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couldn’t help but think of this while reading the counters scenes…..

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mb design!! (ID in alt text)

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Do you have a black and white version of that frog pattern? I tried turning down the saturation to make it grayscale, but it would still print a lot of gray area and waste a lot of ink.

Yea here sorry it took so long for me to get to it 😭

I had to redraw it cuz my dumb ass combined all the layers lol

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mel blanc fuckign yelling

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Land of the Suffering

When I first started reading Land of the Lustrous, it was after I had finished the anime. I had expected this story to be one of tragedy. Deep down I knew it would never have a happy ending. But even knowing that, Haruko Ichikawa has managed to make my heart hurt for these characters. And by these characters, I mean Phos.

Spoilers for Chapter 95 below.

A bit of a theory from me: Phos becomes the next Sensei. I don’t think the cliff where gems are born has stopped birthing gems entirely. If that’s the case, then Phos may take up the mantle of teaching and watching over them. I hope he does. If not, it’s also possible, given his mental state, that Phos will smash any new gems to pieces. But if my theory is right and Phos becomes the new Sensei, will the lunarians come for the new gems? They’ve already said that the war between gems and lunarians is over, but if new gems form will that continue to be the case? I hope not. But at the very least, I just don’t want Phos to be alone for these next ten thousand years.

Sensei is really cruel, isn’t he? He’s always been kind and caring towards the gems, but he didn’t seem at all distressed about the fact that he forced this role upon Phos. The true cruelty of this situation is how any of the gems can enjoy themselves knowing that Phos is suffering alone on earth.

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Ascendance of a Bookworm Review

  Ascendance of a Bookworm is an isekai light novel written by Miya Kazuki and illustrated by Yu Shiina. It follows Urano Motosu, or rather Myne as she is known in her new world, as she pursues her one true passion: books. In her past life, Myne had just graduated college and was set to start her dream job as a librarian until an earthquake hit while she was in her book-filled bedroom and she was crushed to death by her massive book collection. As her consciousness fades, she wakes up as the 5 year old sickly Myne in a world where paper is made of parchment too expensive for anyone but nobles to buy and use.

  It's anime adaptation has two 14 episode seasons. The first season aired in Fall of 2019 with the second closely following up in Spring of this year. Both the anime and light novels are incredibly enjoyable, but I will actually be focusing this review on the light novel series as I found that I prefer it over the anime. That's not to say that the anime is bad. The light novels simply offer a lot more detail and depth to the already detailed world building that appears in the anime.

    As you can see, the anime adaptation’s animation and art style is not much to look at. It certainly is not a sakuga filled series, but it does have its charm. Personally, it reminds me a lot of late 2000s series and fills me with a sense of nostalgia whenever I watch it. The art style is quite cute and simple. The light novel’s illustrations are similar, but have a bit more detail and shine to them. As is also true for the characters, world-building, and writing in general. 

    Given how detailed and intricate everything about Bookworm’s writing is, you may be surprised to know that the series is heavily character-driven rather than plot-driven. With a world as detailed as this, one might expect it to be filled with political intrigue and plot-driven drama. However, our main character, Myne, is so incredibly defined by her straightforward desire to have and read as many books as possible that there’s simply no time for the writing to expand on plot-driven story beats. As proven by when some volumes add more plot-driven story beats and end up being longer than usual.

    With all that said, Ascendance of a Bookworm is very slow paced. In a series about making books, the anime doesn’t even give Myne paper until episode seven and proper books aren’t produced until later in the second season! That may make some people turn away. If you like your fantasies to be action packed, then Bookworm may not be for you. Even so, I implore all of you to give this series a shot. The slow-pacing does have its pros for readers looking for that sweet sweet cathartic feeling. Miya Kazuki has a talent for knowing the exact time and place for when certain things about her world should be revealed. And as such, she has developed a writing technique that reaps all the benefits of an isekai story while also not making it jarring for the reader.

    By that, I am referring to exposition. Isekai stories have protagonists that know nothing about the fantasy worlds they live in, but with all the knowledge of their previous world. This gives authors the excuse to have the main character ask questions that the world’s inhabitants know as common sense, but still have things explained to the audience. If authors aren’t careful, these exposition dumps can be boring at best and immersion-breaking at worse. But Miya Kazuki has created characters and a world that creates perfect circumstances for seamless exposition.

    First, we have Myne or Urano Motosu. A bookworm among bookworms. With a one-track and somewhat forgetful mind, all she knows and loves is books. She is an absolute delight of a character and while her development is just as slow as the story’s pacing, it is a wonderful experience to read it all unfold. Her desire for books leaves her selfish and uninterested in everything else, which does her no favors. Myne is a low-class peasant. Born the daughter of a soldier and seamstress, she already shouldn’t know much about the world outside her lot in life. But to make things worse, Myne’s body is very sickly. Racked by a mysterious fever that has forced her to practically spend all her time inside and thus, doesn’t even have the knowledge of most kids in the same class. 

    Her first real source of knowledge about the world she’s been reborn into is Lutz. A neighbor and youngest son of four, whose perpetual hunger and desire to eat the tasty food that Myne makes leads to him becoming close friends with Myne. Lutz is with Myne throughout her entire journey and learns just as much as she does about the world they live in. Afterall, Lutz is also just the kid of a low-income family. The life Myne was born into not only serves as a fantastic way to immerse the reader into world-building, but also ends being a great vehicle for exploring the issues of a heavily class-based society. Even in this world completely separate from our own, somehow Miya Kazuki manages to make some pretty bold commentary on class-based society as a whole.

    Most light novels use fairly simple language, but even knowing that I think Miya Kazuki's writing style is even on the simple side of that. I don't blame her for that though, since her world and characters are so incredibly detailed that if she used flowery prose, her series would probably be the biggest and longest light novel series ever made. Some may not like how her style leans more toward "tell don't show" but it is still an incredibly well-written story with very compelling characters. Not to mention that this simpler writing style lends itself to some really great comedy.

That being said, Miya Kazuki’s writing often does that weird thing that happens in anime where something happens on screen and then the characters say out loud what just happened, except in written form. Which sounds terrible, but actually works a lot better in practice. It allows character interactions to flow a lot more freely and the simplistic writing allows for a lot more detail to be added. And due to Miya Kazuki writing the characters the way she does, there’s no boring or immersion-breaking exposition. 

    This writing style is not a product of the translation either. I have had the absolute pleasure of picking up (searching up) the web novel and experiencing Bookworm in Japanese as well. And as a side note; if any of you are upper-intermediate Japanese learners and are looking for Japanese reading material that’s simple enough for you to understand most of it (not mention fun to read), but also offers a bit of a challenge then check out Ascendance of a Bookworm’s web novel here: https://ncode.syosetu.com/n4830bu/. Bonus tip: Download the yomichan and/or rikaikun extensions on your browser for optimal reading time. Anyway, I can assure you that the translator behind Ascendance of a Bookworm is not muddling the writing style or the reading experience in the slightest. Miya Kazuki’s story and writing style comes through very nicely in the official releases.

    Ascendance of a Bookworm is one of the most thoroughly realized stories I have had the pleasure of reading and watching. The anime is, of course, quite good, but I also highly recommend the light novel series even if you’ve seen the anime three times over. Miya Kazuki is an amazing writer and the official translations are quite good. If you’re like me though and like to binge series as quickly as possible, you might find yourself waiting aimlessly for more when you finish the anime and current English light novels. If you’re of intermediate or higher Japanese level, you can always read ahead in the Japanese web novels. Or you could seek out similar series. I recommend everything written by Nahoko Uehashi. Her novels are similarly well-realized fantasy stories with anime adaptations. Or, more obscurely, check out the fantasy series, Saiunkoku Monogatari. Its animation and art style gives me a similar sense of nostalgia and also has a great story with compelling characters. Anyway, I hope this review helped to convince you to give Ascendance of a Bookworm a shot, whether that be the anime or light novels. 

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Magus of the Library Review

Magus of the Library as stated on the cover, but not yet confirmed to be a real thing, is based of the novel "Kafna of the Wind" By Sophie Schwimm. It is a fantasy manga set in a world heavily influenced by middle eastern culture and history. The story follows....actually it might be best to expand on this world before the story since half the story based on this highly detailed fantasy world in the first place. Here we have a world in which the written text is highly revered, but by no means limited to the high-class society. In the words of one of the most prominent in-world figures, "To protect a text is to protect the world itself." This world is full of magic, but has a very modern feel for how the written text is presented. And it is in Aftzaak, the City of Books, in which a library that is aid to hold a copy of every book in the world stands. The library is staffed by Kafna, who work to preserve the texts, and seek out other texts in the world at large. It is not in this city that we start the story, but in fact in the faraway small village of Amun. One where a young boy, bullied for his looks and economic status, finds the joy of books.

Magus of the Library draws readers in, in much the same that every manga does at first: through it's art. Mitsu Izumi's artwork is appropriately detailed for the fantasy setting and drop dead gorgeous. Unlike a lot of fantasy story's art, I find that Izumi's style is very grounded instead of floaty and ethereal. It makes Magus of the Library's world seem more like a real place. In other words, the art itself is pulling double duty as the medium for telling the story and for world building. Izumi tends to the details of the world, fleshing out the objects, places and people, such that it becomes the easiest thing to read volume after volume of the manga.

But of course, we've all heard at some point that the art of work isn't everything. Nay, it is the story and characters that truly matter. And Magus of the Library is just as well-written as it is drawn. First off, this is very much a plot-driven work. Since it has an intricate word complete with several cultures, languages, and races. There is geo-politics, magic, and a library that makes this world go round. As such, one could reasonably expect its main characters, Theo Fumis, to be the type of hero that is pulled into the action with not much introspective character development. While I would say that there is some of the classic Hero's Journey taking place here, Theo is far from a complicit character. In fact, the beginning of his story is almost a subversion of the so-called "Call to Action."

Theo is a half-blood "elf" and is constantly bullied and discriminated against in his home village. He hates his life, he hates himself, and he hates how he makes life harder for his sister, Tifa. The only times he feels happy is when he has a book in hand and is reading about adventures of heroes that save children like him. Theo wants nothing more than for a hero to whisk him away from this world that only makes him feel terrible and go on an amazing adventure. This, almost happens when a group of Kafna come to his little town to investigate one particular book called a Grimoire. The Kafna, Sedona, treats little Theo with the only kindness he's ever experienced that didn't come from his sister. She's a magi with powers and knowledge and in Theo's eyes, his hero. Theo asks her why she won't take him with her? When will his hero finally come? Sedona replies that his hero won't come now or ever. Because this is his story, and only he can be his own hero. Theo takes Sedona's words and the kindness she gave him to heart, and is inspired to become a Kafna. Theo's motivations are born from a mix of internal love for books and the actions of a role model who gave him the push to overcome the adversity he faced. But as the story goes on, it becomes clear that the discrimination of the village isn't the only challenge he will face.

I am a bit biased here because I adore fantasy stories like this. A vast world and a young character with wide-eyed optimism grows and develops as he explores more of the world and meets more people. It's a story not unlike Witch Hat Atelier and Kemono no Souja Erin. So it won't surprise you when I sing praises unto Magus of the Library to no end. The atmosphere that Mitsu Izumi creates with their art, story, and characters combined is absolutely mesmerizing. I'm not sure why there's that line on the front cover that says this manga was based off a novel when I cannot find that novel anywhere in existence. Seeing that made me want to read ahead in the novel, but it's clear that I'll have to wait for the volume 4 release. Even with just 3 volumes though, Magus of the Library has shown that it has an epic story to tell that will definitely be worth sticking around to find out more.

Bookwalker has all 3 volumes and will be putting out any future volumes as well if you want to read it! (And as far as I can tell Bookwalker is the place with the most translated chapters/volumes). https://global.bookwalker.jp/de60fb5c31-2bba-4017-bdeb-76c9dfc3311a/

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bongo makkachin

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Ah Sailor Moon. Despite how cheesy and cliche it is I still like to go back and watch it every now and then.

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Legal and Illegal Streaming (anime and manga)

Disclaimer

Pirating anime and manga is and always will be something that happens in this community. There isn’t a single person I can think of that has never pirated anime or manga before. I’ve done it and everyone reading this blog has done it. I understand that extenuating circumstances can prevent some people from legally watching anime. I am not writing this blog to demonize or antagonize those people. But instead I want to express my own thoughts on the matter and also offer other resources for watching anime and reading manga legally that some may not know of.

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Illegal Streaming

Tons of people have already researched and proved that illegal streaming does negatively affect the anime and manga industries. So, I’m not going to parrot that information here since most of you probably know the gist of it. Illegal streaming is not okay and if you want the links to all the people who have done the research, here you go:

"Being an Animator in Japan is Brutal"-first hand experience from an animator working in Japan

"There's no Good reason to pirate anime"-Mother's Basement video breakdown

"How much money you cost the anime industry when you illegally stream"

"Crunchyroll contributes $100 Million to the Anime Industry"

[C]Side Note: that last link is for the people that think they’re “voting with their wallets” when they pirate anime because they think Crunchyroll and every other legal streaming site has a bad business model. That last link and basic business principles disprove that train of thought immediately.

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Legal Anime Streaming

There are two reasons that I hear most often when people explain why they pirate: “I don’t have the money!” and “It’s not legally available in my country.” For the latter, I believe it is 100% okay to illegally watch anime. If a company does not allow you to watch an anime or read a manga, then that’s on them. I’ll talk a bit more about a website that is good for watching anime illegally as it doesn’t make any money off of pirating and you may also be able to watch some anime legally on it too. As for the former, with a bit of searching and the help of Because.moe the first reason doesn’t hold much weight if you’re just looking to watch a completed series that is legally available in your country. For seasonal fans, I understand the dilemma of having to wait a week to catch up because part of being a seasonal fan means having up to date discussions with people in the community. And since all anime streaming platforms require a Premium fee to watch seasonal anime the day they come out in Japan, I understand how money can come into play and push someone to pirate.

But before you go to That One Pirating Website That Everyone Knows, please check out this and any other pirating website first. Because as one of the links from the beginning of the blog explains, the amount of money This Website makes is stupid. And that website is: YouTube. Believe it or not, there are tons and tons of anime available on YouTube. Some legal and most illegal. But it’s great because YouTube only puts like one or two ads on their videos that can be skipped. And illegal anime on there don’t have ads, so no one is making money off of the stolen content. Now you may be asking, “where on YouTube is there legal anime?” Well, the Funimation YouTube channel actually has a lot of full subbed series on there. Some of which were anime I watched back when I was getting into anime and only used YouTube. Nozomi Entertainment also has a YouTube channel that has a few older anime available legally and for free. Including but not limited to, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Emma: A Victorian Romance and Space Adventure Cobra. Even Crunchyroll puts out the first few episodes of some popular series like Yuri On Ice. So yeah. YouTube is a really big option available that a lot of people don’t even bother to think about. So before you go and risk giving your computer a virus (adblock doesn’t guarantee your computer’s safety from ads on pirating sites; I speak from personal experience) , check YouTube for the anime you want to watch.

Despite what many seem to think, a free account on Funimation and Crunchyroll will let you watch all of the series they have to offer. It costs you zero dollars to watch anime on these websites. “How?” you may ask? Because each episode will also play commercials, similar to TV but much shorter. I’m calling them calling them commercials because in this context that is exactly what they are; breaks in the program for a scheduled advertisement. Commercials longer than 30 seconds are usually skippable after 15 seconds. And unlike TV, you only get 3 or 4 commercials each break. Episodes typically have 4 breaks, one at the beginning, two in the middle and one after the outro song, so really on 3 if you don’t want to watch the episode to the end. And that goes for Crunchyroll, Funimation and Yahoo. Yes you read right, Yahoo.

Because.moe is a site where you can insert your country and then the title of the anime and it’ll show where you can watch that anime legally. For America the legal streaming websites that I know of are Crunchyroll, Funimation, Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, HiDive and Yahoo. I was incredibly surprised that Yahoo had licensed anime available for streaming. Which includes but is most certainly not limited to, Seirei no Moribito, My Hero Academia, and Monthly Girls’ Nozaki-Kun. I always check this website first if I’m not sure if an anime is available legally or not.

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Manga

Before I wrap this up, I need to address the problem of illegally reading manga because it’s not as easy a fix as the anime streaming problem. There is no digital, free and legal manga reading platform. There is the somewhat inexpensive option (compared to overseas print prices) in BookWalker, which I have been using recently. But BookWalker doesn’t even offer SimulPub. You have to pay for each volume individually and some manga are priced by the chapter. Which I will be the first to say is complete bullshit. Now, with the limited resources on manga licensing, I have found that it is generally more expensive to license manga than it is to license anime. Why this is, I don’t know. And I can’t say for certain that there is a way for Manga licensing companies to follow the Crunchyroll and Funimation models of having a premium monthly subscription But for the time being it looks like all that is available to us is the expensive translated print manga and a bit less expensive eBooks through websites like BookWalker.

This is actually a problem that I want to fix in the future. It has become my goal to expand the manga licensing industry for the betterment of our community and the amazing people that create these stories. I’ll be studying abroad in Japan for a year starting in September to further my Japanese language skills and maybe gain some sort of insight on the state of the manga licensing business. I have a vague idea of how I’m going to do it, but at least it’s a start.

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TL;DR

There is only one (1) 100% good reason for streaming anime illegally: it is not legally available in your country. If money is short for you, then there are plenty of free ways for you to legally watch anime which were listed and discussed in this blog. Illegal streaming is not okay. And lastly, you have more options than you think when it comes to watching anime legally.

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Animu and Mangos

I have a blog on the app Anime Amino and have been a bit of writing slump for quite some time now. I’m starting to get back into writing blogs by writing them out on my computer instead of on the notes on my phone. But here, have those blogs of mine too tumblr. I already have a blog scheduled for tomorrow. So hopefully having this extra place to share my thoughts and be a bit more active in the anime community will be good for me.