'Aoba-kun ni Kikitai Koto' Manga Review

I LOVED IT! The story was very interesting I couldn't put my phone down and I just kept wanting to read more. I bought the last volume since I couldn't read it anywhere else and because it was so engaging right through to the end.

Author: Tooyama Ema

Genre: Shoujo, Drama, Romance, School Life, Sports

English Name: Aoba-kun's Confession

Total volumes: 8 volumes (2015 - 2018)

The final volume isn't on any manga reading platform so I thought it has been translated yet but you can actually read it on MyAnimeList for $15.99 AUD. 

I couldn't wait for it to be uploaded onto MangaRock so I went ahead and bought because I wanted to know how the story ends. It was worth it because I got a decent and somewhat satisfying ending. 

SUMMARY

Sakurada Mayo is a very shy girl with a really quiet voice and no friends. She has always admired the most popular guy in her school and on the basketball club, Aoba Kouta. One day, she starts her part-time job at her aunt's business 'Sakurada Listening House Familia'. It's a weird job where she only has to listen to her client's problem and can't ask questions or give advice. 

The same day she starts her job, her first client is Kouta! Disguising herself she sits in on their first session but it doesn't go so well. The second time he comes he opens up a bit more and Mayo is able to see more sides to him that he doesn't show at school as their story progress. 

This is the closest she's ever been to him but can't love him. Will her voice ever be heard? Where is this clumsy, secret requited love going to go? 

* I kinda copy-paste this review from my account on MyAnimeList because I didn't want to type it out again but my review still stands the same. 

I liked how Mayo seemed so meek at first but she's actually very strong and very optimistic even though the guy was being cold to her. This story is kind of different to all the manga's I've read before. Kouta has a very unusual problem which is very interesting and makes you want to read more and learn why he has it.

As the story unfolds you start to get a sense as to why he thinks the way he does and he end up feeling sorry for him. I especially like it when even though Kouta was showing withdrawal symptoms, Mayo doesn't give up on him and tries to help him. She's a selfless person who - even if she doesn't get anything in return - is content as long as Kouta finds his passion and happiness again.

I loved how the author portrayed her characters. Mayo, in particular, I find just so adorable and cute. I love her. She has a quiet voice (like I do) and only finds the courage to speak up before she realizes it because of the courage Kouta and the people around her. Kouta is an interesting character with an unusual problem and pitiful backstory. His best friend is also very interesting and I like him the most because he says the most unexpected things to Mayo out of nowhere and with people around. It's so endearing.

TOTAL SCORE

Storyline: ★★★★☆

Characters: ★★★★★

Romance: ★★★☆☆

Drama: ★★★☆☆

Is it Enjoyable?: ★★★★★

Overall score: ★★★★☆

For a really short manga, it kept me very interested right through to the end and I really enjoyed it. It was very innocent and pure and at times very comedic - especially the childish best friend and senpai. The ending was a little unexpected and cliché and a little rushed (make sense for an 8 volume manga) but I got some closure I needed. 

The art was just beautiful. Art is important to me because if the drawing isn't good then no matter how good the story is I just can't find myself to be interested in it. I've always loved Ema Toyama's work. So I'm quite pleased.

Overall, I loved the story. Loved the characters. Love it!

'Yokujou Climax' Manga Review

I remember reading this manga a long time ago but then I dropped it. I didn't pick it up again until this year and now I remember why I dropped it in the first place.

Author: Ukyou Akane
Genre: Shoujo, Romance, Drama, Smut, School Life
English Name: 'Desire Climax'

Total volumes: 7 volumes (2004 - 2006)

SUMMARY

Omori Mio is a high school teenager working a number of part-time jobs to support her hospitalized mother and her younger brother, Hinata. One night, she encounters a violent scene where a mysterious, young man with cold eyes forcefully steals her first kiss and throws money at her, saying he'll buy her and that she belongs to him. 

The next day, she receives an offer to become the maid for her extremely rich landlord and his son, Jinnai Shoei, aka 'Prince Jinnai', the cool, handsome and most popular guy in her school. To her horror, Mio finds out the man who stole her first kiss is none other than Shoei. 

Arrogant and forceful, Shoei expresses his love for Mio in his own way that makes it hard for her to ignore her feelings for him. 

As the series progresses, Mio uncovers long-forgotten memories of herself and Shoei and her relationship with her brother becomes more complicated when he gets jealous and interferes with their relationship. 

I have to say, I actually had high hopes for this manga. I thought it was going to be really good but it was kind of disappointing as I read on. The manga had a good start when Mio forgot all about her past with Shoei and they try to start their relationship from the beginning.

But it all goes downhill when Hinata got involved. There was just so much unnecessary drama with the brother that was panned out rather loosely. His backstory was randomly thrown in and explored really poorly to quickly move onto the next drama. 

The author definitely did a terrible job executing some of the plotlines in the series that left a few plotholes. She didn't tie the ending that well either. It was like she woke up one day and decided to wrap up the series without thinking how these characters deserve a good ending. It was given the usual cliché endings for romance shoujo ending and not a very good one either. It just seemed rushed. 

CHARACTERS

Mio: A poor, naive and emotionally weak girl who easily gets strung along by any male character who exerts manipulative tendencies (i.e Shoei and Hinata). She's often indecisive when it comes to her relationships with Shoei and her brother. She has a sense of dignity of being a poor person and doesn't utilize Shoei's riches to solve her poverty. She's lived her life being poor and chooses to solve her issues through means of her own without the help of anyone else (though it futile when your boyfriend is super rich and always gets his way).

I started to hate Mio as the series progressed because she was way too naive and selfish. She kept running away instead of facing her problems when it comes to Shoei. The author tried to make her appear strong and confident but it contradicts how she acts by running away from him when things got too complicated.

It's hard to understand why Shoei is in love with her when she repeatedly runs away from his advances every time she's insecure about something. Maybe he comes on a little too strong sometimes but running away is just a cowardly move when he's repeatedly declared his love for her from the beginning.

Shoei: A high-achieving, handsome and intelligent rich guy who is adored by all the girls in the school. He is your typical rich boy - 'I always get what I want' by any means necessary kind. Yes, he's hot and smutty but that's the only attractive things about him. 

At school, he has this persona where he's kind and smiles to everyone. He wears glasses to make himself seem more approachable (because for a hottie like him without glasses just seems more out of reach). But at home, or usually around Mio, he's a completely different person. He becomes arrogant and forceful in a sexual way towards Mio.

Shoei has been in love with Mio ever since they were children. A running quirk between them is whenever Mio takes off his glasses, He blushes profusely, breaking his hot stares. This is because as kids, Mio would take off his glasses and kiss him.

He can easily coerce Mio into sexual acts but doesn't force her to sleep with him until she's ready. He may be cool and handsome but he's just way too possessive and forceful. You kinda like him but also don't like him either because of his rich boy tendencies - money can't solve anything boy.

Hinata: Mio's brother and has demonstrated to be very manipulative and quite selfish. He's just downright annoying and clingy, and honestly a brat out of diapers.  

The only thing that's good about him is - nothing! He's got the cute looks which makes it easier for his job as a male escort. Mio has no idea about his job as a prostitute because she refuses to let him drop out of school and work (like every caring older sibling in mangas). 

The manga would have done better if there was no arc about the brother because it was done rather poorly to make him seem like an important character. The author probably tried to take her story different compared to other mangas with a love triangle where she's made it the brother to be the obstacle for the main couple. However, Hinata's character as her brother just made him seem really annoying and clingy like a girl.

It's just baffling the way the Mio chose to handle her relationship with Shoei and Hinata. Her indecisiveness was clear when she couldn't abandon Hinata even he was obviously manipulative her and her feelings for Shoei. It could be that she didn't want to hurt one or the other - in my opinion, a good ending for this love triangle is that she doesn't choose either of them.

One; because they are both manipulative and don't take her feelings into consideration. Two; she's way too naive and selfish for wanting both. And three; neither of the boys deserve her.

Other characters: The parents make their appearance here and there when it was necessary or even unexpected. Mio's mother is mostly seen in the hospital and Shoei's father comes and goes because he's a businessman. And most of the time the portrayal of their character is really appalling.

Mio's mother is shown to be a very caring person who loves her children dearly. She used to work as Shoei's wet nurse and he sees her as a mother figure (because his real mom is dead, I think) so she's rather close to him because he often visits her at the hospital. She's often carefree but gets serious when it comes to her children. One plothole I noticed is that I still don't understand why the mother had lied about the Mio's 'birth origin'. It was never explained why she lied and it's weird how her daughter never questioned why she lied about.

Shoei's father is a terribly weak character. Too wishy-washy for most parts of the series. At first, he's portrayed as the kind-hearted and ditzy old man who's very carefree about Shoei's spoilt tendencies to keep Mio beside him. But then, towards the end of the manga, his personality did a 180 turn and became very serious and somewhat the bad guy separating the two. Then another 180 by the end of the series. Like, what? His character had a weird development out of any mangas I've read. For a father to suddenly turn into a 'bad' guy and just sit back as danger befalls onto Shoei and Mio. WTH?!

TOTAL SCORE

Storyline: ★★☆☆☆

Characters: ★☆☆☆☆

Romance: ★★☆☆☆

Drama: ★☆☆☆☆

Is it Enjoyable?: ★☆☆☆☆

Overall score: ★★☆☆☆

Overall, the manga had a good plotline going on but the author just went the wrong way about it. There wasn't much depth in the main characters with a rather loose portrayal of some of them and the plotline was explored really poorly and too rushed. There were times where it just didn't make sense either because we move on from one drama to the next.

There is romance in this series but it isn't developed too well here because I couldn't feel the couple connecting at all. Most of the time, it just seemed like Mio was being strung along with Shoei's whims and forcefulness. She loves him but is also runs away at every roadblock they encounter without consulting to him how she feels or even cares to know how he feels in the matter.

The characters' portrayal was a major problem for me because I couldn't bring myself to like any of them. They were either too annoying, too selfish or just plainly getting on my nerves.

I wouldn't read this again nor would I recommend this for anyone. But if it still interests you then it's up to you.

'Itazura na Kiss' Anime Review

Years ago, I remember watching the anime adaption of the manga 'Itazura na Kiss'. I was still in high school back then and instead of studying I watched anime. I could distinctly remember the anime to be a comedy and drama type of genres. I decided to watch it again (just coz) and as I did, I noticed a lot of things I didn't care to notice at first some of the annoying factors of some of the characters in the story. 

For those of you who have never watched 'Itazura na Kiss', I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum. 

Despite being incomplete, the manga was so great there have been multiple drama adaptions aside from the 2008's animated one. To date, there are... 

• 2 Japanese adaptations of the same name; 1996 and 2013/14 (2 seasons of Itazura na Kiss: Love in Tokyo)
• 2 Taiwanese adaptations; It Started with a Kiss (2005) and it's sequel They Kiss Again (2007) and Miss in Kiss (2016)
• 1 Korean adaption; Playful Kiss (2010)
• 1 Thai adaption; Kiss Me (2015)

I've seen 2013/14 Japanese version and 2010 Korean's version of the drama. I'm not going to talk much about but it's pretty much more or less the same storyline. The acting was of different standards but still great. 

Author: Tada Kaoru (RIP)

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama, Shoujo

English Name: Playful Kiss

Total episodes: 25 episodes (2008)

Total volumes: 23 volumes (1990 - 1999; incomplete due to unexpected death of the author) 

SUMMARY

A high school girl named Aihara Kotoko works up the courage to confess her long-term crush to Irie Naoki since freshmen through a letter. Naoki, the smartest and handsome guy in the school rejects her without bothering to read the letter. 

Heartbroken and shattered of her image of what a great guy he is, Kotoko decides to move on. However, on the same day, Kotoko's home was destroyed by a small earthquake. Her father's old classmate offered to let them stay with his family. 

Moving into their new temporary home, Kotoko discovers her father's friend is actually Naoki's father. 

Everything that follows from here is a lot of drama, romance and comedic relief. 

Before I start, I would like to say that this review is all based on my personal opinion of the anime only. You are free to share the same opinion and you are free not to because we are all entitled to our own opinions. 

Now let's get started. 

PLOTLINE

The story follows the lives of Kotoko and Naoki as they learn to live with each other and battling their feelings for one another. I think it's safe to say that since this is a romantic comedy genre the guy obviously falls in love with her but his cool stoic facade prevents him from being honest majority of the time. 

For a 25 episode run, the anime covers a lot of drama on the main couple's lives for over a span of 5-10 ten years?? I don't know. There was a lot of fast-tracking in this anime. 

From episodes 1 - 7 it covers their senior year and graduation. Episodes 8 - 19 covers their university years and episodes 20 - 25 covers their adulthood and careers. It seemed like there was no end to their story even with the fast-tracking. It seemed like the author of the manga wanted to keep telling their story until they're old. But unfortunately, the manga was left incomplete because of the unexpected death of the author so we'll never know. 

RIP Kaoru Tada

There's probably a lot more that happens in the manga and the producers just chose not to put them in the anime because they had to cram everything into 25 episodes. Probably impossible to cram the entire 23 volumes into 25 episodes because each episode is like 22 mins. I haven't read the manga so I wouldn't know. 

'Itazura na Kiss' is an anime with a lot of melodramatic moments mixed with a lot of comedy. These dramatic moments happen mostly because of the lack of communication from both Kotoko and Naoki, well mostly Naoki. (I'll get into characters in a bit). 

I felt the pacing of the anime was a little too fast because we see our characters move from high school life to university life to adulthood all too quickly. It was both good and bad at the same time. 

Good because it doesn't just focus on their high school years where they can hardly do anything in the real world because they're highschoolers. And because it would be so boring to watch Kotoko trying to battle her 'I want to hate him' feeling for Naoki for a full 25 episodes. We also get to see them transition from fresh out of high school to individuals trying to build their careers through more study (lol). 

Bad because it all seems way too fast in such a short period (This is because I watched this in just one day). 

CHARACTERS

Where do I even begin with the characters? 

Now, remember this is based on how I see the characters.

The Kotoko and Naoki are ... how should I say this? They were pretty annoying and irritable each in their own individual way. 

Kotoko: She's a ditzy and hopelessly stupid girl with underachieving grades who falls head-over-heels for a guy way out of her league. She basically falls in love with how everyone sees Naoki - the cool, smart and handsome guy - without bothering to know who he actually is as a person. She decides to write her feelings down on a piece of paper and gives it to him and hope that he returns the same feelings. I find that a really poor calculated move because, for one, he's never spoken to her let alone notice her and return her feelings. So it's no wonder he brutally turned her down. 

Kotoko is one of those girls who just can't seem to take a hint that he's doesn't have any interest in her whatsoever because she's not his type. In saying that, Naoki has never mentioned what his type is but he did say 'I don't like dumb girls'. Clearly, she didn't fit his profile of an ideal girlfriend and yet still persist to make the guy hers. It was funny at first but then it just got to the point where you eye-roll every time she starts daydreaming about Naoki. Maybe if she'd stop daydream and actually focus on her studies she wouldn't be in Class F which is five ranks below Naoki in Class A. 

I personally think Kotoko is kind of clingy and annoying how she keeps going back and forth about moving on from Naoki every time he rejects her but then jumps at every opportunity to be with him. HAVE SOME DIGNITY WOMAN! Throughout the entire course of the anime, Kotoko seemed to be very dependent on Naoki. She's always following him around and doing everything and anything that's related to him just so she can be near him at all the livelong day every day. Her clinginess is almost on the borderline of obsession. Strictly speaking, it's a major turn off for any guy. 

Though I do applaud Kotoko's determination to fight for her love for Naoki but there's a limit.  

I know, I know. Love has no limits but come on. There are always boundaries that people should respect. And I have to say; for a girl who finally got with the guy she's been head-over-heels for years she still hasn't changed from calling him by surname to his first name. Even by the end of the anime, she hasn't changed it. It's baffling really. 

Naoki: He's your everyday cold, handsome and untouchable genius with an IQ of 200. His cold mannerism is one of his charming qualities but it's also one that stabs your heart in the wrong way. What do I mean? First; he rejects Kotoko's love letter coldly and says he despises dumb girls. He lacks the social mannerism of when to be sensitive to someone's feelings even if he has no interest in her. Second; he's not honest with his feelings. He the typical guy who hides his feelings and is mean to the girl he loves. Most of the drama that happens in this anime is caused by him for not being honest with his feelings. He could have saved himself and others a lot of trouble if he had just told her the GODDAMN TRUTH! 

IDK. Maybe Naoki didn't want to admit that he's fallen in love with the dumb girl he hates and that's why he's not honest with himself. His cold attitude towards Kotoko for the most parts of the anime was heartbreaking because of how much she's put out for him and he still doesn't appreciate the things she's done for him. In retrospect, some of her actions are clingy and obsessive so it's understandable. 

It's kind of hard to understand why Naoki falls in love with her in the first place and at times it's hard to believe he actually loves her from the way he treats her. 

Even after he comes to terms with his feelings; he still treats her the same way uninterested way because of his lack of communication. You can't use the excuse 'I'm not very good at expressing my feelings' because you need to man up about it. Not everyone is smart enough (ahem Kotoko) to understand how you feel just by your subtle to no actions. He may be cool and handsome but in no way a romantic gentleman. He goes along with whatever the girls ask him to like he has no choice and does it in a half-hearted manner. 

Naoki's not the best guy to fall in love with but it's understandable why he's so cold to Kotoko most of the time. He wants a peaceful life without anyone disrupting it and Kotoko is anything but peaceful with her clingy and annoying behaviour. This includes her annoying, gossipy friends. 

Hiding underneath the cold facade and 'I have no interest in you' look, Naoki does care about the people around him, i.e. Kotoko and his family, even if they are annoying to him on a crazy level. His only flaw is his inability to be honest with himself and his sensitivity towards others. 

Friends: It's kind of mean to say Naoki has no friends to talk about because we literally don't see much of Naoki's friends. He only has one high school friend who only appears a few times. Kotoko's friends, on the other hand, appears often. 

Kotoko has two best female friends; Jinko and Satomi, both from Class F and like her, so stupid. They like to gossip and they definitely can't keep a secret. They find out by accident Kotoko is living with Naoki and she specifically told them to keep it a secret. Next day, the secret's no longer a secret. Seriously, they are the worst friends ever. 

It's like you telling to your best friends you've finally had sex with your boyfriend and they start telling it to the whole country by advertising on the billboard. It amazes me how she continues to be friends with them. If it was me, I would have dumped them a long time ago. 

Kotoko is also friends with Kinnosuke is her male friend who is crazy in love with her for a very long time. He's the male version Kotoko but way more obsessive and annoying and hot-headed. He's also not one to keep quiet about everything that going on in Kotoko's life. Anything that goes on in Kotoko's life, he displays it on a sign (an act that humiliates her and he's oblivious to it). Kotoko and Kinnosuke are probably better suited for each other because their obsessiveness, clinginess and annoying characteristics are perfect for each other. But I'm kind of glad Kotoko didn't choose Kinnosuke because he is a MAJOR turn off with his crazy, annoying obsession with her who can't seem to take the hint she's not into him that way. 

Family: Kotoko only has her father, Shiego, after her mother died of unknown reasons (from what I recall) and he deeply cares about his daughter's happiness. I applaud him for giving her the talk about Naoki and that it's best for her to move on from him and moved out. Every father hates seeing their daughter unhappy. His appearance in the anime is limited but times when we do see him, he gives a deep talk to Kotoko and Naoki and how gives them advice. 

Naoki has both parents and a younger brother, Yuuki, who's the only one who seems to age in this anime. Everyone else practically stays the same over the years, you'd think they are all vampires. But no. 

Naoki's mother, Noriko, is hands down the best mom ever! She's so carefree and oddly enough obsessed with our main couple. She adores Kotoko because she's always wanted a daughter but comes out with two sons that look identical to each other. She loves Kotoko like her own and fully supports her pursuing her son. She oversees Kotoko's clingy habits because she wants to see the two of them date and eventually marry. She carries around her camera to capture every moment of the children's lives like she's some sort of paparazzi. It's funny but also weird that she has so much free time to stalk her kids. 

Naoki's father, Shigeki, is a kind-hearted man who kindly offers his home to his old friend. He's kind but also whipped. He goes along with everything his wife tells him because she's obsessed with the idea of getting both kids together. Should he dare go against his wife, he'd be finding himself a new wife to whip him. Yuuki is probably the normal one out of the family because he minds his business, not wanting to get involved with adult matters because he's just a middle schooler when we first meet him. He's the typical younger brother who has no problem poking fun at Kotoko like his older brother. Despite his brattiness, he somewhat cares about the girl who slowly changed his brother. 

TOTAL SCORE

Again, this is score is based on how I feel about the anime. 

Storyline: ★★★☆☆

Characters: ★★☆☆☆

Comedy: ★★★★☆

 Romance: ★★☆☆☆

Drama: ★★★★☆

Is it Enjoyable?:★★★☆☆

Overall score: ★★★☆☆

Overall, the anime is somewhat enjoyable if you can ignore the heavy flaws of each these characters. If you judge it on a comedy level then it hits the high scores but on a normal scale where you judge it realistically then it's somewhere on the low end. The storyline could have been a lot better if the characters weren't all so annoying, particularly if you have an annoying main girl like Kotoko and cold-hearted jerk like Naoki. I hate it when girls are passive but I especially hate it when girls are clingy. Seriously, Kotoko. You're not putting us girls in the best light with your clingy independence.

I scored romance two stars because it was definitely lacking in our characters. Naoki is in no way romantic at all towards Kotoko (I mean how can he when she's too much to handle). The romance was overshadowed by the comedy in my sense because to me it was more of a one-side crush on Kotoko's part and Naoki is just going along with what his mother wants. I couldn't see how this couple was in love with each other like average couples. I just couldn't see it. 

I gave drama four stars because there was definitely a lot of drama that wouldn't have happened if Naoki could just be honest with himself. The multiple appearances of new characters definitely played a part in each hiccup of their relationship as they each try to get in between Kotoko and Naoki's relationship. 

Usually, when I enjoy watching an anime, I would turn to read the manga because I want more of it but I can't say the same for 'Itazura na Kiss'. 

I enjoyed watching it but it's not my favourite. I just get irritated watching Kotoko clingy onto Naoki like a leech. I can recommend you to watch it if you enjoy a little comedy here and there but I wouldn't say it's romantic when it clearly lacks in romance. 

If it still intrigues you then, by all means, knock yourself out and tell me what you think of it. We're all entitled to our own opinions. 

'Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru' Anime/Manga Review

Hands down, I love the anime so much! I actually bought the entire manga set because I wanted more. I've been rewatching the anime for years because I just can't seem to get enough of it. It's so heartbreaking that the manga ended too.

It's not the best action-thriller anime compared to Code Geass or Attack on Titan good but there's something there. - The hot and good looking guys - YES - is one thing but it's also the storyline.

Author: Odagiri Hotaru
Genre: Action, Supernatural, Fantasy, Thriller, Shounen-ai
English Name: The Betrayal Knows My Name

Total Episodes: 24 episodes (2010)
Total Volumes: 13 volumes (2005 - 2017)

For more information on Uraboku 

For those of you that don't know 'Uragiri wa Boku no Namae wo Shitteiru' (aka Uraboku) is...

SUMMARY

The story follows the life of Sakurai Yuki as a teenage boy with mysterious powers that lets him reads people's minds and see their past through touch. He was abandoned since birth and have lived his entire life in an orphanage where he grew up with a childhood friend, Kanata Wakamiya, who he sees as a brother.
Yuki's strange ability isolates him from everyone as he's unable to control it and accidentally hurts them. He strives to be independent to avoid being a burden to others but at the same time fears being alone.

He meets a mysterious yet beautiful man named Luka Crosszeria (Zess) who saves his life - a man he's never met him before but seems familiar. From this fateful meeting, Yuki's life has been turned upside down as he learns there's more to his life than being abandoned at birth and more to the world as he knows it.

Before getting into the review, I would like to appreciate how much Hotaru Odagiri has put out to finish her life's work despite battling her illness over the years. She has taken a long period of hiatus from 2012 to 2016 (I'm not too sure about the dates because that's the time no volumes were published by her during this time) to focus on recovering.

While I was anxious to find out what happens to our characters, I was more than willing to wait for her recovery. I was happy to hear her coming out of her hiatus to close her series (and this is just my assumptions) so that her fans could get some sort of closure rather than wait for an indefinite period for her return. 

There are some mangas that are left completely unfinished like Nana by Yazawa Ai who's been on hiatus since June 2009 (like 10 years already).

PLOTLINE

First of all, let me be clear about one thing; IT IS NOT A YAOI ANIME! 

You might have misinterpretations here and there while watching it but it is definitely NOT yaoi (not that I would have any problems with the romantic BoyxBoy scenarios). Both the anime and manga portray the male characters to have a really, really close bond with each other because their past lives play a part in this.

And no, not all characters are male. There are some female characters as well. 

I loved how they explore every character, every pairing and every time I see Yuki and Luka together I just squeal at the sight of them together. They are literally the icon of bromance. 

The storyline tells the story about Yuki's strange ability to read people's emotions actually have more significance to it when he meets a strange man from the Giou Clan who claims to be his older brother, Giou Takashiro. 

After coming close to a near-death experience, Yuki gets saved by Luka - a man who he's seen in his dreams but doesn't remember them when he wakes up. With the arrival of his brother and his saviour, Yuki's strange ability awakens and he finds himself dragged into a centuries-old war he is always meant to be a part of. A series of events leads him to leave his home at the orphanage and join the Giou clan.

The story that follows from here shows Yuki meeting members of the Giou clan called Zweilt Guardians who are ability bearers like him. Their sole duty is to protect him from a dangerous individual who seeks to destroy all of humanity. In the anime, we get introduced to three Zweilt pairings because they work in pairs. (I'll explain who the pairings are in the characters section later).

The Giou clan has been around for centuries (a thousand years to be precise). I'm not going to go into too much detail because that will just be a whole lot of spoilers. But basically, the clan has been around for centuries and have been involved in a long ensuring battle with Duras (the demon clan).

The element of reincarnation plays a big role in explaining the backstory to the characters and pairings. *Note: most Giou members are reborn, particularly the Zweilt Guardians and Yuki, and they reincarnate as the same person with the same pair when there's another battle coming. 

I like how the characters are developed in a way that bonds them to each other on an interpersonal level and it clearly splits the difference from their past lives to their current life.

In the anime, we are introduced to a lot of male pairings and you'd think they are lovers but no, they are just really, really close to each other because of a special bond they share. I love how even in their pairings, we see the characters develop a form of love and desire to protect Yuki in a way that doesn't make it a harem but it's because of their bond.

The anime did a decent job showing the characters' platonic relationships with each other and develop the story behind the century-old war between the two clans. The manga explores more of that and it's actually a lot more complicated than the anime because more and more mysteries are uncovered. (Not going to talk about it because it's a spoiler). Almost all the characters face a lot of insecurities because of their own backstory and they often rely on their partners. As the series progress, they learn to overcome it and Yuki is the one who helps them through it despite facing some insecurities of his own.

The ending of this anime may rub people in the wrong way because it kinda gives you the impression that there's going to be another season. However, there has been no word of it since it's final air in 2010. It was a decent ending but not satisfying because of how quickly it ended when it was just getting interesting. (Again, this probably due to the author's hiatus). 

Despite the drawback in the ending, I love Uraboku because it shows you that love doesn't only come in the form of the romantic love between two individuals but it can come in all kinds of love. This series shows you that people can have a platonic relationship with someone you consider to be really close with. Someone who understands you and can also be your solace in times of dark hours. I think everyone has or needs that one person to be their solace.

Some of the characters were very entertaining and most of the time I just find myself squealing because of the bromance. MOE!! It's just so hard to ignore it because you just love them all. 

CHARACTERS

Yuki & Luka 

Yuki and Luka is the first pair to be introduced and you already ship them from the very first episode. You can just tell they are drawn to each other because - if you must know - Yuki was a girl in his past life and they were lovers. He has no memories of his past life so he has no idea that they were lovers but he still feels a closeness with Luka and trusts him unconditionally.

As the bearer of Kami no Hikari (God's Light), Yuki can not only read people's emotions but also has the ability to heal others. At first, he gives you the impression that he's weak and can't fight at all (probably why he's given the role of the clan's healer) - but no. Yuki can actually hold off on his own because he's been trained in martial arts. He may seem weak but he will step in to fight if he sees his loved ones gets hurt. Luka is actually a Duras and his age is unknown but I think he's been around for centuries. He's obviously been around the time when female Yuki was born and fell in love with her. He's a high-class demon and a powerful one fighting with his big black sword and his little sidekick, a Salamander dragon (who can transform into a big wolf). 

I love the development of their relationship because - like I said - they are the icon of bromance. The series loosely explains Luka's devotion towards Yuki because of his remaining feelings to the female Yuki. You can see how really protective and devoted he is of Yuki and would do anything to make sure he's happy and safe. I love even how Luka is always so quiet and reserved most of the time, his expressions changes when it comes to Yuki.

Luka is Yuki's solace in times where he feels insecure because of his abandonment issues and starts to doubt his own existence, and Luka always tells him "I will never betray you". It's his way of saying he will always be there for Yuki no matter what and would never leave him alone. God, he's like the perfect boyfriend. Yuki has unconditional trust in Luka and Luka unconditional devotion towards Yuki. Their bond makes them inseparable. It's also funny to see how jealous Luka gets when he sees other characters get too close to Yuki. 

Tsukumo & Toko

Tsukumo and Toko are siblings and are said to be Yuki's cousins or distant relatives. They are the first of the Zweilts to welcome Yuki with open arms. They are the easy-going pair compared to the other Zweilt members and often care about Yuki's wellbeing. Tsukumo is the bearer of Kami no Mimi (God's Ears). His ability is that he can sense people and "hear" their thoughts and he wields a gun (kinda like Kiryu Zero from Vampire Knight). Toko has no special abilities but she makes up for that through fighting simultaneously with her brother.

Because of their special bond as Zweilt pairs, people mistake their relationship as incest and it's funny when other characters poke at the idea.

Hotsuma & Shusei

Hotsuma is the bearer of Kami no Koe (God's Voice) and he's known for his short-temper and impulsive behaviour. He doesn't usually have anything nice to say to anyone, particularly towards Yuki when they first met. Shusei is the bearer of Kami no Me (God's Eyes) - a sixth sense kind of thing and he is more calm and quiet in nature compared to Hotsuma. They are total opposites but complement each other well on an interpersonal level. 

Hotsuma and Shusei is another bromance pairing that makes me squeal every moment they are together. They have the same kind of relationship with Yuki and Luka only their relationship is different. Shusei is Hotsuma's solace and the only person he is actually kind to because they are childhood friends. Shuesei is the only person Hotsuma trusts and devoted to because of the guilt he bears to him.

In my opinion, they are the second strongest pairing out of all the characters after Yuki and Luka. They have complete devotion and trust in each other and are literally the definition of "lovers" where they would actually die for each other. And no they are not actually lovers. They just have a really strong bond. A lot stronger than Tsukumo and Toko. 

Kuroto & Senshiro

They are childhood friends, and like Toko, they don't have any special abilities. Kuroto is a professional shogi prodigy and is quiet and serious by nature because of his past. Senshirou is a Zweilt-in-training (so not an original member from the Giou clan and reborn like everyone else) and is a bit clumsy. He became a Zweilt and chose to be partners with Kuroto because of a past he shares with him. 

They are the third pairing introduced to us (and last pairing in the anime). I would say their pairing is the weakest compared to the other Zweilt Guardians only because they just got paired together recently so they still have a lot of things to work out. It's not because they can't work together, it's more about Kuroto's insecurities that about to this past life and because he's worried about what his friend is giving up for him.

The anime didn't allow much development on these two because their appearance was only limited to the second half of the season. The manga does explore more of their relationship and you can see their bond as a pair make them trust each other more and stake their lives for each other. Senshirou is definitely the motherly-type to all Zweilt members and he often likes to spoil Kuroto, who is easily embarrassed when it comes to his pair.

Takashiro and Kanata

Now, this is a more complicated pairing than anyone other characters because they go way back. I won't go into too much detail because it will spoil a lot but basically, they have a lot of history together. 

Takashiro is the head of the Giou Clan (in the manga there's actually someone else who has more control over the clan but it's not important). He possesses a grimoire called the Book of Solomon. He claims to be Yuki's older brother which I can see how they look so much alike. 

But reading from the manga, I have other theories (Not going to go into that). 

Kanata is Yuki's childhood friend who he grew up with in the orphanage and acts like an older brother to him. It turns out Kanata is the antagonist of the series and was actually an original member of the Giou clan. He possesses the other grimoire, the Book of Raziel. He's a very controversial character because, despite being on opposite sides, Kanata still cares deeply about Yuki. He's conflicted with his relationship with Yuki and his main goal to destroy all of humanity because of some ancient revenge. The manga goes into more depth about the centuries-old war and it's a lot more complicated than what the anime showed because it left out a lot.

Each of the characters in the anime has their own unique attribute that make them stand out in their own way. Even the villains and supporting characters have their own uniqueness that keeps you interested. 

MANGA 

While the anime did a decent job following the storyline in the manga, it left out quite a lot because it only covered the first 7 volumes. Continuing from where the anime left off, the manga goes into more depth between the characters and the war behind the two clans and how it all started.

What you don't get to see in the anime is that is another Zweilt pairing and they are the last pairing in the entire clan - Sairi & Ria. They are another male and female pairing besides Tsukumo and Toko. They are not siblings and they are lovers either. They are original Giou clan members who each lost their original partners in the last battle and are got paired together.

When the anime finished, I went straight to reading the manga but nowhere could I read the full chapters online so I had to buy the entire set. But at that time, the series didn't finish so I didn't get to find out how the series ended until Hotaru Odagiri came out of her hiatus a few years ago.

Now that it's finished and I've read them all, this is my opinion of the entire series...

I am disappointed that the manga ended earlier than it should have. I felt that the manga could have continued for like 5 more volumes. But it can't be helped when working on such a great manga with a lot of potential takes a lot out of the author. She took a long hiatus to focus on her recovery but decided to make a comeback in spite of her illness to finish this manga the best she can to avoid leaving it incomplete indefinitely.

I appreciate the author's effort but I am disappointed with the way the manga ended. The character's arc and the plotline behind the war were getting interesting and it was unexpected however, it wasn't allowed the chance to be developed any further because of the abrupt ending. Again, I'm not going to blame the poor author who had to battle her illness while trying to finish this manga.

The ending was left ambiguous with more questions than answers. I was really disappointed that we never got the chance to know more about Luka's backstory other than the time he fell in love with female Yuki. I was actually hoping there'd be a backstory or flashback about his past with his former master and I actually thought the Demon King was going to make an appearance.

There was actually a lot of backstory behind the Giou clan, Takashiro, the new character Sairi and Katana. It's really disappointing that none of it got explored further than just a brief explanation. This is only possible if the author had the capability to continue further than the ending we got.

I'm more sad than disappointed about the ending but I also respect the author's decision to bring it to an end. She's been very ill for a long time and tried to battle it while working on the manga at the same time but it just got worse for her. She went on a really long hiatus and probably thought she can't do this to her readers any longer and thought it was best to bring it to an end.

It may not be the best ending or closure we all hoped for - but it's better than leaving it incomplete forever.

TOTAL SCORE

Storyline: ★★★★☆

Characters: ★★★★☆

Comedy: ★★☆☆☆

Action: ★★★☆☆

Thriller: ★★★☆☆

Is it Enjoyable?: ★★★★☆

Overall score:★★★★☆

Overall, I still love the anime and the manga despite the drawback in the endings. I'm going to ignore that because I love the characters so much. The storyline was great and compelling, it leaves you on edge and it sparks a lot of theories. It had a lot of potential but sadly it wasn't given the chance to delve further than what we got. And like I said, there is no romance in this but the depth of how these characters are explored and their relationship just compels you to be invested with them. 

Comedy doesn't have a big presence in the anime or manga because of the seriousness of the plotline but there a few light comedy in here. It's more cute than funny really and it makes you laugh sometimes. There is a lot of action but because of the ending, I couldn't giving it a full five star or even four because I was expecting a full-on battle between the clans. 

It is a great anime and it's enjoyable if you can get over the undeveloped ending. 

I can recommend the anime and the manga if you don't mind an ambiguous ending. It's ambiguous but it's not a bad ending. But it's fine if you want to pass on it.