animeshowsfree

[animeshowsfree]

The Best Show You're Not Watching, Part I

A few years ago, I showed up home from an extra-long day at work running inventory to find my fiancee very excited about some strange anime show that was just on Adult Swim.

"Anime?" I said. "Man, you know I don't like anime!" (This is true, and I apologize. I've tried; really.)

"No, but this is different, somehow," she said. "The animation is, like, all weird and crappy, but the writing is hilarious."

The show was called "Shin Chan," a dubbed adaptation of the Japanese manga turned anime series called "Crayon Shin Chan." I wasn't able to see my first episode until a few days later, but when I did, I found odd, and creepy-faced characters with horrifying finger (five, for some reason).

Seriously, what was I watching? The animation had all the strange movements of anime, but with a budget smaller than my childhood allowance. The characters were jagged beasts walking on two legs, yet referred to as human. Backgrounds were drawn carefully, but the odd surplus of poop and fart jokes coming from this small character's mouth left me wondering what my fiancee had ever seen in this. And I hated it.

This went on for months; my fiancee would beg me to give another shot, but I refused. I would watch a few moments of its main character, Shin Chan, then beg to turn the channel, or simply walk away. You see, Shin Chan is a five-year-old Japanese boy with a floating demeanor and foul mouth; his obsessions: his "Mr. Elephant" and his butt.

On Adult Swim this show was easily avoidable, but eventually "Shin Chan" made its way onto Hulu Plus, which my fiancee and I are subscribers and obsessors to. I had to carefully hide "Shin Chan" from her, so as not to give myself a headache.

This mean-spirited plan, of course, failed, and one day "Shin Chan" was discovered in two full seasons (now all three) and our viewing spree was inevitable.

Each moment I watched was more odd and deterring than the last. But then I realized I wasn't supposed to 'watch' Shin Chan at all, I was supposed to listen.

As I was multi-tasking with the show on I began to hear a series of sentences I never thought I'd here on television. A mixture between breaking the fourth wall and lighting children on fire. Suddenly, shock had grabbed my attention.

In the end, it was hilarity that kept my attention. Suddenly clever and uproarious lines were flooding my apartment and filling my dark-humored soul with indescribable joy.

"Shin Chan" soon became one of my most favorite shows, and I can only hope to prove that it could be one of yours too. The odd nature behind its creation may seem too ridiculous to bear, but this diamond is worth every moment.

As it turns out, the American dubbed "Shin Chan" is a very different show than its original. FUNimation acquired the rights to re-cut and dub "Crayon Shin Chan" into short episodes edited into 22 minutes of side-splitting television, writing additional lines to plots that are darker than any other show on television.

"South Park" had long held this title, but now "Shin Chan" had moved in to make horrid jokes with five-year-olds getting into trouble that "South Park" simply can't. Why can't they? Because Cartman is evil, and Shin, is very good (sort of). I mean to point out that Shin no more misbehaves than your own kindergarten class clown, and, well, Cartman fed his own father to his half-brother Scott, because Scott embarrassed him.

Is "Scott Tenorman Must Die" a classic episode of "South Park"? Of course it is. But Shin Chan's dark comedy is much darker and more hilarious due to the innocent nature of its children, Shin, Boo, Georgie, Masao, and Penny.

Enough of these theories for now, and if you don't already know it, allow me to attempt to explain this oddly complex show.

The story of "Shin Chan" follows the Nohara family, a modern day middle-class Japanese in the dark netflix cast family living in Kasukabe, Japan. Shin's mother, Mitzi, is a tiny-boobed, exhausted mother obsessed with Sky Mall magazine and free samples. His father is Hiro (pronounced just like hero), a lazy, failed American silverware salesman whose invention, the Knork, just never took off. Shin's sister, Hima, is a Maggie-esque speechless baby who loves her brother, but only when he stays out of the way of what she wants (occasionally juice). Finally there's the boy of the hour, Shin-Chan Nohara.

As mentioned before, Shin-Chan is obsessed with his butt and all of its products, constantly whipping it out for an "ass-dance" or "Pop-Fart" (pastry scented fart, of course). Shin is only five years old, and despite his clever and continuous questioning of his parents' logic and parenting skills, all he really cares about is his favorite TV-show (Action Bastard), his Bastard Juice, babes, boobies, and his Bare-Ass-Godzilla (aside from his butt and Mr. Elephant).

[animeshowsfree]

How to Make The Best Of This Vacation Season

The holiday season is just around the corner and listening to people about how they've already made plans may make you feel a little unorganized. I mean, everyone I know has already made plans for what they're going to weeks from now whereas I don't even know what I'm doing the next day. Are you like me too? Well no need to worry just now because I have gathered a list of things that will help people like us make the best of this vacation season. So without further ado here are a few tips that will help brighten up your holidays:

1. Travel:

Some people don't like making plans with family over the holidays and if you're one of those people, no worries. Travel to someplace you've never been to. This might be a place that is just a few miles away from your house or it can be someplace halfway across the world that you've always wanted to go to but never got the chance to visit. Doesn't matter, because the whole world is all decked out to take part in the celebrations and it is calling you to come see it. Also, pro-travel tip, buy frequent flyer accounts and save loads of money when you travel.

2. Watch Some Classics:

Sometimes all you need is a good old movie and loads of junk food to make you feel content. So if you don't want to get out of the house, no worries. Just sit on the couch, make some popcorn and order a classic on Netflix.

3. Throw A Party:

If you're someone who loves socializing then throwing a party will ensure that your holidays are a bash. Call your friends, order some takeout and dance the night away. And if you don't want to go through the hassle of having people at your place go to the local club. You never know, maybe you'll find something you've always been looking for.

4. Get Out Of Your Comfort Zone:

For this holiday season let go of your reservations. Do something adventurous. Go bungee jumping or sky diving and make the best of your life. This might become cast of in the dark the best memory of your lifetime. If you don't want to something so drastic, try doing something smaller. Like go visit the friend you haven't seen in 3 years. Or talk to someone who wants your forgiveness

5. Eat Something Good:

Let go of the strict diet you have been following. The holidays are your cheat day. Treat yourself to that chocolate dessert you saw a while ago or go to the fancy restaurant that you've wanted to go to for a long time. Good food can work where nothing else can. So call that restaurant and get a reservation right now.

The point is having fun this holiday season and remembering that you can save loads of your money if you simply buy frequent flyer accounts when you travel.

[animeshowsfree]

The Netflix Curse

I have over six hundred books on my reading list, most of which I own. Some of them I've never read before, others I want to reread. They weigh on my mind and clutter up my room. Some I want to read so I can review them for my blog, Lover's Quarrel, and others just look like fun. Everywhere I turn in my house, there are stacks of books to be read. I have four reading apps on my phone as well.

But too often I turn to Netflix when I have some free time. I love Netflix. With all of its shows and movies perfect for binge-watching, I find myself looking forward to marathoning That 70's Show (again) instead of wanting to read Voyager by Diana Gabaldon for a couple of hours. Don't get me wrong, I love reading. And there have been plenty of times in my life when I preferred reading to watching TV. But after starting college and then taking on landscaping as a summer job, I must confess that my reading habits have seriously diminished. I even had to take a brief hiatus from Lover's Quarrel because I didn't have any more books to review and couldn't find the will to read any more.

Ironically, Netflix became my free time activity of choice for the same reason I prefer books to TV: it takes less imagination and energy. All of the sights and sounds are provided for me so I don't have to spend precious mental energy and imagination, which gets seriously depleted during the school year.

But Netflix quickly becomes a vicious cycle. It's too tempting to watch it when I have the energy to read, or even when I should be working. Luckily, there are ways to get me away from Netflix and back to reading, apart from unsubscribing to Netflix (let's not get too crazy).

Listening to music or white noise has helped a lot. It gives me the same stimulation as the audio on a TV show, so it keeps my reading distraction-free. I have a white how many seasons of in the dark noise app that I like, and I've found some really good "Music for Reading" videos on YouTube. Audiobooks also bring me away from Netflix because I can knit or clean while listening to them.

However, the most effective thing I've found to get me away from Netflix is to keep binge-watching. No, seriously. Once I've found an amazing show and I get a huge obsession over it, I can't stop watching it until I run out of episodes. And after I've run out of episodes, other TV shows are ruined for me for awhile. That happened with Stranger Things and I'm sure it'll happen once I hit season 8 of That 70's Show. Since all TV is ruined for me anyway, the best thing I can do is find a book that I know will be as addictive as a good television series. And that will take me away from Netflix. In the meantime, I'll have to make myself read while I ride out my television craze.

[animeshowsfree]

When You Think Netflix Don't Think Just Movies

I'd be willing to bet that if someone explained to you what Netflix is, the words DVDs and movies would be mentioned multiple times. I'd also be willing to bet that the phrase "television shows" is never mentioned.

That's because most people aren't aware that Netflix also offers television shows in addition to its giant movie collection. Missed the final season of Sopranos? Netflix has you covered. Wondering how each of the characters in Heroes discovered their powers? Netflix has you covered again.

To view the list of television shows available on DVD in Netflix just select Television as your genre when browsing DVDs.

The best part is that Netflix offers an easy, 1-click Add All button to television seasons that ship on more than one DVD. This way you're guaranteed to get every episode of a season in order which is important because no one wants to see the season finale of the Sopranos before the first episode that same season.

And don't worry about running out of television shows to watch. Netflix currently carries television shows from the following networks: A&E, ABC, BBC, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, Comedy Central, CW/WB, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Fox, HBO, History Channel, LOGO, MTV, National Geographic, NBC, Nickelodeon, PBS, Sci-Fi Channel, Showtime and TLC.

Those of you (like me) that don't subscribe to cable or satellite will be thrilled with that collection. And a large percentage of you that do have cable or satellite probably in the dark season 4 don't subscribe to both HBO and Showtime still leaving you with a large collection of shows to choose from.

You don't have to wait for the DVD

Now I know what some of you are thinking. This is great but I still have to wait a year after a show airs for it to be released on DVD and available on Netflix. Not necessarily. Some shows like Heroes are available as soon as the day after the show airs on regular television using Netflix's instant watching capability.

So next time someone tells you that Netflix is all about renting movies on DVD, give them a gentle reminder that it's all about television shows too.

[animeshowsfree]

When You Think Netflix Don't Think Just Movies

I'd be willing to bet that if someone explained to you what Netflix is, the words DVDs and movies would be mentioned multiple times. I'd also be willing to bet that the phrase "television shows" is never mentioned.

That's because most people aren't aware that Netflix also offers television shows in addition to its giant movie collection. Missed the final season of Sopranos? Netflix has you covered. Wondering how each of the characters in Heroes discovered their powers? Netflix has you covered again.

To view the list of television shows available on DVD in Netflix just select Television as your genre when browsing DVDs.

The best part is that Netflix offers an easy, 1-click Add All button to television seasons that ship on more than one DVD. This way you're guaranteed to get every episode of a season in order which is important because no one wants to see the season finale of the Sopranos before the first episode that same season.

And don't worry about running out of television shows to watch. Netflix currently carries television shows from the following networks: A&E, ABC, BBC, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, Comedy Central, CW/WB, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, Fox, HBO, History Channel, LOGO, MTV, National Geographic, NBC, Nickelodeon, PBS, Sci-Fi Channel, Showtime and TLC.

Those of you (like me) that don't subscribe to cable or satellite will be thrilled with that collection. And a large percentage of you that do have cable or satellite probably dark season 4 don't subscribe to both HBO and Showtime still leaving you with a large collection of shows to choose from.

You don't have to wait for the DVD

Now I know what some of you are thinking. This is great but I still have to wait a year after a show airs for it to be released on DVD and available on Netflix. Not necessarily. Some shows like Heroes are available as soon as the day after the show airs on regular television using Netflix's instant watching capability.

So next time someone tells you that Netflix is all about renting movies on DVD, give them a gentle reminder that it's all about television shows too.

[animeshowsfree]

Shojo Anime - Magical Girls, Romance, Butlers and Ducks!

At the most basic level, shojo anime is Japanese animation that is specifically intended for young girls. It can cover a wide variety of topics, ranging from idealized romantic relationships to girls who fight crime and monsters with their magical powers. The animation style that is typically used in shojo anime is very pretty, and many shojo anime tend to use the "big eyes, small mouth" convention of art. The truth is that even though shojo anime is aimed at young girls between the ages of eight and thirteen, it is actually a genre that can be enjoyed by fans of any ages. For instance, Sailor Moon was one of the very first anime imported and widely distributed in America, and it has a cult following that covers fans of every type!

When looking at shojo anime, you may be a little bit surprised at the diversity of topics. For instance, one common type of shojo anime is the magical girl story, where a young girl realizes that she has magical powers and must use them to fight evil and to save the world. Sailor Moon is one anime that falls neatly into this type, though there are certainly others. Another common theme that you might see is a more realistic story about a young girl who deals with romance and friendship in a familiar setting like a junior high school. One example of this type of anime includes Hana Yori Dango, also known as Boys Over Flowers, where Makino Tsukushi, a working class girl, attends an elite academy and must deal with both bullying and her first real relationship.

Interestingly, some anime do not deal with girls as main characters at all, and are merely directed at young girls. One example of this would be Kuroshitsuji, or Black Butler, which is set in Victorian England and features the adventures of a young boy named Ciel, who investigates crimes animai girls for the queen and is assisted by his demonic butler.

Though each anime is different, and though there are exceptions to every rule, shojo anime tends to be focused more on emotions and feelings over action. There is special emphasis on how the characters behave and what they think, and though all of the series listed above have action sequences, there is a fair amount of time spent on what those actions mean and what the consequences might be.

One terrific example of a great shojo anime is Princess Tutu, which tackles love, relationships, responsibility and fairy tales! In this anime, a small duck called Ahiru is granted her wish to become a girl and to dance with the "prince," a beautiful silent boy named Mytho. She realizes that his heart has literally been shattered and that she must restore it, which can she can do by touching an amulet and becoming Princess Tutu. The story takes place at a ballet school, and Ahiru slowly learns that nothing is as it seems, and that the ones she originally believed were enemies are nothing of the sort.

[animeshowsfree]

Legos For Girls - Part 1

We all remember the squared little man who came with the Lego building set when we were kids. Through time Legos have evolved from that little man and a bunch of different colored square pieces to sophisticated structures and complete city building sets. Now they have people, cars, and animal figures; having specialized into sets used to build specific types of buildings or animals or even space ships.

But these sets were originally intended for boys to use. There were no girl figures in them, and they building or structure was a police station or firehouse or something that would usually attract a boy's attention. Now you can find sets cute anime girls intended for girls only, school sets and hospital sets, are examples of this.

Today as girls take their place in the world we find Lego sets designed for them. Now you find girls included in the large sets, and you find beauty parlor sets, and kitchen sets. The company which produces them has found a new market in girls and they are taking it very seriously. Girls have changed their attitudes too; they no longer want to play with dolls and stuffed animals.

Girls want to be engineers and fire-women and policewomen too. They want to play with the games that were dominated by boys for a long time. Now you can find Lego construction sets which include dolls and also structures and themes related to them. They are the same sets boys used to play with but a feminine touch has been added which appeals to women too.

[animeshowsfree]

How to Draw Five Different Anime Characters From TV and Manga

Anime characters from TV and manga are now widely embraced by everybody, especially youth. They are cute and always resemble perfection. It has always been the subject to some people who enjoy making caricatures. The typical drawing of anime characters was by hand but because of the outburst of technology, the technique that is now used for this purpose is computers and animation software. But first of all, you should have the art of fine drawing, along with the appropriate tools and supplies. The basic essentials that you would need are a lead pencil, color pencils, and an eraser.

Here are how to draw five different anime characters.

1. Anime Girl - Draw an intersecting horizontal and vertical line (form a cross). Then draw a pentagon shape around the cross. The size of the pentagon you are making reflects how large the face of the girl is. Draw the character's hairline by drawing a horizontal line at the topmost point of the pentagon. This line should be the width of the face. Outline the girl's eyes by adding two ovals on either side of your vertical line. Make the ovals evenly spaced. Add a smaller oval inside each oval to create an iris. Add eyelashes to the girl's eyes by tracing a horizontal line above each oval and filling it dark. Draw the chin just above the pentagon with a horizontal line. Draw the girl's neckline by placing two vertical lines on either side of the chin just below the pentagon frame. Add eyebrows and eyelids to your character's eyes by drawing an arched line the same width as the eye just above the eyelash line. Add another just above this to denote the eyebrow. The arch of each line should mirror the oval shape of the eye, so the wider the eye, the wider the eyebrow and eyelid will be. Fill in the eyes with glares and pupils. Place the nose by drawing an S shape just below the intersection of the cross. Then draw a small slit below it for the mouth. Add hair both above and slightly below the hairline you drew earlier. Finish the face by placing ears on either side of the head that land just below the bottom of the eyes.

2. Anime Boy - Draw a simple circle, round circle. Add a half-octagon shape to the bottom of your circle. Erase the bottom of your circles until its edges meets the boundaries of the half- octagon. Draw a horizontal and vertical line across the center of the face. Place large, open circles for eyes across the top half of your horizontal line, with eyebrows placed evenly above each eye. Place those by putting a dot just below the center of the cross. Add two lines on either side of the chin to create a neck. Add in hair cute anime girl into the boy's look.

3. Chibi- Draw one big circle, usually perfect circle. Then draw two circles inside for the eyes, usually chibi eyes are big. You may or may not draw a nose, below the eyes. Add the mouth with a simple straight line and slightly curved line below it connected. Add the hair. Then draw the body. Chibi bodies are chubby, very small compared to the head and so are the arms and legs too. Lastly, add shadows and fine lines.

4. Anime Animal - Start with a big circle for the head and then add the facial guidelines. Draw the shape of the floppy ears as well as the shape of the face. Draw two circles for his eyes. Leave three shapes in each eye white to make eyes look gazing. Then draw a nose and some hair on top of his cute head. Finish drawing out the ears by adding tips and the front and hind legs. Draw him a jowl line and eyebrows. Finish drawing out the face's shape and sketch the hind paws. Add a curled up tail and toe lines in his front paws.

[animeshowsfree]

The Best Toys For Nine to Ten Year Old Girls

Girls around the ages of nine and ten-years old are very interested in imitating their moms. This means they are interested in looking like a girl by wearing makeup. They are also interested in pampering themselves, such as receiving manicures and pedicures. For girls at this age buying them beauty supplies is a great gift idea. You can buy girls this age makeup, nail polish, lotions, body washes, spray-on glitter, and many other beauty supplies. You can also buy them the tools that they would need to use various beauty supplies or even beauty supply kits. To get even more creative you can buy them kits that allow them to make their own bath beads, lip glosses, etc.

Another idea that you can use for girls who are nine to ten years old is buying them cupcake makers or ovens that they can bake in. Having baking toys will allow them to cook in the kitchen with mom or even bake a cake or two while having a slumber party. The baking toys come with a variety of desserts that your child can bake, and there is no mess involved. If you happen to run out of the baking packets that come with the toys, you can buy refill packets. Being allowed to buy refill packets extends the life of the toy and the refill packets are a great gift by itself. Some of the baking toys even come with baking tools that your child can use to decorate the desserts that they made; this also allows them to practice using tools that you would normally use in the kitchen.

Stuffed animals are another great choice among girls this age, just not only ordinary stuffed animals. Girls this age will enjoy ordinary stuffed animals because they can cuddle with them and display them in their room. There are also stuffed animals that you can purchase that come with a secret code. The code cute anime allows you to adopt the animal on the internet. The website that you go to allows you to play games, feed and play with your pet, bathe and groom your pet, and many other fun and exciting things. You can choose from a variety of different types of animals and try to collect them all.

Dolls that sing are another great choice for girls in this age group. These dolls give your child a chance to sing along to their favorite songs from some of their favorite movies. Many of the dolls are interactive; a microphone that comes with the doll can be passed back and forth between the doll and your child. When singing where your child leaves off the doll will pick up from and start signing. You can also purchase play sets for the dolls, these are sold separately. The play sets allow your child to act out scenes from their favorite movies, with the correct characters from the movie.

Doll heads that allows your child to do their hair or put on their makeup is another option for girls in this age group. The doll head is going to allow your child the chance to practice different beauty techniques on their dolls before they try it on themselves. It will also give your child an idea about what is involved when it comes to putting on makeup and styling hair. Some of the doll heads even come with hair that can be cut and grown back.

[animeshowsfree]

Anime Females - Is it Wrong to Think of Them As Hot and Cute?

Anime females are a phenomenon themselves -- they represent the ideal female, and thus tend to be more attractive than girls in real life. They offer the best of both worlds: blessed with great looks and an endearing personality. Who would not find an anime girl's curvy hourglass figure, large breasts, and a refined feminine personality attractive?

Why would you find them hot and cute?

In a perfect world, all girls would be hot and cute with endearing personalities, and males of all ages wouldn't worry about having a shortage of beautiful girls, or perfect 10's. Unfortunately, that is not the case -- in the dating world, there are the so-called "alpha males" and "bad boys" who date the most beautiful of females, leaving the less-than ideal girls to the betas and omegas. Also, males are expected to be the initiator of the relationship. Unfortunately, there are guys out there who have bad luck when it comes to relationships, especially among the shy and those who are repeatedly rejected.

This is where anime girls come in; they are designed to be perfect. Like most types of animation, anime was designed to immerse its audiences in an alternate world. What's beautiful is subjective, so there are a wide variety of girls to suit one's interests. Like large-breasted girls, or what about the little sister type of girl? What about tsundere girls, or girls that start out mean and eventually warm up to you? Have a fetish for ponytails? There are a huge variety of anime girls for any person.

Moe (mo-eh) is a concept found in Japanese anime, referring to a sense of desire among audiences. An anime female character can be considered moe because of her subjective attractiveness among her audience; this attractiveness would make one desire her -- desire to hang out with her, desire to be her boyfriend, desire to marry her, or even desire to be her father. If she happens to get emotional, we want to be with her to console her, telling her it's all right, we're there for her.

Anime girls allow us to experience a fantasy like no other. Visual novels (VNs) are a popular genre of game in Japan, usually featuring attractive anime girls and a anime girl hot single male protagonist aiming to win one of the girl's hearts. These girls are non-judgmental; they don't care what you look like or how you act, even if you're extremely shy. A girl doesn't care if you're alpha or beta male, or even an omega male. All she would like is to date you, and even become her boyfriend in the end.

Why would you not find them hot and cute?

An obvious reason why you might not find them hot and cute is that like cartoons, anime is drawn, and it's wrong to be sexually attracted "to pixels on a screen." Society pressures you to like real girls and not drawn girls; otherwise you're deemed a loser. Anime girls are not real, and you cannot physically cuddle with them, kiss them, or even have sex with them. Even alpha males who are hugely successful with real girls might tell you as such to "man up" and get a real girlfriend.

Feminism has deemed sexualizing females in various media to be shameful, from something innocent like displaying cleavage to full-blown nudity. Due to the nature of anime girls, they can be thought of as being sexist and objectifying. You've got the ubiquitous panty shot, harem anime, large-breasted girls, and even the bikini "wardrobe malfunction;" all those can be considered sexist and objectifying.

Rebuttal

Thinking anime girls are hot and cute is a harmless fantasy -- such fantasies provide for those who have difficulty attaining the things they desire in life. Even if you can't be physically there for them, the vicarious experience makes it almost seem as if it were real thanks to moe. It's not objectifying the female sex, because anime girls are complex as if they're real girls with personalities and emotions. Also, sexuality has been with us since the rise of man, and has been depicted in many works of art. There should be no shame in appreciating an art medium.