Megumi Noda, or "Nodame" is a piano student at Momogaoka College of Music. An extremely talented pianist who wants to be a preschool teacher, she prefers playing by ear rather than reading the music score. She is messy and disorganized, takes baths several days apart and loves to eat, sometimes stealing her friend's lunchbox when it is filled with delicacies.
Shinichi Chiaki is Momogaoka's top student. Born into a musical family, he is talented in piano and violin and has secret ambitions to become a conductor. An arrogant multi-lingual perfectionist who once lived abroad in the music capitals of the world as a young boy (namely Prague), he is trapped in Japan because of his childhood phobia of airplanes and the ocean.
They meet by accident. Nodame quickly falls in love, but it takes much longer for Chiaki to even begin to appreciate Nodame's unusual qualities. Their relationship causes them both to develop and grow. Along the way, they meet some crazy people (like Masumi, Mine, and Stresemann) and make lasting friendships. Because of Nodame, Chiaki gets the opportunity to lead a student orchestra and begins to have a broader appreciation of people's musical abilities. Because of Chiaki, Nodame faces her fears and enters a piano competition. Opportunities open up as both begin taking risks, stretching themselves far more than they ever thought possible.
After graduation, Nodame succeeds in curing Chiaki from his phobia and they both move to Paris where Nodame continues her piano studies at the Conservatoire de Paris while Chiaki starts a professional career as a conductor. In Europe, they encounter new friends and rivals, as well as keep in touch with their friends from Japan.

I’m only reviewing the live-action drama series that aired in 2007-2008. The anime didn’t appear until after the drama series. I don’t care too much for the manga or the anime. J-dramas are really inspiring because Japanese try their best at acting like anime characters (and quite possibly their American counterparts).

I have so much love for this series. It’s right up there with NANA. Not only does it fill my needs and wants of being a hopeless romantic, it’s also fulfilling for my love of classical music. In each episode they show a piece of music written by a legendary composer and the origins of the piece.
This live action was a really great piece of art. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it can be enjoyed with that special someone who also has similar interests in the musical arts.

The series focuses on Eiri Kurahashi, a college art student who works in an antique shop. One day, he sees the image of a girl in an antique glass. To his shock, she appears to be moving and living out her life before his eyes. He becomes infatuated with the girl, and one night at midnight, he somehow makes contact with her. He learns that her name is Cossette, and that she was an aristocrat's daughter during the 18th century. She reveals to him that her spirit has been entrapped within the glass because the artist Marcello Orlando murdered her. She tells Eiri that, in order to set her free, a man must be willing to take upon himself punishment for the sins Marcello committed.

As the series progresses, Eiri is tortured mentally and physically by Cossette, who demands that he prove his professed love for her. It is revealed that Eiri is the reincarnation of Marcello, and that Cossette is becoming as infatuated with him as he is with her. Also depicted are the efforts of the women in Eiri's life—relatives, friends, mentors, and the girl who secretly loves him—to free him from what is becoming apparent to them as a self-destructive path.
What better way to start off the Valentine season with a little blood and betrayal!

I have to say that this three episode OVA makes my top 10 anime series. I was completely enthralled with this anime. It had everything I was looking for when I was a teenager. It talked about how brutal love could actually be instead of Disney’s make believe stories of “True love conquers all”.

The animation - right down to the soundtrack is amazingly haunting. What did you expect from the all time famous composer, Yuki Kaijuira and renowned Ani-plex? The answer is better than you expected. There is really so much about this story that speaks volumes and I just can’t cover it all. You’d have to see it for yourself.

If you are lonely this season or need a break from diluted retarded love this season, look no further than Le Portrait De Petit Cossette!

Aya Mikage and her twin brother Aki go to their grandfather's home for their sixteenth birthday unaware that it's actually a test to see if they have enough angel or celestial maiden blood in them. Aya is the reincarnation of a powerful celestial maiden called Ceres. When she transforms into Ceres, Aya obtains supernatural powers and abilities such as flight, teleportation, telepathy, incredibly strong and powerful telekinesis, premonition, projecting highly strong, powerful and destructive deep pink glowing energy blasts from her hands, creating incredibly strong and powerful impenetrable shields and barriers of pure deep pink glowing energy, and superhuman speed. According to the legend, Ceres will kill the Mikage family for revenge upon stealing her celestial robe, thus preventing her returning home to Heaven, so Aya's family attempts to kill her. However, she is saved by Suzumi Aogiri, another angel descendant with supernatural powers, (since not all Mikages have angel blood) and Suzumi's brother-in-law, Yūhi. Aya tries to control Ceres's power over her and Aki is taken over by the vengeful hateful spirit and soul of "Mikagi", the ancestor of the Mikage family who first stole Ceres' celestial robe, forcing her to stay on Earth. Aya also wrestles with her growing love for Toya, a servant of the Mikage who are trying to kill her, but lost his memory of his past. He also starts to love Aya in return. Aya promises Ceres to help her find her celestial robe in exchange for not killing her family (especially Aki) who hunts her down, since Aya still loves them. Toya tries to regain his memory. He learns that he was the organism that Ceres's celestial robe (otherwise known as "the mana") created to help it reunite with Ceres.

This is taking it a couple notches away from Petite Cossette. This one also makes my top ten list of anime/manga. Believe it or not, Ayashi no Ceres was one of the first graphic novels/manga I ever picked up and since then I have in love with all of Yuu Watase’s works.

This is soap opera anime. It’s got all its twists and turns with rivals for Aya’s love (much like Twilight’s counterparts, Jacob and Edward). Yuhi and Toya are the ones fighting for Aya’s love and affection (with Aki’s alternate personality trying to get at the goddess, Ceres). I didn’t like Aya’s character as much as I should have; I was too caught up in Ceres’ story to be caught up with Aya’s melo-dramatic life.

Ceres had fallen in love with a human, who had become completely intoxicated by her love that he was willingly to sacrifice their children to be with her. He hid her robes from her so that she was unable to return to heaven (and without returning to heaven she would eventually die a human death). She cursed that man and vowed to find her robes and curse his family for centuries to come. Hell hath no fury like a woman’s scorn. In the end, Ceres’ came to realize that the man was just extremely in love with her and didn’t want to lose her. She eventually forgave him and they returned to heaven together, finally bringing peace to the Mikage family and normality back in to Aya’s life.

Well, somewhat normal, Aya is knocked up with Toya’s child and Toya isn’t sure how much longer he will live because he no longer possesses the “Celestial Robe”. Aya’s mom is in a mental health institute for the rest of her life. Yuuhi goes on being Yuuhi (never liked his character anyways). A lot of the other good characters were killed off so, this is the end to this soap opera.

Very good watch, the animation is a bit botched since it was made in the early ‘90s. But you are just watching it for the story, right?

Enjoy!

Alien women.....Boobs......Panty Shots......Nosebleed and blushing moments.....uncomfortable antisocial hero.....and we can't forget the MELON BREAD!  I give to you....dearS.

dearS is the story of Takeya Ikuhara, a 17 year old student who works at a video store and lives alone. He has a bit of an immature antisocial outlook on life, and is the unlikely hero of this story. He comes across a a naked Homeless alien (Ren) in the bushes on the way home from school one day. Ren turns out to be a dearS, a type of alien that Takeya finds repulsive, but he takes her in anyways. He becomes the object of her affection much to his dismay, but finds himself attached to her. She begins school with him, proudly proclaiming him as her master, while he's embarrassed by the situation. However, Ren begins to get him  out of his shell making him a better person.  Eventually the head of dearS learn of Ren, and begin to bring her back in as they see her as Defective. Takeya finds himself falling for Ren and protecting her as he believes everyone has a right to live as they choose.


This series is only 13 episodes and is available anywhere you buy or rent anime. You can also catch any of the 8 volumes of Manga at your local Bookstore. 

I have to say, this one is great to watch on a cold day when you have nothing better to do. I wouldn't go out and buy the box set or the manga, but if you can find it streaming or know anyone who bought it, I say grab it.

Its cute and Zany and has a lot of funny moments. It has alot of CHIBI moments, awkward pauses, and characters that just make you SMILE when you think about them. not to mention Takeya has a female teacher who brings a whole new meaning to the word pervert.   The love isn't too melodramatic or OUT there.  It's very much a guy who doesn't wanna be a master to the slave but ends up doing it and falling in love anyways.

so if you got time to kill, like to laugh and smile, check out dearS.


**to our readers, my appologies for the length of this post. I am horribly sick at the moment. I also am not a HUGE love anime fan. so bear with me.  this is more Bhan's area of expertise.**

(How many second chances do you get in life?)

After being best man at his best friend's (Saitou Toshihisa) wedding, Nagai Atsushi realizes that he might never be with the man he loves, Saitou. Nagai, drowning in his sorrows and hatred for the new bride then meets Honda Kenzou, another guest at the wedding, a friend of the bride's. Honda took care of Nagai when he was dead drunk and now Nagai thinks he may have feelings for both men. Things start to get complicated when Saitou's bride runs off with another man and Saitou starts hitting on Nagai.

This isn’t a widely know or popular series. It was something I happen to fall upon a few years back. It’s really a dramatic love story, in a sort of American soap opera style. Seriously, this must have been on National Japan Television or something because it’s so similar to our soap operas here in the states. This isn’t entirely a bad thing because it does have it’s sincere moments.

This is actually an incredible romance. The characters are mature and level-headed as they embark on their lives. I have to agree that not all marriages are happy ones, which is one of the key points in the story or rather the main event that happens in the story. It’s all about second chances and doing what makes you happy. This is truly inspiring to most of us modern-hopeless romantics.

It originally started out as a manga but, later turned into an anime. Beware however, they animation isn’t up to date and some dialogue is outdated as well. If you can see past all that, I think you will like it too.

(I realize that this is the beginning of the month but, I really wanted to get this in before Yaoi month was over. My work computer had crashed, taking all of my reviews with it and I simply ran out of time before January ended. Regardless, hope you enjoy my last review for Yaoi Month.)