Kaze no Stigma

Genre:
Action, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural 

Duration: 24 Episodes 

Synopsis:
Yagami Kazuma, whose real name is Kannagi Kazuma, was banished from the Kannagi household when he was 12 because he lacked power to become a Fire Mage, the magic specialty of the Kannagi family. As a result, he left and began a new life under a new name. 4 years on, he returns, with powers comparable with those of his father, Kannagi Genma, but of a different element. He is now a Wind Mage. Upon his return, three Kannagi family members are killed, and he is the top suspect, since there are traces the Kannagi trio are killed by elements of the Wind. His father goes on a search for him, and challenges him to a duel. Kazuma wins and his father is hospitalised. Kazuma goes on to prove his innocence by helping his blood cousin, Ayano Kannagi, and his blood brother, Ren Kannagi, defeat the real villains who killed the Kannagi trio. This is just the beginning of the trio’s adventure where they will face many magic users and magi, both good and evil alike. As their adventures unfold, and as they seem to be working together for most of the time, Ayano begins to develop feelings for Kazuma. Kazuma, on the other hand, either has no feelings for love, or has not noticed anything, or simply being ignorant. 

Story:  9/10
This anime is one-of-a-kind, at least to me. This is the first time that I’ve watched an anime, expected something to happen, and it did not, but when I did not expect anything to happen, it happened. I’m talking about the genres. They are very misleading. They are not consistent, but yet, they exist. Strong enough to be included in the genre list, anyway. There are 3 parts to the anime which I notice the genres are somewhat intertwined. The first few episodes have, as I recalled, not the slightest bit of comedy, and I was expecting it, since I wanted to watch this anime because of the Comedy element. There are killings, bloody acts, and more. No laughing matter. Then came the next few episodes, and I was expecting more violence, but comedy and romance took over, just like that. This is the second part I’m describing. The third part refers to the last few episodes, where there are dramatic elements involved, and the bloody killings return. The storyline however, remains intact. The story never really strayed, unless you count the usual romantic and comedy elements like amusement parks and hot springs. Apart from that, Kaze no Stigma focuses on the life of Yagami Kazuma, a banished kid who returns to seek revenge, but instead gets involved with family matters, as if he’s been accepted back into the family line. 

Characters:  8.5/10
There are not many characters to worry about, since there are only a few focused ones. The only ones worth looking out for are basically the main protagonists Kazuma and Ayano, and Kazuma’s younger brother, Ren. Kazuma is a cool and collected character, who always considers well before executing his moves. He has a dark past, and it makes him destructive and violent, at which time almost nobody has the power to stop him. Ayano is a typical girl of an anime where she likes a guy and does not admit it. Her characteristics are that she is serious and aggressive, similar to Kazuma, but she does not calculate her moves before executing them, which almost always results in her acquiring Kazuma’s help in the end. As the story progresses, she develops feelings for Kazuma, and gets jealous easily when other girls are with him. Ren is an admirable character. He looks fragile and weak on the outside. He is, initially. However, he grew in strength when things get personal, and that is when his true powers show. Ren seems to be the only one in the whole Kannagi clan who Kazuma actually cares and worries for. 

Animation:  9/10
The animation is absolutely amazing. The effects that occurred when magi clash together are well animated. The proper use of colour to show different elements of magic helps viewers understand which mage belongs to which element of magic. The effects are, to me, what will keep viewers hooked to the screen. Apart from the effects, the characters are also drawn beautifully with fine details to show their differences. The usual anime sort of animation, and that alone to me, is of a high standard. 

Music:  7/10
The songs for this anime are not very pleasing to me. The opening Blast of Wind, sounds quite slow for an anime with a lot of action-packed scenes. There are two significant endings songs, Hitorikiri no Sora and Matataki no Kiwoku, with the latter being one of my favourite original soundtracks. The former has the same flow as the opening song, and is sung by the same singer. But hey, songs that are not pleasing to me might be pleasing to others, so check them out either way. 

Overall: 8.5/10
The anime, as I have mentioned before, is one-of-a-kind, because the genres are inconsistent. This makes it special, not entirely off-focus. No other anime has made me felt this way that I’ll be pulled from one genre to another fairly quickly and without warning. Viewers can expect multitudes of movement and action, since protagonists tend to fight whenever they meet. So for the action-loving viewers, this is a must-watch.

Fate/Stay Night

Genre:
Adventure, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Supernatural, Action 

Duration: 24 Episodes 

Synopsis:
Emiya Shirou is a not-so-normal teenager with the ability to sense and change what an item is made of. Adopted by a magician after his parents died in a fire, he is brought up with the mindset of helping others and putting others before himself. His ability to ‘Trace’ makes him special, and also makes him a magician, although he is not taught any of it by his now-deceased magician father. One day, Shirou comes across a fighting scene between a swordsman and a lancer, both having unbelievable mystical powers. Having witnessed such a sacred battle, one of the men chases Shirou and kills him. But he is brought back to life by a fellow magician Tohsaka Rin, and is instantly included as a competitor in a war to win the Holy Grail, an artefact that will grant anything, and is strongly sought after by magicians participating in the war, called Masters, and their mystical companions, called Servants. Saber, Shirou’s Servant in the Holy Grail War, is summoned when he is nearly killed by the lancer who once eliminated him for witnessing a battle he was not supposed to know of. Their story unfolds as they try to fight through and survive the Holy Grail War, battling six other Masters and their Servants, and pursuing to be the only last-standing pair of Master and Servant. 

Story:  9.5/10
Original plot consisting of seven magicians trying to kill one another off and obtaining the Holy Grail in the end. Typical plot consisting of one male lead and several female leads, however, there are no significant feelings between them, only mostly mutual feelings, except for Shirou and Saber. Great build-up which leads to the ending of this story, which may make some of you weak-hearted ones cry. There is also a mystery that involves the male lead character Shirou. See if any of you can figure it out by the 14th episode, the only episode with a different ending song (apart from the last episode). To a certain extent funny, to a large extent enjoyable, especially if you enjoy fighting and action scenes. For somebody who prefers Comedy/Romance type of animes, I’m quite hooked to this one. Very fast-paced, action-packed scenes which will keep you glued to the screen. Although quite boring for the first episode, since it is only introductory, from the second episode onwards (when Saber is summoned by Shirou), it gets interesting to watch. Trust me, this is one irreplaceable anime. 

Characters:  9/10
The development of the characters are quite complete, especially Shirou and Saber, who manage to find their true selves in the end. Shirou, at the beginning of the series, is a simply guy who only knows how to ‘trace’ a substance and either stabilise it or change it to another form of matter. Towards the ending, however, he learns how to use his powers to the full extent, by being able to create weapons just by imaging it in his mind. Saber, Servant of Shirou, is a woman of few words, and rarely changes her facial expression. She does not give up easily, and never shows signs of affection towards the opposite gender. However, that changes towards the end, thanks to brilliant teamwork and sacrifices made by Shirou. For the other leads, Tohsaka Rin is simply unpredictable, from having a hardcore I-want-to-win-it-no-matter-what kind of behaviour, to having a soft spot for helping others, in this case, Shirou. Another Master, namely Ilyasviel Von Einzbern, is a small and cuddly-looking child, but with the ability to control the strongest Servant. Very contradicting, don’t you think? But since she is one notch higher as a magician than any character in the anime, it is no surprise.   

Animation:  9/10
The characters are well-drawn, the backgrounds are well-painted, the actions are well-animated. Special effects take full flight when weapons meet and spells are cast. Character moves are natural and smooth enough to be called ‘near-realistic’. Details are strongly emphasised, although some of the animation might be too fast or quick, some details can actually be seen, like the patterns on swords and the shapes of spears and knives. Some 3-dimensional feel can be felt whenever the characters jump from one building to another, showing the entire town and its magnificence, or when the camera chases a character when he or she sprints across an area. There are, however, some ‘Chibi’ (cute/child-like drawing) animations can be witnessed, especially around Shirou’s teacher, Fujimura Taiga, who has a comical sort of personality. These instances can be regarded as attention-getters, or something which makes viewers look at the screen again. Whenever the ‘Chibi’ is not present, the actions will take its place, and it never fails to make me stare at the screen and watch the whole sequence of fighting between the Servants and Masters. 

Music:  9.5/10
The music and songs for the anime are very emotional and strong at the same time. I didn’t particularly like the first opening, Disillusion, but the others are my favourites, especially the endings Anata ga Ita Mori and Hikari, and the second opening Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni. The songs are fairly addictive to me, because I like strong and emotional songs that have deep meanings to each of their sentences. All of the songs are worth listening to, and if you’re like me, you can repeat them infinitely. The background music for the fighting scenes is nice, and it blends perfectly with the motions and actions. Although the background music is worth listening to, it is not encouraged to repeat it infinitely, since it consists of mostly opera-like singing. 

Overall:  9/10
A great anime, one worth watching, maybe again and again. Although the first episode might not make as great an impact on its viewers, it is wise to watch and understand the introduction to know what the anime is going to be like. Full of action, just-enough servings of comical events, and romantic build-up of the two lead characters, this anime has almost all the elements to satisfy the hearts of any and many anime fans, no matter what kind of genres you prefer. A conclusion, one of the most marvellous animes ever created.