#2 - Choyaku Hyakunin Isshu: Uta Koi

                  One thing that I admire about Japan is that it’s filled with such a vivid and intriguing history that began thousands of years ago. Tales of adventure, love, and mystery have created such a beautiful background for a country so rich in culture. During this time, poetry was extremely popular to the point where some individuals wanted walls in their homes completely covered in written poetry. That’s where the infamous Hyakunin Isshu comes in. Though its been years since this anthology has been created, its poems and the individuals who wrote them continue to “live on”. Uta Koi is a perfect example of this concept.

#1 - Otome Youkai Zakuro

            I often tell others (and myself) that I’m not a huge fan of the shoujo genre. While that is true for the most part, I somehow find myself occasionally watching and enjoying shoujo anime/manga. This led me into deciding to pick up Otome Youkai Zakuro, particularly because I hadn’t watched a supernatural romance in forever. Supernatural romances hardly come around in the anime industry, so I took a chance with it. NIS America also released a beautiful premium edition that caught my interest. I felt almost inclined to buy it, but wanted to make sure that I liked the series first. Not only did I enjoy Otome Youkai Zakuro, but it has become one of my favorite shoujo animes to this date.