2016 Favourites

It's that time of the year again! Can't believe it's time for 2016 Favourites gg lol. Btw, I think I was a bit confused last year and did reviews rather than favourites hahaha, so this year goes back to the things that I definitely recommend! I recommend them all and love them all, they're all great~ But yes, it's long hahaha. 

So, happy reading!

SKINCARE

Avene Skin Recovery Cream

My skin for the latter half of the year was terribly wrought with recurring eczema on random spots on my face so it became really hard to use my usual night creams. After seeing Avene on special at Priceline, I decided to take the plunge and try this one out and omg, it was the best decision of the year. The cream was so soothing, smooth and was very gentle on the skin. It didn't make my eczema sting and moderately hydrated my dry sensitive skin. I was really happy with how it treated my skin that I've used up two of these already lol. It's not very thick and is easily absorbed into the skin. The only con is that it's quite expensive even when on sale T_T

Burt's Bees Beeswax Lip Balm w/ Vitamin E and Peppermint

At first, I didn't really like the peppermint in this lip balm since it felt like it stings a bit but after using it for a while, it was quite refreshing on the lips. I could do without it though haha. But yes, this is probably the best lip balm I've used, mainly because it's also the first lip balm I've ever used up! It was gentle and very moisturising on the lips and ever since I started using it, my lips have never felt chapped, dry or flaky. I really need to get a new one since I've used it all up and other lip balms just don't do it for me anymore.

Nature Republic Aloe Vera Soothing Gel Mist

Similar to the best selling soothing gel version, this is the mist type. I bought this because I got sunburnt and really wanted something to soothe the burning redness. This did a good job and is so much more convenient than the gel since I can just spray it. It's not as moisturising as the gel version but it's so much more convenient and is still quite soothing and moisturising. It's quite gentle on the skin as well. Definitely great for the convenience but don't expect it to be exactly the same as the best selling gel version. Have to say though, this and the gel one has this dry sticky feeling after application that I'm not very fond of.

MAKEUP

Hera UV Mist Cushion Ultra Moisture SPF 34 PA++ Shade #23

Unfortunately, eczema on my face acted up quite a bit for an extensive period of this year and so I didn't get to play with a lot of the makeup products I wanted to. I've still got two other cushions to try as well as other stuff aiya! I guess they'll be featured next year if I like them enough haha.

Otherwise, this HERA cushion is the best for my dry skin. Not only does it feel like nothing on the skin, it lasts all day with or without a primer for my face! It's also very moisturising and simple to apply on the skin since it's a cushion. I'd say my skin is an NC 20-25 and the shade #23 fits well. However, I do think it settles into dry patches on the skin so can't really use it when that happens, which sucks T_T. It has moderate coverage which is good for me since it covers up most of my spots but also looks very naturally dewy, which is what I love about it! Definitely recommended even though it is a bit expensive! It's so worth it.

BOOKS

I'm so proud to announce that I read a whole 22 books this year! Yayy! Record breaking man! I'm so shocked that I actually read so many novels this year! This is excluding manga but includes Japanese light novels as well. To be fair though, 7 of them were the Harry Potter series hahaha!

Harry Potter Series by J.K Rowling

Harry Potter is a series I enjoy and hate at the same time haha, my favourite of the series would be Chamber of the Secrets mostly because of the adventure, fun and exploration of the magical world it is based in. I guess I'm part of the group that enjoyed the first few books and didn't like the last few and Order of the Phoenix was the one I hated most lol, I guess it's because of the strong teenage angst and my increasing hatred towards Harry and Ron lolll. Okay, fine, they're not bad but I don't like them.

I guess in my view, the story just changed by taking out everything I enjoyed about it by trying to put it in a more serious tone that I didn't really care for. If you for some reason have never heard of Harry Potter, it's about a boy who discovers that he's actually a wizard, realises his parents were killed by this villain that is still after him now and then Harry ends up going to a school for magic where this villain likes to ruin his school years there.

I think for me, I enjoyed the world more than the characters themselves and so it was difficult for me to trudge through the rest of the series when the story wasn't particularly interesting and the characters weren't  very enjoyable since I thought Harry was very whiny and yes I know, he's got problems, I've argued with my friend that loves Harry Potter and we've just agreed to disagree lol. But I still enjoyed most of the series despite my annoyance with the 5th book (and maybe 6th one as well) since it is also a childhood nostalgic series.

Ring Series by Koji Suzuki

Popular Japanese horror film The Ring is one that many have heard of (or at least have definitely heard of the Western version) and this is the book that it was based on. Having never watched the movies, I can't do a comparison but this is definitely a psychological horror that was done very well in book form (the first book anyway).

Ring revolves around our protagonist Asakawa who figures out that his niece and her friends were killed by a mysterious videotape that warns the viewer that after watching it, they will all die within one week. This begins Asakawa and Ryuji's journey on discovering how to save themselves from death within one week and how the videotape relates to a woman named Sadako. Personally, the first book was my favourite out of the two because it was interesting and engaging plot wise because I loved them uncovering Sadako's past bit by bit and trying the different methods and coming up with different conclusions on how everything happened causing the tape to come into existence. Characters were rather compromised for that aspect but they were okay. But basically, it's not very scary if you can't put yourself in their shoes I guess.

Spiral talks about *spoiler* Dr Ando who conducts an autopsy on Ryuji and finds out about the videotape after digging into Ryuji's death. This is also when they realise that Ring is a sort of virus that culminates within their body after watching the tape and how Sadako is expanding her influence even without the existence of the tape since it has evolved into something worse. Tbh, not very fond of this book b/c of the science, not much psychological horror, but nevertheless it was rather creepy when Sadako was reborn and creating quiet havoc because you knew it was her but don't know what she wants. Protagonist is better in this book but the DNA and codes and stuff were rather long.

Loop is the last book in the series and attempts to tie in all the plot points but I thought how it was all resolved was very weak and I personally hate that sort of plot course the most. For most of the book, we are stuck with a very frustrating and boring protagonist's life and his encounter with this cancer that plagues his dad which actually turns out to be the Ring virus before he finally decides to do something about it and discovers the truth of everything. It was the most underwhelming book and I didn't like it at all. Maybe some will like the plot twist but I was rather sad that it turned out like that.

Overall, the series was all right, but you can stop at Book One if you want since it does go on a different course of things that I had not expected from the first book as the world expands. It's definitely worth a read since I did enjoy the books but don't expect anything spectacular. It was rather thrilling and a bit of a fun psychological horror ride since I always read it at night before I slept hahaha.

A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

My favourite novel of the year! It talks from two perspectives (I love books like this) with one coming from Ruth who is novelist that picked up Nao's diary and is reading it as she confronts her own problems and events on the remote island she is spending her life at and the other perspective is from what is written in Nao's diary. As a victim of her circumstances and the strong bullying when faced with being a transfer student in her school, Nao's story is something we can relate to as it is a story about life, even if it is not the happiest of them.

I liked how Ruth reflected upon the events and feelings that were shown in Nao's diary and how their two stories related despite the fact that it's a one sided relationship of Ruth as the reader.The bullying in the book is rather harsh but not exaggerated in that bullying, the concept of suicide are themes that are prominent in society. It also brings some insight into Japanese culture and although there are quite a bit of footnotes for that, it was very interesting to learn about some aspects I wasn't aware of.

The book just made me feel that no place in this world is perfect and in that sense, every society is connected as a similar sort of time being where our existences intertwine without needing to be directly connected since we are connecting with the existence of this book/diary.

I really enjoyed this book and the overflowing feelings from the characters, particularly Nao that you can't help but feel so close to her through her diary. It made me start writing in my own diary again hahaha. Definitely recommended!

An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

The story delves into a rather sensitive subject of postwar Japan  where it is currently in the shift and change of society and cultural behaviours. It follows the story of Masuji Ono who became a propagandist for Japanese imperialism during the war that led to many deaths and the young people blame the imperialists for causing such strife in the country.

Many people say this book is similar to his other book called The Remains of the Day (which I highly recommend too!) and I have to agree because I think the inherent theme of the book and the things that the main characters acknowledge and accept at the end are the same. 

"In any case, there is surely no great shame in mistakes made in the best of faith. It is surely a thing far more shameful to be unable or unwilling to acknowledge them" I think this quote describes both books rather well. My perception of the story was that Ono was always disillusioned to the impact he made during and after the war and so everything that happens around him and all the people that speak to him are seen through what he projects their thoughts to him are like. His self-blaming of being an imperialist makes him think that everyone around him actually blames him when I don't think they really do.

His narrations made me confused on how he was feeling but I think he feels that what he did was correct but he can't shake off the guilt of having done the things he did despite that. If we were to compare the two books, they are written in very different styles and in this, Ono always felt guilty for doing something, whereas our butler in the other story always felt a bit guilty for doing nothing. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book with Ono's inner turmoil and how this was displayed through the other characters on how much of an impact his actions had on him, I felt the story was told very nicely.

GAMES

I have individual reviews of these games but nonetheless, here's the short version! I also played FFVII, FFVIII and FFIX again this year and I definitely recommend them! I've played them all at least 3 times ahahaha

World of Final Fantasy

Plot/Characters: Average. Very typical plot with our amnesiac twins that used to be super strong but must start again as peasants as they capture mirages (monsters) again and grow stronger to finding out the truth of their lost memories and how this is related to saving the world. They meet the previous FF characters such as Cloud along the way since they're Champions (super strong people) because they're all trying to defend the world from the evil guy Brandelis. Tbh, the only bit of solid story would be the beginning and the ending, the rest is nostalgia filler as you run around protecting towns and meeting your previous favourite FF characters, which I didn't mind though because that's what I bought the game for; chibi Tidus etc LOL.

I did sort of tear at the end *spoilers* because I could understand Reynn's feelings very well in how much she just wanted her mother to not be so busy all the time. What they did were for good intentions and you can't blame them for what they did since they were idiotic kids so although it was a typical plot, it was more enjoyable than I thought.

Our previous FF characters naturally retain most of their personalities and there's even fanservice side stories of Grymoire's (this world) versions of what happens if different FF characters from different games met but also does their own little twist on iconic scenes and breakthroughs for our characters. I really liked the chibi Tidus and Yuna version of the whistle scene, omgg it was so adorable. They're the highlight of the game for me, so really, if you play this for the chibi fanservice and nostalgia, you won't be disappointed. Bartz and Rikku was such a fun short companionship though hahaha!

Gameplay: Simple turn-based combat with a bit of similarity to Pokemon where you have to capture monsters to use. However you stack these monsters on top of you to increase your strength and abilities. So really, all about mixing and matching the best mirages to get the skills you want and viable stats. Tbh, game isn't very challenging gameplay-wise and the bosses aren't very difficult to beat either so you can just use whatever you like. I personally used Valefor (because the chibi version is so cute), Mythril Giant, chocochick and Zapt and I could handle the Coliseum and the main story with ease.

Soundtrack: They have different renditions of previous FF soundtracks such as Balamb Garden that you'll definitely recognise when you see Grymoire's versions of the areas of the previous FF games. There's like the Desert Prison in FFVIII and the Mako Reactor in FFVII, so really, so many iconic areas that are difficult to forget and nostalgic music to listen to.

Overall, if you loved the previous FF game characters such as Cloud, Lightning, Squall (no Zidane unfortunately, but there's Vivi and Eiko!), you'd probably get your fair share of cuteness and nostalgia in this simple but enjoyable game that does chibi fanservice right. I mean, you've gotta play this to see the Cactuar Conductor, he is like the cutest thing ever omg.

Amnesia: Memories

Plot/Characters: This is an otome game so it's pretty much a dating sim for girls where you choose different routes to end up with different guys. The only thing unromantic about it would be that some bad endings lead to your death. I know right, it's such a beautiful game but be prepared to die getting thrown into a well or locked into a cage because of your bad decisions. To be fair though, the game is sometimes bent on you leaning one way and that's all so it's not very flexible, but it plays like a visual novel after all so I guess it's pretty good already. There's a lot of implications of "you're dumb, so listen to me" kinda stuff though so that can irk some people but despite the flaws, I enjoyed this game.

There's a different plot depending on each route but the basic plot is that our heroine has lost her memories because a spirit called Orion crashed into her and is stuck in the part of her head that retains her memories, so in order to kick him out, we have to gather our memories back from the people around us (namely, our supposed boyfriends). But since Orion doesn't know which world you're really from, you get to pick! Yay! LOL. Very simple plot. 

My favourite is definitely Kent (above) because of his character development and the fact that they might not have been able to stay together if not for her losing her memories and I felt that it made everything much better because of it. Oh and because I'm biased that Ishida Akira voiced Kent and I love his voice lmao.

Oh and Toma's route is not..the most fun since he literally imprisons you in his house and drugs you and yeaaah, that can be a dealbreaker.

Shin is arrogant but cares for the heroine 100% and is rather harsh with words but ultimately gentle (still don't like him).

Ikki is the supposed player but actually wants true love, he's just hindered to pleasing everyone and a crazy fan club. I really liked his route because I felt they did it really well despite the crazy in it.

Ukyo's route is the ultimate route because it's kinda the true ending and I really loved it as well, I just don't like Ukyo's appearance, but it really exemplified well the desire to keep your loved one safe and to wish her happiness even if it's not by your side.

Overall, decent otome game where you literally only need to choose from different options when they ask you stuff ,so it plays like a visual novel. I do have to say that it can get a bit weird sometimes with how much they're obsessed with the heroine but overall, it was fun. Soundtrack was also very simple but soothing and well matched with the game.

MANGA

If I talked about all the ones I liked in detail, we'd be here for days so I'll recommend my absolute favourites very simply (hopefully, I love to blab) and so for more detail, they're on my anime and manga reviews blog as usual~

Ballroom e Youkoso by Takeuchi Tomo

Genre: Comedy, Drama, School Life, Slice of Life, Shounen, Sports

Status: Ongoing, 42 chapters scanlated (hiatus)

This was such an interesting manga! You'd probably be irked at the thought of it but this manga is exactly what you would expect from a shounen manga about ballroom dancing! The competitions, the training and partners are so intense and their will to improve and overcome their personal obstacles is done exactly like a shounen but it's so interesting as well since it brings a nice and fresh perspective to ballroom dancing.

Ballroom dancing would be seen as something predominantly feminine but this manga shows the masculinity to it very well, it shows that ballroom dancing is definitely not just that beautiful slow dancing thingo that rich wives do out of boredom, it is heated and competitive just like any other sport. I think the art of this manga emphasises this very well too.

Basically, the story is about our MC who can't find a goal in life but stumbles upon a ballroom dancing studio where he meets a classmate in competitive dancing and gets inspired to do the same. It's a typical start and story line but it's very interesting and engaging in how the waltz and tango are drawn, the art gets even better after the beginning so it's a must read!! The only con is that it's currently on hiatus due to the author's health (I believe) but it's still great! I couldn't believe how sensual some of the dances could be through a manga! Super love this one!

EDIT: Seems like the manga is returning in January! And, an anime adaptation has been announced! Hypeed! :D

Berserk by Miura Kentaro

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Horror, Mature, Psychological, Seinen, Supernatural, Tragedy

Status: Ongoing, 347 chapters scanlated (hiatus until early 2017)

If you haven't heard of Berserk as a manga reader, you're probably quite young. But dang, I've always heard that there's a lot of gore and rape in this so I was always iffy about reading it but omg, I really loved it. I think the art is so amazing, especially since it's art that has lasted through the years without looking out of date or anything, it's actually really beautiful. It also suits the atmosphere, story and the characters so I'm utterly baffled at how everything matches together so beautifully. 

Story follows our MC Guts in a medieval-Europe inspired fantasy world where he is a group called the Band of the Hawk and how things change from then on because of...I guess, ambition, pride, greed and rejection of the mediocre. It's hard to say anything without spoilers so I'll just say the Band of the Hawk part with Griffith was amazing, the characters and the flow of the story was done so well, it was really painful to see everything turn out as it was. Not only was there good action with tons of blood spilling and a kickass protagonist who is super strong but not without his problems, there is a strong sense of camaraderie between his previous group and the current one that is very different but very nice.  

The rest after that is also very interesting with Guts' journey, engaging otherworldly monsters, his conviction and the gathering of friends to join him are very good but I loved Griffith as a character and so the things that happened really was saddening. The feelings of Guts, Griffith and Casca were projected very well.

But it is true that there is a lot of blood, violence and some rape in this so this might be a dealbreaker for you. However, violence and blood is a heavy part of Berserk and also makes it what it is without easing anything, It is a cruel world and Guts has to face it with his enormous physical strength fighting against monsters that come after him, whilst carrying the burden of emotional trauma, troubles and sadness that comes from himself and what has happened to the people beside him. 

Gantz by Oku Hiroya

Genre: Action, Adult, Drama, Horror, Mature, Mystery, Romance, Sci-fi, Seinen

Status: Complete, 383 chapters scanlated

Similar to Berserk, this is sorta like a shounen but since it delves into nudity, extreme violence and blood, it is probably better to be read by a mature audience. Don't expect the girls to have any physically capable role (as most other shounen is like) since their roles are usually as romantic interests or emotional breakthroughs, in which Tae was like that for Kurono.

Gantz is set in the modern world where 2 high schoolers get killed by a train and are then transported to a room with a black sphere that explains to them that their lives are over and that 'they' are in control of it now, so wear these iconic futuristic black full body suits (that many would recognise even if they don't know Gantz since this manga was quite popular back in the day!) and guns to kill these aliens we tell you to kill.  So then our main characters must face death daily with these missions, whilst trying to survive and finding out what exactly this black sphere is and how to get out of this place.

Story was paced nicely with obvious hints that allows the reader to figure out the truth quite simply as the story goes on; so, it was predictable but still interesting. Still don't buy how Gantz (the black sphere) works though. But wow, the battles were pretty cool! I liked them very much and our side characters as well, I got attached to them haha. Vampire arc was a bit weirdly redundant though lol. Kinda sad about the ending though, it was literally like, the final battle ends and that's all, no epilogue kinda thing at all T_T.

Kaze was my favourite character! Reika was annoying and quite sickening tbh with what she did but whatever. Art was great! Love the detail when they get sliced, like I know that's a weird thing to like lmao but it's so interesting and different from the regular just blood spurting out kinda thing. Gantz has its flaws but I still loved it, it was engaging plot-wise and the action was cool! Tae might say Kei-chan a bit too much though hahaha.

My ID is Gangnam Beauty by Gi Meng-gi

Genre: Drama, Josei, Romance

Status: Ongoing, 13 chapters scanlated

The story revolves around a girl that was bullied for her ugly appearance and thus earned money to do plastic surgery to completely change her face making her a Gangnam beauty since I think this refers to people who have done a lot of surgery to their face and the most popular place to do it or to see these people at are in Gangnam. So yeah, it might sound shallow but I think this webtoon really brings into perspective the importance of beauty in our society right now.

Our heroine has changed her face but her confidence remains brittle due to the rejections and bullying from her past and through her experience in the few translated chapters, what can I say besides that, with or without plastic surgery, her life is so tough.

I'm not someone that is for plastic surgery but I think I can understand why people would choose to do it, I mean, even when the bullying and talks behind her back got so bad because of her plastic surgery face, she still said that this was much better than the treatment she had endured when she was ugly. At the end of the day, all she really wants is just to be treated like an average person and yet it is so hard. So for me, I really like this webtoon because I want to see her grow, mature and realise that even if others don't accept her, she can still love herself for who she is.

Yotsubato! by Azuma Kiyohiko

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life

Status: Ongoing, 93 chapters scanlated

Omgg this is the cutest and most hilarious manga ever. It's a slice of life and comedy so there's really no plot besides us following our green haired girl Yotsuba and how she deals with her surroundings and her daily life. It's so entertaining lol, Chapter 9 is like the funniest chapter ever, I love it so much hahaha. The best thing about it is also how the dad plays along with her so well, he's such a great dad haha!

It basically adheres to the general message for every chapter that 'Today is the most enjoyable day!' and I think it delivers that message so well with Yotsuba and how well she treats life as she slowly learns new things and reacts to it, it's so adorable, funny and fun! Every single character is likeable as well and it really shows how enjoyable little things in life can be for children. I've read this again and again (at least 3 times) and their expressions and thought processes are so funny! Must read! It's such a simple but extraordinary manga!

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life, Romance, School Life

Status: Ongoing 83 chapters scanlated

This might be familiar to some since there was an anime of it a while ago. Personally, I think it translates better through the medium of manga but the anime was also very enjoyable, as seen with many others that have enjoyed it.

Sakura Chiyo tries to confess to Nozaki-kun but ends up being mistaken as a fan where he gives his signature to her because he is actually a shoujo manga author! And that's all you really need to know, it's so funny how this manga plays around with shoujo tropes in its' story but also in the story that Nozaki draws because omg, if you read shoujo manga, you'd find it so funny how he twists some common cliches into funny plots hahaha! You have to feel sorry for his editor.

It never gets boring since Nozaki is always trying to find good material as an author that has not experienced his first love and so he gets inspiration from his friends around him. All the pairings of the characters are set and I love them all because they're all so unique, hilarious and cool in their own way. Seo is so funny omgg :') There are also touching moments where love is shown, since there is romance but it also ties in with the comedy which makes it so funny and sweet at the same time, I love it! I've read this quite a few times as well hahaha, another must read if you love romance comedy!

Maou-jou de Oyasumi by Kumanomata Kagiji

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Shounen

Status: Ongoing, 20 chapters scanlated

This is a gem that I found this year, it's enjoyably amusing and hilarious hahaha! It's about a princess who has been kidnapped by the demon king and is stuck in his castle but really, they've twisted this trope with our princess actually living quite a good life there, not because the demons are treating her well (although they are) but because of the person that she is, all the demons fear her conviction and devotion to getting a good night's sleep. This begins the daily adventures of our princess wandering around the castle, troubling demons and even killing them (they respawn, thankfully!) all in the name of a comfortable bed.

The havoc she creates is amazingly funny and scary at the same time, I love it when she pulls out her gigantic scissors hahahaha! She's so cute as well and dangg, even the demon king fears her lolol. Another great comedy that I can't get bored of hahaha.

Akatsuki no Yona by Kusanagi Mizuho

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo

Status: Ongoing, 134 chapters scanlated

Princess Yona is betrayed by the one she loves and loses her kingdom as she goes on the run with her closest aide Hak. They gather companions and end up travelling around the country understanding what kind of place and what kind of king her father was like from the people's perspectives as she works to try and protect these people in her own way despite losing her title as princess. She has good resolve and is a very strong and kind character, the romance is also very cute haha. Although I do understand the complexities that will come with their love due to them being so close as they grew up together.

The best way to describe this would be Yona and her adventure with her bishounen harem gang hahaha! It has a great balance of seriousness and comedy in the story and I really appreciate that. The characters are also very well done, they all have their individual stories and motivations but their priority is Yona and their stories tug at your heartstrings! The supposed villain doesn't really seem to be a villain either (considering how the story is going) and I hope so, because I love Soo-Won and their past relationships.

The ultimate goal in the end would be for Yona to continue helping the people in her country that requires help (which she is already doing) but the characters, relationships and their feelings are portrayed so well, it's quite saddening to see how everything had to turn out like this, but I also appreciate it because this made Yona stronger as a person and made her realise how important Hak is. There's the right balance of comedy and seriousness in this one and it's done so well that it's sweet, cute, funny a lot of the time but it can also be quite engaging, heartbreaking and interesting with the problems that come with protecting your country on the inside and from the outside.


Mahou Tsukai no Yome by Yamazaki Kore
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Status: Ongoing, 34 chapters scanlated

Chise is passed on from relative to relative until she is sold at an auction and bought by the boneheaded monster Elias, where even though they only accepted living with each other for their own individual needs and purposes, they begin to really enjoy the other's company and grow as people as Elias teaches her magic.

The story mostly revolves around the two's relationship whilst encountering dangerous monsters and mythical beings with a very bountiful adventure fantasy where they encounter the stories and lives of other mythical beings such as fae and dragons. The art is superb in this aspect and those creatures are so beautifully intricate and detailed, I love seeing them. There also seems to be an evil antagonist that likes to toy with people through his experiments on humans etc. There's solid character growth, interesting creatures and the side characters are also very gripping with their stories and emotions. It's a rather unique manga in that it strikes a good balance between characters and magic portrayed in a different way from the usual blasting spells etc you see all the time. You also learn a bit about the myths behind some creatures of folktales and that's quite fascinating to learn about. I really like this one.

ANIME

Boku Dake ga Inai Machi (ERASED)

Genre: Mystery, Psychological, Seinen, Supernatural

Episodes: 12

This anime follows the story of Satoru who has the ability to go back several minutes in time before an accident occurs making him have to always sort of rewind and fix that problem in order to move forward. One day, after being accused of a murder upon someone close to him, he finds that he has been rewound back to his childhood days, to when the true murderer of that person first appeared and he finds himself trying to save the people they murdered in the past and has been haunting him to this day.

First things first, anime ending was absolutely terrible. Not only was it different from the manga but it was also rather rushed. Tbh, the last showdown with the villain was terribly executed and extremely corny that if you read manga, I'd really just recommend you read the manga. It made it seem like the villain was so dumb but really, in the manga, Satoru elaborates that the only reason he won was because he had the advantage of 18 years catching up to the villain's thought process to get this 15 minute advantage in defeating him. I really liked that part and thought the ending was done so well in the manga, enough that the anime ending was a disgrace.

But I think Satoru's desire to save the people around him as a kid and Kayo's story was done really well. It was very emotional and sweet to see because of his desire to save everyone. I'd say that the mystery wasn't really hard to figure out but that's fine because I think that isn't the highlight of the story. What the story excelled in were the characters and how the story was told. If you're looking for something with a bit of mystery but more about character interactions, good story telling and flow in how normal the story felt but how amazing it was in how it was executed (besides the last bit) then try this one. The biggest flaw would have to be that they focused too much on Kayo and neglected everything else, maybe that's why people are so mad *spoilers* that Kayo didn't end up with him.

Dagashi Kashi

Genre: Slice of Life, Comedy, Shounen

Episodes: 12

Easily the most entertaining Japanese candy/snacks infomercial played out as an anime with a bit of story and characters. It follows our MC Kokonotsu that doesn't want to inherit his father's rural sweets shop when suddenly Hotaru (purple hair girl) comes along wanting to recruit his father to her famous sweets company because he's apparently famous and great. So, then the father states that if she can convince Kokonotsu to inherit the shop, he'll go. That's probably more than you need to know because the whole anime just involves the characters' interacting about candy in a surprisingly entertaining way.

Gotta say, this anime was really fun and it made me run to my nearest Japanese store (that is way too far) to buy some Japanese sweets and snacks that were featured in this anime. Especially that whistle candy, that was cool hahaha. The weird characters like Hotaru make everything more entertaining than it really is as well since she's so obsessed with all the candy but can't stop eating it and trying to promote it to Kokonotsu hahaha.

Basically, if you're looking for something, funny, entertaining but a bit informative on Japanese candy where you'll actually learn something about it then try this one, I really enjoyed it. 

Hai to Gensou no Grimgar (Grimgar of Fantasy and Ash)

Genre: Action, Adventure, Drama, Fantasy

Episodes: 12

If you can get through the first few episodes, it'll get better, this anime is one about character growth and development and it can be rather slow but I enjoyed it. Mary is such a good character as well and you wouldn't want to pass her up hahaha.

It basically follows the story that there are people who have been thrown into this foreign land with hazy memories and the only thing clear is their name. However, this isn't a fun fantasy story but one that delves more into the realistic aspects and situations of it where a bunch of inexperienced people are gathered together to learn how to live in this world that they don't know anything about and so the only thing they can do is hunt, gather money and information to survive.

I guess the theme for this anime would be survival, our main characters are struggling merely to survive and I like that. There's no fancy tactics nor skills, merely the desire to live and the determination to grow stronger to survive because they don't want to die. I couldn't help but have the chills when they killed that goblin because I felt that showed how weak they were but how determined they were to live. I really loved that part. They try their best to gather experience, become stronger and because they know that they are weak and inexperienced, they accomodate their tactics and they escape when they should. It's quite refreshing from the OP characters that we see in SAO etc.

Overall, decent show, I quite enjoyed it since it had more of  an ordinary and gruelling take on how it can be to live in a world where you're weak but you can only rely on yourself to grow stronger and survive. I hope there's a Season 2 but I'm not sure this is popular enough, which is quite saddening.

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (Konosuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!)

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy

Episodes: 10

A predominately comedy anime with the typical shut-in that ends up dying in a very funnily stupid way and is met with a goddess that tells him he can go to an alternate world and can bring one thing with him. With the choices of great weapons before him, he instead chooses the goddess herself and is thus transported to the world with her and that begins their stupidly hilarious adventures.

Megumin and Aqua are hilarious. Megumin in a cute and stupid way and Aqua a bit more on the annoying side haha but nevertheless, the show runs on a very light-hearted and fun fantasy where our heroes have the greatest tenacity to overcome anything and everything that comes at them with their unique personalities. Setting plays out like an RPG and lol, it's so funny how stupid they can be hahaha. I'm looking forward to the next season next year! Oh and omg, the scene where he was laughing hysterically after stealing the Thief girl's panties was so hilarious, I couldn't stop laughing hahahaha!

Shokugeki no Souma: Ni no Sara (Food Wars! The Second Plate)

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Ecchi, School Life, Shounen

Episodes: 13

Continuing from the previous season, this shows the tournament in full blast and really, only the tournament. Not sure if it's just me but I thought this season wasn't as good as the first, might be because I read the manga already, *spoiler* Takumi's loss didn't affect me as much as the manga did, like I literally cried because I could feel how insulting of a defeat it was to him.

Nevertheless, you'd still enjoy this if you enjoyed the first season, just that this one is more focused on individualistic dishes of different characters rather than excitement in story or development in characters since it's literally just the tournament and that's all. Naturally, their dishes are still just as much beautiful and exquisite as before, if not more and the reactions are priceless. Hayama Akira is my favourite for lifee~ Alongside Nakiri Alice, she's the best <3

Yuri!! on Ice

Genre: Comedy, Sports

Episodes: 12

This was probably the most popular anime of the year alongside Re:Zero and for a very good reason. Whether it be the soundtrack, the figure skating animation and visuals, the costumes the skaters wear, the music they skate to, the character interactions and development are absolutely great! Animation gets sloppy here and there but still good because every time I see them skate, I am mesmerised.

 Note though that the two main male characters become partners (romantically) so that might not be your thing. It's personally not my thing either but I liked how they portrayed their relationship as more subtle (not the main focus of the plot but still important), because instead of screaming something like "shounen-ai!!!!" like other people did, I felt their relationship was quite natural (since Victor taught Yuri love and it felt like it was going on this route) and beautiful where they were really just two people that naturally developed affection for each other. I really like it. It does have some strong BL fanservice vibes though hahaha.

The story revolves around Katsuki Yuri who suffers a crushing defeat at the Grand Prix Final and returns to his hometown contemplating whether to continue his career or not, when the famous Victor Nikiforov visits and tells him that he'll be his coach and thus begins their journey as they mutually grow and support each other to tackle the Grand Prix again!

Overall, if you enjoy figure skating, don't mind boy-boy partners then check it out. The figure skating is so enjoyable! It's so popular that even real life figure skaters are enjoying this anime and endorse that the programs done are realistic albeit with a fair bit of technicality and difficulty (for Victor's program) but yeah you can see how popular this show is hahaha. My favourite for this year! (in terms of anime shown this year).

 The two Yuris are so different but entertaining and although Yuri Plisetsky can be a bit arrogant, he's rather cute and omgg episode 11 was his time to shinee! Phichit takes my heart though <3 I really like all of the characters and their passion for the sport. It's done so well!

Here are the anime that weren't aired this year but I really enjoyed! For more in depth reviews, you can check out my anime and manga reviews blog~

Ranma 1/2

Genre: Comedy, Martial Arts, Fantasy, Slice of Life

Episodes: 161

Ranma is such a classic. I've watched it as a kid and enjoyed it and I've watched it again as an adult and still enjoy it. It does get a bit repetitive around the 100+ episode mark but it's still funny.

It basically revolves around Saotome Ranma who fell into some cursed springs that makes him turn into a girl whenever he comes into contact with cold water. He can only turn back into a guy with hot water and so starts his journey to trying to become 100% man again. Amongst this would be his various fiancee candidates that all try to fight for his affection but it's obvious that Akane is the one. Gotta say that even though Shampoo is the most popular, Akane and Ukyo are my favourites because they're the most sincere. Although Akane wins because she's just as stubborn as Ranma most of the time so they match hahaha.

What is great about Ranma 1/2 (for me) were the various hilarious martial arts such as the martial arts to keep ramen noodles safe. figure skating martial arts, rhythmic gymnastics martial arts etc. There's so many weird and cool ones that it's just so entertaining to see them fight all the time with their stupid tricks. Everything is mostly done with jest so even the annoying characters aren't always that annoying hahaha.

Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou)

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Romance

Episodes: 24

The highlight of this anime is most definitely Holo and Lawrence's relationship, they're such great partners business-wise and in terms of their friendly romance.

It follows our travelling merchant Lawrence who ends up meeting a pagan harvest deity called Holo. They travel together because it's convenient but end up forming a bond that is both romantic but inevitably strong as they encounter trouble  and learn to trust their lives to each other. It mostly revolves around how people did business and trade in the Medieval/Middle Ages period such as how the market works and the consequences of sudden crashes in the market etc. Holo and Lawrence team up together and work really well in how their individual skills are unbeatable most of the time.

Personally, I loved the atmosphere of the show and how charming their relationship was as they go about their trade. Both aspects are very interesting and engaging, as well as suspenseful at times making this a very unique but enjoyable watch. Definitely recommended!

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)

Genre: Drama, Magic, Psychological, Thriller

Episodes: 12

It's hard to not know this one! But if you don't, this is our iconic magical girl show with a dark twist. Everything that you've believed in with magical girls should be scrapped because your pet is definitely not your best friend  hahahaha.

Anywho, it starts off with Madoka understanding the existence of evil witches requiring magical girls to defeat but instead of the girl turning into a magical girl, Madoka contemplates whether she should become one for most of the show until everything unravels itself. In this world, if you become a magical girl, you can have one wish granted, it's more like an exchange rather than a simply save the world kinda thing. So yeah, being a magical girl is not all rainbows and this anime shows exactly that.

This was a pretty emotional rollercoaster. I loved all the characters because they all had their reasons for becoming a magical girl and they were all very touching and sad in their own respective ways. They all also wished to just be normal people again as well, which was really touching and a terrible thing for such young girls to have to experience but it was a wonderful anime. Don't get irked by the way they look (because I did), it's much better than it looks, although not as dark as people scream it to be, but nevertheless emotionally dark. Highly recommended.

HK TVB DRAMAS

House of Spirits一屋老友記

Genre: Comedy, Family, Supernatural

Episodes: 31

Since I'm an avid lover of  HK dramas, I thought I'd slot in a few I actually loved this year. TVB obviously isn't what it used to be but I think this comedy drama really portrayed the spirit of family very well. TVB is a very family oriented TV station considering the audience they show it to and this one really impressed me in how great of a chemistry the cast had together. Also, as Bobby said somewhere, maybe the reason this was quite well received was because most people can relate to at least one of the siblings, which was really true for me. You can even say it reflected my siblings in a sense, I'm definitely the supposed useless youngest sibling hahaha.

I think if you really want to watch something that warms your heart with the theme of family with funny moments, then you'll love this. The touch of supernatural is really just the existence of ghosts in their house and how Bobby ends up bonding with them. Personally, I really enjoyed how realistic the emotions portrayed by our characters were and it's one of those, you'll know the ending but seeing it happen is just so beautiful and touching. It's a very typical story of siblings who hate each other that end up having to live in the same house because of some reason and then bonding. Bobby, Joyce and Koni were really great in this series!


A Fist Within Four Walls (城寨英雄)
Genre: Martial Arts, Action, Romance
Episodes: 28

Easily the most popular TVB drama in 2016 that got many people to come back and watch some TVB again. It takes place in the Kowloon Walled City in the 1960s where triads governed the place and police were not able to interfere. So, it's basically up to our heroes Ruco Chan and Benjamin Yuen to fight their way for peace in this area. 

Personally, I think only the first 2/3 of the drama was good, the parts leading up to the ending were rather shabby. But I think the action scenes and character interactions were done really well. I'm still kinda disappointed that Nancy Wu's character didn't have many (if any) action scenes but I guess that wasn't her role. Philip Ng's display of martial prowess was easily one of the most entertaining parts!

But wow, I wasn't expecting Grace Wong and Benjamin Yuen's characters to have such romantic chemistry, it was such a beautiful relationship T_T whereas Nancy and Ruco's was more of a cute and funny relationship, kinda like Philip's and Moon Lau's. All the couples' and their interactions were done really well whilst displaying their individual personalities and I think that was what made me so interested in this drama. Also, Carlo Ng was the best villain in this show! Loved his character and how he played it <3

Basically, it follows them trying to kick out the triads and kinda pretty much plays out like a manga/manhua/manhwa where we have a hero (Ruco) with the idealistic but strong mindset to save everyone and thus affects the people around him allowing him to gather allies to defeat the villains until they reach the final boss hahaha. This was definitely an entertaining watch in terms of action, and character development. I personally loved Grace's character the most in this.

SONGS

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica

Magia (Vocals, Orchestra) Kalafina version

The first time I heard this, I had goosebumps! It was so amazing, cool but a bit dark at the same time. I'm not sure how to describe how beautiful this song is but Kalafina's vocals brings the song out the best and I absolutely love how unique it is. It pumps your blood but also touches your heart, I really can't help but be so enchanted by it.

Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica 

Theme Song- Ice (Vocals, Orchestra)

Aside from Magia, Ice is a song I can't stop listening to. It's so beautiful, way too beautiful. The moment I heard it in the anime, I knew I had to find it. Absolutely breathtaking. Personally I like this version the most, but they're all great. Yuki Kajiura is truly amazing. It has all the feels, the hope, the sadness and everything in the song that translates to the theme of Madoka Magica very well. Highly recommend most of the soundtrack hahaha. Sayaka and Mami's themes are also my favourites. They're just so unique and beautiful!

Yuri on Ice

History Maker (Opening Song)

Another song I've been listening to every time I watch an episode of the anime. My friend said it reminds her of Disney hahaha. But for me, I think the visuals and animation along with the song just fit so well that I can't help but love it. I'm a bit of a fan of figure skating (only a bit) so just hearing the strength that is portrayed through this song makes me all happy, it fits the anime so well!

And that's it! That was long lol! But yeah, I liked quite a few things this year, aye? hahaha. Well, I guess I'll see everyone next year with my food posts again! Got some lined up that I need to churn out hahaha! Happy holidays everyone! Hope you all had a very merry Christmas and will enjoy a very happy new year as we walk into 2017! Enjoy the rest of 2016!