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 Written by dai_loli
Behold as I blow your minds simply by summarizing one episode: Koyomi Araragi pays a visit to Nadeko Sengoku's place, a friend from school he hadn't seen in some time. They chat, then play The Game of Life and a bit of Twister. Forced to leave early, he then calls Suruga Kanbaru to see if it's cool to drop by her place a day early since he promised to clean her room the next day, she agrees.
 On his way, he meets his little sister, they have a quick chat and he gets to Kanbaru's place. They have a friendly conversation and get into an argument. Yep, that was episode 2 in a nutshell. Summed up like this, Nisemonogatari might not look like anything special, but that episode will be the fastest 24 minutes and 10 seconds of your week. That is, until next week's episode brutally hypnotizes you again for another wild ride into this mysteriously enthralling anime.
 The sequel to 2009's hit anime, Bakemonogatari, that topped the charts of Blu-Ray sales, beating out even K-On!'s iron grip on otakus' hearts, Nisemonogatari comes at us at full speed with another serving of the epic pairing of Nisio Isin (also known for Katanagatari) as Original Creator and Akiyuki Shinbo (Hidamari Sketch, ef- A Tale of Memories, Pani Poni Dash!, Puella Magi Madoka Magica) as Director. Both of these guys are known for very specific traits that make their works stand out. Nisio is a master of clever dialogue, bombarding us with rapid fire witty jokes and retorts, ridiculous subject derailments and play on words that barely give you any time to glance away from the subtitles. On the other hand, Akiyuki Shinbo wrestles for our eyes' attention with his infamous quick cuts, stylish presentation and masterful camera work.
 However, it would be an insult to only focus on these two, as the whole anime is a true amalgam of talents in every field, from the most recognizable Japanese musical artists making sure the OP, ED and soundtrack gain as much attention as the visuals to SHAFT's handling of animation that stuns at the most crucial moments and the amazing artists taking care of the surreal and super clean backgrounds. This is one anime you want to watch in 1080p, it's so beautiful it'll make you feel like you can't appreciate it enough by watching it only once. Actually makes sense when considering how well the BDs for Bakemonogatari sold!
 As much as I undermined the plot in the introduction, the series is no slouch in this category either. Although it mostly spends the early episodes getting re-acquainted with the characters and introducing Araragi's little sisters, the later episodes bring about the pieces needed to deepen the drama and tension as the bad guy is introduced and events I shan't spoil happen. Of course, the trademark subtle humor and Araragi's sharp jabs remain a mainstay throughout the episodes, never a dull moment in his company!
 No going around it, there's something else Nisemonogatari excels at: Fan service. I honestly believe this series sits at the top of the food chain when it comes to showing off the charms of both the female form and behavior in a convincing and original way. Forget the cheap panty shots or mundane bouncy boobs, this is serious business. This anime focuses on every curve, zooms on all the body parts, captures all the kinky mannerisms of girls that captivate us.
 The girls aren't dead weights either, all of them frequently outwitting our poor Araragi-kun and bending the conversation to their often perverted wiles. Even when the subject is completely benign, you can be sure the camera will snoop around and show you an exotic angle and position that's guaranteed to make you forget to read what was just said at the bottom of the screen. I'm not just saying that either: at the time of this writing, a third of the user comments on the front page of episode 4 are about how they had to pause to keep track of both the visuals and subtitles!
 Unfortunately, even with all the good things going for it, Nisemonogatari isn't for everyone. In the eyes of some people, the fact that usually so little actually happens in every episode will be a turn off. I would argue that a single episode has more raw content than 2 episodes of most shounen, but the truth is the series does revolve around lengthy, intense dialogs between characters. You will either dig right in and never look back or fail to see the appeal completely and shrug it off. It doesn't help that the first episode doesn't do an amazing job of convincing the newcomers to its charms. Speaking of newcomers, I wouldn't exactly consider Nisemonogatari an easy pick up if you haven't seen Bakemonogatari as a fair amount of moments assume you know what happened in the past and might leave you lost along the already blinding pace.
 Nisemonogatari is a pure anime, no noise, only focused brilliance for those who recognize it. It grabs your attention by the balls and takes you on a mesmerizing ride from start to finish. Such an experience only seldom graces us mere mortals, so tune in, widen your eyes, arc your body forward, ignore all outside interference and try to keep up!
 
 Written by MasakoX
When I got this anime to review, I got the feeling that I was taking one for the team. I had watched the first couple of episodes and had a strong vibe of incest-ridden, shoddily written and sexually suggestive content which does not suit the setting that this anime is set. Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai is in a very precarious position. It uses fanservice elements to draw viewership which is dangerous and could potentially brand it as one of 'those' shows which give anime a bad name in the West.
 The show is about a nineteen year old named Yuuta who is charged by his sister to look after his three young nieces whilst they go on a 'business trip'. Right off the bat, alarm bells ring that we're in for a lolicon trip with the use of risqué shots and questionable dialogue. The very fact that Eri Kitamura (Miu) is present in the cast gives my theory legs as she is the same voice behind the lead in Kodomo no Jikan, 2008's controversial series; both Rin and Miu look AND sound alike. Seiyuu aside, the initial feeling I get is of concern that this anime would be a facile mess in that the two elder children fawn over their new 'prize'.
 However, things quickly change as the basis behind the title of the show (translated as Listen To Me Girls, I'm Your Father.) is explained in that the girls' parents die in a plane crash. This scenario is parallel to Yuuta's in that his sister was the one who raised him when their parents died. It's as if history is repeating itself. In the midst of this sombre setting, the plot's heart has started beating. Elements of Usagi Drop spring to mind. The chaos element of the show has begun and now Yuuta has to be the father figure to three rambunctious rapscallions; and to top it off we have lashings of kidnapping thrown into the mix which simply makes the situation all the more edgy.
 Despite the real world setting and the good intentions that Yuuta has, what he and the girls have done is tantamount to abduction and the practicalities of raising three girls of varied ages is not considered for three whole episodes; and this is before we added Yuuta's crush to the melting pot of mayhem. Before all this blew up, Yuuta had a crush on the school weirdo Raika. That whole plot device is thrown to the wayside though for the first arc to focus on the three girls. Fortunately, Sora and Miu are reasonably sensible when they have to be despite the former having a major crush on her uncle which is explored using the traditional shyness, awkward moments and misunderstandings aplenty. Hina (the youngest of the three) is oblivious to the matter at hand and it's thanks to her elder sisters that the transition goes smoother than expected.
In all, Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai is in danger of falling into the trap of being a one-dimensional heap of sexual allusions. Its first episode did not do itself any favours BUT there is light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. The heart is present and Yuuta does have noble motivations and is not interested in exploiting their position is reassuring. There are still plenty of narrative elements to explore such as Raika and his other classmates which could throw a metaphorical spanner in the works.
 Written by Scott Green
Anime Land (Volumes 1 - 3)
Written by: Makoto Raiku
Released by Kondansha
Animal Land opens with a haunted woman's face as she places her crying infant son in a basket, adrift on a river. The waters wash baby Taroza out into a world without any native humans. Life does not get any easier for the traumatized baby. Unlike the mighty apes who famously raised Tarzan, it's a clan of tanuki, one of the physically weakest creatures in a harsh world of survival of the fittest, who adopt Taroza. However, the boy grows up to discover that his powers of "speech" allow him to communicate with all breeds of animals. Gathering other outsiders, Taroza upsets the order of the strong eating the weak and begins to establish a multi-species civilization.
Read more beyond the jump...
 Through its opening volume, the appeal and audience for Animal Land are not apparent. Being concerned with animals, especially cute tanuki, gives an immediate impression that the manga is a work for particularly young readers. Yet, the weighty abandonment and the biting, ripping fights suggest that it isn't entirely appropriate to hand over to a younger sibling. While Taroza himself is never as old as heroes like Naruto or Luffy, as his manga develops, no shonen fan is going to feel that they're reading something aimed too young. The manga proves to be less about a boy and his animal family and more a tooth and claw spectacle about a young visionary and his animal army.
 Makoto Raiku (Zatch Bell) credits his inspiration to studying his wife's adopted dog, and it is clear that he has given thought to truthfully depicting animal behavior. At the same time, that prologue of a baby in a basket suggests another story of adoption, and an old elephant's prophecy of a great, tragic destiny reinforces the Moses impression. However, Animal Land is biblical as the stories are interpreted by grand Hollywood spectacles. It's manga's answer to "swords and sandals" epics such as The Ten Commandments, Spartacus or Gladiator. Imagine herds of boar and cattle, organized into armies with a tanuki riding Taroza leading them in a 300 like charge and you get a picture of what Animal Land is capable of.
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Scott Green is one of the lead contributors to Crunchyroll News as well as Ain't It Cool News' Anime section. You can read all of his articles here and on his Twitter feed here: @aicnanime
Naruto Shippuden ©2002 MASASHI KISHIMOTO / 2007 SHIPPUDEN All Rights Reserved., Soranowoto © Paradores/Aniplex/ 1121, Chu-Bra © Yumi NakataEFUTABASHA^CHU-BRA Partnership, Astro Boy, Dororo, Blackjack and Phoenix © Tezuka Productions All Rights Reserved, Nurse Witch Komugi-chan Magikarte Z © ADVFilms All Rights Reserved
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