ANIME: Papa to Kiss in the Dark by Nambara Ken

warning: contains explicit scenes, mature and sensitive themes - definitely not for the close-minded.

scattered comedy filler scenes prevented this ova from being classified as a full-blown romance drama. this is only my second time seeing a shota yaoi and, already, its magic is wearing down on me. on another note, the graphics is really good, suiting of a fan girl cult-aimed anime. i would willingly bet my one week's worth of allowance that viewers would fall in love with the characters' appearance at first sight. story-wise, i do not think there's anything new. but if you are a hardcore love story fanatic, i would still recommend watching this (after all, kiss in the dark has only two episodes). expect lots of dreamy sigh-inducing scenes and lines. i just have to say that the main character's lover looks a lot like gravitation's scorching bishounen yuki eiri (insert ear-splitting squeal here). and yeah, i know, the title is just crappy, not catchy - what was the creator thinking?


RATING: 2 out of 5.

ANIME: Wallflower by Tomoko Hayakawa

this 25-episode anime revolves around the misadventures of four bishounens in order to obtain free rent by turning their landlady's niece into a lady. the story would have been boring if the task is easy enough, but with the presence of an interesting heroine named sunako who has a penchant for horror stuff and morbidity, viewers are in for a roller coaster ride of humor and tidbits of romance. aside from that, the presence of beautifully drawn gorgeous characters is certainly drool-worthy. though there are many scenes in which the animator's laziness in drawing is obvious, its wackiness made up for it. plus, where can you find a series that explicitly teaches its viewers the road to being a lady? i recommend this anime to those in dire need of the medicine called laughter.


RATING: 4 out of 5

ANIME: Lovely Complex by Aya Nakahara

looking for that dreamy high school love story minus the yucky excess mushy pulpiness? lucky for you, lovely complex is here! this anime boasts of a perfect blend of stomach-clutching humor and tooth-aching romance. i guarantee that for all the time spent on watching the total of 24 episodes, no boring scene was ever present. and if you're still stuck on the idea that only tall guys would make cool, trophy boyfriends, - then man! - you might just throw it to the wind after watching this anime, and go look for your own short and charming special someone. now i'm wondering whether otani's personality (the main character) rubbed off on me that much or is this my natural midget fetish speaking; i can't decide.


RATING: 5 out of 5.