Kantai Collection Ep 8 Review: Welcome to Hotel Yamato!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my review of Kantai Collection episode 8 and the girls are having some R and R at their new base!

Fubuki and her team arrived at Tusk Island where their new forward base is located. They were welcome by Yamato who headed the base. Everyone enjoyed the facilities which Kongo described as a hotel and got Yamato a little pissed claiming it is not a hotel.

That's a big steak!!

Oh Kaga, you are so sweet!

Everyone from the original base also stationed here and Kaga finally make peace with Zuikaku despite acting all cool about it. Fubuki learned about Yamato is actually the strongest battleship but has no combat experiences. Fubuki tried to help Yamato in going to the sea but was warned by Nagato twice.

Later Fubuki tried to show Yamato the ocean (By pulling her boat despite Yamato being heavy) Mutsuki and Yudachi went to assist her which got Yamato all excited. Suddenly a small fleet of Abyssals planes were approaching them and the girls' cannons are out of their targeting ranges. Yamato decided to help and fired her main cannons, destroying the planes with one shot.

All we need is Yamato to get the Wave Motion Cannon and my life is complete!

Nagato was onshore when they returned back but she didn't reprimand them and told them dinner is ready. Yamato was happy that she got a chance to go to the sea even it was a short trip...

I never expected we are getting a beach episode as the girls relaxed at their new base. Before I talk about Yamato, we see that Kaga is actually praising Zuikaku for a job well done from the previous episode which took Zuikaku aback. However Akagi teased Kaga for being nice to someone else.

Who is the biggest eater!?

Speaking of Akagi, did you see the amount of food she ate? A large piece of steak, a mountain of meat and vegetables, eating up all the rice with Yamato and finishing her omelet rice in an instant. There should be a eating competition between her and Yamato on who is the biggest eater and guess what, they never grew fat at all! (The power of the Flash's metabolism!)  

Nagato...I love you!

PRICELESS!!!

Nagato was being all strict on Yamato and Fubuki when they want to go out to sea. I can understand that Yamato is the final trump card and if the Abyssals find out about her, it could mean disaster for the fleet. Second, Yamato has no combat experiences which is suicidal and she use up a lot of energy and resources even for a short trip and they are clearly running out of resources. Of course, we finally see Nagato acting all girly when she hugged a squirrel in the bathroom. Mutsu later teased her and her expression is priceless!

Now we talk about Yamato! Voiced by the lovely Takatatsu Ayana (Azusa of K-On) her presence is the perfect Yamato Nadeshiko (The Ideal Japanese Woman) and a nice set of boobs...I mean Cannons! She actually dream of going out to sea with her fellow comrades however her order is stay and facilitate the base. Fubuki could empathise her feelings and tried her best to help her. However it got Fubuki punished and only the second time (with some annoying Abyssals planes), Yamato showed off her cannons and took down the enemies with one shot!

Oh yeah, why she hated being called a hotel is because the real Yamato battleship has very good facilities than most other ships and the sailors called it the Yamato Hotel which is based on a real hotel in China during World War 2.

For such an upright person, Nagato has a sexy swimsuit!

Overall, I give it an A minus! It is nice to see the girls having some R and R time (Seeing the girls in swimsuits and is Nagato wearing a thong?!) Yamato was fun to watch and show what she can do in battle. If I have one grip is where do their armaments come and go to? The first scene when Fubuki and company arrived on the beach, their armaments were not with them. It was not even placed on the beach itself. Later when Yamato was sitting on the boat, she was not wearing her armaments but the next moment, she was wearing it and fired at the enemies. How did they do that?

One thing this show never explain is how their technology came about and what can it do. If you have an explanation about it, leave it in the comments section otherwise, I will said it is lazy writing for this nitpick. Next episode, the girls are going for some remodeling, Poi!

Go Princess Precure Ep 4 Top 3 Moments and Review: Twinkle Twinkle Awesome Star!

Gokigenyou! This is my review of Go Princess Precure episode 4 and Kirara has the missing Princess Perfume bottle!

No 3: Let's go to Yumegahama Towm!

Don't you wish it was someone we know that sell donuts or takoyaki?

We finally get to see the town near the school and both Haruna and Minami were amazed by the sights and sounds. They even get to taste some donuts at a food truck. (I was expecting Kaoru from Fresh Precure or even Hikari from Max Heart to make a five second cameo) Minami even commented that she never ate a donut before which is expected from a girl who came from high society.

No 2: Meet Upcoming School Model, Amanogawa Kirara.

When Haruna and Minami saw Kirara holding the Princess Perfume bottle on the cover of a magazine, they went to look for her in her class. However Kirara was too focused on her modeling works than to entertain both of them. After a battle with a Zetsuborg in the town, Kirara returned the Princess Perfume to Cure Flora and Cure Mermaid and claimed she has no interest in fighting monsters.

Later, Haruka met her backstage during a fashion show and even brought donuts which Kirara fell for it. (Donuts do bring People together!) Kirara then told Haruka that she want to perform in a bigger and brighter stage for everyone to see her. During the second battle with a Zetsuborg, she even prove her courage by outsmarting the Zetsuborg with a crane and her dream of becoming the best model under the stars awaken the Dress up Key (which she found it earlier in her dressing room) and become Cure Twinkle!

No 1: Cure Twinkle's Maiden Battle!

Tiara on!

Kirara's transformation to Cure Twinkle is flashy unlike Cure Flora which is made of pretty flowers and Cure Mermaid's little water bubbles. Even her battle call was quick and snappy while the other two were more elegant and ladylike. Furthermore, Cure Twinkle was a quick learner (after seeing Cure Flora's special attack) and used her special attack-Twinkle Humming to defeat the Zetsuborg.

OMG!!!!

However even after Haruka and Minami returned to civilain form in front of Kirara, she insisted that she is still not interested in becoming a Precure due to her busy work schedule and returned the Princess Perfume to them, leaving them speechless...(Three times in this episode!)

Overall, I give this episode an A! In most Precure series, the girls who got chosen took it well in becoming a Precure and joined the team immediately. However Kirara reject the offer twice. Both reasons were her commitment in becoming a top model and she does not wish to be distracted. Even when Minami went to approach her the first time in class, she was too focused on her modeling work and didn't want to entertain her and Haruka.

Her peers in her class even told Haruka and Minami that she is unapproachable and always rushed to work after school. (I don't think the school will actually allow Kirara to work as a model since she is 13 years old unless she has special permission or this is anime and nobody give a damn about it) But I can understand that she want to work hard for her dream to become a top model however in the long run, it won't be healthy for her personal social life.

With Kirara refusing to become a Precure, how will Haruka and Minami able to convince her to join the team? Even the end shot of the three Dress Up Keys goes back to two like a joke to the audience. But as the next episode title state the three Precures assemble, it is no brainier that Kirara will eventually join them officially next week! Until then, see you in the next episode! Gokigenyou!

P.S: I am aware that there are some changes in the opening credits as more characters like Yui, Kisaragi, Azuma and Nishimine walking together with Haruka, Minami and the two mascots. Most probably Kirara will join the crowd in the opening credits next episode!

Idolmaster Cinderella Girls Ep 7 Review: It's the Smiles that Counts!

Hi everyone! This is my Idolmaster Cinderella Girls episode 7 review and what happen after Mio walk out in front of Takeuchi after his comments? Let's find out!

Mio refused to talk to Takeuchi despite him calling her and even visiting her at home. Uzuki and Rin wanted to help but Takeuchi wanted to handle her himself. After Uzuki fell sick at home, Rin confronted Takeuchi and asked if he know what he is doing to keep this group together.

However he was too stubborn to admit his mistakes and Rin commented that he is just running away from his problems. That got Rin to walk out on him and worried everyone else in the project. Later Takeuchi visited Uzuki at her home and learned that she felt that she didn't perform well in the mini concert but she is willing to improve the next time around and always smile (or being positive) every time they perform.

Takeuchi realised what her words meant and went to find Mio. He explained that his comments on it's natural for them actually mean he is happy for their performances. He even show proof of the photos he took for the concert and the audiences were smiling for them despite the small number. Mio felt awkward for her behaviour and even went to persuade Rin to join back. Rin claimed she wanted to trust Takeuchi so that she won't regret joining as an idol. Takeuchi agreed to improve on his character and the girls try one more time to be the spotlight again...

Overall, I gave this episode a B plus and throughout the whole episode, the mood was dark and gloomy since it was raining almost the entire episode. When Rin commented Takeuchi was running away from his problems, a little flashback was shown him making some girls (potential idols) cried in tears and running away. I am guessing that he had bad experiences in managing which caused his character to be deadpan and direct. Even their boss told the other girls about Takeuchi's past experiences (in a fantasy manner) that he do care for the girls that he managed.

Mio also felt embarrassed after realising she is taking her career a little too serious and didn't think clearly enough. It is not how many audiences you get in a performances but rather how well you can make the audiences happy enough to support you which is actually how true professionals does in real life. Rin's issues is more personal since she has yet to find her "Passion" as an idol but she trust Takeuchi in the first place to take her first step and he broke that promise in this episode. Luckily she is willing to give it another chance since both him and Mio came to look for her.

I am actually all right with our three main girls having some conflicts so early in the series as they learned how to work and understand each other better after this episode. Seeing at the end when the sun finally shine after the rain, the girls also take a new step to their idol career once more. Until then, see you in the next episode which will be aired in two weeks' time!

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Crystal Ep 16 Review: A Game of Mercury

Hello everyone! This is my Sailor Moon Crystal episode 16 review and what happen next after Sailor Mars got abducted by the Black Moon Clan.

Chibi Usa has a lot of secrets that she refused to tell especially when Sailor Moon got emotional after Sailor Mars' abduction. It was only after a little puppet talk from Mamoru and Luna that Chibi Usa was willing to reveal a bit about herself.

As the title episode focus on Sailor Mercury, Ami actually gain some heighten senses on the flow of water. She also reveal that her parents were divorced and her interest in swimming and chess were from her father who left her at a young age. But when the next Spectres Sisters, Berthier challenge Ami in a game of chess, Ami nearly fell for her trap but thanks to an annoying Usagi and friends who cheer her on, she quickly win the game.

Ami also show off her new powers as Sailor Mercury like the Shine Snow Illusion and her clone copy abilities. Of course, Sailor Mercury got captured even after defeating Berthier and the episode ended the same way as the previous one.

I am actually fine with giving the rest of the girls some character developments after Usagi and Mamoru took up for the first half of the series. At least we did see a more fragile side of Ami and how she felt insecure after her parents' divorce as a child. Chibi Usa also started to open up to Mamoru and her belief that Sailor Moon will saved her parents (Wait till the girls find up who the parents were, their expressions will be priceless)

I am getting a feeling that although the fighting scenes is nice in the visual however the enemy seem to be defeated pretty easily by Sailor Moon's final attack. Is it because Sailor Moon was so strong that it is a one hit kill or just lazy writing from Toei to end the episode quicker? I am guessing the latter.

Overall I give this episode a B. The only good points are Ami's family life and Chibi Usa revealing more of herself. As the next episode indicate it is focusing on Makoto and her relationship with one of Mamoru's juniors. Until then, see you in the next episode!

Kantai Collection Ep 7 Review: The Light at the Squall

Happy Chinese New Year to everyone who is celebrating it today! This is my Kantai Collection episode 7 review and it is about Fubuki's first mission as a flagship against the Abyssal.

During a patrol, Kaga got damaged after taking a torpedo which is meant for Zuikaku. Due to inadequate supplies of Instant repairs, Kaga has to remain in the repair docks for a while. Shoukaku volunteered to replace Kaga and both Zuikaku and Fubuki were blaming themselves.

Later, Fubuki received the orders to attack the Abyssals and learnt that the Abyssal may have figure out a way to decipher their codes. During the mission, Shoukaku and Zuikaku were left behind while the others headed to assist the Third division fleet. The two carriers were ambushed by a Abyssals fleet and Shoukaku got hit badly.

The two carriers rushed into the Squall (Basically heavy rain clouds) and the two of them took a gamble by deploying their planes the moment they are out of the squall. Luckily Fubuki and the others had returned and deal enough damages for the Abyssals to retreat. Kaga and Akagi learned about the mission success and Kaga claimed she trusted them in completing the mission...

If I were to compete both Kaga and Zuikaku, Kaga is the calm and logical one while Zuikaku is hot headed and brash. Like the first scene where Kaga took the hit was actually a last minute gamble. She even claimed she managed to sustain non vital damages by predicting the torpedo's angle and if Zuikaku took it, she will sink instantly.

Kaga's words about finding the one chance in a desperate situation was addressed later when Shoukaku got hit and the two carriers were outnumbered. Zuikaku understand what it meant and they took that chance. I am worried that one of them or both might died which will be depressing since I like both of them and even Akagi and Kaga who spent the entire episode soaking in the repair docks and Kaga in her heart, trusted her new team. Yes, even Zuikaku despite logging heads with her.

I really think that in this war, no one alone can be a hero as the Abyssal are getting smarter and more dangerous in every episode. Even Fubuki learned that the Abyssal might have already learned how to decipher their codes and it could mean danger for the entire fleet. Are we getting a Windtalkers scenario where the fleet have to protect the new codes from the Abyssals in the future? It will be interesting to see that but the casualty rate for that movie is pretty high.

Overall, I give this a solid A for this episode since it focus on two of my favourite sister carriers and the battle was really intense as the flagship of the Abyssal was pissed since Fubuki blinded one of her eyes. It looked like this Abyssal flagship is probably going to take revenge on her in a future episode. Although I am still wondering when are we going to see Yamato since we are already in the halfway mark of this series? Until then, see you in the next post!

Quick Picks: Dog Days S3 Ep 6, Marvel Disk Wars Avengers Ep 45

Hi everyone! Because it is the eve of Chinese New Year, I don't really have time to do a full review of these two episodes so I just gave my thought of what I think in general!

Dog Days S3 Ep 6: The short version is Leon held a competition for her marriage at hand. The catch is anyone is allowed to challenge her and if the winner beat Leon, she will marry him. However Leon is too strong for the suitors until a masked person challenge her.

It is then revealed that the masked person is Prince Leaf and Verf's relative. Leaf also lose and Leon just lost her clothes in front of everyone! Later Leaf learned what the competition really mean from Verf and got all blushed up...

This is an okay episode since I do love Leon and knowing she will win everyone is already a give away. Leaf is just having some puppy love for Leon since she met him several years back and even taught him some fighting skills. Leaf is voiced by Oriksa Fumiko (Bleach's Rukia and Suite Precure's Kanade/Cure Rhythm) and it has been a while since we last heard her.

Yeah, give me more, Leon Sama!!!

Ah..Youth!

The fighting was pretty intense and seeing Leaf damaged her armor before it break which could mean his powers are quite on par with Leon. Overall, I give this episode a C plus as the plus point was seeing Leon in her birthday suit! But we are not over with Leaf yet since he will be interacting with Shinku and the others in the next episode!

Marvel Disk Wars Avengers Ep 45: Ed and Jessica tried to stop the Celebrity 5 from stealing an artifact but Ed fainted due to a fever and the Celebrity 5 got away. Tony cross referenced Ronin's voice pattern with Nozomu and it was a match.

Don't you wish this happen in the Marvel Cinematic Universe?

Later, the Avengers tried to stop the Celebrity 5 again and face the Wrecking Crew. Ed and Hulk saved the day but Ronin appeared and fought with Iron Man. During the fight, Ronin's mask came off, revealed to be indeed Nozomu. Akira and Hikaru was shocked by it and Akira claimed that Iron Man knew it was his father all along. Iron Man lose conscious due to the effects of the Dimensional Sphere in his body and was unable to return back to the disk...

The short version is finding out that Nozomu was Ronin which if you saw the previous episode, it is already a give away. The only thing is Tony kept it from everyone which earlier in the episode, Akira claimed that partners shouldn't keep secrets and now the trust has been broken. My guess of why Nozomu is working with Loki is probably mind control which is obvious.

But with Iron Man out, what will happen now as in the next episode, Diablo returned with some Destroyers robots but wait! The Sorcerer Supreme, Dr Strange returned to aid the Avengers! Until then, see you in the next post!