Yui Overcomes Her Fears

Continuing on our trend of highlighting memorable scenes from Kokoro Connect, we have here a special moment between Taichi and Yui. You may have seen this before on our banner.

Full Scene: Kokoro Connect Episode 3

On another note, the scene some moments beforehand stood out to me just because it was quite laughable. The innuendo here was quite high if you ask me. Surprised they didn't make any comments about it, but knowing Taichi he probably didn't think of the hidden meaning behind his words. Yui's remark only served to add fuel to the fire by the way.

A Painful Learning Experience

Believe it or not, this scene is both emotionally moving and hilarious at the same time. It sheds light on the reality of the world, from a woman's perspective. One of the most powerful and memorable scenes from Kokoro Connect in my opinion.

Sadly, it seems like Kokoro Connect is on hiatus until late winter of next year. The good news? We will get a conclusion to the series eventually! No better time than now to re-watch some old episodes!


Full Scene: Kokoro Connect Episode 3


The scene continued:

Wakana and Music Composition #2

Wakana continues on her path as a musician. Cute moment at the end here.

Wakana and Music Composition

Proud to present our series of short clips highlighting memorable and inspirational scenes from our select anime. This features Wakana Sakai from Tari Tari as she learns the ins and outs of music composition. Really brings me back to the series, it is a shame that it ended some weeks ago. It did end on a high note though, so that was definitely a plus.

New Anime Releases 9-4-12

A surprising and unexpected release for everyone this week. Fresh out of the oven, we have the new Natsuiro Kiseki OVA. Here's hoping that this OVA somehow clears up the loose plot ends present at the end of this series. Roughly a six minute video, all the same it is a welcomed treat to revisit Natsuiro Kiseki and their lovable cast.

In other updates we have, Tari Tari Episode 10 and Kokoro Connect Episode 9. Sket Dance Episode 73 also released, with 74 due out tomorrow more likely than not. I have to say, Sket Dance is one of those series that takes some patience to stick with it. However for me, it has been an enjoyable ride so far. The thing about it is, the series has many individual stories to tell, so the viewpoint, or direction so to speak, jumps around quite a bit. There are some filler episodes that are somewhat of a drag but, as a whole, the series has been an worthwhile experience. The opening and ending songs (all six iterations so far) have been quite memorable and catchy.

Concerning the length of our featured shows at the moment, I have no idea when Sket Dance will end to be honest. It seems to be quite successful so I assume it will keep airing until further notice. Regarding Tari Tari and Kokoro Connect, I heard that Kokoro may be extending itself to 17 episodes or so (a pleasant surprise to me), Tari Tari could end in 12 episodes if all the plot is presented sufficiently by that point.  I feel that Tari Tari could very well be rushed as a result, but I suppose the final verdict is still out there.

Stay tuned for more inspiring anime coverage here at AI.

Natsuiro Kiseki OVA
Sket Dance Episode 73
Kokoro Connect Episode 9
Tari Tari Episode 10

New Anime Releases 8-25-12

New Anime Releases for the week of 8-25-12, include the usual helping of Kokoro Connect and Sket Dance, with Tari Tari to be posted this coming Monday. This week, we revisit one of our great series, Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou, with Specials 1-3 being posted. Think "OVA" but shorter. Quite similar in length and premise to the Amagami SS Plus OVA's that released last week.

Kokoro Connect Episode 8
Sket Dance Episode 72
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou Special 1-3

Anime Releases 8-15-12

This week, we have the latest releases of Tari Tari and Kokoro Connect, Tari Tari Episode 7 and Kokoro Connect Episode 6.

In other releases, we have Amagami SS Plus OVA's 1-5. These are some pretty interesting side episodes that are anywhere from 2 to 5 minutes apiece. My guess is they are similar to deleted scenes or content that was removed from the original run for whatever reason. The OVA with Junichi and Rihoko was especially intimate, quite a shame that it got cut the first time.

As far as manga (you can check updates to the manga we are following by clicking on the manga tab on our right sidebar) goes, Kimi no Iru Machi left us on quite a cliffhanger with Chapter 193. Sadly, the author (or magazine I believe)  was on hiatus this week, so we definitely have that to look forward to in the coming days. Quite interested to see where the plot is headed. Kimi no Iru Machi and Good Ending are among the most prominent, and successful romance/slice of life manga at the moment (in my opinion). So if you have not checked out these series I greatly recommend it. Hopefully we will see these respective titles expanded in anime form, and in Kimi no Iru Machi's case, continued into hopefully a full length series.

Peach Girl and Nana: Two Exciting New Series Added to Our Ranks

Proud to bring you coverage on our two latest anime featured on this site. Peach Girl and Nana cover the Shojou / Josei angles quite well, and are among the best series I have seen in this respective genre. This goes without saying but, you are missing out if you categorize these shows as being "too girly", trust me. Personally, I was also hesitate to get introduced to these titles, but I was pleasantly surprised. Like I mentioned earlier I would rate these at the top of the Shojou genre and they have plenty to offer a male audience. People generally don't make this comparison often, but watching a show with a protagonist of the opposite gender is like roleplaying in an MMO. Except of course you are in the shoes of the opposing gender. It ultimately offers a different experience and viewpoint which is a welcomed change.


Peach Girl follows our dark skinned, blond haired protagonist, Momo Adachi. Often she is teased because of her physical appearance, which is a rarity when you think of Japan's cultural makeup. I don't think anyone (minor rare instances) is born with blonde hair and dark skin being of 100% Japanese heritage. The story claims that she took on this appearance due to being in the sun due to her swimming hobby, though I believe she is of mixed heritage. One major theme of the show is Momo overcoming the adversity she faces just due to the fact that she looks different from everyone else. She is determined to find her true love and happiness and the story does a good job at showing us how she grows emotionally over the course of the series. Peach Girl, clocking in at 25 episodes is longer than your typical series, so expect most of the loose ends to be tied by the ending.

Our second featured anime of the moment, Nana, is musically inspired, much akin to Sakamichi no Apollon and Tari Tari. We are given a glimpse into the lives of two women ironically called "Nana" and how their fates become intertwined and altered by a simple meeting. Nana Komatsu (the younger, red-haired woman pictured) is our main protagonist of the story, although you could argue that both Nana's play that role. Nana Osaki, (the older, black haired woman) meets the younger Nana by chance when traveling and our story progresses from there.

We are shown how the two eventually come to terms with each other and become friends, despite their immensely different personalities and lifestyles. Nana, as a series, gives us quite a mature and realistic outtake on life and its obstacles. One prevalent theme throughout this series is the choice between love and the path of fame, fortune and one's career. Nana Osaki's band is a recurring element in the anime and Nana Komatsu, by befriending the former Nana, finds herself thrust into a world and environment foreign to her. We are given quite an interesting perspective on the commitments and lifestyle of someone in an up and coming band group. With 47 episodes in total, you can look forward to an in-depth and grandiose story that keeps you hooked from beginning to end.

These two shows offer something for everyone. Drama, romance, slice of life it is all here. Compared to the horde of Shounen anime on the market, Nana and Peach Girl are a breath of fresh air, and certainly something different. Don't be ashamed to possibly shed some mainly tears at some point (that is if you're a guy). A worthwhile, inspirational and engaging viewing experience all around that manages to leave quite an impact at their conclusion.

Stay tuned for the latest coverage on Tari Tari, Kokoro Connect and Sket Dance in the coming weeks.

Peach Girl - Episode List
Nana - Episode List

Peach Girl on Wikipedia
Nana on Wikipedia

Anime Releases 8-4-12

Our latest update for you at Anime Inspirations includes Tari Tari, Kokoro Connect and Sket Dance. Just released today, Kokoro Connect Episode 5 is fresh out of the oven and ready for your viewing pleasure. Very excited to see where this series is headed, and so far, it has kept my attention each step of the way.

Sket Dance has been updated all the way to Episode 69. So check out this series also, for some inspiring moments. With Sket Dance, I must admit there is some filler in most of the episodes, but hey, with a 70+ episode series it is pretty much required to pull off. Nonetheless, it has been a worthwhile watch for me, just based on those rare moments.

Those of you looking forward to Tari Tari Episode 6, fear not. Chances are it will be released this Sunday at some point. In the meantime, while not take this opportunity to get into the series if you haven't already? Tari Tari Episode 5 was last Sunday's release. Those who enjoyed the musical backdrop of Sakamichi no Apollon will also enjoy Tari Tari I can imagine.

In past updates we have, Kimi no Iru Machi OVA 2, for those who have not seen it. Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 12 and Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 12 also concluded their respective series.

Music wise, why not take a listen to Sakamichi no Apollon OST. We have the full playlist available for your listening pleasure. Stayed turned for more inspiring anime moments and periodic episode updates to these respective series. Anime Inspirations - Watch Anime, Be Inspired.

Debut of Tari Tari and Kokoro Connect

We have two new anime series for your viewing pleasure this season. Tari Tari and Kokoro Connect. These shows follow the trend given by all of our featured anime; an engaging and worthwhile viewing experience that one can relate to. So if you enjoy slice of life with some light drama, you can't go wrong with either of these titles.

Tari Tari follows the daily lives of five high school students and how music brings the cast closer together when they least expect it. The cast from left to right in the above picture include, Wakana Sakai, Wien, Taichi Tanaka, Konatsu Miyamoto and Sawa Okita.

Kokoro Connect is a peculiar, yet interesting show that deals with some slight supernatural elements. I was a little bit hesitant to introduce this series due to that fact. However, after tuning in, I realized that these factors help emphasize the story in various ways. Similar to Tari Tari, this series follows the lives of five high school friends and their day to day activities. However, an unexplained phenomenon occurs where select members of the cast randomly switch bodies. The result being you may have a male personality in a female body and vice versa. One strong point about this is, we are shown a deeper side of the characters and their personalities that would not be possible otherwise. The cast of Kokoro Connect based on the above picture from left to right include: Yoshifumi Aoki, Yui Kiriyama, Taichi Yaegashi, Iori Nagase and Himeko Inaba.


I am quite excited to see where these respective series are headed in terms of plot. Be sure to stay tuned for weekly updates! In addition, we have the OP and ED themes posted at the bottom of this site for each series, so be sure to check those out as well.

Tari Tari Episode List
Kokoro Connect Episode List 

Tari Tari on Wikipedia
Kokoro Connect on Wikipedia

Natsuiro Kiseki and Sakamichi no Apollon Come to a Close

The final episodes of Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope) and Natsuiro Kiseki (A Summer Colored Miracle) aired several weeks ago. At long last, they have been posted on this site for your viewing pleasure, so please enjoy! I admit that both of these series have left me with some fond memories and I am quite sad that they have come to their ultimate conclusion. Episode 10-12 of each respective series have been posted, why not check them out?

As to which anime left more of an emotional impact on me, I would have to say Sakamichi no Apollon. I guess this is mainly due to the more mature theme and storyline. Not saying that Natsuiro Kiseki was a bad watch, but the former is just geared to a slightly different audience and demographic. Nonetheless, each show had its moments to say the least.

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 10
Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 11
Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 12

Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 10
Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 11
Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 12

Look forward to full recaps on each episode of these series in the near future. In the meantime, we are switching our coverage to two new titles this season, Tari Tari and Kokoro Connect. Look for the latest episodes for these respective series to be posted shortly.

Kimi no Iru Machi Manga Available at Red Hawk Scans

Those of you who have been searching for the Kimi no Iru Machi manga, it is available at Red Hawk Scans as they are the current scanlators of the series. For those who are curious, Chapter 190 released today. This series is no longer hosted at MangaFox, so keep following Red Hawk Scans for the latest updates.

...And We're Back!

Back from a long hiatus that I really did not want to take. Some people who can relate to writer's block, I think I experienced something along those lines. With any creative work or endeavor, it is easily to lose your motivation or drive once in awhile. All the same I am glad to be back! Lots of work on the site to do I must admit. But fear not, it will be a slow and gradual process to get things up and running again. Things should be easier though since I am running a 1MB/sec connection compared to a 56k.

Some notes about the site's aim. I admit I have been a little bit overzealous and I attempted to take on too much at once. If you are searching solely for anime episodes well, this is probably not the right place. This is more of a niche site that wishes to highlight inspiring moments in select anime. I recommend Animehere if you are looking for the latest episodes to your favorite series. Ofcourse, I plan to host episodes of every show that I wish to cover, but it will be a gradual process.

Latest Episode Recaps for Natsuiro Kiseki and Sakamichi no Apollon

The latest episode recaps have been posted for Natsuiro Kiseki (A Summer Colored Miracle) and Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope). High quality images highlighting key scenes from this episode, feel free to play as a slide show, or select individual images if you wish. This update includes Natsuiro Kiseki Episodes 1-3 and Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 1.

 

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 1 Recap

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 2 Recap

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 3 Recap

Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 1 Recap

New Anime Releases 6-1-12

Good evening everyone. Nothing better than kicking back and watching your favorite anime on a Friday night! Latest episodes for this week include Natsuiro Kiseki (A Summer Colored Miracle) Episode 9 and Sakamichi no Apollon (Kids on the Slope) Episode 8.

If you haven't watched Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 7, I highly suggest you do! That episode was indescribably good. It really cleared my doubts over the series as a whole, and ultimately I was in awe at its conclusion, literally speechless. If you have any love for music in general, you are sure to appreciate Sakamichi no Apollon. It incorporates the theme of jazz music very well into its story.

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 9
Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 8

Okami-san and Her Seven Companions Added to Site

 

For those of you who have eagerly anticipating the Okami-san episodes, they are here at last. Episodes 1-12 have been posted (the complete series) in english subs.

Okami-san Episodes

Please check out my recent article (if you havn't already) giving a preview of the series:

Okami-san First Look

An Update!

I apologize for the lapses in coverage, but it is hard to get things done with a 10kb a second connection, believe me! With luck, things should resume back to normal next week. Thanks everyone for your continued patience.

Today we have for you the latest releases of Natsuiro Kiseki and Sakamichi no Apollon. So please check them out! I expect episode 7 and 6 of these respective series to be released in a couple of days, stay tuned.

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 6
Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 5
 

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 5 Released

As promised, the 5th episode of Natsuiro Kiseki (A Summer-Colored Miracle). The 6th episode should be releasing in a few days so don't fall behind on the plot (I am already am episode behind myself).

Videos after the jump.

Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 4 Released

Our first post in awhile, we're on somewhat of a limited hiatus at the moment (connection problems), but we aren't going anywhere I assure you! I wanted to update the recent releases of Sakamichi no Apollon and Natsuiro Kiseki, the two anime we are following closely. By the way everyone, we have reached a new milestone of 32 Likes on Facebook! I can't thank you enough. Our full extensive converge on everything inspiring in the world of anime will continue later this month.

 

Where will Episode 4 of Sakamichi no Apollon take us? Videos after the jump.

Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 3 Released

Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 3 released today, please check it out! A new character was introduced! A new love interest maybe? We will see in the coming episode!

Sakamichi no Apollon Episode 3

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 4 Released

Natsuiro Kiseki (A Summer Colored Miracle) Episode 4 released not too long ago. This is a great series worth checking out if you haven't already! Where will the plot head this time? One can only guess. Looks like a male character will be introduced this time, if I remember correctly, and seems to be familiar with Yuka.

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 4

Music Update 4-28-12

Excuse our short hiatus, but we are back. Lots of updates planned for you in the coming days, so please stay tuned! Today we have a music update available for you: 6 tracks courtesy of OCRemix and 3 tracks from our featured anime of the week Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (Rumbling Hearts). All of the music from this series is top-notch, fits the whole mood and theme very well. Definitely worth a listen.


Thanks for the additional Facebook Likes by the way (Means alot!). Really missed being away for 3 days.

Here are the tracks we have for you today. Remember these are available for download and you can also hear this music streaming via our Streampad app below.

 Kimi ga Nozomu Eien (Rumbling Hearts)

Hizashishi ~ Piano Arrange

Precious Memories ~TV Size (Minami Kuribayashi)

Omoide no Scene

OverClocked Remixes

Ice Cave Dynamo (Battletoads) Joshua Morse

Musicolours (Sims 3) Guifrog

Ignition (Retro City Rampage) Nutritious, OA

Premonitions (Wild Arms) Avaris

Panzer Nightopia (NiGHTS into dreams..) Matt E. Waldman

Nemesis the Doorlock (Nemesis the Warlock) Makke

Okami-san and her Seven Companions: First Look

Okami-san and her Seven Companions is one of those quirky series where you don't quite know what you are getting into. At first I thought it was a spin-off of the popular folktale Little Red Riding Hood. Turns out, it is very loosely based on this, and more so through analogies and slight references then anything else. Basically you have quite a tsundere (plays hard to get, her emotions really on guard) female lead who is cast amongst a mirage of other characters who help those in need at their school. The premise seems really similar to Sket Dance, come to think of it.

Okami-san (Ryoko) often works with her sidekick, Ringo, who is quite the reference to Little Red Riding Hood. She's petite, helpless, and has red hair, that fits the bill. The one analogy I did not quite understand was how Ryoko was referred to "The Wolf in Sheep's Clothing" (the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood). Hmm, but now that I think back on it, the story does explain itself in due time (I just would hate to give spoilers here).

I was contemplating whether or not to cover this particular series, but when you look at things as a whole, I believe it could roughly fall under our guidelines. If you look at the transformations that Ryoko and Ryoshi (main male lead) undergo over the course of the story, one could deem that as being inspirational, emotionally touching, and an overall experience one could relate to. That is one appeal of anime. We love the art, the characters, and I personally (hopefully most people) want my viewing experience to be a worthwhile one. A story where I can feel motivated and inspired to do something, compelled to go outside of my bounds. Many of the anime on this site can be compared to a typical soap opera; there is a lot of drama sometimes, our emotions get torn. Of course, the connection I make between the two is very loose but there are some similarities. With anime, I fell in love with the art, and the story was just icing on the cake, combining together to form this irresistible package.

Now with most (if not all) anime, there has been this long-standing debate about sub vs. dub. (Watching anime with subtitles in its original language, vs. watching it dubbed over in English for those who are unfamiliar). I must say that I appreciate and have come to love both formats, and I definitely don't discriminate when it comes to one or the other. In regards to Okami-San and her Seven Companions, I did actually watch the sub earlier, so I feel the dub is worth checking out. In similar cases, watching in each of the formats is bound to provide a new experience, so I definitely encourage it, even if you may or may not be biased towards one or the other.

Brina Palencia plays the role of Okami-san, and the role I most recently remember her in is the rather soft spoken Honoka from Suzuka (though she is all over the place in Funimation casting). It will be interesting to see how she performs in this title as the loud and boisterous Ryoko, but overall, she is quite the talented voice actress with an incredible range.

Video previews and more after the jump, courtesy of Funimation

Anime Inspirations 1 Month Anniversary!

Greetings everyone, I am happy to announce that Anime Inspirations has reached its 1 month anniversary! It has been quite a wild ride, but one thing is for certain, I would not be here without our loyal visitors to this site. All of the efforts towards this site have been by its sole webmaster, Viserys (Shane Sheffey). I founded this site on March 23, 2012, based on a whim mostly, and I am proud that I have kept up my motivation to put the daily work in required.

Basically, the premise is that I wanted to share my interest in anime with as many people as I could. That being said, I was always typically fond of a particular genre, one of which was hard to define. Generally I feel if you can easily relate to a particular media source, there is more to draw from it, making your whole viewing experience all the more worthwhile. If you are able to take away something at the conclusion of a series, be it a lesson learned, helpful advice, or a deep emotional impact, this is time well spent.

Anime, much like any form of visual media, has many genres and audiences it is geared toward. Here at Anime Inspirations, we look at a particular title thoroughly to see if said title will be a worthwhile watch. Not only that the title must follow our general premise of providing and inspirational and emotionally touching viewing experience. I can guarantee that each and every series will provide you, the viewer something to draw from after watching, something that inspired you, or something that simply touched your heart in some way. One last criteria is that each series must fulfill, is that the title in question must be believable. That is why many of our featured series fall under the "Slice of Life" genre. Ultimately, you could take a scene out of any title and say, "Yeah, I can see this happening in real life, this story as a whole, is believable". If you have magic and supernatural phenomenon littered throughout, I don't know of anyone who could realistically relate to that.

Our 1st month site stats:
1133 Site Views
18 Facebook Likes
Hours Spent - Priceless

More after the jump.





For some of those new to the site I will cover some of the features you will find here at Anime Inspirations.com

• Coverage on your favorite Slice of Life, Romance and Comedy Anime
• Manga updates (via RSS Feed) to relevant Anime titles courtesy of MangaFox
• Our Catalog of Anime featured under our criteria (11 Titles and growing)
• Forums and Chat (under development)
• Featured Anime music and Overclocked Remixes available for stream/download
• And Much more to come!

I must give a thank you to all the loyal visitors to this site, and those who have shown their interest and support. It really means a lot to me. This site is a passion of mine, and I am willing to put the time in to create something great down the line, and build upon the foundation that has been set.

Please continue to show your support! Any questions or comments you can send them to our Chat (located on the sidebar), our contact page, or our forums.

Like us on Facebook!

Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien Added to Site

Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, as known as Rumbling Hearts has been added to the site. Please enjoy this great series. One word of note, this series is intended for slightly more mature audiences, so keep that in mind. All the same, the story is very touching, emotional, and memorable. I would wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone.

Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien Episodes

Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 3 Recap

Our Recap of Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 3. Simply click on any image to the start the slideshow. There is no music built into this one, but remember, you can always listen to the featured music we have available to you via our floating Streampad App at the bottom of the page!

Remember to watch Natsuiro Kiseki Episode 3 as there are spoilers below!

All photos available after the jump.