Tweekums

Yuu Ayase, the son of a successful actress, attends an elite academy. The problem is he is far from elite. After his mother's death he is taken in by the Mikadono family... this means he ends up living with three sisters who are among the school's top pupils. Kazuki, an up and coming actress; Niko, a martial artist and Miwo, a progidy in the game of Shogi. As their father is always away he lives alone with them. At first they are less than pleased with his arrival but he cooks, cleans and generally makes their lives better and they grow to realise he is helping them do well in their chosen fields.

This is a fairly typical harem anime; that doesn't stop it being a lot of fun though. The characters are likeable and their activities provide some good laughs. Character designs and animation are decent and there is less fan service that many examples of the genre feature. The ending is fairly open; hopefully we'll be getting another season at some point. Overall I'd say this is worth watching if you enjoy the genre.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.

This six part French series is centred on Florence, a woman who receives a heart transplant in the opening scenes, and Simon, the father of the young woman whose heart Florence now has. Following the operation Florence has nightmares and determines to find out about the donor; something her husband cautions against. This leads her to Simon who is convinced that his daughter's death was not an accident. If that weren't enough Florence's daughter Zoe is feeling unwanted and gets involved with potentially dangerous people.

The idea of people feeling a link to the person who provided a donor organ isn't particularly original but it provides an excuse for a solid mystery with more than enough suspects to keep the viewer guessing; when we finally learn what happened it isn't too obvious. The cast is solid and the Biarritz setting is pleasantly scenic. Overall I'd say that if you enjoy Euro-drama this is worth a watch.

These comments are based on watching the series in French with English subtitles.

This Comedy anime series is centred on Keiichiro Nagumo and his detective agency. Twenty years ago he was one of the country's top detectives even though he was still in high school... now he is jaded and suffers from various aches and pains. One day Mashiro Nakanishi, an enthusiastic school girl, approaches him asking if she can become his apprentice. He initially refuses but lets her help with one case; it works out and they end up forming an unlikely duo. As the series progresses they take on a number of cases and further characters are introduced.

I thought this series was really fun with plenty of laughs to be had in every episode. Keiichiro is a fun lead with his aches and cynicism but it is Mashiro who provides most of the laughs with her enthusiasm (and strength). The secondary characters are entertaining as well. The animation and character designs are good; frequently depictions change to add to the humour. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to anime fans wanting a good laugh.

These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.