This anime has been on my list for a very long time. I initially added it after watching the excellent crime anime Black Lagoon, as I was looking for something similar. This one was recommended to me. I recently started watching it, and I've now finished it. It may be completely different from Black Lagoon, but I never would have thought that this hidden gem would be so good! So, let me tell you more about this masterpiece.

STORY
The story is neo-noir, paying strong homage to classic noir. The story revolves around Zwei, a pasty and doomed protagonist who has just decided to travel to a country of freedom, and Ein, the femme fatale of this series, And Inferno, which replaces the corrupt cops in the noir genre and sees itself as the UN of the crime world. Zwei is kidnapped after witnessing something he should never have seen. He manages to convince his pursuer, who should have killed him originally, that he has a natural survival instinct by successfully evading his persuer for a long time and defending himself. He suddenly wakes up in a gritty building in the middle of nowhere, where he is greeted by a cold-looking girl who introduces herself as Ein. He can't remember anything, but Ein tells him more than enough. They are both assassins working for the crime syndicate Inferno. From now on, Zwei will be trained by Ein to become a top-tier assassin with the nickname 'Phantom'. I'll stop here to avoid spoiling anything further and taking away the fun of watching this anime. The story is executed really well. It does have flaws, but in my opinion they are minuscule and don't impact the enjoyment of this masterpiece. For example, the first three episodes are rather slow and lack development, but if you push through them, you'll be rewarded with plenty of action and an emotional rollercoaster ranging from thrill and surprise to sadness and happiness and comfort. Another flaw is that a child character somehow manages to look like an adult after just two years, but let's be honest, we've seen far weirder and more illogical examples of anime logic. Let me tell you now more something about the characters.

CHARACTERS

• ZWEI

  

  As mentioned, he is the pale, doomed protagonist who is unwillingly drawn into the world of crime and forced to become an assassin for a crime syndicate. He's a really strong character with many facets who can endure a lot, from getting chewed up in a fight to a lot of mental stuff. At one point in the story, he bears a striking resemblance to Leon, the eponymous character from one of the greatest films, Leon the Professional. Zwei is also the emotional anchor in this anime, always displaying his unwillingness to continue in this way, and his desire for those he cares about to not have to do so either. He even tries to help them. He develops a warm relationship with Ein, and grows close to Lizzie and Cal. As they try to help him, he helps them in return.

• EIN

  

  As mentioned before she's cold and badass. She's the one teaching Zwei all the things needed to be an top tier assassin. Throughout the series, she maintains her mysterious aura. She is the femme fatale in this anime series. Over time, she grows closer to Zwei, developing a warm and close relationship with him. Although nothing is known about her past, she is one of the best-written characters in this anime. She undergoes significant character development as the story progresses, becoming emotionally strong and independent. She transitions from a cold, apathetic girl to a really cute one. Together with Zwei, she is one of the most important characters in this anime series.

• CLAUDIA

  

  Claudia is a sexy and initially mysterious woman about whom we know nothing at first. She even appears to be caring at first. Don't let her caring side fool you; she is obsessed with power and climbing the criminal career ladder, no matter the sacrifices she has to make. Claudia is a very manipulative person who is ready to manipulate even those closest to her. At some point we learn more about her past and the origins of her obsession with power and why she's so manipulative. She goes so far as to build a good relationship with Zwei in order to gain his trust, even using her body to get what she wants. As a supporting character, she plays a significant role in the story, contributing to some of its twists and turns. She is one of the best support characters I have seen. Even though she doesn't have much character development, her backstory makes up for it because it really feels like you are exploring a contradictory character who seems like a villain, but because of her past, she becomes more of a supporting antihero.

• CAL DEVANS

  

  Cal is a small, cute girl who is introduced later in the story. She brings a little bit of cuteness and happiness to a world driven by crime and sad, dramatic events, which is also one of the reasons why she and Zwei develop such a cheerful, close, warm guardian relationship. Zwei tries to protect her cuteness and innocent appearance because, just like Zwei, she was dragged into this world unwillingly. At first, she shares a similarity with Mathilda, the character played by Natalie Portman in the legendary film Leon: The Professional, but with a very unexpected twist: a change of heart. She's also a well-written supporting character who can make viewers smile in this rather unfunny and gritty anime world.

• LIZZIE

  

  The first impression i got of Lizzie is a typical street thug she's more of a hothead and doesn't trust anyone but her childhood friend Claudia they even are so close that she's even her bodyguard. She's also fiercely loyal, and despite her hot-headed personality, she manages to trust those around her. She even warms up to Zwei and develops a friendship with him. As mentioned above, Lizzie starts helping Zwei out, and, as he gets to know Cal, she gradually becomes a big sister figure to her. Lizzie does not undergo much character development, but the character development she does go through is really good.

• SCYTHE MASTER

  

  'Psychopath' and 'mastermind' are the words that best describe Scythe Master. He is a cold-hearted man with a twisted worldview. He has many hobbies, and one of them is manipulation. He manipulates his business partners without hesitation to further his own interests. The Scythe Master feels no loyalty to anyone but himself, as can be seen from his hunger for power. Like the Joker, the Scythe Master is a philosophical antagonist and destroyer of identity and morality, as well as being a master manipulator. This makes the Scythe Master an interesting and formidable villain in this story.

ANIMATIONS
Well, if you're looking for eye candy, then this is definitely the wrong anime. It makes almost no use of special effects, and the animation is clearly old. But for 2009, it's actually pretty good. It's nothing like some of today's anime shows, which are basically just PowerPoint presentations. With that said i can't really complain about the animations since they get their job done very well.

SOUND
The anime's sound design isn't exceptionally good. Let's talk about the openings. There are several of them, and they actually do a good job of capturing the show's vibe, especially the first one, which sounds creepy and mysterious. There is also a third opening, which is pretty good. It doesn't capture the anime's vibe, but it gives you a false sense of security, allowing the show to catch you off guard, a brilliant use of an opening. The outro's here aren't anything special. The third one gives off a sense of calm, but that's all I can say about them. The voice actors match the characters pretty well, and their performances fit the designs. Of course, there is far better voice acting in other anime, but this one didn't really have any bad voice acting. For such a hidden gem, it's really good.

CONCLUSION
Phantom: Requiem of a Phantom is a way too underrated hidden gem. I know some people may think this score is exaggerated, but I believe it is well deserved. I didn't expect much when I started watching it, but I was very pleasantly surprised. The story, setting and characters are all very well-matched, creating a real masterpiece. From start to finish it is really was really thrilling and entertaing with a ending i would have wished was different but in retrospect is actually a good clouser to the story. Some of todays anime shows could actually learn a thing or two from this show when it comes to a good story or really solid characters. I really hope more people get to see and appreciate this masterpiece.

This anime showed me that the ecchi genre isn't just for lonely people who want a lot of fan service; it can also have a nice, sweet story. That's exactly what 'Please Put Them on, Takamine-san' is. It's loaded with fan service, but it also has a really sweet story, which balances everything out.

Story: 9/10
It follows the standard anime romcom formula, but with a new dynamic. It starts in a very weird and absurd way: Takane Takamine, the seemingly perfect school madonna, makes her average classmate Koushi Shirota her personal closet after he witnesses her using her ability to turn back time in the gym equipment room. She even blackmails Shirota to help her put on her underwear every time she uses her ability. It sounds really creepy so far, but after the first two episodes, it surprisingly gets better and sweeter as we learn more about past events that connect Shirota and Takamine.

Characters: 8/10
There aren't many characters in this show, but they all play their roles very well.
Takane Takamine is the perfect school madonna and student council president, with a nice personality, but she also has a dominant, teasing, and even sweet and soft hidden side. Koushi Shirota is an average student who isn't particularly good at anything, but he is willing to help Takamine whenever she needs it. He has nice character development and genuinely wants to make Takamine happy. Ellie Evergarden is the funny, energetic and clueless childhood friend of Shirota, and Rurika Kurosaki is Ellie's kuudere girlfriend. Although the show mostly focuses on the two main characters, they demonstrate good character development, and the two supporting characters provide good comedic relief.

Animation: 7/10
It was all animated very well wit a beautiful artstyle but it wasn't anything really stunning. There are many anime that are animated better and many that are animated worse. In my opinnion it is one of the better animated anime shows.

Music: 7/10
The soundtrack did accomapny well the scenes in the show there was always a fitting soundtrack to each situation. The OP and ED songs aren't my taste of music but they do match the vibe of the show and are by no means bad. Especially the ED matches the shows vibe and i may actually listen to it some more.

Conclusion:
Please put them on Takamine-san is a true marble in the ecchi genre that shows that even the most pervy show can have a good and sweet story and funny and cute characters. If you are thinking about watching it the go ahead even if you are no fan of ecchi you definetly will enjoy the story. In my opinionn it is a Ecchi anime show that is a must see for all Romcom lovers. It may have a weird and cursed start but if make it to Episode 3 from there on you'll be rewarded with a really nice story and even cute and romantic scenes and a good load of good vibes and fun.

While browsing mangas to read I came across Sayuri-san no Imouto wa Tenshi or Sayuri's little sister is an angel in english. The title itself sounds already pretty cute but it wasn't the only thing that made me pick it up but also the cute and beautiful cover of that manga. Because of the title and cover I was pretty much expecting a cute story of a big sister taking care of her cute little sister and well I literally got what I was expecting and even more.

Story: 8/10
Well the story follows the two sisters Sayuri and Mikoto and their everyday life together but there is a catch or two. First Mikoto is angel and second is that Mikoto is actually in love with her big sister like romantically. This leads to many funny and actually cute moments in the manga. Like for example Mikoto getting jealous or Mikoto's manifestation of her feelings towards her big sister Sayuri. It's a simple but good story with a surprising ending and some nice character development.

Characters: 9/10
The characters are just adorable and pretty well written. Every character that has at least some significance to the story has good development. Sayuri is the big caring sister that wants to see her little sister happy she is at first bit overwhelmed with Mikoto's feelings towards her but throughout the story she gets more and more accustomed to Mikoto's feelings. Mikoto is the little sister of Sayuri. She has a very clear way of manifesting her romantic feelings towards Sayuri which leads to some good and cute comedic relief but as the story continues she gets more and more serious especially towards the end. Oga Yuuki Sayuri's Tomboyish co-worker that is being confused for a boy she learns throughout how to deal with those situations. The characters are really what make the manga to what it is they are just way too cute not just in looks but also in their behaviour.

Art: 8/10
The art is gorgeous it really fits the manga and it's vibe. The characters are drawn in such a cute way. There is not much I can criticize about the art style of the manga besides that it doesn't really have such a detailed environment and surroundings but its just a minor thing. In fact it's even good that the manga artist has concentrated that much on characters cause that's what the manga lives of.

Conclusion
Sayuri-san no Imouto wa Tenshi is a pretty cute and funny manga that is definitely worth reading. It may be weird reading a manga that has the Incest tag but in the case of this manga it really isn't weird. It's wether cute. The character development and the relationships between the characters are also pretty cute and funny. Which makes Sayuri-san no Imouto wa Tenshi a good choice for those who just want something cute, funny and chill to soothe their soul or just are fans of cute, funny and chill vibes. To be honest I didn't expect much from the manga but I was honestly surprised positively. The simple but good story and cute characters and the cute art style real made the manga into a manga that is really worth your time and worth reading or at least checking out

While I was on the look out for some old anime I came across Video Girl Ai. When I checked out the tags and genre I was pretty sure it's gonna be an old RomCom with nothing special. Well I couldn't have been more wrong. It were one of the wildest 6 episodes I have watched.

Story: 8/10
The story starts of as a basic love triangle but with a unique and creative touch. But ends in an impactful and meaningful way.
The story starts with our protagonist Youta being depressed after his crush tells him that she loves someone else. He decides to visit a Video Rental Shop there he stumbles upon a VCR Tape called "Video Girl Ai".
Not sure what to await he takes the tape home and puts it into his VCR Player. Suddenly a beautiful girl stands in the middle of his room. There is just one catch. Ai is a nice girl that every adolescent guy dreams of she's well mannered, a great cook and is always there to comfort you whenever your down and listens to your problems but a malfunction in Youta's VCR player cause Ai to become the sole opposite of what she's supposed to be. She becomes Tomboyish, full of energy, an terrible cook and even becomes a bit naughty. That's where the fun begins. The anime consists of only 6 episodes but the development of the story in those 6 episodes is more then impressive.

Characters: 9/10
The Characters are all well written for such an short anime. They all harmonize well together even tho they are so different.
The four main characters are pretty much the opposites of each other like for example we have Youta a shy and clumsy looser, Takashi a tall, dark, handsome and popular guy, Ai-chan an energetic, tomboyish and naughty girl and Moemi-chan a timid and shy girl. Yet they all harmonize well together. You could say you don't get anything to know about their backstory but for an 6 episode anime you can't really complain. The development of the characters is very very impressive in just 6 episodes Youta transformed from Dateless looser to an Adult that solved his dilemma of true love by himself.

Art: 9/10
The Art is absolute eye candy. The nice old 90's art style really gives the anime a really nice vibe and makes it really pleasant to watch. The surroundings were maybe not the most detailed but the protagonists and some supporting characters are drawn and designed neatly.

Music: 8/10
The opening was pretty chill it wasn't my taste of music necessarily but it was listenable and relaxing. Same goes for the ending it wasn't necessarily my taste in music but it was also listenable and calming. The soundtrack was fitting to the situations which made it more immersive. The SFX were pretty nice too for the beginning of 90's which also fitted the situation and humor of the anime.

Conclusion:
Video Girl Ai is an enjoyable anime that makes something unique out something basic.
The length of the anime makes it very easy to watch whenever you want to watch it. The story and character development is simply great for such a short anime. Believe me this anime has something for pretty much everyone. You wanna laugh at funny and quirky scenes no problem. You wanna watch something about genuine love and it's meaning this anime has that to offer too. You wanna see some spice if you know what I mean then this anime even got that. It really has something for everyone. The chill vibes make the anime really nice to watch and to get into the anime while not getting overwhelmed by it's fast but good development. The art makes it even better to watch. It simply is eye candy

The unique title "Killing Me" and the cover art of the manga have grabbed my attention and got me interested in "Killing Me".
The title can be interpreted in two ways once as "You're killing me" in the sense that you make someone laugh a lot and/or you're funny but it also can be interpreted as "Killing me" in the sense of that something is not only annoying but unbearable. Both interpretations actually fit the manga which makes it a pretty unique and creative title.

Story
The story isn't really complex it's rather pretty simple. The story revolves around the two students Saki Fujimiya an elegant and smart girl and Miyoko Kujou a small and cute girl to their classmates it looks like Saki and Miyoko would get along very well. Saki and Miyoko have a secret Saki is a Vampire Hunter and Miyoko is an Vampire. As you may have guessed it's Saki's duty to kill vampires since she is an vampire hunter and her current target is Miyoko Kujou. The story is pretty simple but still it has some funny and cute moments which were kinda fun to read.

Art
The art is good and fits the more modern look of the mangas setting. There are some cute details here and there. Especially when it comes to the Character Art the looks fit Saki and Miyoko so well. Some coloured pages are to be found in the manga which also is pretty nice. Which actually made the art kinda enjoyed but still when it comes to details as I said there are found here and there but still its a bit too little. That way the art of the manga could be upgraded into an even better one.

Characters
The characters are okay. There is too little character development which wastes this mangas potential. Miyoko is an Vampire with a cute appearance which is fully of energy and likes to tease the people she likes and loves drinking Saki's blood. Saki is an Vampire Hunter with an Elegant appearance that also is kind of a Tsundere here current target is Miyoko Kujou her cute vampire classmate It's Saki that has the biggest character development in the story. Besides that there isn't much more that can be said about the characters in "Killing Me".

Conclusion
Sadly it was announced on the 28th of July 2018 that the manga "Killing Me" has been discontinued.
Which would explain the small character development and some other smaller problems causing the current score.
"Killing Me" really had potential as a pretty chill and funny manga. The story may be simple but it certainly isn't bad. Some scenes made me smile and occasionally laugh and some scenes are pretty cute. The Art wasn't bad either it could have use some more details but it wasn't bad by any means. The biggest issue for me was the lack of character development but on the other hand its not really possible to put some epic and big character development. Wouldn't "Killing Me" got discontinued it could have become a really good manga it really had the potential. Sadly we will never know how the ending of the manga is.
At least we can enjoy Vol.1 of "Killing me" which is the only Volume of the manga that got ever released

One day I was looking though a list of yuri manga that a friend sent me. The title "Sayonara Rose Garden" it grabbed my attention somehow and got me hooked. The cover art looks gorgeous and the title sounds beautiful and poetic. I had nothing else to read so I started reading it and it didn't take long for me to get invested in the manga and its story.

Story
The story takes place in 1900's Great Britain a young Japanese girl called Hanako Kujo travels to Great Britain to look for her favourite Author but instead of seeing her favourite author she meets a young and kind noble woman called Alice Douglas that takes her in and gives her a job as her maid. From this point on the you follow Alice's and her maids Hanako everyday life and you start to notice slowly how an other feeling then just friendship starts to blossom. Well not everything could run smoothly so you witness also their highs and lows and some other challenges. The manga does a very good job at telling the story. Its not too fast-paced and it isn't too slow, the development of those feelings is portrayed pretty realistically and you can see that there has been a good amount of research done about 1900's Great Britain. The yuri parts of the manga are also made very good, they are pretty wholesome and heartwarming.

Art
The Art style fits to the time and the setting very well.
The characters are both drawn cute and beautiful. The level of detail is pretty high and good and you really get the 1900' vibes of Great Britain from this art style. I enjoyed looking at every panel in this manga it really has a gorgeous art style.

Characters
Well the characters are written very well. First you've got the cute maid Hanako Kujo you get to know something about her past and you get to see her character development through out the story of Sayonara Rose Garden but who stood out the most to me was Alice. Alice Douglas the very kind noble woman has had the biggest character development in the manga. You also get to know the most about Alice's past. The support characters were also amazing with nice and unique personalities fitting to the time in which the story is set.

Conclusion
Overall Sayonara Rose Garden is very good manga that I can recommend very much.
It also is a unique type of Yuri manga it's not over the top, realistic and cute and heartwarming.
Those yuri parts enriched the manga and made it to the masterpiece it is. The story is heartwarming and the level of detail pretty high and you can see that Author has made an effort and has put in everything the author could to make such a good manga. That's the reason why Sayonara Rose Garden is a must read for yuri enthusiasts and people that just want to check out the yuri genre.