My Shiny Toy Robots

  As the winter 2012 anime season draws to a close, it's time to have a look at the few series I've been watching for the last few months. The first of which is none other than Black Rock Shooter. Originally based on a piece of artwork by Huke (of Steins;Gate fame), the character grew further life in a Hatsune Miku/Supercell song of the same name, an OVA episode and a slew of merchandise. While the OVA boasted impressive visuals, its short length meant the story left a lot of things unexplained. This eight episode series is a retelling of the Black Rock Shooter story, but delves deeper into the mystery behind the girls from another world. From left to right: Chariot, Dead Master, Black Rock Shooter, Strength, Black Gold Saw Seemingly normal high-school student Mato Kuroi is drawn to new student Yomi Takanashi. Despite her attempts at friendship, Yomi doesn't seem to open up to Mato. As she tries her hardest to make a new friend, Mato also juggles life with h...

Since its beginning back in April last year, Steins;Gate has been one of those series that while I was completely aware of it, I didn't have the foggiest clue what it was about. I knew it was popular, and I knew it had a very good reputation...but that was about it. So it wasn't until my Huke fan-girl of a girlfriend marathoned the series in two days and then demanded that I watch it as soon possible that I realised it was perhaps EXACTLY the kind of thing I'd be looking for in an anime. So yes - Steins;Gate is a 24 episode (plus one recently released OVA) series that aired between April and September 2011. Based on an X-Box 360 Visual Novel, it featured character designs from Huke, who is also known for creating the popular Black Rock Shooter. Set in the summer of 2010 in the Japanese district of Akihabara, the series follows self-proclaimed mad scientist Rintarō Okabe (also known by his alias Kyōma Hōōin) and his friends/fellow "lab" members as they creat...