why does she literally have to fight to survive?

Alone, as two separate anime series, Mato's story would be too ordinary to be labeled a series in it's own right, and Black Rock Shooter's story would seem too action filled, without a break to be decent. However, the way they interlink and contrast each other make this a fantastic series to watch. A balance of calm and desperation, the way other characters interfere, and the difference in drawing styles to match each world.
I have found a stark contrast in reviews, a number of low scores equal to a number of high scores make this anime just like Marmite. Love it or hate it, at least give it a try. :)

Vocaloid (Hatsune Miku) and Black Rock Shooter. Not the image which inspired the song.

* * This started off as a drawing, turned into a music video sung by Hatsune Miku, and then an anime and film adaptation. Please note, I have only seen the anime series and not the film which is classed as the OVA at 52 minutes. (myanimelist.net) * *

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Kiki's Delivery Service

So I recently re-watched this film, and I think it was one of the first anime films I watched after getting back into anime. I love Studio Ghibli films anyway, and this is definitely a must see.

In short, the film tells the story of a young witch (just 13 years old) who leaves home in order to better train her powers and earn a living using her talents. As you can guess, she starts a delivery service and has to deal with the differences in the human world compared to where she grew up. But one day, disaster strikes and she finds that her powers have all 'gone'. Her magical quest with her black cat and new friends try to find a way for her to get her powers back.

I really recommend this film, it's great for the family and amazing to relax to. Go watch it :)

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

P.S. I moved back in with my mother about two weeks ago, absolutely hate it. If I can find a job, things will get better, but it's not as bad as being homeless, which was my other option. I've spent my days going out on day trips to meet people (Eastbourne, Brighton, London, etc) just to get out of the house. I went to London a couple of days ago to see my friend who I watch anime with. He came with me to do some uni stuff and going shopping for a little, then sat at his to watch this film and eat :3 I randomly got chatted up on my way over, 20 minutes later and I had to give my number out so that I could escape.

SUMMERRRRRR

Exam's are over and it's summertime now.

Time to watch anime, find a job and look for a new place to live from September.

Oh, I'm re-watching Black Butler with my current flatmate, so a review will be up soon. There's so much I forgot about in the past, like Grell being 'human' in the beginning :o. I've watched it a couple of times in the past, but when it comes to good anime, there's no such thing as watching it too much. :P

I have three weeks left in my contract at my flat, so I need a job as soon as I leave this place. Expect new blogs for when I actually do something. Last year when I started this thing, I thought my life was so dramatic. Now it's practically normal... University has changed me :O I'm not going out to clubs and bars as often as I used to, but I'm not staying in doing nothing either. Just keeping busy with everyday things.

That's all for now.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

RideBack

It's beautiful. Truly.

This anime is about a girl who has to give up her dream due to an injury, and then she finds this group where classmates ride Ridebacks. Think of an awesomely advanced motorbike with arms. This tells the story of how she comes to terms with not being able to dance again, and finding new friends.

With heart wrenching scenes, newfound love (not romantic, luckily) and plenty of action. I really recommend it.
It's not a long anime, which is good with all these exams, so I shall go back to revision. (I watched it a few weeks back.)

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Wolf Children

Not the best film out there, but it was pretty funny.

So the story is about two little children whose father is a werewolf. For various reasons (you can find out by watching this film), the dad is not on the scene, so it centres around the mother (definitely human) who has the struggle of raising two little children who randomly turn into wolves.
As you can imagine, this is difficult in any location, and it shows the sacrifices she has to make for the safety of her kids. It's quite heartwarming, and the children seem to switch their ways around a little. It has funny moments, and sad times.

If you like werewolves, talking animals and family centred films, this is for you. :)

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Reviews? Fractale!

I think I might start writing reviews over the next month of anime I have watched with my friend, John*. I mean, we're working through some pretty quickly as it is, despite deadlines and stuff, so instead of just listing what I have watched, I will write short reviews. I'll be glad to get some recommendations too. Oh, and there are some movies, and some series, and some of them I have seen before but I will review as I go along anyway.

Enri

So we watched Fractale just over a week ago now. It was nice and short, only 11 episodes, set in the future. There is one 'religion' completely different to the faiths we have today. called the Fractale System, and everybody prays to the stars. It shows how little true freedom these people actually have, but they live in unknown ignorance. (Think of the Matrix.)

Clain and Nessa

The story starts at the collapse of this system, where Clain (the main guy) goes on a journey for the secrets of the system, with the help of three unique girls; an outlaw, a priestess and a dopple. Although the anime is short, and some episodes feel really short, the story keeps moving with minimal fillers. There are answers at the end and he comes out of his shell a little. I love his love for 'antiques' which is basically anything physiscal as opposed to the digital world he lives in.

Phryne

Anyway, I liked the anime. :3

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

I'm Not THAT Funny

So a pigeon just sat on my table and all I did was point at it and say "No". Everyone around me laughed...

Too Small To Model, Yet Taller Than My Friends

Just what the title says.

I was working on Saturday and someone came up to me asking if I model. When I said 'No', he asked if I had ever modelled. My positive reply led to a disagreement over how I should/shouldn't consider myself a model. Apparently I have the face a figure for it. One little problem, I'm not very tall.

When I was measured at the doctors, I was said to be 5'4. I always thought I was an inch or two taller than that, but this is still short in terms of modelling. Most agencies require you to be 5'8 without shoes.

Also, like most girls around the Western world, I do not consider myself to be thin. I know that I am not fat as UK size 10 clothes are a little big on me now (need to do some major shopping), but I find my abs are getting strong enough to fade the hourglass figure I was once so proud of.

'Baggy' skinny jeans... Friend's house.

I know, I know, I have big hair. Now, when I see myself, I don't see what everyone else sees.
Models are 1) incredibly tall, and 2) incredibly thin. I love my food. I'm even eating as I type this. I eat quite healthily but every so often,, I binge on junk food... If I work out, I make sure to eat even more. Imagine me, trying to be one to them.. no thank you. I'M HAPPY BEING AVERAGE (for once).

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

APRIL FOOLS!!

Ok, so I have started writing this post at midnight. Exactly on midnight.

1st April. April Fool's Day. Have any plans? I never do.

Back in my school days, my friend had this idea to cut out little fish and stick them on people or put them in belongings. It came from our French teacher saying this is what happens in France, so our friendship group joined in this foreign tradition.

Then there was the time my friend told her mum that she was pregnant. Her mum's reply was "Hahaha, no one would touch you." BUUUURRRRRRNN!

Anyway, I can't think of any more pranks, my memory is terrible and I'm kind of lame. :P

Unconditional love,

Cazzie x 

Wishful Thinking

Have you ever wanted anything for ages?
A wish that you truly wanted to come true?
Did it come true?

Mine do.

I have made a few wishes in the past, and the ones that I truly wanted with all my heart (at the time) have come true.
Firstly, I wanted to be magic. And at one point I thought I was. Ok, so this may not have come true.
I wanted a twin, someone who looked exactly like me. So I have my sister, and people get us confused all the time even though we think we look nothing alike.
I wanted to be clever. I didn't work harder but I found some things easier to understand. Like maths.
I wished for a boyfriend. Well, I wanted to date this one guy,and over a year later, he was my first kiss and boyfriend.
When I was depressed, I wished to be happy. Now I'm happily managing bipolar disorder, with fewer and shorter depressive episodes.
I wished to go to university (last minute). I picked stupid subjects for A-levels and basically failed, but one university still accepted me. And here I am.

These are what I remember right now, but if I want something bad enough, it does come true. That may be through luck or hard work, but I believe in wishes coming true.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Anime

Do I watch too much anime? Well..... Is there such a thing? ;3

Probably. This is procrastination at its best. And considering the amount of work I have to do, this list is a bit much. Since starting back at uni at the beginning of the month, I have watched:
Pandora Hearts
Yumikui Merry
Special A
Mayo Chiki
Kaichou wa Maid-sama!
Mirai Nikki
Spiral: Suiri no Kizuna
Loveless
11eyes

Yumekui Merry

Special A - Sakura

Spiral

Loveless

11eyes

And I tried watching:
Starry Sky
To Love-Ru
Moonphase
Maria Holic
MM!
Yuru Yuri

So um... Maybe I started these around Christmas actually, the list seems a bit long for two weeks... Make that almost two months. :) And these are what I actually remember, my laptop history doesn't seem to go back very far...

How do you procrastinate? Do you watch anime too?

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Pretty Little Liars

This is one of about 5/6 shows I watch on a regular basis, when they're aired of course. I follow the programme online as I don't seem to be able to find it on TV in my country, plus I like to watch things around my schedule, not the broadcasters.

I know that most people write reviews and such after the season or show has finished, or after a mid-season finale, yet I am writing a little now. Because I'm that normal :P.

Spencer, Hanna (blonde), Aria and Emily.

Anyway, we're well into season 4, and it's getting as good as season 1 now :D. It's a show that follows these four friends, starting a year after their friend, Ali's, death. Ali brought these girls together in life, and now they stay together because of the person that calls him/herself, A. The seasons have gone through many suspects, 4(?) more deaths, a series of love interests and many twists and turns. The last episode I watched, made me gasp, and wonder what A has planned next. The more the girls dig for clues, and get closer to finding out the truth, the worse the consequences.

Aria

This show has taken us from beautiful Rosewood, to the creepy Ravenswood, and everywhere in between. No place is safe, and it has even made me a little more aware of what goes on around me. Only a little. ;)

Ali

We *think* we know who Red Coat is, but we still don't have all the answers. I don't want to release any spoilers with my other questions so: Why/what was Ali hiding? Who are all the people in her diary? And what else are the girls hiding?

Spencer

There's supposed to be another season after this, and hopefully between now and then, everything will make sense.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

I Failed

For the first time in my life, I have failed at something that I sort of cared about. I'm usually pretty lucky as I get my own way a lot, but this shocked me.

So, I applied for extenuating circumstances on one piece of coursework last semester, and handed it in a week late due to the drama and fear of living in the previous flat last November. That led to me not doing any work at all. I was given false information throughout the process, and when my results came through last Wednesday, it turns out that I got a big fat ZERO. I've never had a zero in my life, and it had to happen in my second year of university.

I am now taking an extra subject this semester, with readings for another subject. This brings me up to almost double the amount of work I usually do, and now I have to resubmit my work in August.

But I've been told that it is possible to trail one module into my third year anyway, and that I shouldn't stress too much. Now I just want to know why my request was rejected. I'm not going to let this get me down, I will find out why it was rejected the first time round, if I need to put much effort in incase the work is capped at 40% and I will get the work done again.

This is how I think, when something puts me down, I just think 'Is there a way around this hurdle?' because everything happens for a reason, right? I feel that I am destined for greater things, and no matter what gets in my way, I will achieve it. My motivation may lack sometimes, but if something is meant to be, then I will get there.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x

Love vs Lust

The age old question, am I in love, or is this lust?

What is love?
Love is unconditional, it is a mutual caring and protectiveness over another person. It can not be easily broken, and there will always be 'something' there even if you don't see each other anymore.
The film Frozen depicted it really well with Anna's True Love being her sister. This is love. Think about family love.

What is lust?
Lust is that tingly feeling you get when you see someone. It's the flirting, the kissing and the sex. Lust is physical more than emotional. It's exciting and makes you feel amazing, but can sometimes be short lived. Think more about the beginning of a relationship.

These definitions are in my opinion, not factual. I'm not saying that love and lust are completely different, because they are usually found together in a relationship.

I am constantly questioning if I actually love someone or not. So I meet this person, feel all tingly inside, want to be with them all the time, have so much care and emotion for them, but realise later that it wasn't love. Or not the love that I thought it could be.

I love people so much, and I can say it freely to my friends, but as soon as I met a potential partner, my lips stay sealed. I really do love everyone, until they give me a reason not to. My emotions run strong, really strong and it takes me forever to figure them out, but when I do, you'll know for sure. But I don'y want to say that I love someone, if I actually lust over them.

Unconditional love,
Cazzie x