Akame ga kill! Impressions so far.

Normally I am not the type of guy who watches current season anime; I prefer to have the entire series at my fingertips to binge upon once a series has been concluded/running for a long time. However this summer I have been hooked on the series 'Akame ga kill!', based off the manga of the same title. I was initially drawn into the series after seeing some fancy gifs of the fight sequences and decided I had to see the series in action. I have watched it up until it's current 12th episode and I definitely intend to finish it! I was pleasantly surprised to see that it isn't just fancy sword work...!

The story mainly focuses on the protagonist Tatsumi, an accomplished fighter in his poor village. He departs with two of his strong friends to head to the capital and earn enough money and prestige to dig his poor village and friends out of poverty. Along the way they encounter 'Danger Beasts' and dispatch them with relative ease. These monsters play a stronger role later in the series due to the materials they offer, the world reminds me of 'Monster Hunter' and how legendary creatures can help create immensely powerful weapons.

On the way he is warned that the capital is not what it seems and that violence, corruption and terror are rampant. The corrupt prime minister is puppeteering the child emperor to further his own desires and remove any opposition through torture, murder and heavy taxation. Perhaps not the most original plot point but it provides an anchor for which all of the other protagonists and antagonists work around with their own agendas.

Tatsumi soon learns that the capital is not what it seems and encounters the assassin group 'Night Raid' a group of unique and talented individuals whose goal is to help the revolutionary army topple the corrupt capital and restore order to the country. Unlike the army, they use covert tactics and eliminate key threats within the capital. Without spoiling the big shocking reveal in the first episode, Tatsumi finds himself dealing swift justice and joining Night Raid...thus the series continues.

Each member of 'Night Raid' as well as various antagonists wield weapons known as 'Imperial Arms' or 帝具, commissioned by the First Emperor using alchemy and the parts of the various 'Danger Beasts' over 900 years ago. 48 were created but half are lost to history. Each item is unique in its abilities, strengths and weaknesses and take many forms ranging from weaponry to armour and even cosmetic items. Some are even organic 'living' entities that are fearsome in their own right. Not anyone can use an imperial arm and they are attuned to their user. One interesting legend is that "if two imperial arm users fight, even if it is a draw, one is fated to die." This leads to some tense battles between users as you know that someone has to lose.

This brings me to the battles. The battles in this anime are fantastic, the animation is of high quality, the sequences are fluid and weapons are well drawn. Some of the later battles in particular keep you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. It also doesn't hold back any punches relating to gore, it does so however without going too over the top, walking the fine balance between gritty and overkill. There were moments where I actually said "holy crap" during some of the more stunning scenes. Like Attack on Titan it doesn't make any exceptions for who lives and who dies. The series does a good job of building up an interest in a character then unexpectedly depicting their demise. It doesn't overdo this but there have been some casualties that I hadn't anticipated!

The music is also very well done. The opening song 'Skyreach' by Sora Amamiya and the ending 'Konna Sekaai, Shiritakunakatta' work really well with the series and I have already added them to my regular track list! The recurring soundtrack they use for moments of despair and sorrow is particularly powerful.

I am also a big fan of the character designs; each has their own unique design and colour palette. Initially I didn't like the idea of characters having their 'own colour' as I felt that it was too stark of a contrast but after a while it becomes part of the character's appeal. It also helps to provide a contrast with some of the darker and more 'edgy' scenes. The costumes and weaponry in particular are impressive; each Imperial Arm has its own appeal. The series also boasts some ridiculously cool hairstyles, take Bulat and his General for example, badass!

Speaking of badasses, we are later introduced to the fearsome General Esdeath, a sadistic lady with a fierce Imperial Arm that can create and manipulate ice. She is shown effortlessly conquering the North before being summoned by the Prime Minister to the capital to get rid of the Night Raid assassins. I REALLY like this character, from her design down to her personality. She somewhat reminds me of Selvaria from Valkyrie Chronicles. Both due to her colour design, ruthless nature and devotion to her belief and passion. Esdeath however, is more ruthless in this regard; she believes people die because they are weak, that is all. We do however get to see her softer side and her compassion for comrades and a special someone, which allows for her character to be developed beyond the simple 'ruthless general' stereotype. Plus her outfit is amazing.

The series mimics the flow of the manga in its ability to deliver shocking, gritty action while contrasting it with light humour and cutesy scenes. There is some fan service here and there, especially with some of the more 'endowed' characters. There are some of the typical shonen tropes but on the whole the balance is good.

The show has so far been able to introduce enemies steadily without giving it an 'enemy of the week' vibe and the overarching plot is moving at a nice steady pace. I can only hope that this series continues like this as I am hooked and can't wait to see what happens next. Although if anymore of my favourite characters die I'm going to be mad!

I really recommend you check it out for yourself!

Burger King's KURO Pearl VS. McDonald's Cheese Tsukimi!!

In Japan, who is better?

During my three or so years living in Japan I have probably eaten way more McDonalds than I have in my entire lifetime in the UK!! Why? It's cleaner, brighter, friendlier, tastier and the staff smile and go out of their way for you. Not to mention the fact that they release some AWESOME specials that always seem to be experimenting and keep things exciting. (As exciting as fast food can be anyway...)

Right now in Autumn 2014 the two rival chains have released two seasonal specials:

McDonald's contender is the '月見 (Tsukimi - literal translation is moon viewing!) Burger' that draws from the traditional harvest moon festivals. Its main attraction is the juicy egg on top to resemble the moon with some bacon and 'special sauce' to go with it. It comes in at 491 calories for those of you that care about that kind of thing. I chose the cheese version as this rivals the BK offering more closely. 

Burger King have capitalized upon their successful Star Wars burger campaign of last year and have released another set of 'KURO' burgers, essentially 'black' burgers....literally the entire thing is black from the bun to the cheese. It comes it two variants, one with salad and one without, I chose the basic one since the 月見 is one of the rare burger offerings that comes with zero salad. Good for the fussy fatties out there! This comes in at 465 calories, probably due to no bacon.

Lets see what they actually look like!

McDonald's is up first!

Ta-da! We open it up to find...

Sexy eggyness

The first thing you might notice is that is actually kind of looks like the actual damn photo! That's one main point I have noticed since eating here is that more often that not, what you see is what you get.

Sexy bacon

Inside too is an actual chunky piece of bacon, a pleasant surprise from the paper thin stuff back home. The egg is surprisingly soft and 'just right' too, none of that stiff, stodgy overcooked type of eggs that I usually associate with fast food. The special sauce though is pretty much just a combination of ketchup and Japan's sexy mayonnaise. The burger has a good balance between sweet and savory and is pretty moist without making the entire thing soggy. Overall a really tasty choice! Also the fries were piping hot and fresh too!

Burger King's turn...

I actually had to go out of my way to find a BK restaurant since they are far fewer in number!

Black wrapper, nice start...

DARRRRRRKNESSSSSS

 What Burger King's limited edition burger has going for it is definitely the novelty and shock factor of eating an entirely black burger. Some would find it massively off putting, associating it with something dirty or burnt. It actually tastes quite fresh and has been darkened using bamboo charcoal, same goes for the cheese...

Yay or Nay?

 The sauce is a squid ink enhanced garlic sauce, it has a pretty tangy taste to it, one of my friends commented that it has a strange smell but I was too infatuated with the colour to notice! Taste wise there isn't a lot else going for it due to the basic ingredients. They provide a ton of sauce though which inevitably drips out.

Looking at this pic in hindsight, the bread does look kind of 'doughey', similar to the chocolate bread that is so common here. Tasted fine though! One other big difference between McDonald's and BK is that the BK burgers actually feel meaty, almost twice as thick and you can definitely taste it more. The burger itself looks cool but it didn't actually taste that special.

The Verdict?

The McDonald's 月見 Burger is by far the better burger overall, despite costing the same you get more for your money, both in taste and ingredients. Coupled with the app coupons you can get you can usuall score a large drink and fries with it too.
Burger King are slowly expanding again in Japan after having given up several years ago and are vastly outnumbered by McDonald's but if they continue campaigns like this then their appeal should grow! This burger is good for a novelty meal and something to say HEY LOOK, I ATE THIS! But it isn't something I would rush to buy again.

Wow...I've never written so much about fast food before!