Year in Review 2017

from Kenka Bancho Otome

And just like that it's time for Year in Review again. While doing the review, I realized it was a slow year for reverse harem shows and movies. We only had four animes:  Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys, Code Realize, Ikemen Sengoku and Dance with Devils: Fortuna movie, which are all otome game adaptations. The rest of the Winter 2018 anime shows will be airing next year: Idolish 7

Dame X Prince, Yuuwaku Office Lover 2 and Gekijouban Tokimeki Restaurant ☆☆☆ MIRACLE 6.

For dramas, we have Ani ni Aisaresugite Komattemasu jdrama, Ani ni Aisaresugite Komattemasu movie and Five which are manga adaptations. I'm not sure yet with Seizei Ganbare Mahou Shoujo Kurumi and Good Morning Call Our Campus Days. And oh yeah we have one American TV show, She's Gotta Have it.

Another factor of lesser shows is due to otome games turned bishonen animes like Dynamic Chord, Sanrio Boys (to be aired in December), Yume Oukoku to Nemureru 100-nin no Ouji-sama anime short and  Ikemen Sengoku: Toki wo Kakeru ga Koi wa Hajimaranai. I have already given up with Ikemen Sengoku and Idolish 7 but they both unveiled the heroine at the last stages of their promotion.

I didn't notice it was just a handful since it was a time for me to catch up with my backlog and boy oh boy I was able to spew 16 reviews compared to 7 reviews from last year. And 71 posts against last year's 52 posts. Good job, self. LOL But a career move happened in the last quarter so I am on mini-hiatus again. 

Another reason, I didn't notice the low turnout of aired animes is the illusion of abundance due to many updates of upcoming shows including those that were announced this year: Otome Yusha, Library Cross Infinite, B Project sequel, Meteor Garden remake, Boys Over Flowers remake and Uta Prince Sama Movie. 

Sadly, with the titles I've seen so far, no reverse harem animes or live action really stood out for me. My favorite anime and drama for this year that I've seen are ironically from last year's, which are Kamisama OVAs and Scarlet Heart: Moon Ryeo. Don't let me get started with Scarlet Heart or I won't stop.  

Stage adaptations continue that I have lost track of which were announced, has already played and which are on it's second or third adaptation. They are Kuro Bara Alice, two Diabolik Lovers, Korean Boys Over Flowers, Ikemen Sengoku, B Project, Code Realize, 3rd Ensemble Stars, Kamigami no Asobi, Prince of Stride, Red River, Dance with Devils and Sengoku Night Blood.

I've lost track of localizations too in the US. But here are the ones released: Ken ga Hana ni Shizumu Toki, Bad Apple Wars, Period Cube ~Torikago no Amadeus~,  Collar × Malice, Code Realize ~Guardian of Rebirth~ fan disc, Hakuouki: Sweet School Life. Princess Arthur, Shall We Date? Princess Arthur, Hakuoki: Kyoto Winds,  Nightshade, The Men of Yoshiwara: Ohgiya and the very problematic Taisho Alice. The latter reminds me of the English version, Boys Before Flowers brouhaha. 

And here are the announced titles for 2018 releases:  7'scarlet PSVita, Psychedelica of the Black Butterfly (Kokuchō no Psychedelica) PS Vita, Psychedelica of the Ashen Hawk (Haitaka no Psychedelica) for PS Vita, Code:Realize ~Bouquet of Rainbows~ (Code:Realize ~Saikō no Hanataba~) for PS4 and Hakuouki Edo Blossoms. 

Two big game developers have also entered otome game apps. Square Enix with Kimi to Kiri no Labyrinth smartphone app and Sega with an idol raising app from the same character designer of Uta Pri.

And for other industry news, Voltage created anime and IP division, Brocolli sales went down 70% during first half of fiscal year and Otomate will have its own building with cafes, merchandise etc. 

Dance with Devils

Meanwhile, English reverse harem novels have exploded! It has even overrun #reverseharem on Twitter. You'll see it's more of novels now instead of animes. There are so many serials, novels etc. that I feel so overwhelmed. The only books I read this year though were The Crown, Seraph Black and Always and Forever, Lara Jean. Seraph Black trumps the other two. But the biggest news of all book-wise is the filming of the movie adaptation of To All The Boys I've Loved Before. 

For mangas, I only read Fushigi Yugi, Genbu Kaiden, Byakko Ibun onehsot and Watashi No Ookami Kun. I recommend all three. Two sequels were also released this year, Fushigi Yuugi Byakko Senki and Atashi No Nadja: 16-sai no Tabidachi novel. 

My blog also turned 10 this year and I have yet to blog my review for the decade. Other titles which also celebrated their 10th anniversaries are Haruka, Oresama Teacher, Vitamin X and Hakuouki. And I'm also glad my former company, GMA Network, had success with its soap opera, Meant To Be, and is now in the works for Boys Over Flowers remake. 

And speaking of remakes, the most intriguing of all is the Chinese adaptations of Red River and Saiunkoku Monogatari. Aside from the tweets, there's been no update at all and there's no mention if they were able to acquire the rights.

The year was also rocked by scandals and controversies: Yamanote Yusuke (Atashi no Danshi, Ouran, Hana Kimi), Abe Tsuyoshi (Hana Yori Dango), Yoo Ah In (Sungkyunkwan Scandal), Yoochoon (Sungkyunkwan Scandal) and Lee Min Ho's (Boys Before Flowers, First 7 Kisses) breakup with Suzy. Sulli (To The Beautiful You) was also named the most Googled person of 2017 in Korea. 

But it wasn't all that bad. It was a year of relationships and families too. While Yoochun and Yoo Ah In are getting negative publicity, their other Sungkyunkwan co-star, Song Joong Ki headlines the wedding of the year for the Song-Song couple. Emi Takei (Asuko March) also marries and is pregnant but at the cost of her contract. Horikita Maki (Hana Kimi, Atashinchi no Danshi) also retires to concentrate with her family. Jerry Yan (Meteor Garden) is rumored to be dating with his ex-girlfriend. Kiritani Mirei and Miura Shoh ( both from Suki na Hito ga Iru Koto) has confirmed they are dating. 

And many beautiful boys enlisted this year too including our very own Lee Min Ho, Taecyeon (First 7 Kisses) , Ji Chang Wook (First 7 Kisses) and Kang Ha Neul (Scarlet Heart).

OMG I can't believe it I made this post before the year ended! I'm just late in publishing. But hey, it's still 2017 in the other side of the world. My post-Christmas wish is quality animes and dramas and my New Year's resolution is to read more mangas and books!