Heaven's Memo Pad Complete Collection [Blu-ray]

First let me say I have seen this anime three times through already and I have been waiting for the american release for God knows how long.The story revolves around a wonderful cast of characters and throughout the season you are going to see about three to four different episodes arcs, each different and wonderful in their own way. The story is about a young girl named Alice who stays locked away in her room surrounded by computer monitors so she can watch the world, you see, Alice is a detective and a genius when it comes to hacking. With a wonderful team at her side it seems any case is not too difficult for her.The other main character is a rather shy quiet boy named Narumi. What I like about this show is instead of staying the same through majority of the show we see him grow up and take on real challenges through life and grow more mature. Actually a lot of the characters are like this. There are no one dimensional characters here. The story is not only plot driven but very character driven as well.So as I said there are a couple different episode arcs, each spanning a unique story. For the most part they start the same, someone approaches Alice for a job and they have to figure out "who done it." But after that the story takes some pretty great turns and no story is the same.On a side note if you are fan of the music from animes you might fall for this one as well. I personally loved the soundtrack for this show.Heavens memo pad is probably one of the best animes I have ever seen. It has a lot of heart and one of the best compelling stories I have ever seen. I highly recommend it for someone who is looking for a good story.

Im really happy that this anime is coming out in it's English dub. I've seen many anime movies and tv shows but this struck me by surprise. A girl who has an interesting personality with being a NEET and owning a collection of stuffed animals doesn't seem out of the ordinary, but being a genius hacker, a good detective, and having an arsenal of NEET friends to help her out makes this anime pretty unique. I can't wait to see this. UPDATE: I've had the pleasure of watching this twice in it's subtitled form, my review above was my take on how it was going to be about. Now its time to fix it. The main character Narumi doesn't really stand out much and he tries not to get involved with the other students. Until one of his classmates pursues him and persuades him to join the gardenclub. Her name is Ayaka, she takes him to the place where meets Alice. Alice is a neet detective who really helps people when they bring her a case. Narumi didn't know it before but he got roped into becoming Alice's assistance. Sorry I can't I keep going, might give away spoilers. All in all I love this series and the opening and closing songs/animation are great. You should really buy this but before you do check it out at the Anime Network's website. PS Blake Shepard plays Narumi/ Brittney Karbowski plays Ayaka/ and Hilary Haag plays Alice- Adam Gibbs plays Tetsuo Ichinomiya/ Shelley Calene-Black plays Ming Li Huang (MASTER)/ David Matranga plays Hiroaki Kuwahara/ Greg Ayres plays Hitoshi Mukai (MAJOR). Im so happy, these are all my favorite voice actors/actresses and my favorite anime.

Narumi has never really fit in at school. He becomes increasingly isolated every day. Ayaka, the only other member of his gardening club, and maybe his only friend, invites him to go meet her friend that lives above a ramen shop. Alice is a NEET. Don't let her hear you call her that though. She prefers to be called a NEET detective. She is hold up in her apartment with her many computers, stuffed animals, and hacking skills. She takes on cases that seem impossible to solve. Narumi is dragged into working as Alice's assistant. Along with Alice's posse, he does the running for her to solve the cases. He also does the delivering for the hot ramen shop owner below. He's about to enter a world of weirdness and danger.This anime is pretty darn good. It has a lot of good mysteries, suspense, action, drama, and comedy. The animation is great, the soundtrack is cool, the voice actors are among some of the best, and the vibe created is really addicting. This anime grows on you more after each episode. Especially when the final mystery starts to rear it's ugly head. I was a bit surprised at how dramatic this series got toward the end. There are lots of cool characters that give the story depth. This is a great new anime that definitely deserves a look see!

I really liked this series when it first came out and was very happy to see it was getting an English Dub. I find it much easier to watch a show when I don't have to stare at the bottom of the screen to read subtitles. The quality of the DVD is good but, nmore importantly, the english voice acting is also good. Sometime a Dub can do more harm than good (see Please Twins) but this one got it right. My only complaint about it is that is seems english anime series use the same voice actors over and over and there is some of that here.As for the story, this is a mystry and has a lot in common with Gosick (please will someone release that in english Dub). The setting is moden day Japan and the storyt follows a group of "young adults" who assist a girl named Alice in solving cases. Alice is a "shut in" who lives in a room that is just a big computer. She rarely leaves.While the story is very good, it feels a bit unfinished. By the end I felt more like I was at a good stopping point than a real ending. However, as I like what I got I am happy with this and just hope we get a sequel. Worth the watch.,

As with many of my Amazon anime purchases I took a risk on Heaven's Memo Pad, particularly from my point of view of not seeing any other JC Staff works in the past. I'm glad I did as this is a wonderful and surprisingly deep tale despite its relatively short length (12 episodes).The key thing that enticed me from the box description is the involvement of NEETs (Not in Employment, Education or Training) which in real life is an unfortunate situation some young Japanese men and women (and their families) have ended up in. It's a recurring theme in a few shows I have seen such as Welcome to the N.H.K and Eden of The East. Heaven's Memopad brings these characters to centre stage but paints them in a much more favourable light (oddly as one is a brawler with police connections and another a gigolo with a network of female informants). Perhaps the characters are victim of circumstance but there is a family-like bond between the NEETs that I found extremely engaging. With this as a basis the stories invariably take a crime/detective slant tackling difficult subjects such as the yakuza, prostitution and drugs. There are a couple of lighter arcs for some balance focussing on sport and family as well.The main characters are Alice, a 'NEET Detective' and Narumi, a high school teenager who becomes caught up in one of the former's cases. Where at first he is a canvas/mirror that facilitates the story telling and introduction of other characters (Gang Leader 'The Fourth' and Ramen shop owner 'Min' are some of my favourites) he later develops in very interesting ways becoming a beacon for Alice but also a troubled teenager dealing guilt, loss and regret. I really felt there was an excellent development arc for Narumi's character showing how the events of the story shape him for better and worse. The majority of story arcs are told over multiple episodes giving enough time to flesh things out and give you time to understand each character's motivations.The show is often time very amusing; some moments verge into the crass with typical anime tropes such as the male obsession with cleavage creeping in once or twice. Most of the characters seem to have a great deal of insight into this so thankfully it does not become too cringeworthy. Alice's relationship with Narumi often brings a few joyful laughs with a little sister-big brother relationship developing. The serious tone of The Fourth can also lend itself to humour very well and the task force of the three NEETs working for Alice are also great at bringing a light hearted moment along.Beyond the story it is a very tightly animated series with an emphasis on high production value. Every scene clearly has involved a lot of thought with varied characters, backdrops and environments. The music is equally charming and I have found myself sitting on the DVD title screen for extended periods listening to the opening theme 'Kamisama no Memochou'. The soundtrack is reiterated throughout the episodes and so comes familiarity with the tone of particular scenes.Coming to the end I have the same feeling as with all great books, tv shows, games and anime; I wish there was a bit more! That said I was introduced to memorable characters and some fantastic story arcs. The story does not really seem to need lengthening just for the case of making more episodes and what is there is really all of a high quality. I hope you enjoy this experience as much as I did!

Watched it online and loved this surprisingly deep NEET detective series. I bought the DVD version to further enjoy it again and again and have to say I was still surprised when it took a shocking turn! Alice is a treasure and the cast great. Cannot comment on the, I guess American dub as I only view the English subbed versions of nearly all my anime. Worth every penny.Some have said the cover is misleading of the content, but it's accurate, just maybe drawn to appeal more to a female audience. Maybe they do not buy enough anime, they think?

This series is beautifully presented and genuinely brilliant. Without getting unbearably heavy it focuses on credible crime stories set in a recognisable contemporary world where young people slip into dangerous addictions, teenage girls are trapped into prostitution, the true geniuses are people you would never look at twice, and it takes courage and determination to escape if you land in the wrong place at the wrong time. Apart from the themes and setting the plotting, pace and fantastic sense of humour make it, for me, one of the best anime of the last couple of years. So ignore the disturbing implications of the design on the CD label showing a seven-year-old in moe pyjamas clutching a teddy bear. The designer must have seen a vague description of Alice the NEET detective and misunderstood it. The production team deserved better.

This is a fascinating mystery/detective story which will entertain fans of all ages. the characters are a good mix of the normal and the unusual. thoroughly recommended.

this is an amazing anime series and a little eerie at times with a splash of funny every so often, Great story.