January Anime of the Month (AOTM)

Hagane no Renkinjutsushi (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)

Genre: Action, Military, Adventure, Drama, Magic, Fantasy, Shounen

Episodes: 64 (Finished airing)

Well, well, this is a hard one to not know, though I have to be honest that I have never watched this until last year haha. I did watch most of the 2003 version though as a kid though so that was what made me like Fullmetal Alchemist in the first place. So, even though it may not have followed the manga faithfully to the end (since they caught up to the manga and made up the rest), I still enjoyed the 2003 version very much.

Fullmetal Alchemist follows the Elric brothers Edward Elric and Alphonse Elric who are searching for the Philosopher's stone to recover their original bodies. Due to an irreversible decision (forbidden act of alchemy) they made as children, Edward's leg and Al's whole body was sacrificed in the name of equivalent exchange for what they tried to use alchemy to create. In order to at least get Al's soul back, Ed lost his arm and transmuted Al's soul to a piece of armour. As they search for it, they discover that the war between Amestrians and Ishvalans, the Philosopher's stone and the military are connected intricately making things very difficult to handle.

There's a nice bit of comedy here and there but doesn't detract from the story which makes it very nice. The Ishvalan war was probably the event that engaged me most because of the scar it left in all the characters that participated and didn't participate. It was a huge event that drives a lot of the story and quite possibly the motivation of our adult characters as well. The homunculus weren't the most amusing but I did enjoy that despite all the things they did, they all had very simple wishes that spiralled into this destruction.

To be honest, although FMA is ranked #3 in MyAnimeList, content-wise I have to admit that it wasn't the most interesting, but that is my preference simply because I personally wasn't very engaged in the whole Philosopher's stone plot itself. However, I did very much enjoy the characters, the fight scenes and the emotions that were shown. It's hard to pick favourite characters since they were all developed very well and portrayed very relatably. If I had to choose though, Mustang and Scar would be the most meaningful characters in that Scar's revenge and story was cliche but done very well and Mustang was someone you can't help but not love since you can see how much he cares for his subordinates. He's a wonderful leader.

Shao May (the tiny panda) was soo adorable though. Oh, and May Chang and Ling Yao are my favourite side characters (because they're cool, funny, cute and I like their growth and conviction towards protecting their respective clans) besides Winry. Winry has always been one of my top favourite female main characters in Shounen after all so it's really hard to not like her, especially since she dedicates her life to making and repairing Ed's and others' automail and she always has the hard job of always waiting for the Elric brothers to come back, not knowing if they're safe or not. Ed's proposal to her was the cutest thing everrr! Hahaha!

Anywho, I do recommend this and love it even though it's not the most interesting (for me), I really enjoyed the motivations of our characters and how everything aligned together so well to create the bonds that they had and have. Ending was cliche but enjoyable as well. The emotions of each and every character, even the villains were portrayed very well. It's a simple story executed very well and I guess that's what I loved about it. Van Hohenheim's story was a good one too, especially with Trisha's last words to him. I still feel so sad over Hughes though sigh.

I didn't mention anything about the Elric brothers! Hahaha. Well, they're good characters but they don't stand out for me even though I do like them. Although I did keep thinking about Oosaki Nana in NANA from Ed's voice though haha. They're classic shounen characters with Ed carrying a heavy burden on wanting to restore his brother's physical body no matter what since he was the one who suggested that forbidden act so it was really touching when Ed wanted to ask Al if he hated him for it but wasn't able to because he was scared. It made me tear T_T The emotions run quite real in this story and I probably enjoyed that the most alongside the well executed story.

2016 Favourite Manga/Anime

So, I'll limit myself and choose my favourite manga and anime this year. This is different from a manga/anime of the month because I didn't necessarily read/watch the whole thing in one month but it's definitely something I'd say that I enjoyed the most in the year of 2016. It's hard to find translated manga that came out in 2016 besides the really popular ones, so I'll just pick whatever I loved the most this year. Still okay though, since Kingdom is ongoing so, it counts hahaha.

As for anime, I'll choose one that came out this year :D


Kingdom by Hara Yasuhisa
Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical, Martial Arts, Seinen, Fantasy, Tragedy, Comedy, Drama
Status: Ongoing, 499 chapters scanlated

Wow! Kingdom nearly has 500 chapters! So excited! I have to say, Kingdom by far had the most interesting development this year. The great big war is breaking out and we have so many great generals in the lead that I'm just soo hyped with what's about to happen! Oh, and Shin holding Ouki's glaive makes me so happy and proud at the same time, he's grown so much throughout these chapters, it's amazing. With the addition of members into Shin's army and the reaffirming of Sei's resolve as a king to unite the whole land, the journey for Shin in becoming a great general is one that can only continue to be even better. I love seeing Shin mature along with his comrades but retaining his own principles in a world wrought with war and chaos, he can get a bit OTT sometimes but I love how Sei and his relationship make them try their best to improve themselves so that they can all achieve a unified China.

The story follows our protagonist Shin who is aiming to become a great general in Qin. It is a story revolving around the events in history with Qin Shi Huang unifying China. Naturally, it is a fictional historical manga and thus there will be things here and there that are exaggerated or made up to make it entertaining and interesting and I love it. I also love how the manga puts its own interpretations of historical events but retains the general timeline of events and important happenings of historical figures etc. Shin apparently is a historical figure with a lack of info on and thus allowing the mangaka to expand his own freedom on what type of person he is and that's good! The interpretation of Sei (future Qin Shi Huang) is also very enamouring and interesting considering his predominately 'good' nature.

All in all, besides the lovely grand swings that can fall tens of enemies in one fell swoop, there are also very interesting war tactics, interesting generals on our protagonist's side and the enemies' sides that make this a very compelling story that depicts a time of bloodshed and turmoil as they all fight for a better future that each individual believes in. It isn't only a great battle manga! There is some nudity and blood though so heads up on that!

I would recommend the anime as well, but I really hate the 3D animation that makes it pretty bad lol. Gonna say this again and again lol, the manga is so much better!

Yuri!! on Ice

Genre: Comedy, Sports

Episodes: 12

When I first saw Yuri!! On Ice in the season chart, I was so excited because I have always loved watching figure skating ever since I watched Ginban Kaleidoscope. The best thing about this one though is that it's very much focused on figure skating with proper soundtracks, costumes and skating programs for the individual skaters. The animation is top notch most of the time and the selection of music and costumes are so beautiful, I loved the whole anime from beginning to end. The opening and ending theme songs are so great and captivating as well omgg. The soundtrack Yuri on Ice that our protagonist Katsuki Yuri dances to is so dazzling and enchanting that I just can't help but love listening to it every time it plays! 

The story revolves around Yuri who suffers a crushing defeat in the Grand Prix Final and returns to his hometown wondering whether he should continue skating or not. After a series of events, the figure skating champion Victor comes along and says that he'll be Yuri's coach and that begins their gruelling training and lovely journey growing as skaters and individuals. What I love about this anime is that not only are the skating programs wonderful to the eyes, the characters are also very dynamic and constantly growing. Victor and Yuri (and the other Yuri too, which is his rival) all have their flaws but they learn from each other and inspire each other to reach new heights and break through their respective barriers that limit their growth. It was because of this experience as coach and student that they were both able to teach each other things they would not have picked up alone and I loved that.

Note though that Victor and Yuri do essentially become a couple so that might not be to your tastes but I think their relationship is so much more than a mere romantic relationship. They love each other as individuals and merely cherish each other as the one they would like to stay together with, although I guess there is some fanservice here and there hahaha. But overall, the anime focuses on individual challenges and growth in characters rather than romance. It was wonderfully played out as an anime and I would encourage anyone to watch this! Our Yuri may be a bit meek but very relatable and he gets stronger emotionally through the episodes and I really liked that!

His rival Yuri (same name) is a bit arrogant and prideful but most definitely an exceptional guy. I loved his skating programs, they were so enjoyable! Especially his costume, omggg, it was so cool! He's a bit cute when he's not that angry hahaha. Phichit the Thai skater is my favourite though, he's so sweet and cute, I love him! Definitely a short but enjoyable anime.

P.S Hope everyone has a merry Christmas and a happy new year! <3 See you all in January! :)

December Manga of the Month (MOTM)

Only one this month! Since Christmas is coming soon and my sister is coming back from Japan for a bit so gonna be busyy~ Oh and I'm gonna do a 2016 Favourites kinda thing so yeah~~ But I guess if there was a theme for this month, it would be to learn to love yourself because our heroine in this manga is a great example of that.

Pochamani by Hirama Kaname

Genre: Comedy, Romance, School Life, Shoujo

Status: Ongoing, 21 chapters scanlated

I probably say this all the time but I was thinking this was going to be another typical shoujo and it's not incorrect to think of it as quite a typical shoujo except with a chubby girl. However, what makes this one good has to be the heroine. The guy is okay. What I like about our heroine is how mature she is when she handles her problems and how she handles herself. Alike many other people, she has insecurities since she is chubby and others are skinny but what I like about her is that she accepts herself for who she is and has learned to love herself without needing someone else to love her. When she said "I'm glad that I'm fat. I like my fat self." because if she wasn't chubby, she wouldn't have met the main male character and she wouldn't have found her good friends. I really respect her outlook towards her life and her surroundings and I think she is a great heroine to look up to compared to a lot of other questionable ones, to say the least.

My negative impression for this is probably because of how the synopsis describes this manga; romantic comedy with a chubby high school student and her handsome boyfriend who is a chubby maniac LOL. Great, absolutely great. It's not wrong but it's definitely much more than that, especially seeing the progress between the two's relationship is really nice. They both have flaws but they both do their best to work it out in their own way and bring each other up. I think this is a really nice relationship. They both have their problems but deal with it maturely and try their best to work out the best outcome themselves and with their friends etc.

I also like that they clarify with the main male that although he is a chubby maniac, the reason she is special and not the other chubby girls is because of the way our heroine carries herself as a person. Albeit a bit insecure when she compares herself with others considering how handsome her boyfriend is, she nevertheless understands that she should at least love herself even if other people won't because she is chubby. She cherishes herself for who she is and I like her and that's why the guy likes her too hahaha. I guess I just really like the positive message that it sends out; that we should learn to love ourselves.

November Anime of the Month (AOTM)

Ranma 1/2

Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Martial Arts, Slice of Life

Episodes: 161 (Finished airing)

One of the most nostalgic classics from the '90s would have to be Ranma 1/2. I never realised it was once cancelled for poor ratings in the beginning, since I absolutely loved it as a kid, but I watched this in the Cantonese dub. I've never watched it in Japanese just because I'm so used to watching it in Chinese, just like Rurouni Kenshin hahaha.

Anyway, the story follows our main character Ranma who went to some cursed springs in China with his father for some martial arts training and ended up falling into one of them that turned him into a girl! From then on, whenever he is splashed with cold water, he turns into a girl but he changes back into a boy by splashing himself with hot water. As he returns to Japan, he starts to live with the Tendou family as a fiance of Akane's although they are both rather reluctant to be tied for marriage. And that's all you really need to know about this anime hahaha. It's a comedy so there's not much actual plot besides the budding romance with Akane and the other girls/fiancee candidates that chase after Ranma as he tries to find a way to change himself back to being a guy completely. Many people love Ukyo and Shampoo but I've always loved Ranma and Akane because of how annoying they can be as well as how sweet they can be.

I love the tie-in of martial arts in Ranma 1/2 because it makes everything very entertaining. Many things are done in jest obviously so it's really a bundle of fun with martial arts. The martial arts to keep ramen noodles safe and figure skating martial arts etc are just a few of the crazy techniques and arts that the people they meet use and it's absolutely hilarious. This anime has a special place in my heart and Ranma and Akane's relationship is what makes my heart warm and happy all the time. They're both very stubborn and probably tsundere but I love it when they show affection and care towards each other.

One of the most memorable scenes in Ranma 1/2 for me was the ice skating episodes where Ranma declared to everyone that Akane is his fiancee and that he won't allow anyone to hurt her. It was so sweet! And when they were spinning and Akane told him to let go so that he won't get hurt by continuing to hold on to her, I think the ice skating arc really showed how much Akane and Ranma care for each other in their own respective ways. She was also so cute when she made him cookies and was so determined to get him to eat it though hahaha.

But of course, the show runs mostly on the comedy factor and it never fails to make me laugh although some characters can get quite annoying loll. I remember there was an episode where Akane went to hospital and the other fiancee candidates gave her presents and Kodachi gave her a bomb that exploded and then a tape recording her laugh 'ohohoho' plays LMAO. That was so hilarious omg.  Ryoga is also a good character that is always lost (just like Zoro in OP), it's crazy where he ends up hahahaha but I still love him. Everyone seems to love Shampoo the most though and I guess she is rather entertaining in how hard she tries to win Ranma's affections.

Nevertheless, this is a great classic comedy that can get repetitive after 100+ episodes but still really good and funny. I mean Genma and Soun are such hilariously stupid fathers that I absolutely love and Happosai can be so annoying but stupidly funny when he gets weak due to not being close to his favourite lingerie or girls lmao. Needless to say, I love Ranma but I always question how they always have the money to fix the buildings and the house that Ranma and gang break every single episode LOL. It's definitely something I would rewatch again and again. It does have a rather abrupt ending though so I think if you want a conclusive ending, you'll have to read the manga.

November Manga of the Month (MOTM)

This month we have two rather unique manga that are similar to each other in essence but the main characters are entertaining for different reasons. It's hard to find such perfect protagonists that are flawlessly cool and calm and they're so natural about it, that it's ridiculous! But that is exactly the point of these manga, that it's ridiculously perfect but amazing at the same time, Gotta say, I enjoyed these ones very much.


Sakamoto desu ga? (Haven't you heard? I'm Sakamoto!) by Sano Nami
Genre: Comedy, School Life, Seinen, Slice of Life
Status: Complete, 24 chapters scanlated

Many of you may already know this one since the anime finished not too long ago with quite positive reviews. Personally, I like the manga more since I feel that Sakamoto has more of that natural poise and elegance with still images but that's me hahaha. Basically, it revolves around how our hero Sakamoto manages his everyday average life with average people in an extraordinarily cool but natural way. It's like, everything he does is supposed to be ridiculous but when he does it, you can't help but think that he's cool instead hahaha! It's such an amusing and different manga. The comments on Batoto are gold as well, they've labelled him Swagamoto LOL.

It's definitely unique though since it's not exactly a manga that everyone will appreciate but if you read it and it's your thing, you'll definitely love the whole of it. Also, it only has 4 volumes so it doesn't downspiral into a repetitive manga but instead something we can appreciate ending on its own volition and exiting in its own cool status.

Gotta love Hayabusa-senpai the most hahaha, chapter 11 is my favourite with the hand-push sumo thing like omg. The taxi and everything, it was done so well, I was so damn impressed and absolutely loved it. I guess the great thing about this manga also is that every character finds a way to relish and revere in Sakamoto's greatness and everything is like so weird but the best at the same time LOL. It's just so crazily cool hahaha! Definitely a unique manga.


Machida-kun no Sekai by Ando Yuki
Genre: Romance, School Life, Shoujo, Slice of Life
Status: Ongoing, 7 chapters scanlated

This is like the epitome of a feel good manga (without the need of babies in manga healing you LOL). He's just like Sakamoto in that he's perfect as well but in a completely different way. Sakamoto would be perfect in every way but on the other hand, Machida is probably socially perfect even if he isn't perfect at cooking and other things like grades haha. The common thing between them would be their natural poise in executing their actions and in this manga, Machida would be on the same level as Sakamoto in that he's so natural about helping people. This one's got a bit of romance in it but it's the best fluffy kind <3

He also doesn't think that he's a cool person or that he's doing anything particularly exceptional or out-of-this-world kind of actions when he extends his help to others which really makes the reader feel like they could be like Machida and help and love people as much as he does. Also, he tries very hard to do everything even if he's not good at it and he's such a natural at making the people around him happy even if he doesn't notice it. He's such a sweetie.

My favourite chapter has got to be chapter 5 because of Kazumi-chan. I love how naturally appreciative he was of his Aunt's existence when she was feeling down about whether she really was of much help at all since her husband didn't understand how big of an impact her presence there could be for when Machida's mother is giving birth. It was such a good chapter, I teared. Definitely an awesome feel good manga that makes you wanna be a better person as well and help others around you. If only I was a natural like Machida! But I guess I gotta start off being as nice and kind as him first!

October Anime of the Month (AOTM)

Here's another anime recommendation! Obviously, I've finally started going through my anime list that I've accumulated for years hahaha. So, yeah, I'll probably be talking about old anime more than new ones every month or so. There's always this beauty and spark in older ones that don't seem to always be in newer anime. Which reminds me, I don't think I'll do a Summer 2016 Anime Review. Not just because it's extremely time consuming but because I really wasn't interested in much anime that season anyway hahahah so yes, I only watched like 3 series and they weren't that interesting either sooo....yeah.

Spice and Wolf has been on my list for a loonggg time and I'm so glad I finally watched it hahaha. It's not too different from what I expected since I have read some reviews but I did end up enjoying Lawrence and Holo's relationship much more than I thought I would haha. I mean, Holo and Lawrence are such great partners!

Spice and Wolf (Ookami to Koushinryou)

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Historical, Romance

Episodes: Season 1, 2008 (12 Episodes) + Season 2, 2009 (12 episodes)

Spice and Wolf is an anime I've heard that people have loved for many years. Not as crazy popular and revolutionising as Madoka Magica (I assume) but it has quite a big fanbase for it making me unable to forget it. It follows our travelling merchant Kraft Lawrence and a 600 year old pagan harvest deity called Holo. Holo is a wolf but can move about in human form as above, but she retains her animal ears and tail. They begin travelling together for their own interests but end up forming a bond that is romantic but essentially an unbreakable partnership between two people who can trust each other with their lives. Holo travels to find her hometown again and Lawrence travels to earn the money to open his own shop one day and thus that is the aim of their journey as they travel from town to town gathering information to increase money profits and to find clues of Holo's birthplace. 

The story mostly revolves around how people lived and did business in the Middle Ages/Medieval period. It goes on with how the market works, how merchants do business, the major consequences that can occur from sudden crashes in the market and failed business ventures but also adds the fantasy element of Holo, our wolf that helps Lawrence whenever he is in a serious pinch. It would suffice to say that Lawrence is well informed about business and the trade whereas Holo is well informed about the ways of the world and that's how they accompany and help each other with their respective skills. It's certainly an admirable and beautiful relationship. It's also a very peaceful one at that. It's a mostly dialogue anime with a bit of action (less to none in the second season though) and mostly rides on the witty dialogue between our two main characters as well as the interactions of trade between them and others.

Honestly, I hate to be that person but I personally preferred Season 1 over Season 2, whether it's because the second season skipped over a part of the light novel to rush to the kiss scene or something or because it wasn't as fun and exciting, I'm not sure. But I just felt that it didn't flow as nicely as peacefully as it did in the first season. Maybe Amarty and them just didn't please me LOL. I just felt that the first season had more of the right balance of romance, economics and development of character bonds. Whereas the second season seemed to fall over trying to balance them all, but that's my opinion. Second season's ending was rather inconclusive as well. Sucks that there's no third season either, guess I'll buy the light novels~

I really loved the excitement and tension that came along with the first season when Lawrence needed to acquire quite a bit of money to continue his livelihood as a merchant. It really rang deep in how fragile this job could be if you make one wrong decision but it also progressed development in Holo and Lawrence's relationship when he pushed her away but immediately apologised. The great thing about their relationship is that they have fights, go through hardships and fall down at times but they pick each other up and move on. They enjoy the present and embrace the future. They're very much human but they carry resilience (not individually) by being together to support each other. The best thing about this show is most definitely the two's relationship but I love the trade aspect as well.

I love the character designs and really enjoyed the atmosphere of the show. The atmosphere definitely makes this show something great. There's not much variation in the music but it's quite enough because it is only needed when relevant and I think it was inserted very well into the situations our main characters landed in.

 It's been a while since I sat down and just concentrated on watching something and not mult-tasking alongside haha. It's a bit hard to get Lelouch out of my mind whenever I hear Lawrence though since they have the same VA hahaha. Anyway, if you're interested in medieval trading + endearing main character relationships + a bit of fantasy adventure in regards to our wise wolf, Holo, then you'd probably enjoy this. But then again, this is good enough just to watch Holo and Lawrence's relationship hahaha. Now let me just go buy the light novels now....

October Manga of the Month (MOTM)

Well, well, well.. I guess this month will have to be the red hair heroine month! LOL I seriously didn't plan this, I just happened to read two manga that I've been wanting to read for a while and they just happened to be the ones I liked enough to talk about loll. I read other new manga but they weren't very interesting so you know~ Red hair month ftw~ Hahaha! Oh, another red hair heroine manga I would recommend is of course Akagami no Shirayuki-hime, this and Akatsuki no Yona are probably the classic red hair shoujo heroine that you'd think of nowadays. In the past, I'd think of Youko from Juuni Kokki, dang, I feel so old whenever I mention that one haha, but that's a good anime if you're looking for one, a bit of a slow start but really good classic.

Anywho~ I'd say these are quite shoujo in my perspective (yes, I know it's a demographic) but they are manga that do not survive on the mere element of romance but instead rely on their fantastical story and setting that garners interest from readers. But of course, there are romance elements to keep the shippers happy, I'm proudly one of them hahaha.

Akatsuki no Yona by Kusanagi Mizuho

Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shoujo

Status: Ongoing, 128 chapters scanlated

I didn't expect to like this manga that much since I watched the first episode of the anime and thought it seemed rather cliche. I can't say anything else about the anime but the manga is definitely well worth a read. It's similar to Akagami no Shirayukihime in terms of having good romance parts but also relevant parts for our heroine to grow independently as a person, so I think you would like it if you like Shirayukihime.  I've gotta give props to this for being a pretty good shoujo. Art is pretty nice too, loads of pretty boys hahaha!

 It follows the story of our naive princess Yona who is betrayed by the one she loves and ends up having to run for her life away from the castle with her closest friend and bodyguard Hak. It's a story about her journey as she gathers companions and notices how different the world inside the castle was compared to the outside and how she wants to protect the people of her country in her own way even if she isn't' a princess anymore. I like that resolve of hers and I love her character very much since she's very much a little girl but also a headstrong woman. The romance is also very adorable.

It's like an adventure with her bishounen harem gang! Lmao. Although not exactly lighthearted all the time, Akatsuki no Yona has a great balance of comedy and seriousness in its story. The comedy is very funny as well, I love our pretty boy Yoon being the mother for them all hahaha. What Kusanagi Mizuho does well in this manga though would be the characters, their development and their stories. She really knows how to play with your heartstrings in terms of the relationship between Soo-Won, Hak and Yona as all being childhood friends that love each other, but all that was ruined when Soo-Won murdered Yona's father and took the throne. Considering how the story is going though, Soo-Won is most likely not supposed to be an evil character and I really hope so because I really like him. He's definitely trash for what he has done towards Hak and Yona since they trusted him so much, but as the story goes on, you start to understand that he probably did it because the country was not faring well under Yona's father's rule, but who knows?

All the characters are very likeable and they all have distinct personalities that balance out when they are all brought together. I'm really glad that Yona has a girl friend her age which is Lili and dangg she's got good taste for liking Geun-Tae, I love him too. But basically, one this manga excels at would be the characters and their relationships and feelings which are portrayed very well. So far, the story is also decent considering that their main goal is to make this country better for its people, which is a wonderful goal that we'd all love to see. As a shoujo, it's got better battle scenes than most, but don't expect anything too much besides Hak slashing everyone in half, but they are emphasised really well emotionally. I cried when Soo-Won and Hak understood each other so well and combined their efforts to save Lili. It was so heartbreaking and sweet at the same time. 

Definitely recommended! It's a bit linear in the beginning when they find the four dragon warriors but it gets much better when their party stabilises and they have a proper goal besides looking for companions. I read everything in one go and I can't help but love Soo-Won and Hak the best. I'd totally cheer for their relationship if I was into that lmao. I just really love how much they trusted and cared for each other. If only Hak's wish of Soo-Won and Yona getting married being king and queen and him guarding them for the rest of their lives came true... But I guess this way, Hak can be with Yona though haha.


Mahou Tsukai no Yome by Yamazaki Kore
Genre: Drama, Fantasy, Romance, Shounen, Slice of Life, Supernatural
Status: Ongoing, 32 chapters scanlated

This one definitely surprised me in a different way. I've been seeing this as a popular series on Batoto for a while but never touched it until now and now I'm wondering why I never did. It definitely is interesting in a different way from the usual manga. It tells of the story of Chise who is passed on from relative to relative until she finds her place in an auction to be bid on. She gets bought by the boneheaded monster (if you want to call him that lol) Elias and they start living together as a teacher and apprentice, oh and as a bride too.

The story mostly revolves around two as they learn to open their hearts to each other and find company with each other's existences even though in the beginning, the two of them never expected much from the other at their first meeting. In turn, Elias teaches Chise magic and Chise teaches him and makes him understand and experience human emotions that he has probably always wanted to experience. Elias is really cute when he doesn't understand these emotions. However, along with the cute moments are the fantasy adventure sort of elements with Chise's exposure to different mythological beings such as dragons, different types of fae and the antagonist (I assume) that likes to toy with people for his experiments with magic. It's a very interesting story that exposes you to a lot of different mythical beings and the myths surrounding them, as well as a solid character growth with the characters emotionally and magic-wise. The side characters are also very endearing with their own stories that touch the heart and drive the story along.

I think this one's a well balanced solid story. It's informative with different mythological beings, there are intellectual and physical fights involving magic and the mythological beings, there's some romance but not OTT and it has a sprinkle of humour here and there that just can't help but amuse readers. It's a great read and the main characters are very likeable in that it is easy to empathise with them and grow with them. The side character stories that they encounter (like the mythical being they'll help today!) are also very touching but realistic situations (not the monster part, of course) that you can understand their dilemmas and problems. A very engaging and interesting story. Too bad it's a monthly serialisation, so it's easy to forget what happens, it's quite a tight-knit story as well so I guess it might need some re-reading every now and then haha. On another note, the art is beautifully drawn, especially the mythical beings, they can be so beautiful and menacing at the same time. And cute another time hahaha.