Beyond the Boundary: I'll Be Here- Mirai-hen (Movie)

Click to enlarge

⋆⋆⋆

Name: Beyond the Boundary: I'll Be Here - Mirai-hen
Type: Animation

Official Rating: TV-PG

Director: Taichi Ishidate
Genre: Action, supernatural, fantasy, romance

Age Rating: 14+

Review:
Takes place a year after the anime ends. Mirai has forgotten everything that has happened and Ahkito struggles to find his place after last year's events.

This is actually a second-part to a first movie entitled" Beyond the Boundary: I'll Be Here - Kako-hen that combines all of the episodes of the anime into one movie. Feel free to watch the anime as a series--as I did-- or just watch both of the movies for the whole story.

The plot was good and did a good job of piquing the viewer's interest. However, they changed the ending of the original series in the beginning. In the beginning scene, there is a rewritten version of the ending scene in the last episode. When Mirai has returned to Ahkito from her battle, she has suffered amnesia and doesn't even remember who she is. This is a major theme in the movie and definitely churns a lot of suspense in the viewer, but it's still a bit annoying that they completely dismissed the original ending. On the flip side, the loose ends from the first act were tied up.

Although I wouldn't consider the battle scenes as completely graphically-intense, a lot of blood was shown, mostly due to the fact that Mai uses her blood as a weapon and fights with it. There were also a lot of violent-looking weapons such as machetes, a powerful spear/scepter/chainsaw object, and a sword made completely from Mai's blood. Because of this, I put a higher age-limit on the show as a reminder for parents to preview it before allowing their children to watch.There were some magical elements to the show as well, and Ahkito in his youmu-form was almost demon-like.

All in all, this was a great continuation of Beyond the Boundary. Surprisingly, there was a lot more romantic tension between Ahkito and Mirai. I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised; there was quite a bit of fluffy romance in the show. It was just more built up and emotional in the movie than in the first half. The relationship between Ahkito and Mirai was achingly sweet; it totally tugged on my heartstrings. 

For more on Beyond the Boundary, click here.

Mature Content:

• Sexual References- Ahkito has an  uncanny attraction to women wearing glasses
• Violence- A lot of blood is shown during fights
• Magic- Mai can manipulate her own blood
• Most of the characters possesses magical abilities
• Spiritual- Demon-like creatures
• Profanity- Use of the word "damn"

Personal Note: 
I love the way Ahkito's hands were drawn--so nice and strong.

Beyond the Boundary (Anime)

Click to enlarge

⋆⋆⋆

Name: Beoynd the Boundary
Type: Anime

Official Rating: TV-PG

Director: Taichi Ishidate

Seasons: 1
Genre: Action, supernatural, fantasy
Age Rating: 14+

Review:
A short anime about a girl with powerful, magical blood, and a half-human, half-youmu boy who decides to befriend her. 

I watched Beyond the Boundary with my younger brother, Nathan, because it is one of his favorite anime and he wanted to share it with me. It was particularly fun to watch it with him, and I believed it to be worth the watch. The art and story were very similar to Kotoura-San, as if the same studio produced it. The characters were drawn like the characters from Kotoura-San and possessed many of their same characteristics as well. In a lot of ways, it was a subtle retelling of the story, though Beyond the Boundary came first. I had to get used to all of their voices in the English subtitled version, because they didn't seem to always match the character. Nonetheless, the story felt completely original and the characters were all very cute and easy to connect with. I understand why Nathan likes it so much.

Although I wouldn't consider the battle scenes as completely graphically-intense, a lot of blood was shown, mostly due to the fact that Mai uses her blood as a weapon and fights with it. There were also a lot of violent-looking weapons such as machetes, a powerful spear/scepter/chainsaw object, and a sword made completely from Mai's blood. Because of this, I put a higher age-limit on the show as a reminder for parents to preview it before allowing their children to watch.There were some magical elements to the show as well, and Ahkito in his youmu-form was almost demon-like.

This anime was definitely entertaining and fun, but at the end I felt as if not enough answers had been given. The fights were well-developed but kind of weak at the end, when it was supposed to be the most intense and emotion-provoking. It was also never clarified whether or not Ahkito and Mai actually got together at the end. Despite some of these confusing elements, it was a good show, and I liked watching it. I would recommend it to both boys and girls who can enjoy this show in a safe environment.

For more on Beyond the Boundary, click here.

Mature Content:

• Nudity- The characters are shown taking showers in a locker room, but nothing is ever shown
• Sexual References- There are a few, subtle sexual innuendos 
• Ahkito has an  uncanny attraction to women wearing glasses
• Violence- A lot of blood is shown during fights
• Magic- Mai can manipulate her own blood
• Most of the characters possesses magical abilities
• Spiritual- Demon-like creatures
• Profanity- Use of the word "damn"

Personal Note: 

A special thank-you to Nathan. I love you, little bro!

Bleach (Manga)

Click to enlarge

⋆⋆⋆
Name: Bleach

Type: Manga

Author: Tite Kubo

Books: 74
Genre: Action, adventure, supernatural
Age Rating: 14+

Review:
A boy named Ichigo gains supernatural abilities when Rukia, the Soul-Reaper, accidentally gives him all of her powers. He--along with a team of fellow spiritually-sensitive friends--save the world and other people from evil.

Action-packed and kind of violent, this series is similar to Yuyu Hakashu, though with more characters, and, in my opinion, a better plot. The characters were honorable and though it was mostly action, it didn't take away from the story. There wasn't any romance or overly-fluffy scenes, but the fighting scenes were really good, which I why I believe this series may attract boys more than girls. However, I enjoyed reading all 686 chapters. It was especially fun to read them along with my younger brother, who started reading them before I did.  

This series can get a little redundant, but this series, you must remember, is a fighting manga. It does have a story-line, and an abundance of characters, many of whom are hilarious and fun to follow. Older boys will definitely enjoy the action-packed hero story and watching Ichigo get stronger and stronger in order to defeat his enemies (who also keep getting stronger).

Before reading, you should consider the fact that this book is entirely focused around the Soul Society, which is a place where the dead go. It also focuses on "spiritual powers" and "energy." Kids should know that when we die, we either go to heaven or hell and that the Soul Society is simply fiction like the series itself. The "spiritual world" can be confusing and sometimes attractive to people. It sounds like great fun to battle demons and visit the afterlife and have supernatural powers, but it isn't based on God's truth. Encourage your kids to read the Bible regularly in order to understand this better!

Mature Content: 

• Violence- The characters have a lot of battles with enemies
• Some blood and gore (loss of limbs and unnatural pain tolerances)
• Sexual References- Unnaturally-sized breasts and some skimpy outfits
• Orihime's boobs are talked about a lot
• Spiritual- Characters posses supernatural abilities
• Soul Reapers have spiritual "auras"
• The Soul Society is the world's "afterlife"

Personal Note: 
The ending somewhat disappointed me because...don't laugh...I was really looking forward to more romance. I should have known better. Bleach isn't that kind of Manga. 

Kotoura-San (Anime)

Click to enlarge

⋆⋆⋆

Name: Kotoura-San
Type: Anime

Official Rating: PG-13

Director: Masahiko Ohta

Seasons: 1
Genre: Romantic comedy, drama, mystery, supernatural
Age Rating: 16+

Review:
This was a heartfelt story about Kotoura, a girl who can read minds and has been ostricised all her life because of it. When Manabe befriends her, they join the ESP club and she is suddenly surrounded by friends.

I'll start off by saying that I liked watching this anime, and it very nearly made me cry. My heart broke for the sweet Kotoura, and ache along with her when she faced the world alone. It was fun and sweet, with funny parts along with the sad, and it all turned out fine in the end. The character development was steller; I felt really connected to the characters by the time the show was over. 

There is a lot of sexual content in this anime, and I would absolutely not show it to anyone under the age of 16. While there is no full-on nudity, there are parts where it is implied, and at one point I was confused and uncomfortable with the fact that Manabe and Moritani might have had sex while drugged. It turns out that they didn't, but the suggestion was so strong, it spooked me out, especially considering Manabe's relationship to Kotoura. There were also quite a few mentions of boobs and butts, and sex appeal was quite important to Mifune. Manabe's thoughts were perverted and though they weren't too racy, I didn't think they were always necessary in regards to the plot.

The story itself was interesting and emotionally uplifting. It didn't take me long to watch at all, but I would definitely screen it yourself before deciding whether or not your child is  mature enough to handle it. It wasn't over-the-top bad, but like I said, there were racy parts and parents should understand what that looks like themselves before completely banning it. There were also supernatural abilities, like ESP, mind-reading, and seances. I don't think it should be written off completely, because there were good themes in the show and it placed a high value on friendship and accepting yourself.

Mature Content:

• Nudity- In Manabe's daydream, characters are implied to be naked, but nothing is ever shown
• Sexual Refrences- The character, Manabe, has perverse thoughts
• Characters talk about "boobs" and "butts" and their bodies
• It is implied that Manabe and Moritani have sex, but that is later not the case
• Spiritual- Supernatural abilities/magic (ESP, seances)
• Homosexuality- Manabe has several girlxgirl daydreams of Moritani and Kotoura
• Violence- In the end mystery, the "ninja" attacks several characters and corners, and tries to kill Kotoura on a roof

Personal Note: 
Okay, seriously, what is with Muroto's fish-lips? 

Vampire Knight (Manga)

Click to enlarge

⋆⋆

Name: Vampire Knight
Type: Manga

Author: Matsuri Hino

Books: 19
Genre: Romance, supernatural, gothic, drama, horror, dark fantasy
Age Rating: 15+

Review:
Schoolgirl Yuki attends the day class and supervises the Vampire night class along with her friend Zero. 

Similar to Twilight, except better written, in my opinion. Because of almost-incest and bloody content, I would recommend this only to more mature kids. It is humerus at first, but the story gets progressively more serious as the nights go on. What bothered me the most was how the series ended. I wasn't satisfied, and Yuki's choice really bothered me from the get-go. But the art was good and the story was engaging and did pique my interest. 

Because this is based solely around Vampires, it does draw blood, and the typical "blood-sucking" rituals are preformed. There is also murderous intent from other characters, and clever schemes that manipulate and take advantage of others, so I would defiantly keep that in mind. With so many other dark things in this world, it is important for the reader to be able to differentiate truth from fiction. Nothing good comes from seduction or revenge.

Though it wasn't my favorite manga, it wasn't at all my least favorite. The story is like a better version of Twilight. I gave it two stars because it was entertaining, and I did enjoy reading it. There were a lot of cliff-hangers and hidden secrets that I couldn't wait to discover. I think people who are into Vampires should consider reading. That being said, it's important to be careful with the supernatural and gothic genres in retrospect to God's Word. 

Mature Content:

• Sexual References- References to sex
• Vampires suck the blood of people, and it can be kind of intimate-looking
• Incest is implied with Kaname and Yuki until it is revealed they are not related after all
• Profanity- "Bastard"
• Violence- Not too many fights, but blood is shown frequently
• Spiritual- Vampires 

Personal Note:
I liked Zero better. Kaname was creepy.

Yuyu Hakasho (Manga)

Click to enlarge

⋆

Name: Yuyu Hakasho
Type: Manga

Author: Soshihiro Togashi

Books: 19
Genre: Action, supernatural, martial arts, mystery
Age Rating: 16+

Review:
Yusuke Uremeshi is a brawling 8th grader who gets into fights and is known as a troublemaker until he dies saving a young child from a car accident. As a ghost, Yusuke is guided by Boton who tells him he gets a second chance at life if he does good deeds. 

Because of extreme violence and some language, I recommend this series to more mature kids. There were also some mild sexual references as well, but the rating is mostly for violence. The series started off kind of sketchy, and I wasn't sure that I was going to like it. But I did end up reading it despite its mediocrity, and was disappointed that I was unable to finish it due to limited books at my local library and licensing to reading online. It wasn't very memorable or overly interesting to me personally, which is why I gave it 1 star.

The main character experienced positive development-going from bully, to defender, and I liked his frenemy-type relationship to his "arch rival," Kuwabara. The romance was a little odd; I didn't feel too much chemistry between Yusuke and Keiko at first, but I ended up rooting for them. Most of the plot was focused around fighting, which was fine, but I would have liked to see a bit more story and get more background on the characters. Still, it is a pretty good fighting manga, which seems to be popular with young readers (especially boys).

If you aren't comfortable with talk of "psychic" or "ghosts" or "spiritual abilities," and the battling against spirits and demons, that is a main theme in the book so it might not be for you. The reader should understand God's truth in regarding these things as well as true spiritual warfare. It is important for them to be able to differentiate between fact and fiction. Again, it wasn't really spiking my interest too deeply, but it was a pretty good manga for boys of the appropriate age.

Mature Content: 

• Profanity- "Damn," "hell," ass," and "bitch"
• Sexual References- Yusuke (and once Kuwabara) grabs Keiko's boobs, butt, and pulls up her skirt and comments on her underwear
• Spiritual- Talk of battling demons and spirits as well as "spiritual powers" and the "spirit world"
• Later on, characters use "spiritual powers" to fight against enemies
• Violence- Battles and fight scenes both in school and against evil spirits

Personal Note:
This was the second manga series I read after Fruits Basket.