allenhavens92

[allenhavens92]

I don't mean for this to be a rant, but if anyone can listen, I'd appreciate it.

Last month, Hololive Engish member Mori Calliope started a remix contest for one of her songs. I was enthusiastic to do it! It took me some time to record all I had wanted, but mixing was the hardest part as I wanted it to be the best it could be.

Little did I know that would keep me from submitting my entry nearly close to the deadline. From when I sent out the tweet, it seemed like there was still time. However, upon waking up after the top 10 listening stream, I checked out the SoundCloud playlist hoping to at least see mine in there. However, out of the 400+ remixes on there, I couldn't see mine.

I'm so conflicted, right now. I knew I didn't have a chance of making it to the top 10. All I wanted was for someone to notice what I've made (a like or retweet or whatever), because I've never done this before. I've spent the last month thinking about this "remix" I made, feeling proud of it despite my lack of recording/mixing skills. At this point, I don't care who acknowledges it.

I'm honestly not trying to sound condescending. All I want it my month of effort to not go to waste. I'll probably get over it eventually. Just wanted to get this off my chest. In the meantime, if you have the time, give my remix a shot!

Thanks for listening!

[allenhavens92]

HOLOLIVE DOES IT AGAIN!!

If it wasn't enough that the 5th Generation only debuted close to a month ago, Hololive gets that hype train going with the sudden announcement of the highly anticipated English branch. And not only that, they're going to launch this weekend! (Tomorrow as I write this.)

The members of Hololive EN, which are also collectively known as HoloMyth, consist of:

Mori Calliope

Takanashi Kiara

Ninomae Ina'nis

Gawr Gura

Watson Amelia

They will all debut on the same day at 7am, 9am, 3pm, 5pm, 7pm (EST), respectively, and a group collab will follow at 9pm (EST) on Watson's channel.

This honestly surprised me. I was not expecting this to happen so soon. I got the news not long after it hit, and I had problems sleeping that night. That's how excited I am! I also had to follow them on Twitter and their interactions on there are what I'd expect from them: pure chaos. Currently, their sub counts are around 50-60k, which is great! I'm sure those will go up upon their debuts.

I will give my thoughts on each member following their streams (probably the next day or so). What else can I say? English go brrrrrr!!!

[allenhavens92]

Regarding Mano Aloe’s Graduation

I woke up this morning to news I know no one wanted to hear...

On the day of Hololive 5th Generation member Mano Aloe's supposed return, following a two-week hiatus, it was announced that she will be graduating.

For those unaware, after all five members of 5th Gen debuted, Aloe announced a two-week break due to leaking her Live2D model and character traits. She was also getting doxxed and harassed as people discovered she was in a relationship prior to her debut (she had already broke up with them beforehand). In addition, she had made remarks about another vtuber that underwent the same situation, which resulted in them retiring. However, there is speculation that Aloe knows the vtuber in question, so her comments might not be of ill will.

According to the official statement regarding her graduation, it was Aloe herself who made the final decision, as she was not mentally prepared to return. I honestly don't blame her for this decision, nor do I blame her for the incidents that led to all this. She knew how frightening idol culture can be.

Unlike those who thought it was alright to ruin someone's career from the get-go, I was devastated when the hiatus was announced. Every time the other 5th Gen members collaborated together, it made me wish that Aloe was there. Every day, I checked their sub counts, and while Aloe's was the lowest, she was still gaining subs (as of me writing this, she has 161k).

There were even groups of people that had planned days of mass tweets: first to wish her a safe return, and then give her a warm welcome back. Unfortunately, it was all for naught. Hopefully, they all understand her decision.

But I think the ones that miss her most are the other 5th Gen members. From the video I saw on Botan's channel (where I initially heard the news), they were clearly upset over the matter. Lamy and Nene had the hardest time expressing their feelings without breaking down.

I want to be upset, but I shouldn't. I feel like if I was in Aloe's shoes, I'd make the same choice. I get where she's coming from about being afraid of not being accepted after all that happened. But, I'm sure those who waited patiently for her to come back outweighed the rest. We just now have to accept her wish and hope for a brighter future for her.

Initially, I was going to do individual thoughts on each 5th Gen member, but chose to wait until Aloe had enough time to grow. I might still do that, but I'll hold off on it for a bit. I need a moment to take all this in to allow myself to move on.

For a final tribute, I offer my real-time screenshots of her debut...

I'm really gonna miss this smug succubus...

さよならアロエ...

[allenhavens92]

Omaru Polka appreciation post.

I am in love with this feral fennec maniac. An absolute clown, and I am here for it.

Time to join the circus! 🎪

[allenhavens92]

Hololive 5th Gen - Initial Thoughts

Just a couple days ago, Hololive revealed the lineup for their highly-anticipated 5th generation. All we know so far is what they look like (see below image), and their basic bio. Their YouTube channels and Twitter accounts have been made public. All five members have been quite active on Twitter, introducing themselves, showing clips of their Live2D models, and interacting with their fellow Hololive senpai.

From left to right we have:

Omaru Polka

Yukihana Lamy

Mano Aloe

Momosuzu Nene

Shishiro Botan

They will debut next week from August 12-16:

8/12 - Lamy

8/13 - Nene

8/14 - Botan

8/15 - Aloe

8/16 - Polka

With the all the information we have, fans are already choosing sides and predicting what type of characters they are, and even what they’ll be like after some time (to once again ruin Yagoo-san’s dream lol). This will only be my second experience with a Hololive group debut, the first being Hololive Indonesia. As we draw closer to the big week, I’d like to give my first thoughts on the new girls.

To start off, let me get my most anticipated right away. From a design standpoint, Polka is the one that caught my eye right away. And her bio claims she’s trying to become the “ringmaster of the vtuber world”, which could mean she’s attempting to pull a Kiryu Coco and become the brains of Hololive. Of course, that’s just what I’m picturing. She also looks cheerful with a hint of mischievousness, and I’m all for it.

Second to Polka would have to be Botan. From other’s reactions, I can see why Botan looks to be the overall favorite. Her tall figure, her stoic nature, and her being a big cat understandably qualifies her for “best girl” status. I can see her as one who wants to act stoic, but only ends up being cute to the viewer’s eyes.

While Polka and Botan are my favorites at the moment, doesn’t mean the others won’t be. Lamy’s a snow elf with a blue theme (I love the color blue), Nene’s drawings are adorable, and Aloe got her Twitter banned for the first hour (no joke there). Also, for Aloe, despite being a succubus, can have her initial image be flipped upside down by the fans (a la Tokoyami Towa).

I await for the 5th generation’s debut and hope for their success!

[allenhavens92]

Me getting ready for anything...

[allenhavens92]

Scrolling past my subscription feed and spotted this. Seeing it sandwiched between other Hololive vids, I thought this was a regular Fubuki/Matsuri collab until I noticed it was from the Kadokawa Anime channel...

[allenhavens92]

[allenhavens92]

A Possible Idea for Anime Reviews:

I've been meaning to do some reviews here, but I'd rather do so if I'm getting enough readers. At this point, if it was only one person, I'd be grateful.

My plan is to look back at anime from the last decade (2010-2019) and give my honest thoughts on them. They can be ones I've never seen or ones I haven't seen in forever (already have seen a few for the latter).

If anyone is interested, please comment below, follow the tag "A Decade in Anime", and maybe follow this blog if you want any other thoughts from me or what have you.

Thanks in advance! 🙇‍♂️

[allenhavens92]

About how I watch seasonal anime (Then & Now)

I’ve been keeping myself up to date with what’s airing for several years now, and since then, how I approach it has changed over time.

One thing that hasn’t changed is doing research on upcoming shows (be it from the next season or beyond). I always like to find out what to expect for the future.

However, in the beginning, I rarely had any restrictions to what I watched (aside from sequels/spin-offs of titles I haven’t seen prior). Basically, I saw the list of 40-something titles for the new season, then follow every single one! Unfortunately, I’m not exaggerating about that. I wasted a lot of time watching anime that, nowadays, I’d never make it past the first few minutes of episode one.

The list I have created on MyAnimeList should include virtually everything I’ve seen. A majority of it consists of shows within the past eight or so years, of which I was watching on a week-to-week basis.

You could say it was me trying to watch every anime in existence, a feat no man can ever accomplish. I also thought it would showcase my knowledge of anime, or what was current at the very least. Still, was it really worth it?

I speak of this because for this current season (Summer 2019), I find myself only watching three new shows. All together, I want watching nine shows, with the remaining ones being leftovers from last season or ongoing shows. My older self would be disappointed that I wasn’t watching enough. But, the me now feels quite content with that.

That’s when I came to the realization: it doesn’t matter how much I’m watching, but how much I enjoy the series. And if it happens to be a small handful, then so be it. I don’t need to binge my life away. I need room to breathe.

[allenhavens92]

Patience is a Virtuous Bitch (aka, Waiting for Netflix Anime)

I am proud to admit that I’ve been doing well when it comes to viewing anime in the most legal way possible. For now, all I have are subscriptions to Crunchyroll and Funimation, so there are cases where shows from somewhere like HIDIVE, I have to go elsewhere. By that, I mean torrents, because never will I step foot in those shady streaming sites (you know the ones). And yes, torrents are still a no-no, but it’s the only better option in certain circumstances. However, in these recent seasons, Crunchyroll has brought in HIDIVE simulcasts, so that’s a plus. For the Spring 2019 season, the only thing I have to torrent is Aikatsu Friends, which (unfortunately) isn’t licenced in my region, where I’m given no other choice.

But Netflix remains the biggest offender in this whole deal. Sure, it’s fantastic they’re providing original anime (meaning, “exclusive”), allowing animators and people of other staff positions more opportunities in the industry (though, that’s a whole nother can of beans I won’t be discussing). Yet, the company seems to forget there’s other markets than Japan. Normally, a series will air on Japanese television, with each new episode being put on Netflix soon after, but only on Japan’s servers. Releases to servers in other countries will happen either once the series has finished airing, or some months following it’s initial completion.

Granted, not every show does this practice. There are a good number of titles that will have a global release, providing several dubs that match your preference. We’ve gotten some good ones like Devilman Crybaby and Aggretsuko, but that’s besides the point. For a viewing purist as myself, it bothers me when I have to hold back on any show. However, I will say it’s not every Netflix anime that interests me. The ones that do are a small percentage, and they turn out to be the true heavy hitters. Whether I’ll watch them until the end or not, I’d like to try out what is given to me, but not have to wait a while only to inevitably drop it.

Last year had Violet Evergarden, a highly anticipated series I had waited a good year for. Yet, Netflix pulled a fast one and declared, despite providing a simultaneous week-to-week English dub, to keep it for the Canadian servers, then just dump it all elsewhere once it was done airing. Deciding on if I should just torrent the dubbed episodes as they came out was hard on my moral values. I ultimately chose to do so, all for the sake of keeping myself in the know.

Which brings me to this current season, Spring 2019. The big one Netflix has now is Carole & Tuesday, the newest original work from Cowboy Bebop mastermind, Shinichiro Watanabe. From its initial announcement to all the information we got prior to its premiere, I was super excited for it. All except for the fact it was going onto Netflix. While I have watched fansubs of Netflix titles because of impatience or curiosity (Dragon Pilot and Kakegurui S1, respectively), this will be my first attempt to fight the urge. As much as I want to indulge in Watanabe’s new series, I will challenge myself and avoid it, including seeing any clips, GIFs or images online (go figure I catch glimpses on this site). Might sound stupid to some, but I’m trying to make a statement here, and if you can’t comprehend what that is, why are you still reading this?

Who knows? Perhaps the delays could be due to the scheduling of all the various dubbing companies. It’s more than obvious they’re not doing the same thing Funimation is doing with their SimulDubs. Whatever the case, I don’t wish to point fingers or put the blame on anyone. What I simply hope is for Netflix to step up a little. They’re underestimating the worth of the anime communities across the globe.

[allenhavens92]

It saddens me to hear of Lupin creator, Monkey Punch's recent passing. Even after five decades, he still cared deeply for his work much like the fans do. I can tell because, this post, despite being seven months old, still gets the occasional like and reblog. Allow me to take this time thank you all for your continued support for our beloved gentleman thief and friends. The creator may be gone, but Lupin will live on.

This is probably my favorite scene from Lupin III Part V.

Near the end of the penultimate episode, we have Jigen telling Lupin to consider retiring, as the modern age seems to be catching up on them and their mostly archaic ways. However, Lupin, being as he is, is still willing to take the challenge. He sees how exciting their situation sounds, almost like some sort of TV show (specifically the mention of the hero’s song).

Initially, when Jigen makes the “this ain’t some TV show” comment, I was worried about how meta this conversation was going to get, but surprisingly, it takes a different direction.

Lupin believes we’re each our own audience in our individual life. It doesn’t matter what others may think of you. All that matters is what you are doing next. And if others don’t like it they can “switch it off”.

But, it’s more than just a simple “lesson of the week”. This scene is also reflecting on the future of the Lupin franchise. With a plethora of new anime coming out every year (or season, for that matter), there’s always something new, in the now. Lupin has been living for five whole decades, and, though the fandom still seems to be strong, there may come a day when that audience is lost.

However, Lupin the Third won’t meddle with that. Until that time comes, he’ll always remain the gentleman thief that he has been for the last 50 years.

I might also add that Part V is one of my favorite incarnations of the franchise. The writing and animation has been solid throughout, and the stories are perfectly woven together (even the one-off throwback episodes spliced in between are a delight). The staff and cast have outdone it this time.

One episode remains, and I know, in good old Lupin fashion, it will go out guns blazing. Until next time…

[allenhavens92]

Watching W'z two years after sitting through Hand Shakers is like reuniting with your ex who claims they've changed when you can clearly tell nothing about them has changed in the slightest and wonder why they have the gall to be back in your life again.

I would like to also point out the false advertising, because W'z was NEVER announced as a Hand Shakers sequel. I'll admit, they genuinely surprised me upon my first watch when the reveal came only a couple minutes in. To compare that feeling, it's akin to that initial reaction when your ex decides to text you out of the blue after so long saying, "Hey! Missed u. Let's hang lol".

For the record, let me say I suffered through the entire thing when none of my friends could. Every Tuesday afternoon, right after anime club (I was president that year), I'd plop my sorry ass in the cafeteria, whipped out my laptop, plug my headphones in, and die for 24 minutes, all the while my friends witness the groaning and cringing from me. True story.

It became a reoccurring joke that I always teased it during out club meetings. It all came to a head during our last few meeting where we held "Bad Anime Week", with Hand Shakers as the pièce de résistance for the last day. The reaction was exactly what I was hoping for.

Basically, I have a special relationship with this show and i find myself obligated to watch it's bastard child sequel. I can guaran-damn-tee you NOTHING is happening in the story (well, there's something, but why pretend like I care), and I can't wait to let this two year nightmare to be over.

If you're not familiar with these shows, believe me, it's more than these gifs. And yet, it isn't, as well...

[allenhavens92]

Being lonely sucks...

And I think I've only realized that recently. There was once a time where I'd scoff at that, telling myself it was okay to be lonely.

But when you had someone then lost them, it's a different story.

Now, my whole ordeal isn't new to many. My first ever relationship imploded (details withheld) and it hurt like hell. This incident isn't recent either; damn near nine years! Yet I did some amateur stunts hoping to win this person back, failing miserably in the process.

My current dilemma doesn't concern my past, per se. It's less trying to get the same person back into my life and more finding someone new.

So, I have dating apps a go. And its leading me nowhere. Sure, I'll find interesting people, but no matter who I give the "right swipe", it has no effect.

This leads to my issue with these apps: money. In order to get yourself truly out there, or to even get every single feature, you have to pay for it. Talk about money buying you happiness.

This isn't supposed to be some kind of plea where I beg for anyone to love me. I just wanted to get my thoughts out there, wherever. I haven't told anybody in my life about this because I'm not comfortable telling them so.

Perhaps if someone listens, it could help me just a little...

[allenhavens92]

This is probably my favorite scene from Lupin III Part V.

Near the end of the penultimate episode, we have Jigen telling Lupin to consider retiring, as the modern age seems to be catching up on them and their mostly archaic ways. However, Lupin, being as he is, is still willing to take the challenge. He sees how exciting their situation sounds, almost like some sort of TV show (specifically the mention of the hero’s song).

Initially, when Jigen makes the “this ain’t some TV show” comment, I was worried about how meta this conversation was going to get, but surprisingly, it takes a different direction.

Lupin believes we’re each our own audience in our individual life. It doesn’t matter what others may think of you. All that matters is what you are doing next. And if others don’t like it they can “switch it off”.

But, it’s more than just a simple “lesson of the week”. This scene is also reflecting on the future of the Lupin franchise. With a plethora of new anime coming out every year (or season, for that matter), there’s always something new, in the now. Lupin has been living for five whole decades, and, though the fandom still seems to be strong, there may come a day when that audience is lost.

However, Lupin the Third won’t meddle with that. Until that time comes, he’ll always remain the gentleman thief that he has been for the last 50 years.

I might also add that Part V is one of my favorite incarnations of the franchise. The writing and animation has been solid throughout, and the stories are perfectly woven together (even the one-off throwback episodes spliced in between are a delight). The staff and cast have outdone it this time.

One episode remains, and I know, in good old Lupin fashion, it will go out guns blazing. Until next time...

[allenhavens92]

My good friends at AN Productions are looking to make a new short film. It’s going to be a Western with a modern twist to it. They already have three SAG actors from L.A. on board. I’ve even helped out with the writing process. It’s action-packed and full of character.

They’re looking for only $1000, and are already half-way funded. My family and I have already made our contribution. Any donation is greatly appreciated.

I’ve known these guys for a few years now and have helped them work on various projects (writing, acting, etc.). If you wish, you can check out those other works on their site. I’d love for independent films and their creators to remain alive!

[allenhavens92]

A Proud Dub Defender

I had recently finished watched the dubbed version of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders, and may I add I had a great experience as equivalent as when I initially watched the simulcast a few years ago. It was during the year-or-so run of the Part 3 dub when I realized something…

Why do people still get worked up over anime dubs?

My belief was that mindset was something that should have died around ten years ago. Somehow, it's continues to be that stance to make yourself look cool because you prefer to watch your Japanese cartoons with words on the bottom. Don't get the wrong impression of me; I do watch subs, as well. Just because I watch it one day doesn't mean I disregard the other. Whichever version you watch it in, there always going to be merit to it.

Perhaps it's due to simulcasts thanks to streaming sites like Crunchyroll, making the subtitled version more obtainable. Plus, these normally are the ones to be available firsthand, so that's what everyone will consume. Which is probably why Funimation came up with the idea of a simulcast dub. Now, even HIDIVE is getting in on the action. This has become a game changer for the way people watch seasonal anime, especially for those who are dub-only watchers. They can get in on with conversations about currents shows, albeit a few episodes behind, but that's beside the point.

The other part I don't understand is how people will claim dubs are bad when they are, in my opinion, at their peak and are only getting better. Everybody perceives modern dubbing as having similar quality to the older ones from thirty years ago. We're in a time now where companies working on these adaptations know there's a market for them. And don't even get me started on that "only twelve actors" nonsense. There are a plethora of talented people that provide as much entertainment to their characters as their Japanese counterparts. Writing them off collectively as crap is rather insensitive.

Now, there are some exceptions I will make. Overall, dubbing has improved exponentially, but there are some rotten eggs afloat (granted, this is a rare case). The reason why I don't watch every dub is because I have a few standards:

* If it's non-seasonal and has a dub, I will go with that. If I don't find the dub to my liking, I'll switch to the sub (luckily, that hasn't happened often). 

* For Funimation's SimulDubs, I will watch the dubs of those I'm watching subbed on Crunchyroll and am enjoying enough for me to watch it twice. 

* If I've already seen the show subbed and a dub of it recently came out, I'll try it out.

* Certain shows I’ve been accustomed to the dubs so much that I can only stick with that.

Before I end this, since I mentioned JoJo at the start, I might as well address the elephant in the room. If you may or may not know, Crunchyroll's subtitles for JoJo made some minor name changes (wasn't as much with Parts 1 and 2, but with Part 3 and the inclusion of Stands, there was bound to be an issue). So, when Viz ended up dubbing it, they went by Crunchyroll's naming strategy. I'll admit, it's a bit saddening, but I don't get butthurt like everyone else does. I'm aware of their original names, so why should it get to me?

Here are a few final statements. To those dub-only watchers, enjoy your English voices. For those who pick on them for their choices, kindly send your weebish ways out the door. And to the many wonderful and talented English voice actors who bring life to our favorite characters, keep doing what you're doing!

Anyways, here's my favorite scene from JoJo Part 3 dubbed, featuring the amazing voices of Richard Epcar and Matthew Mercer… filmed by yours truly. Can’t wait for Part 4!

https://twitter.com/i/status/1030076159244095488