Maken-Ki! Season 2 Review

Takeru and his Leadership Committee comrades are the last line of defense when it comes to ridding Tenbei Academy of mischievous Maken users. But saving all these succulent student bodies from a hoard of hocus pocus hornballs is no easy trick. Not when there's a pervy creeper pinning bras to the bulletin boars, a magical feline turning coed cuties into irresistible sex kittens, and a must see manga fest where the costumes get mysteriously shrunken down to scandalous sizes! Through it all, Takeru keeps his mind on the mammaries and the mammaries on his mind as the luscious ladies of the Leadership Committee prove that their magic is breast in class!

If I was to describe Maken-Ki! in word that word will be hilarious. I didn't get a chance to see season 1 of the show. In fact I was skeptical about entering a season and show with a blind eye. Usually when I watch anything I like to start from the first season, this way I have a full understanding of the characters, plot, setting and tone of the show. Thankfully Maken-Ki! is a show that you can start from the season 2 and still understand everything that has happen previously. Maken-Ki! succeeds because of the way the story is presented, writing, voice acting and animation. This show doesn't take itself seriously and knows what to do or say to deliver the comedic laughs. As a comedy show it does something some anime shows do, that necessarily don't work but here it does. The show constantly breaks the forth wall and say things that the audience might be thinking. As I was watching the show there was a harem scene and I was saying to myself okay this is cliche. Long and behold one of the characters points out the scene as a typical anime cliche and proceeded to end the cliche. It moments like this that really deliver and worked for me. The show is aware that it's not something we haven't seen before, and it points that out when they do something that has been done tons of times.

In addition I must stress that this show is NOT FOR YOUR KIDS! Part of what makes Maken-Ki a funny show is the an adult/immature humor. The jokes, situations are not for everyone. There is tons of boob jokes, sexual situations and fan service. If you're not a fan of fan service this show might not be for you. Maken-Ki! is uncut and does show everything expect for the genitalia. The characters are teenagers and what usually is on the mind of a perverted teenage male? The answer to that is sex of course. The fan service and sex jokes work in this anime because it's part of the story and it's not doing fans ervice or being perverted, misogynistic just for the sake of it. The story has perverted characters and the show is just showcasing what perverts do. However beyond the jokes, perverted antics and what some might consider misogynistic behavior. Maken-Ki has a lot of heart and a few messages along the way. A few messages hidden in the show is women empowerment. For every perverted joke, misogynistic act by our male protagonist there was an action from the girls correcting them. The female characters make it known of their independence, strength and definitely that their not objects. One episode that stuck with me was episode 5. Here our protagonist Takeru is stuck on an island with the school nurse. While he thinks this could be a chance to capitalize on the situation he instead learns about this woman's life, her insecurity and we as audience see that Takeru can be serious when he needs to be. It's one of the highlights of the show with a great production, pacing and stellar voice casting.

Overall if you want a good laugh, not easily offended and know that a show might is not taken seriously this one is for you. The voice acting is enjoyable both English and Japanese dub. The animation is good with a lot of shots of fan service. There is some hidden messages and themes to pay attention once you look beyond the jokes. The show is enjoyable, smart and delivers a good time. 

Blu- Ray Features Note - The Blu-Ray features commentary from the people who worked on the show. They describe characters and what's it like filming. Very funny as well.

Final Score 4 out of 5 Stars.

Lenni Reviews: Choices: Golden Collar Book 1 by Grace R. Duncan

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Teman and his best friend Jasim are thieves for hire in the 11th century; living a life of relative freedom. When they're caught after a job goes wrong, they are given a choice: dungeons or place pleasure slave. Iron collar or gold. Vowing to escape, the pair chooses pleasure slave and end up serving the royal court and their guests.

Bathasar is a reluctant prince uninterested in the throne. When Teman saves Bathasar's life and in return is publically abused by Bathasar's brother, Mukesh, Bathasar becomes infatuated with Teman. When Mukesh's sadism threatens war with another nation, Bathasar must step up to save his country. However, rising to rule would give him the power to release Teman from slavery and Bathasar must decide if he can let Teman go.

Despite how trippy it is for me to read an audiobook, narrated in my edition by Joel Leslie, this book is long, decadent, and very heavy on the sex scenes. You're pretty deep into the book (around chapter 10) before the story between Bathasar and Teman kicks off. This is not the book for you if you don't like a slow build to your romance or massive amounts of man on man sex (since you get several full chapters on the 'training'). But if you like a well developed, smutty, and beautifully written (and spoken, in this case) romance in a historically based setting, 'Choices' is an amazing book. I'd give it a 4.5 out of 5 for being nearly perfect; as I tended to zone out during some of the sex scenes waiting for the plot to keep going.

For more reivews: check me out at Haunting Hypatia at literaryloon.com

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Spring 2016 Anime Shows To Put In Your Queue

Spring anime is finally upon us and there is a good slate of shows coming our way in the next few weeks. Here are some recommendations of a couple shows that I will add to my queue for sure. 

My Hero Academia

What's a hero? For Izuku Midoriya, the answer to that question has always been simple: "Everything I want to be!" And who is the ultimate hero? Well, the legendary All Might, of course. All Might is the number one ranked hero and also the "Symbol of Peace" in the world. Not in his wildest dreams could Izuku have imagined that he would soon cross paths with his childhood hero... In Boku no Hero Academia, status is governed by "Quirks"—unique superpowers which develop in childhood. But, unfortunately, hero otaku Midoriya "Deku" Izuku never had a Quirk. That is, until he met All Might, the greatest hero of all time. Izuku's transformation from dreamer to superhero begins at Yuuei Academy, the top-ranked hero training high school in Japan. Izuku is on cloud nine when he's accepted to this prestigious academy, especially when he finds out that All Might is one of the teachers. What surprises does this mighty academy offer? And will Izuku be able to keep up with his elite classmates?

Kiznaiver

The story takes place in Sugomori, a city built upon reclaimed land that once prospered as a futuristic city. One high school boy living there, Agata Katsuhira, is somehow unable to feel any pain. One day just before the start of summer break, Katsuhira is called by a mysterious girl named Sonozaki Noriko and chosen to become one of a group of people who share one another's pain: a "Kiznaiver." Several of his classmates have also been chosen as part of this group, but they're all people from different circles who normally wouldn't associate with each other.

Re:ZERO

Natsuki Subaru, an ordinary high school student, is on his way home from the convenience store when he finds himself transported to another world. As he's lost and confused in a new world where he doesn't even know left from right, the only person to reach out to him was a beautiful girl with silver hair. Determined to repay her somehow for saving him from his own despair, Subaru agrees to help the girl find something she's looking for...

Hundred

"Hundred" - the only weapon capable of fighting the Savages, mysterious life forms attacking Earth. Hayato enters the battleship university Little Garden in hopes of becoming a Slayer... but his roommate Emile Crossfode, who seems to know a lot about him for some reason, awakens a sort of unsettling nostalgia within him. What's more, right after he joins the school, the strongest Slayer at Little Garden, the "Queen" Claire Harvey, challenges him to a duel! Misaki Jun and Ohkuma Nekosuke (Nitro+) are teaming up to bring you the ultimate school action anime!

Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn RE:0096

U.C. 0096. Three years after Char's Rebellion, Banagher Links, a boy living at the manufacturing colony Industrial 7, meets a mysterious girl who calls herself Audrey Burne. Audrey claims that she is trying to stop the Vist Foundation from handing over Laplace's Box to the Neo Zeon remnants known as the Sleeves, an act which could spark another war, and Banagher decides to help her. But the colony becomes a battlefield as fighting breaks out between the Sleeves and the Earth Federation Forces, who have also come to stop the handover..

Ace Attorney

Adapted from the popular video game franchise, Ace Attorney follows rookie lawyer Naruhodo Ryuuichi (Phoenix Wright) and his assistant Mayoi (Maya) as he defends his clients in a court of law. With limited evidence and logic as his only weapon, can Naruhodo turn the case around when all the odds are stacked against him?

Joker Game

Taking place in the year 1937 on the eve of World War II, the story involves a mysterious spy training organization known as the "D Agency." The organization is established by Lieutenant Colonel Yuuki from the Imperial Japanese Army. His ideals lead him to recruit people beyond military academy graduates and personnel, while training them to become skilled agents in arts of manipulation. These agents would become a specialized team to conduct operations. One such antihero agent, under the name Jirou Gamou, goes on a harrowing mission to uncover secret documents titled "Black Notes," while battling forces from within and without his own ranks.