Anifile - Sacred Seven

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What do you think Code Geass is lacking? Not enough robots? Not enough action? Not enough Pizza Hut? Mystical stones, perhaps? Well, look no further than the alternative anime - Sacred Seven.

Anifile - Ro-Kyu-Bu!

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Basketball in grade school where only one of the 'fab' five know how to play with a high school coach; expect goofy hijinx aplenty in one of the less serious series of summer with Ro-Kyu-Bu.

Anifile - BLADE

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The final Marvel/MADHOUSE anime ends on a low-key note with vampires taking the helm. It's the turn of half-vampire half-human hunter BLADE to wield his...blade! Yeah.

MasaPlays: Portal 2 - Part 1

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Masako takes the leap into Let's Plays with his foray into the puzzle game where sweet treats are the reward after a hard day's "testing". It's Portal 2! DISCLAIMER: Portal 2 is the property of Valve Software. Please support the official release; because it's awesome! :)

Anifile - Deadman Wonderland

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Take Battle Royale, Project A-KO plus a dash of Akira and you get one of Spring's hottest series which has had the most requests for Masako to review - Deadman Wonderland!

Life's turned another corner.

I like to think that life has always been in generally OK for me. I have loads of friends online, an intelligent and supportive fanbase and a career which is also my hobby; not many people get to have that and I consider myself pretty lucky and am grateful each and every day.

Some of you may be thinking why I'm talking about this now. It's simply because I want to. Things have happened in the last couple of months which have really defined where my life may head; for the better, I assure you. My latest stints of work have been really stimulating allowing me to express myself creatively and gain a lot of technical know-how very quickly. Editing is clearly where my career will go at this point in time and I'm determined to make it happen. However, it's meant that I've had to make some sacrifices alongside the acquisitions. What those consist of are for another day.

In general, life's good. I've got an epic two weeks of cons coming up at the end of July, quite a few meet-ups with the UK posse at various events which I always look forward to; not to mention the aforementioned work status picking up. Despite this, there has been something missing which I wish to share with you.

When I was big (which was pretty much my ENTIRE childhood), I got messed around emotionally by girls. I was so naive and got mocked accordingly. I did have a couple of friends who were girls, but my popularity in school was middling. My size/height meant I wasn't a punching bag but I never really got noticed; because of that I never really acknowledged the whole dating thing. Throughout college and most of university, I had the mindset of 'How can you miss something you've never had?' Of course in uni I had friends and I did have a crush on someone, but that got dashed pretty quickly and I was broken. When, as you all know, I lost the weight, my confidence went up and I felt that I could have a chance at a relationship. However, it wasn't an instant thing. Granted, my social confidence was higher and I DID have an online relationship going in the middle of last year for a couple of months; but that went nowhere and looking back on it, it wasn't really a relationship you could build on. I then had the foundations of another one during the end of last year but that ended before it even began in all honesty; however with both instances, I'm still cool with them and we're still buds. Even after the weight loss, I wasn't much closer. This got me sort of despondent.

However, things changed very recently. Last weekend was London MCM, a con I was looking forward to because TONS of my friends were going and I could spend 3/4 days with them talking about anime, fun stuff and Nando's...lots of Nando's (It's the abridger's restaurant of choice, don't you know!). Throughout that weekend I really got to know the people I first met at Alcon last year, touched base with at LAC a few months previously and feel even more at ease with them.

Then I spotted someone; someone who up till then I had only exchanged brief snippets of conversation at previous meetups. We got talking a little more and I then started to feel something towards her which filled me with happiness. Throughout that weekend, we discovered we had TONS in common and had similar tastes in humour, music and outlooks on life. I was so happy. When Sunday came along and our final group dinner ended, me and her parted company. We promised to get in touch and meet up again soon. There was a brief spark whilst saying good bye which left me giddy. We've been out twice since then and my feelings have only grown. I never thought this would happen to me. I feel complete; at ease. Not that I wasn't content before then, but my outlook on life has become mellower. It's early days, but I so want this to work. If it does, life will be 100% jubilant!

In the words of a catchy commercial, "I, am MoreThan Freeman. Thank you, for listening."

Anifile - C [Control]

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Money makes the world go round. Money is also the basis of killer battles where you fight for every single dime you have. C [Control] is the anime which makes financial prudence exciting.

Anifile - Hanasaku Iroha

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An anime in a hot spring. Nope, not like the typical. Watch the coming of age of a city girl who has to bring herself back from the depths of despair from the wrath of a bitter grandmother. Hanasaku Iroha is potentially a season winner.

Anifile - Hen Zemi

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Fruit flies...in weird places. Passing gas...in bathtubs. Some people find this attractive. I don't - but the people in this anime do. Be prepared for something pretty disturbing in Hen Zemi.

Anifile - Blue Exorcist

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How would you react if you were the son of Satan? Amazed or horrified? Well, allow this anime to take that weight off your shoulders and kick back with some classic shounen in Blue Exorcist.

Anifile - Steins;Gate

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Now this is a time machine I can get behind - microwaves and text messages. What a novel idea, but can it carry over an entire series? Masako wraps his head around the complicated world of Steins;Gate.

Anifile - Toriko

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Cooking may not be the manliest of pasttimes, but only Japan can turn the activity on its head and make it extremely masculine. Add fighting, searching for the ultimate goal and wacky characters and you got a winning recipe.

Anifile - Kia Asamiya Month: His Latest Work

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To end Kia Asamiya month, let's summarise the other works that the man has done up to now including his latest work, which involves sexy girls, cars and technical college. Interesting.

Anifile - X-Men

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Marvel and Madhouse go at it again with the third collaborative piece to date. This time, the mutants turn Japanese in their quest to find a lost kindred spirit. Masako reviews X-Men: The Anime.

Anifile - Kia Asamiya Month: Nadesico

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And now, one of Asamiya's greatest works. Masako's favourite anime ever and probably one of the best parodies of the mecha genre, it became a success of its own accord.

Anifile - Kia Asamiya Month: Silent Möbius

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Asamiya is a keen action fan and Silent Mobius has that in spades! Cops, paranormal entities and one of the most complete universes in his repetoire, this series shouldn't be overlooked.

Anifile - Kia Asamiya Month: Steam Detectives

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One of Asamiya's lesser known stories, Steam Detectives encapsulates the steampunk movement which began in earnest in the late 90s.

Anifile - Kia Asamiya Month: Introduction

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It's April and it's Kia Asamiya month on Anifile! Masako showcases the works of one of his favourite manga-ka.

Anifile - Madoka Magica

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To round off the Winter 2011 lineup, Masako has the review that so many of you have requested for. So here are his first impressions on the magical girl show which turns the very concept on its head! It's Puella Magi Madoka Magica.

More like a peck on the cheek...

So I just got back from 2 job interviews today and I had some time in Covent Garden between said sessions. Now I would usually go to Muffinski's for my froyo fix, but I thought I would give the place I had been shunning for ages a try and see whether it justified my reluctance. The place in question is SNOG.


For those unfamiliar, SNOG is the most successful brand on frozen yogurt chains in the UK with 5 permanent 'Snog Shops' set in the London area and an outlet in Dubai of all places! So the reason why I have been quite scathing of this place is due to its ingredient it lauds as healthy - agave nectar. Agave nectar is a plant-derived ingredient used as an alternative to sugar sorta like honey. However, it may have a low-glycemic index but its fructose content is astronomical meaning that your liver can't process most of the calories from it and converts it to fat plus failing to satiate your appetite. When I discovered this, I avoided these like the plague. However, I thought I couldn't keep ignoring this place and would add these to my froyo reviews.

The decor is certainly very...pink; and white. It's quite a simple design and yet quite chic. I certainly didn't feel like my eyes were being insulted. I took to looking at the menu and was asked quite a few times by the server about whether I was gonna order something. I felt a little rushed like I was annoying her - but of course, she didn't blatantly say that. That's unprofessional.

The flavour of yogurt is quite varied with three constants: Natural, Green Tea and Blueberry with the addition of seasonal flavours (in this case, Spiced Apple). The sizes come in Little (125 cal), Classic (187 cal), Big (312 cal) or Massive (561cal). I like that last one - only social etiquette kept me from getting that one! The prices are not that bad - they start at £2.95 for a Little with nothing on it and go all the way to £9.90 for a Massive with 3 toppings. I went for a Big Blueberry at £4.30.

When I looked at this, I was eagerly ready to dig in. This is my control flavour with the topping blended in - how could I lose? Well...it's not all that rosy. The initial taste is very good. It is quite creamy with a slightly coarse note to it which is almost perfect for me - it feels like it has substance which differs it from ice cream. The flavour is tart and tangy but not as in your face like Frae or Itsu, much less the latter. So for the first few seconds I was pleased; however that didn't last. After a few seconds, the flavour vanishes as does the texture. It's like it never happened. So you dig in for some more...and more...and more. It's about now that I experience the agave nectar's fructose foe enacting its wrath. Making me want to eat more and feel unsatiated. I polished it off (this is like 12oz of froyo here!) and felt I could go for another if money allowed it but I thought better of it.

It was nice to try it again as I was a fan of the franchise to begin with before I found its dark secret they don't like to tell you. Granted, I didn't get a sugar rush and energy crash (the low-GI claim holds true in that regard) but a good dessert should make you feel content and pleased for a good while afterwards. This didn't. Its initial hit is good, but it's fleeting. I would much rather go back to Muffinski's and pocket the change. Conclusion - don't be fooled by the health claims of SNOG's agave nectar and go for a more straightforward variety.