Over the Top/ Underground Anime you Should Watch! [Pt.1]

To be considered an "over the top" or  "underground" anime, 

a series has to have a few things from this list:

+Ridiculous amounts of action without have to be a shounen series

+A plot so up there you don't really need an explination for it

+Sometimes an animation style that doesn't follow the norms

+One most people would skip because it isn't a "popular" series 

I would love to have Kill la Kill, Panty and Stocking plus a couple other series on this list

but I'm tying to stick to series I don't think a casual or American anime fan may have

seen because they're too busy watching the hype anime.

((Please excuse my weird grammer and wording in this post >.<

I just felt like posting a list of anime I felt like reccomeding

but am not really spending the time to make this post perfect.

Also, I'll be posting another one of these later.))

Kemonozume

Finding a suitable screen shot that was work safe was really hard for this anime; most of the good quality screen shots I found were either of boobs being groped, people with chopped off limbs or straight up clips from sex scenes (which all are good chunks of what this series is about). Kemonozume is an anime my friend recommended to be almost 5 years ago because he happened to be a really big fan of it despite the really odd style. I find this anime most weird not because of the animation, but because it's suppose to be a love story mixed with a violent, guro plot line:

Since ancient times there has existed a race of flesh eating monsters called shokujinki ⁽lit. "Man-Eating Ogres") that can assume human form or otherwise live in the shadows while feeding on humans. The Kifūken ("Ogre-Sealing Sword") martial arts style school was created to hunt down those creatures and its teachings have been passed down through the generations to the Momota family. The story revolves around the forbidden romance between Toshihiko, the latest heir of the Kifūken school and Yuka, a young woman who is also a shokujinki.

This series is hard to watch for a few reasons beyond just the weird animation style, but if you can stomach the first few episodes and get into the plot you're in for a really unique experience. While you're at it, why not check out a few other anime made by this director such as Mind Game, Kaiba and most recently the anime that was made because of a kick starter Kickheart.

Rin -Daughters of Darkness-

This one is based loosely on some Greek mythology,but only really in concept rather than execution. I may have put this anime on this list but while short and to the point, it also felt like somewhat of a waste of time to watch. It's pretty well animated and the op/ed themes are really good but the story doesn't really get going until towards the end. Most of the series was just used to be violent because it felt like it. I used to be a big fan of shows like this (Elfen Lied is a good example, but at least that one spent some more time on somewhat of a plot than just "oh lets say this is plot so we can show lots of blood and guts!") but since I've grown older in my anime watching days, series like this just aren't as appealing anymore. Anyways, here's a synopsis:

Rin Asogi is an immortal private detective with a thirst for vodka and a talent for attracting things that go bump in the night. In a series of nightmarish vignettes spanning sixty-five years, Rin's lush body is sadistically pierced, blown up, and mulched to a bloody pulp. The fiend behind her tortured existence is Apos, an eternal being obsessed with sacrificing Rin to Yggdrasil, the tree of all life. While Rin struggles to unravel the secrets of her endless agony, Apos lurks in the shadows, eager to tear into her ripe body and devour the memories of her countless lives. Rin's no stranger to the realm of the dead, but her next visit could last forever. 

 

Ergo Proxy

I love this series so much that I ended up buying a collection of it when one came out for a cheaper price (I don't exactly "roll in the dough"). It had the feel of Ghost in the Shell combined with Serial Experiments Lain, which were two of my favorite anime at the time that I first watched this anime. A lot of people that I asked who ended up dropping this series said they did so because it was too slow for their taste, which seems to be the case with a lot of the series I'd consider 'under-ground' anime. This one is easy to reccomend to people who have the patience to watch it, but for the most part I don't really go around reccomending it because I know people are looking for something that has more action or plot early on. Anyways, here's a synopsis:

The world is bigger than you think...

After the explosion of the methane hydrate layer, the remaining members of mankind are forced to live in isolated domed cities scattered across the arid and inhospitable planet. They live in a controlled society and are assisted in daily life by autonomous robots called AutoReivs. In one of these cities, Romdo, Inspector Re-l Mayer, granddaughter of the regent, leads an investigation concerning AutoReivs that have gone mad after being infected by the Cogito virus. In the process, she comes in contact with a monster called Proxy. Elsewhere in the city, immigrant Vincent Law is on the run after being framed for involvement in several Cogito cases. Together, along with the adorable child-AutoReiv Pino, they set out on a journey to the dome city Mosk in order to unravel the mystery of the Proxies.

By the way, this anime has the most interesting take on what I call the "Jesus Christ Syndrome" that I have EVER seen. I really do recommend this series if you have enough patience to watch an anime that is more than 13 episodes that spends more time seemingly wasting time than getting anywhere. The ending is well worth the watch.

 

Kurozuka

I really dislike this way the anime adaptation was animated; especially the character redesigns. I haven't finished reading the manga because honestly at the time I watched this I was reading and watching so many things, a lot had to be dropped. I'm surprised I even finished this anime at the time! Other than the bad character animation, this series still had an interesting enough plot that I ended up finishing it. Please check out this comparison review I did of the first few episodes and chapters. Also, here's a synopsis:

Kurou flees into the mountains after losing to his brother Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Shogun to rule all of Japan. History records that he committed suicide, but instead, Kurou meets a strange, beautiful woman named Kuromitsu in her mountain hermitage. Eventually, Kurou falls in love with Kuromitsu, but then realizes she conceals a dark secret. He learns that he is unable to die and continues to live for a thousand years as Japan evolves into a future society.

[MangaSpotlight] AoT: Before the Fall (Kodansha Comics)

The first adaptation of Attack on Titan I tried to read was Junior High, oh boy it was BAD! The jokes were forced to a point where they became so bad they weren't even badly funny. I think the problem mainly was that manga was meant to be a parody of the original, but ended up as a bad parody I really do not recommend anyone torture their-self by reading. What I will recommend is reading Before the Fall. I've only read one volume so far because the second came out while I was out of town for two months. I hope to buy the second one really soon (if my local Barnes has it). So far this has been as exciting as the anime for me (I've read very little of the original manga), in fact I'm liking the main character a bit more in this than the original. I can't wait to read the next volume to see what happens. 

Genre(s): Action, Drama, Fantasy, Shounen, Super Natural

Rating: 16+

Type: Novel Adaptation

English Publisher: Kodansha Comics

# of Volumes: 3+ (ongoing)

Synopsis:

1. Anheru works at a workshop creating protective gear/weapons for the scouting legion (the story is set before the 3D maneuver gear was invented). Anheru is a first class weapons craftsman, and therefore has direct access and also is involved in the ongoings within the scouting legion. In the story, people still didn't know about the weak points of the titans; the story is about Anheru beginning to work on the ultimate weapon/gear to fight the titans. So essentially we learn about how the 3D maneuver gear came about.
2. A baby is found crying in a mass of Titan vomit, amidst the dead titan flames. The child is called "child of titan" and is essentially hated by the people inside the walls. He also seems to grow unnaturally fast. Named Kyukuro, he parts himself from his past/upbringing and gambles on the fate of humanity by enlisting in the scouting legion.
3. Kyukuro has survived from the outside wall: in order to defeat the titans, he gets his hands on the 3D maneuver gear. Although the gear is still imperfect and causes a troublesome incident for Kyukuro, he fights the titans. Whether it is because it is his fate to fight them, or it is because of his past, he fights against them.

Anime I've Loved so Far From Summer 2014

Let me start off with letting you know, I haven't been keeping up with that many anime lately because while I was away at camp I got into the habit of only watching an episode or two at night before going to bed. Well, now that I've gotten a lot more times on my hand I recently caught up on a few shows and have plans to try out some other ones. Below is a list of the shows I am really enjoying so far. Oh, before I start you're probably wondering why you won't see Sailor Moon Crystal on here. Well, I'm actually liking that one the least of all. I feel like the original Sailor Moon worked really well for it's time, but now that we've had some much darker mahou shojo shows such as Madoka the Sailor Moon version of mahou just doesn't really work anymore.

Monthly Girls, Nozaki-kun

While there is nothing particularly special about this anime, it has taken the top spot on my favorites of anime playing right now. I've enjoyed the silly character interactions, the "over-the-top" expressions characters give off, the up beat/happy op and end themes, just the overall feel of this show! It makes me so happy when I get to watch a new episode. The show doesn't really go any where and the conflicts are pretty minimal but this has been a really fun ride so far. I haven't like a romantic comedy anime this much since... the last time I watched any of The World God Only Knows. I highly recommend this one for those of you looking for something that is just fun to watch but you don't really have to think too much while watching.

P4: The Golden

What I've realized by watching this anime is that if I hadn't played Persona 4 or watched the previous anime I would not be as attached to these characters as I am. As of posting this I've seen 7 episodes; while there is an underlying plot not much has been done with it even though this anime is currently only slated for 12 episodes. There is a BD exclusive episode coming out titled "Another End" but that's probably just an alternative ending so I wouldn't expect too much more story from it. Anyways, much like Nozaki-kun this series is just shenanigans all over the place that is not much more than fun to watch, but in this case you do have to have either played the original Persona 4 game (or the Golden remake) in order to know who these characters are. I was hoping this series would do a better job of introducing new comers to the series, but it hasn't. So far the anime has only really done a good job of introducing the new character (Marie). While the plot description says it "retells the events of the original" so far this has not really been the case. I do love this anime, it's just I can't recommend it by itself.

Bakumatsu Rock!

Let's be honest, I'm only 2 episodes into this show so far and like the first two this one is just fun to watch... even though of the 3 this one does have the most plot revealed so far by this point. I love love love the animation, and it's a pretty boy anime so I have some nice eye candy to feast on. Now, people are probably going to start saying "well you must be a fan of yaoi if you're watching this show." Let me stop you there, I actually don't like yaoi at all even though some of the shows I watch or have watched in the past may suggest this (07-Ghost, No.6, Free!, etc); in fact most of these shows just have undertones and never really take the yaoi approach. They are mainly about being best bros, not bros in bed. Anywhos, I'm liking this anime so far. I normally don't like music driven anime but this one seems interesting.

DRAMAticle Murder

Speaking of yaoi, this is probably one of the few shows I've gone into knowing it'll probably have a lot of the bro love... but I decided to watch it for one HUGE reason- it comes from Nitro+ who has created some of the best stories IMO lately. I'm only 3 episodes in so far but the animation has been top notch and the music has been pretty fantastic. I'm hoping there's more focus on the fighting than the love making (I did watch  Togainu no Chi only for the fighting).

 Free! Eternal Summer

Speaking of just a basic plot and eye candy! I've loved Free! since the first season was out. While the show has no real plot other than friends reaching a common goal, the animation is why you should be watching this show. It was the first time ever a show was made because a huge crowd of people petitioned for it, so for a second season to have been made is ground breaking. This is just a fun anime (as seems to be the case with a lot of what I'm watching right now).

Tokyo Ghoul

I probably would have put this one a lot further up on the list the less episodes I had seen, but after catching up on this one I have to say the plot is pretty weak and even the guro aspect doesn't save the series for me. The animation is pretty good, but I went in this series hoping it be as exciting if not more than that of a Gen work (Song of Saya, Mardock Scramble, Fate/ZERO) but so far it has disappointed me on many levels. The characters aren't all that exciting and the plot seems to be there just to give the characters an excuse to be violent. This anime had so much potential that so far it seems to be wasting.

[DeckReciPie] Akia's Photon Galaxy (9/8/2014)

 

I play by my own style!

[Other DeckReciPies][RWG on Facebook][Akia's YouTube] 

As with most of my decks, this one isn't built to the usual standards of other Photon Galaxy decks thus the reason I've added Akia to the name... for now. So far I am in love with this deck! I have not liked playing a deck this much since I originally built my version of GaGaGa's! Usually my decks start with my own flavor then over time have standard cards added. This deck will prob not follow that path too much because so far it runs really well as it is. There are a few tweaks to be done in the trap and spell department but the monster line-up has been pretty solid. The part that will more than likely go under the most dramatic changes in the extra deck but that's just because I haven't gotten all the good cards for it yet, but I still have a pretty solid 15 cards in it for now that do the job. Anywhosills, this DeckReciPie might be kinda wordy since a lot of the cards have effects that run differently than most of my decks.

Main Deck Size: 40

# of Monsters: 18

# of Spells: 14

# of Traps: 8

Extra Deck Size: 15

# of XYZs: 15

Monster Line-up:

Run at 2-3.

+star of this deck

+Special summons by tributing 2 monsters

with 2000 or more atk.

+During the battle phase you can banish both this 

card and the one it was battling. If the other card

was an XYZ monster, when they both return this 

card gains 500atk for each material the XYZ had.

Run at 1-2.

+When you control a photon or galaxy monster,

you can normal summon this guy without tribute.

+When you do you can special summon a

Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon from your grave.

-This card loses 1000 atk when summoned 

until the next end phase.

Run at 1-2 (I currently run 2).

+When normal or flipsummoned, 

destroy all set cards your op controls.

+As with any level 8s in this deck, can

be used with Trade-in to draw 2 cards.

+Can also be used with another lvl8 to 

make an XYZ such as Number 62 or

Felgrand.

Run at 2.

+Can not be normal summoned or set.

+Must first be special summoned when

you control no monsters.

-If you control another monster, this one

can not attack.

+Can be brought out other ways such as by

Galaxy Mirror Sage's effect.

Run at 2.

(There is an english release of this card,

I just felt like throwing in a JP card lol)

+Can only attack dragon types, but when it 

does gains 1000atk during the damage step.

+Negates that other monsters effect during 

the battle phase as long as this card remains

face-up.

Run at 2.

+After this card attacks, switch to def mode.

+Can be used with another level 4 to make

an XYZ monster such as Black Ship of Corn 

or Number 39: Utopia.

Run at 2.

+Once per turn you can make this

cards atk become double until the next

end phase, but you can not attack the 

turn you activate this effect.

Run at 2.

+Once per turn you can make this card

up to 4 levels higher.

+You can tribute this card to add one

galaxy card from your deck to your hand

other than Galaxy Wizard.

+I've used this effect to add Photon Sanctuary to

my hand.

Run at 2.

+When flipped, gain 500LP for every

galaxy monster card in your graveyard.

+When this card is sent from the field to 

the grave after being flipped face-up, you

can special summon a lvl4 or lower galaxy

monster from your deck in face down def 

position. Banish that card when it leaves 

the field.

Spell Line-up:

Common cards seen in other decks-

Trade-in x3

Dark Hole x1

MST x2

Book of Moon x1

Barian's Force x1

Run at 2-3.

+Creates 2 level 4 photon tokens

(2000atk/0def)

-Can not attack or be used as 

synchro material.

-You can not summon other monsters

other than light ones the turn you activate

this effect.

Run at 1-3.

+If you control a galaxy XYZ monster,

drop a card to the graveyard to draw 2 cards.

-If you activate this effect, your opponent takes

half damage during that turn.

-You can only activate one per turn.

Run at 2.

+If you control no monster, summon 

a level 4 or lower galaxy or photon 

monster from your deck.

-You can not normal summon or set

the turn you activate this card.

-You can only activate 1 Accellight 

per turn.

Run at 1-3.

(I want to run more but my local card shop

only had 1 at the time I built the deck)

+If you control a lvl5 or higher galaxy monster,

special summon a level 5 or higher galaxy monster

from your deck in face-up def position.

-You can only activate 1 of this card per turn.

Trap Line-up:

Common cards used in other decks-

Phoenix Wing Wind Blast x1-3

Breakthrough Skill x2

Call of the Haunted x2

Compulsory Evacuation Device x1

Run at 1-2.

+When a face up light dragon you 

control is targeted for attack, the atk 

target gains atk equal to the attacking 

monsters until the end of the damage

step.

Run at 1-2.

(I really want another of this card)

+When a face up galaxy monster is destoryed

on your side of the field by battle or card effect from your

opponent, destroy as many face-up cards your op controlls

as possible. If you do, banish them.

+During your draw phase when this is in your graveyard,

you can replace your draw phase by banishing this card

to special summon a galaxy XYZ monster from your grave.

Extra Deck Line-up:

 Number c107: Neon Galaxy Eyes Tachyon Dragon x1

Neon Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon x1

Number 62: Galaxy Eyes Prime Photon Dragon x2

Number 107: Tachyon Dragon x1

Felgrand x1

Number 39: Utopia x1

Photon Papilloperative x1

Number 50: Black Ship of Corn x1

Kachi Kochi Dragon x1

Starliege Lord Galaxyion x1

Castiel x1

Starliege Paladynamo x1

Wind-up Zenmaister x1

Wind-up Zenmaines x1

Side Deck Line-up:

Galaxy Eyes Photon Dragon x1

Galaxy Tyranno x1

Photon Crusher x1

Galaxy Mirror Sage x1

Number c39: Utopia Ray

Photon Sanctuary

Galactic Charity x2

Photon Current x1

Updates:

+9/10/2014- I'll do an update post for this soon, but 2 Galaxy Expeditions, 1 Galaxy Mage and a Tachyeon Chaos Hole was added to replace 4 cards. I'll post what those are in the update post when I get the chance. I also have plans to order 2 Galaxy Knights and 2 Galaxy Zeros in the near future.

[AOW] Tokyo ESP (9/7-13/2014)

[Previous AOWs][Akia's MyAnimeList][Akia on Facebook]

While people are busy talking about Akame ga Kill and Tokyo Ghoul, Tokyo ESP has been making it's own treads. It's a pretty good anime so far that some surprising "gore" moments (such as the picture above from episode one where a set of guys hands were chopped off) that aren't too over the top like those in Tokyo Ghoul (which I'm still debating on if I should keep up with it or drop until all the episodes are out). Anyways, I am thinking this one is going to be one of my favorites of this season.

Type: Manga Adaptation

Genre(s): Action, Comedy, Sci-fi, Shounen, Super Power

# of Ep(s): 12

Synopsis: 

The science fantasy story Tokyo ESP begins with Rinka, an extremely poor high school girl who lives with just her father in modern Tokyo. One day, she is going home from school when she chases a "flying penguin" to the top of New Tokyo Tower—only to have "fish swimming in the air" suddenly appear before her. One of the fish goes through Rinka and gives her extraordinary powers beyond those of normal humans, particularly the ability to slip through solid objects.