#and Mawaru Penguindrum apparently

[samethstarrart]

[rockleeamadeus]

Ringo Oginome | RE:cycle of the PENGUINDRUM Part 1

[shima-draws]

I’M LOSING MY FUCKING M I N D I stopped by Barnes & Noble while I was out and and AND

BRUH..........THEY FINALLY ADAPTED MAWARU PENGUINDRUM INTO A MANGA I’M GOING FERAL

[captainhysunstuff]

Sooo…  I was away doing something self-indulgent and ridiculous.  What if the final cornering of Kira in Death Note was more like that visually crazy/pretty/fanservicey “transformation/demand sequence” in Mawaru Penguindrum?  Works even better now that Near canonically has long hair!  This has been in my head for YEARS, and now I can officially cross this off my bucket list.  I didn’t draw anything I wasn’t comfortable with.  I visually copied stills; not directly traced, but the compositions are not original.  I just replaced the characters.  The script is a decent breakdown of the final evidence presentation that corners Light (with a few “typos”).  This was glorified color practice.  Since this was all traditionally done and not professional in the least, the last few pics were drawn on larger paper and had to be scanned and “stitched” together since I wasn’t satisfied with the photos I took.

Link to the inspired video (WARNING: flashing lights, brief nongraphic nudity, mild sexualization of a minor, incorrect subs for humor):  SURVIVAL STRATEGY

I am literally the only person in the world who wanted this.

[unolvrs]

AS AN ANIME BOOMER WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ANIME STUDIO (i'm a newbie in watching anime btw so i want to know more <3)

this is going to contain anime recommendations too <3

if you're expecting mappa to be in this list, i'm apologizing in advance because it's not :") this post is entirely to gush about studio shaft so thank you so much for asking this question. dw there are other studios after i finish my studio shaft spiel:

let me tell you guys how the love story between studio shaft and i began. i was a child watching shoujo kakumei utena and i fell in love. it was... so unlike any other anime i’ve watched as a child, especially when i was watching blue dragon, pokemon, and naruto in the sides. it had a female main character, had homosexual undertones that made may or may not pushed me further in the closet, but most of all: it was unique.

enter: arakawa under the bridge was an experience. then sayonara zetsubou sensei. god. but at this point, i still haven’t pinpointed that they were all from the same studio. and then, here comes the monogatari series.

the monogatari series will always be the greatest pieces of animation (and by that, i don’t necessarily mean plot but the animation itself) in all of the shit that i watched, and when i say i’ve watched lots of animation, i mean lots. but the monogatari series will always stand out as the best. the thing about good animation that i’m searching for is a distinct style that you can see from afar. this is actually one of the reasons why i don’t really consider mappa as one of my top animation studios because while they’re amazing, and they really are, it’s not the type of animation that you glance at and then go “ohhh, it’s mappa” unless you sit down for a couple of minutes. well, you can, but i’m the type of person who prefers metaphors over descriptors, you know?

anyway, studio shaft’s animation of the monogatari series is ingrained in my writing. i always want to make my writing look and feel like the monogatari series which is so hard to do, but i can proudly say that one of my main inspirations is studio shaft.

THEN MAHOU SHOUJO MADOKA CAME OUT AND I—

mahou shoujo madoka magica. my sweet. this is the time when i finally recognized studio shaft’s animation and it was the best feeling ever. the head tilts, the framing, the backgrounds, the sudden texts. the tragic and confused atmosphere. and then nisekoi. i also recognized the animation and yes, it was also the best feeling ever. and i was obsessed with nisekoi for the longest time and to be honest, i was one of those people who fought in the comments section of chia-anime and fighting for team chitoge.

a dream come true: mekakucity actors. i was the biggest fan of the kagerou project and when i found out studio shaft was animating it? i wanted to bawl my eyes out. of course, it was beautifully done as i expected, and of course, as a fan of kagerou project, i was disappointed by how it ended, but still, the point is: studio shaft.

some notable animes from studio shaft: mahou sensei negima, sangatsu no lion, kino no tobi, maria holic, ef, uchiage hanabi, etc. etc.

some other studios i like and my favorites from them:

i love the storytelling of brain's base the most. while i love studio shaft for it's style and uniqueness, brain's base storytelling triumphs over all studios. period. if studio shaft is my favorite animation, brain's base is my favorite storytelling!

baccano!

durarara!!

hotarubi no mori e

fumetsu no anata e

tonari no kaibutsu-kun

natsume yuujinchou

spice & wolf

mawaru penguindrum

kuragehime

kyoukai no rinne

aoharu x kikanjuu

isshuukan friends

has there been an anime that pa works released and i've watched that i haven't cried for? none.

another

angel beats!

charlotte

nani no asu kara

hanasaku iroha

sayonara no asa ni yakusoku no hana wo kazarou / maquia

canaan

sirius

fairy gone

uchouten kazoku

rdg: red data girl

glasslip

appare-ranman!

i love this kind of animation. period.

kiznaiver

ssss.gridman

kill la kill

darling in the franxx

promare

little witch academia

bna

star wars: visions (don't get your hopes up)

a big production studio but it's one of the greatest studios period. my favorite animes were produced by this company. this is also the last studio i'm gonna recommend because this studio has lots of good anime:

neon genesis evangelion

kuroko no basuke

flcl

mahoutsukai no yome

higashi no eden

blood-c

b: the beginning

great pretender

suisei no gargantia

ao haru ride

kaze ga tsuyoku fuiteiru

koukaku kidoutai

xxxHOLIC

ballroom e youkoso

psychho-pass

noblesse

diamond no ace

robotics:notes

vinland saga

yuukoku moriarty

kaizoku oujo

tennis no ouji-sama

sengoku basara

aria the animation

junketsu no maria

hal

shinreigari

guilty crown

haikyuu

shingeki no kyojin

b: the beginning

momo e no tegami

kimi ni todoke

bungaku shoujo

bem

tsubasa chronicles

break blade

le chevalier d'eon

miss hokusai

donten ni warau

the point is, this studio is big and famous. why am i even promoting this. everybody knows this studio already smh.

anyway, madhouse also has most of my favorite animes of all time too (AHEM sonny boy AHEM) but everybody knows about studio madhouse already. toei animation, kyoani, etc, etc.

thank u. please stan studio shaft and brain's base.

[rararibbon]

about to buy mawaru penguindrum merch in the year of 2022 cause apparently this series still has a chokehold on me 

[medea10]

My Review of Sarazanmai

How did I get into this anime? I heard “things” about this anime. 2019 was a weird time to be alive apparently. You know, before 2020 happened! As much shit as I give 2020, at least they didn’t give us kappas eating people’s asses.

Yes, I just said “kappas eating people’s asses”.

Be afraid. Be very afraid!

Kazuki Yasaka is a young boy who must carry around a box wherever he goes and follow specific directions day-by-day. Toi Kuji is a delinquent that breaks into cars and commits other crimes throughout the city. And Enta Jinnai is a childhood friend of Kazuki…He’s there too! These three boys have been chosen by the kappa prince, Keppi to help restore the Kappa Kingdom to its former glory. Kazuki, Toi, and Enta can now transform into kappas by being eaten ass first by Keppi and then shit out. Yes, I said eaten ass first and shit out by a kappa! These boys then must eat the inner-most desires of these kappa-zombies that are causing Keppi trouble. And these inner-most desires are located…in the ass. But there are those from the Otter Empire that cause this trouble for the kappas by turning folks into kappa zombies and causing havoc in the real world.

I would not expect any less of a mind-rape anime from the great Kunihiko Ikuhara.

BETWEEN THE SUB AND THE DUB: Even playing a kappa, Junichi Suwabe still finds a way to give me an erection.

Okay, let’s try that again and not make it sound disgusting, Medea.

Right! Let’s talk licensing. FUNimation is the licensors of this fine product. Seriously? Eating ass is fine, but you frown upon the likes of Interspecies Reviewers? Yes, there is a dub to this and believe it or not, I pretended it didn’t exist. Not because it was bad or anything! It’s just that this anime had the likes of Mamoru Miyano, Kouki Uchiyama, Rie Kugimiya, and Mr. Sex-in-a-Voice Junichi Suwabe. Let me state that my infatuation with Suwabe is like John Oliver’s infatuation with Adam Driver.

That…totally doesn’t help my case! Here’s what you might recognize these folks from.

JAPANESE CAST: *Kazuki is played by Ayumu Murase (known for Minami on Yuri on Ice, Luck on Black Clover, Asuto on Inazuma Eleven: Aries, Madoka on Shounen Maid, and Shinichi on SAO)

*Toi is played by Kouki Uchiyama (known for Yurio on Yuri on Ice, Soul on Soul Eater, Rui on Demon Slayer, Ikuya on Free!, Benedict on Violet Evergarden, Midnight on Fairy Tail, Yuu on Charlotte, and Ichijou on Nisekoi)

*Enta is played by Shun Horie (known for Kazuya on Rent-A-Girlfriend)

ENGLISH CAST: *Kazuki is played by Alejandro Saab (known for Leon on Pokemon Journeys, L’Arc on Shield Hero, Kuga on Food Wars, Yamazaki on Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, and Takezou on Kono Oto Tomare)

*Toi is played by Ricco Fajardo (known for Koutaro on Zombieland Saga, Itona on Assassination Classroom, Karim on Fire Force, Natsuya on Free!, and Kyousuke on Danganronpa 3)

*Enta is played by Justin Briner (known for Deku on My Hero Academia, Yukito on Cardcaptor Sakura: Clear Card, Shou on Fire Force, Luck on Black Clover, and Ryouta on Danganronpa 3)

SHIPPING: Well…we got our BL kiss by the third episode. That’s quite early for an Ikuhara anime. Ooh boy, Enta loves him some Kazuki. He REALLY loves Kazuki! There’s a lot to be said of a boy that would sniff and fondle items owned by his lover and kiss his unconscious lover. I can understand why Enta would care for Kazuki. I mean after hearing that he’s truly his first friend after a childhood of traveling around and not making many friends, you want to feel for this kid. Key word here is “want”. But this boy goes too far sometimes and his jealousy does get the best of him to a point where I’m just saying, cut ties with the megane brat. But Enta ends up screwing things up again by taking a bullet for Kazuki and throwing all that anger out the window.

And then we have Reo and Mabu! God damn Reo! We’ve got shark teeth, an arrogant attitude, homosexuality, and the voice of Mamoru Miyano. This is just a Rin Matsuoka of a different color! If Reo and Mabu’s otter dance isn’t a dead giveaway, they totally love each other. To a point where they would sacrifice each other for the one they love.

POLE-DANCE ALERT: I don’t know why I always find random pole-dancing moments in animes so alluring. I guess I can blame the likes of Grell from Black Butler. But this moment was so random that it came right the fuck out of nowhere. Then again, this entire anime is an enigmatic brain-fart that it was only a matter of time before a kappa prince starts randomly dancing on a pole.

There we go, Medea’s love for random crap will never die!

ENDING: Throughout the series, Kazuki, Toi, and Enta were gathering these dishes in order to get a wish granted by Keppi. And each time they’ve gone up against a big bad otter, Reo and Mabu are usually the ones to bring out the kappa zombies. But everyone has a plan for using the dishes of hope for their own wishes. Enta wants to use it to stay with Kazuki so the two can remain the golden duo. Reo and Mabu want the dishes to be with each other and save one another after an incident nearly killed them. And Kazuki originally wanted to use the dishes for his baby brother’s own sake, but changes to wanting to help Toi (who ends up leaving with his older, criminal of a brother). And shit goes crazier than what I’ve just mentioned. Enta fucks up by stealing the collected dishes and really fucking up his relationship with Kazuki! Toi ends up leaving town with his criminal brother.

Reo and Mabu, the otter cops shoot Kazuki, but Enta takes the bullet and is hours away from dying. But then we learn that Reo and Mabu were actually kappas who worked under Keppi. It’s just that the otters have been manipulating these two. Mabu is just a hollow body created by the otters because of some accident that happened prior to the events in the anime. The otter gives Mabu a mechanical heart to keep him alive, but in order to stay alive, he cannot say he loves Reo. Unfortunately for these two, Mabu ends up saying he loves Reo and dies right in front of him and vanishing from his memories. Reo is then shot by Toi who comes in at the last minute.

Toi’s back. We all knew it wasn’t going to last. His older brother got shot dead the episode before. So Toi is going to use the dishes to resurrect his brother from the dead. This leaves Kazuki in shambles as he was going to use it on Enta before his body expires in like 10 seconds. In the last minute, Kazuki used the dishes on Enta and he’s going to live. End of story right? No, we still have a demented otter on the loose. And the otters have a dark Keppi that he’s been storing for just this sort of moment. And now it grabs Toi and Toi accepts. He wants to erase his existence from Enta and Kazuki’s lives. Problem is if he does that, Toi erases giving Kazuki the ankle bracelet that’s been a staple in Kazuki and Enta’s relationship when it comes to soccer. But the boys were able to connect, destroy the otters, bring the memories of Mabu and Reo back, turn Keppi into a kappa prince, and save the town from OTTER-destruction.

Yeah, if you watch this series, you’ll hear a lot of puns involving otters. I mean when you’re not smothered in sexualized otters and kappas.

The ending credits show Toi getting sent to juvie for three years. And it’s quite sad to see his dejected face while the ending song blasts. When the lyrics literally say “stand by me” it gets quite sad. Three years pass and Toi’s out of juvie. He goes to the bridge and jumps off. Keep in mind this is an Ikuhara anime, Toi’s not gonna die. Enta and Kazuki jump in and join Toi and welcome him back to society.

Good lord Ikuhara-san! I didn’t think you could out-gay an anime after the likes of Yuri Kuma Arashi. But good fuck, you found a way! This anime was…INSANITY. Pure insanity! Then again, this is the same director that did Revolutionary Girl Utena, Yuri Kuma Arashi, and Mawaru Penguindrum. Yes, connection and desires are a big take in not only Sarazanmai, but a lot of the other animes Ikuhara does. It’s just that Sarazanmai is the strangest acid-trip of them all. And that’s saying a lot because Yuri Kuma Arashi has sexy bears that say “Shaba-da-doo”. ALSO VOICED BY JUNICHI SUWABE! But people getting turned into kappas by being eaten ass first by another kappa and stealing spirits inner most desires, conveniently stored in their asses is some wonky-ass crack-fest. Recommendation wise, I would say watch some of the other animes Ikuhara has directed to get your feet wet in what you might expect in this kind of anime. After that, pop in a few Bakemonogatari episodes just for good measure. And after you do all that, take some CBD gummies and let-a-rip with Sarazanmai.

If you want to watch Sarazanmai, Crunchyroll and FUNimation have it available for streaming.

Okay, what’s next for my FUNimation list?

Okay, boobs! What are we talking here? Are these boobs flat as an ironing board or crimes against nature like in Eiken?

Oh, this can’t end well.

[keyofjetwolf]

Pitch Me your thing!

HELLO HELLO MY SUNBEAMS. For most every category, there was an impressive turn-out for pitches, so I thought we’d utilize the weirdness of this year’s GIFTENING to give something new a try. The popular vote winner for each category will happen on the first day, but on the second, the winner will be chosen from YOUR PITCHES. Mostly those pitches will be to me. The exception is in Miscellaneous, where you’ll be pitching to my family, because what I want to do and what is most entertaining isn’t necessarily the same thing.

So! How will we do this thing? GLAD YOU ASKED. I’ll link you to a form in a minute with space for one pitch. Once you fill it out, you’ll be asked if you want to do another. There’s no limit to the number of pitches you can send in! But remember that if you submit multiple entries for the same category, you’ll basically be competing against yourself.

NOW WE’VE GOT SOME RULES FOR DOING THIS (which I mostly stole from Holligay, because I have no creativity this year). Please read them carefully! I’ll toss pitches that break any of these, and I’d rather your hard work not go to waste.

Pitch Me is open for your submissions from RIGHT NOW (22 December) through the very last day of this hellyear (31 December) at 11:59pm MT.

The thing you pitch must have come from what was nominated for THE GIFTENING 2020. (Full list of those nominations in every category below the cut on this post.)

Entries must be unsigned! I’m looking to chose based on the pitch alone, regardless of who submitted it.

The pitch itself must be 100 words or less. HAVE PITY ON ME I CAN ONLY CONSUME SO MUCH.

If you’d like to get some help, ideas, feedback, all that good stuff, the Discord is a FANTASTIC resource I encourage you to use.

HERE IS YOUR PITCH SUBMISSION LINK

And, as promised, below the cut you’ll find the list of all the nominees in every category you guys sent in this year. IT’S A LONG LIST HAVE FUN WITH THAT

Anime

A Place Further Than The Universe/Sora Yori mo Toi Basho Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) Action Heroine Cheer Fruits Aggretsuko Aho Girl Air Master Akuma No Riddle Alien Nine Angel Beats! Angelic Layer Appare-Ranman Aria Aria the Animation Arrietty/ The Secret World of Arrietty (Ghibli film) Ascendance of a Bookworm Azumamga Daioh Baccano! Beastars Black Cat Blood + (the series) Bloom Into You Blue Drop/Tenshitachino Gikyoku Bodacious Space Pirates (starting right where you left off) BOFURI: I Don't Want to Get Hurt, so I'll Max Out My Defense Boku no hero academia Bubblegum Crisis Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card Cardcaptor Sakura Castlevania the Animated Series Cells at Work Chaos; Head Chihayafuru Code Geass cowboy Bebop Cyborg 009 Death Note Death Parade Deca-Dence Demon Girl Next Door Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) Diebuster: Aim For the Top 2 Dog Days dorohedoro Dot Hack//SIGN Dr. Stone Elfen Lied Erased (Boku Dake Ga Inai Machi) Escaflowne Excel Saga Fantastic Children Fate/Zero Flip Flappers Fresh Precure Fruits Basket 2019 Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood Ga rei Zero GaoGaiGar gekkan shoujo nozaki-kun Ghost in the Shell: Standalone Complex Ghost Stories (dubbed) Girls' Last Tour Great Pretender Hoseki no Kuni/ Land of the Lustrous House of Five Leaves/ Saraiya Goyou Inari konkon koi iroha Interviews with Monster Girls Inuyasha Isekai Izakaya "Nobu" Jellyfish Princess/ Kuragehime JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4: Diamond is Unbreakable Kaguya-sama Love Is War Kaleido Star Kannazuki no Miko Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken! Kemono Friends Kiki's Delivery Service Kimi ni Todoke: From Me To You Kino's Journey/Kino no Tabi (2003) Land of the Lustrous (Houseki no Kuni) Little Witch Academia Lord El-Melloi II's Case Files EP0 {"A Grave Keeper") Love is Hard for an Otaku Love Live! Sunshine!! lupin the 3rd part 4 Madoka: The Rebellion Movie Magic knight rayearth Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha March Comes in Like a Lion Mardock Scramble Master of Martial Hearts Mawaru Penguindrum Megalobox Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Mob Psycho 100 Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) Monster Mushishi My Bride is a Mermaid (Seto No Hanayome) My Love Story!!! My Neighbor Totoro My Next Life As A Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom My Roommate is a Cat NANA Naruto Natsume’s Book of Friends Neon Genesis Evangelion (hateblog) New Cutey Honey Nichijou Ōban Star-Racers One Piece Ouran High school Host club Outlaw Star Paranoia Agent Perfect Blue Please Save My Earth Pop Team Epic Pretty Cure Fresh Princess Jellyfish/ Kuragehime Princess Mononoke Princess Principal Princess Tutu Project A-Ko promised neverland (/yakusoku no neverland) Psycho-Pass Ranma 1/2 Re: Cutie Honey Re:Creators Read or Die (OAV) Red Garden relife Revolutionalry Girl Utena Rose of Versailles Ruroni Kenshin Sailor Moon Sailor Moon (viz dub) Samurai Champloo (english dub) Sarazanmai School Days School-Live! Scum's Wish Senki Zesshou Symphogear (listed as just "Symphogear" on Crunchyroll.) Serei no Moribito (Guardian of the Spirit) Shin Sekai Yori (From The New World) Shirobako Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju Sleepy Princess in the Demon Castle Smile Pretty Cure (Japanese original)/ Glitter Force (english adaptation) Snow White with the Red Hair Sound Euphonium Strawberry Panic (yuri) Sweetness and Lightning The Devil is a Part-timer The Devil Lady The disasterous life of saiki k (saiki kusuo no Sai Nan) The End of Evangelion (movie) the Promised Neverland The Twelve Kingdoms Tiger & Bunny Tokimeki Tonight ToraDora Tsubasa Chronicle Umineko When They Cry Valkyrie Drive: Mermaid Vinland Saga Violet Evergarden Whispered Words (Sasameki Koto) With a Dog AND a Cat, Every Day is Fun Yona of the Dawn Yu Yu Hakusho Yugioh Duel Monster Yuki Yuna is a Hero Yuri Kuma Arashi Yuri On Ice!!! Zoids: Chaotic Century Zombie Land Saga

Non-Anime Animated

Adventure Time Amphibia Animainiacs (Original) Animaniacs (Reboot) Archie's Weird Mysteries As Told By Ginger Barbie Life in The Dreamhouse Batman the Animated Series Big Guy and Rusty the Boy Robot Big Mouth Bob's Burgers Bojack Horseman Bravest Warriors Captain N: the Game Master Carmen Sandiego (1994) Carmen Sandiego (2019) Castlevania (Netflix) Cats Don't Dance Coco Courage the Cowardly Dog Craig of the Creek Cyber Six Daria Darkwing Duck Dragon Booster Dragons: Riders of Berk DuckTales (2017) Exo-Squad Fern Gully Fillmore! Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends Futurama Gargoyles Glitch Techs Godzilla: The Animated Series Green Lantern the Animated Series Hedgehog in the Fog (Ёжик в тумане) Hey Arnold Hilda Infinity Train Iron Giant JEM Kim Possible Kipo and the Age of the Wonderbeasts Legend of Zelda animated series (1989) Legion of Super-Heroes Liberty Kids Magical Girl Friendship Squad Mao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart The Legend of Korra Moominvalley Motorcity My Little Pony (Classic, NOT FiM) My Little Pony: Equestria Girls: Rainbow Rocks Onyx Equinox Over the Garden Wall Over the Moon (2020 film) Owl House Primal Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure Redwall Rise of the TMNT Roco's Modern Life Rugrats RWBY Samurai Jack Seis Manos She-Ra (1985) She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018) Sonic Boom Spartakus and the Sun Beneath the Sea Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse Star vs. the Forces of Evil Strange Magic Super Mario Brothers Super Show Superman: The Animated Series Teen Titans The 13 Ghosts of Scooby Doo The Animals of Farthing Wood The Dragon Prince The Hollow The Legend of Tarzan (TV series) The Magic School Bus (1994) The Mysterious Cities of Gold The Pirate Fairy (Disney Fairies) The Powerpuff Girls (1998) The Real Ghostbusters Thundercats (1985) Thundercats (2011) Transformers: Prime Tuca and Bertie Twelve Forever Undone Venture Bros Wakko's Wish Wakfu Wander Over Yonder We Bare Bears (TV) Winx Club Wreck-It Ralph (2012) X-Men Evolution X-Men: The Animated Series Xiaolin Showdown

Live Action

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 28 Days Later 3rd Rock from the Sun A Series of Unfortunate Events American Horror Story: Asylum Babysitter's Club (2020) Batman (the old Adam West version) Better Call Saul Black Mirror Blackbeard's Ghost (Peter Ustinov) Boston Legal Boy Meets World Boys Over Flowers Bromance (Taiwanese tv series) Brooklyn 99 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Cadfael Cagney and Lacey Charmed (2018) Chopped Cleopatra 2525 Cloak and Dagger Clue (1985) Community Crazy Ex-Girlfriend Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance Dead Like Me Dead To Me Deadwood Death Note (Netflix) Derry Girls Dimension 20 - The Unsleeping City Doctor Who (New) Doom Patrol Dracula's Daughter (1936) Escape to the Chateau Farscape Fingersmith Galavant Godzilla (2014) Gokushufudo (2020 Japanese TV drama) Golden Girls Good Omens H20: Just Add Water (somewhere in seasons 1-2) Happy New Year Harley Quinn movie Hateblog a REALLY STRAIGHT soap opera. Haunting of Bly Manor His Dark Materials (HBO series) Holes Hot Fuzz House Inception Inside No. 9 Iron Chef America Joan of Arcadia Julie and the Phantoms Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Kamen Rider Build Kamen Rider Ex-Aid Kamen Rider Fourze Killing Eve Knives Out Letterkenny Leverage Little Women (2019) Lucifer Matlock Majisuka Gakuen MASH Merlin Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol Money Talks (1997 film) Motherland: Fort Salem Murder She Wrote Mythbusters Nailed It! Never Have I Ever Once Upon a Time Orphan Black Pen 15 PGSM Pi (1998) Picnic at Hanging Rock (2018) Pride and Prejudice: A New Musical Puppy Bowl Pushing Daisies Rome (hateblog) Russian Doll Sabrina Sense8 Sera Myu: Un Nouveau Voyage Shameless Sierra Burgess Smallville So Weird Star Trek: TOS (or their films) Star Trek: The Next Generation Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Star Trek: Voyager Stargate Atlantis Suckerpunch Supernatural (out of context speedrun the last three episodes) Sweetheart Switched at Birth Tall Girl Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles The Addams Family (1964) The Big Flower Fight The Booth at the End The Bride With White Hair The Crown The Fresh Prince of Bel Air The Good Place The Kissing Booth The L Word The Librarians The Magicians The Muppet Show The Pregnancy Pact The Room The Steve Harvey Show The Stranded The Untamed The Witcher The Wolfman (1941) Torchwood Twilight Zone (original) Twin Peaks Ultraman Nexus Umbrella Academy Van Helsing Warehouse 13 Warrior Nun What We Do In The Shadows (tv show) Will & Grace Wynonna Earp X-Men 2: X-Men United Xena: Warrior Princess

Miscellaneous

Alpha Flight #41-62 Anime music dance party, the logistics of which are to be determined! Ask Hot Pocket and/or Mina-pup AskSharknado: Giftening Edition Attempt to make French macaroons Commentary on old Goggles Critical Role Crowdsourced: A Black Mirror-style day where Jetty has to ask what her choices are of the audience for everything! I give you a menu, you decide what she has for dinner? What does she wear? Does she walk on the track or do the eliptical? Does she go to a movie with Doc or play a video game with Mike? Can be done alongside other stuff. Doodle Day Dramatic readings of fan fiction! Drunk History (or whatever your favorite subject would be) with Jet Wolf! Drunk Sailor Moon Exorcising Closet Ghost Fic Prompts Day Figuarts Day! (Not specifically freeing anyone, just various fun poses and such) Guess the plot of a show based on its opening Her Shim-Cheong (manhwa) House of X/Powers of X Hubby's Choice IDW Jem comics liveblog Intros Only (watch show openings, give commentary, guess what show is about, etc.) Jackbox Games Jet Wolf paints along with Bob Ross Jet and Doc go to Heaven/Hell, respectively: Jet gets to write reams of words about the awesomeness of Rei Hino and Doc has to read all of them and say ONLY NICE THINGS. Jet does Tiktok dances Jet Liveblogs Holligay: A Nature Documentary Jet Ranks Sailor Moon Image Songs Jet Reads Goosebumps Jet Reads Legion of Super-Heroes Jet redesigns the Wolf and Gay offices! Jet shows off her knitting Jet Wolf attempts to recreate scenes from Sailor Moon with Mina and Hot Pocket and/or whatever is in the house Jet Wolf reacts to Sailor Moon tiktoks (in blog form) Jet Wolf reads Love and Rockets. Jet Wolf reads the Jem comics by IDW Jet Wolf reviews her old top 100 Sailor Moon moments list Jet Wolf talks about Archie Comics Jet Wolf talks about each cel she owns and why they are so awesome. Jet Wolf writes Poetry Jet Wolf's Top 5's Jet, Hubby and/or family play board games Jetty Rants and Raves Jet Wolf tries to crack the Gravity Falls Codes Kiwi Blitz on Hiveworks Let's Play on Webtoon Liveblog: Favorite X-Men comic book arcs Livestream Pathfinder one-shot LOONA (Collection of music videos with an ongoing story/universe about GIRLS who are FRIENDS and SAVE THE UNIVERSE) Lore Olympus on Webtoon Mike regales us with "the story of your love" while you get increasingly embarrassed Mina and Hot Pocket day - liveblog like a nature documentary Mister Tsukino Does His Taxes and the Household Budget (Sailor Moon fan comic by Shadowjack) Nancy Drew: Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake Not So Shoujo Love Story on Webtoon Pitch Mishaps for Untitled Senshi Game (it is a lovely day in Juuban, and you are a Horrible Minako.) Pitching hubby's favorite media at (readers/holligay/jill/momigay) Playing with dolls (because how could 3 women not have any dolls between them) Re-Take By Studio Kimigabuchi (All Ages Version) Real or Fake Anime (people submit descriptions of anime you guess if it is an anime that actually exists or not) Reviewing succulents Scavenger hunt! Not entirely sure how it would work, maybe folks could send in asks for you to show things like your favorite Rei Hino object, or the thing that's been with you the longest, etc. sewing/knitting/baking tutorial Share or rant about a Roman history topic Sleepless Domain on Hiveworks Talking to Docholligay 2: Doc Harder (basically you talking to Doc's future womb evictee while still in there and telling them stuff like say the greatness of Rei Hino) The Monster Duchess and Contract Princess (manhwa) The Polar Bear Plunge--I take Jetty to our finest Lake Elmo in January, and she jumps in! Note: THIS IS NOT DANGEROUS, WORRYWARTS. I'll bring a life preserver, I've done it before, and I would do it with her if I weren't pregnant. The Senshi Helpline--The Senshi, taking your advice questions, here and now! The World of Moral Reversal Virtual knitting/crafting circle! Let us craft and chat with you! What-If #24 Gwen Stacy Lived Worm the web serial Write an explanation for a drawing we send you! Yuri Hell's Kitchen

[animebw]

Binge-Watching: Sarazanmai, Episodes 1-2

Um.

Holy shit.

Halle-Fucking-Lujah!

I’m not gonna lie, there was part of me that was really nervous going into Sarazanmai. My first experience with the work of Kunihiko Ikuhara- Mawaru Penguindrum- wasn’t exactly smooth sailing, and I ended up having a lot of confusion over the way that show told its story. I felt it got lost up the ass of its own metaphors more often than not and failed to ground its story in any proper sense of emotional reality to justify the disorienting level of symbolism it was operating on. And while I ended up appreciating it in the end, I left it uncertain if Ikuhara’s directing style was really for me. Like I mentioned with Flip Flappers, it’s hard as shit to tell a story through metaphor and symbolism over literal plot mechanics, and the eccentricities Penguindrum suffered from made it absurdly hard for me to latch onto it. So I had no idea if Sarazanmai was gonna work for me at all. Would it fall victim to those same traps and frustrate me for eleven episodes on end with questions I couldn’t fathom an answer to, characters whose crimes were brushed under the rug, and too much confusion for not enough clarity? Maybe Ikuhara was just someone I would never really get. Hell, I’m not overly fond of the legendary Shinichiro Watanabe either, it’s not like it wasn’t a possibility.

And then I watched the first episode, and I fell madly, stupidly, utterly in love.

Jesus Christ. I mean, Jesus Christ. The first episode of Sarazanmai isn’t just better than the entirety of Penguindrum, it’s legitimately one of the best fucking opening episodes of anime I’ve ever seen. It’s a kaleidoscopic explosion of utter insanity that bowls you over with stupefyingly surreal glee and leaves you cackling madly on the pavement below. It’s bewitching, jaw-dropping, spell-binding, captivating, gloriously entertaining, and utterly fucking majestic. And the second episode brings solid footing to all the incredible concepts that the first bursts into being, proving that this ain’t no fluke; this story has some goddamn staying power. It’s an opening salvo that demolished all my expectations and snapped my skepticism in half over its left knee, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But the real kicker is, it accomplishes all this while still being unmistakeably Ikuhara. From the street sign pedestrians populating the background to the art-deco pastel eldritch surrealism to a similar side plot about a central character being involved in a criminal gang, I see all of Penguindrum’s quirks and obsessions in this show, but this time, they’re arranged in a pattern that doesn’t just work, it triumphs. Sarazanmai is already fucking incredible, but more importantly, it’s proven that Ikuhara’s storytelling can really, truly work for me. And that’s the greatest achievement it could possibly accomplish.

So congratulations, Sarazanmai. In just two episodes, you’ve already crested the biggest obstacle in your way more spectacularly than I could have ever dreamed. So let’s dig into the heart of this big, beating prostate gland and see what makes it work so fucking well.

Connection Criss-Cross

Above all else, Sarazanmai is about connection. It’s in the names of the episodes, it’s spoken by Kazuki in the very first scene (”I can’t lose this connection again. I’ll do anything to protect it.”), it’s built into the fabric of everyone’s motivations; this show is about the desire to connect and the roadblocks that keep us from doing so. For Kazuki, it’s his relationship with his little brother, a relationship he’s so uncertain of that the only way he can really communicate with Haruka is by pretending to be his favorite TV idol. For Tooi, it’s also his brother, though in his case it’s to grow up and become someone worthy of being part of his brother’s very adult world. For Enta... well, that remains to be seen, but judging by the kiss he plants on a sleeping Kazuki at the end of the second episode, it’s pretty apparent what direction his story is going to take. And by moonlighting as kappas, they’re able to begin gathering “Dishes of Hope”, symbols of desire that, should they collect enough of them, will be able to fulfill those connections. In a way, it almost reminds me of Pure Illusion from Flip Flappers, a second skin of subconscious under the material world where out heroes travel to after undergoing magical girl-esque transformations to find supposedly wish-granting artifacts to fulfill their dreams. Of course, Flip Flappers didn’t involve butthole-surfing cucumber spirits who pull the desires of angry ghosts out of their anuses and put them on blast for all the world to see, but who wants to get hung up on technicalities?

And speaking of Flip Flappers, Sarazanmai’s ultimate strength is based on the same principle that made Cocona and Papika’s symbolism-drenched story such a winner: not holding back on answers. Unlike Penguindrum, where I felt like I was always ten steps behind the 8-ball, this show is constantly giving you new points of connection to its characters and world, even as the big picture is still shrouded in surreal mystery. The first episode is kind of the perfect microcosm of this; we’re introduced to Kazuki’s “three rules” right at the beginning and we spend the entire episode wondering why he follows them, but all of those questions are actually fucking answered during the episode’s climax when he locks minds with his fellow kappas. He follows the goings-on of Sara the idol because he’s pretending to be her for his brother. He carries the box around because it holds his costume. Which also explains who his phone had the idol’s charm on it, why Sara was taking a selfie of Toi’s attempted break-in in the parking garage, and why the symbolism of the boxes is so damn important: they represent human desire, the things we want to hold onto, the things we think give us meaning. Which is then given further meaning by the boxes explicitly being Amazon (sorry, Kappazon) boxes, confining our heroes’ desires inside one of the most prominent indications of consumerism and capitalism in modern society. It’s straightforward enough to let you instantly understand why it matters, while still dense enough to take on additional meaning the more you look into it. That’s the balance I felt Penguindrum wasn’t striking, and its presence here makes all the difference in the world.

Symbols and Secrets

Because while there’s still a metric assload (lol) of unanswered questions about this world and these characters, I feel like those answers actually exist. I feel like I can already start peeling back the layers and piecing together everything I don’t understand quite yet. I don’t know why Kazuki feels so awkward around his brother, but the fact that he talks about not wanting to lose this connection “again” in the opening scene suggests there was a falling-out in their past that’s still coloring how he sees their relationship today. I don’t know what the glaring red otter hearts symbolize, but considering how the otter cops extract desires from other people to turn them into the giant zombie ghosts out heroes fights, the cops talk about how ”only those who can connect desires have a future,” and Kazuki’s own phone momentarily glitches with the otter-heart symbol when he revels in making his little brother happy, I can surmise these guys represent perversion of desire in some way, how you can weaponize people’s wants against them. I don’t know what that foreshadowing was in the opening scene where they sky opens up and Kazuki is swallowed by symbols of desire, but given everything else we’ve seen, I trust that there will be an answer that I can connect with. Because just as this show is about the connections between its characters, it’s also really fucking good at making connections itself.

And speaking of those connections, god damn it it riveting to watch them play out. Sarazanmai’s made it very clear that there are contradictions in the ways its protagonists are going about trying to make connections; even the goddamn episode titles follow the motif of “I want to connect, but...”, always some unspoken caveat that’s keeping them from truly realizing their desires. They’re all so laser-focused on trying to fulfill their desires that they can’t see the ways those pursuits are harming them, and they can’t come to terms with the underlying desire for human connection that’s subconsciously driving those desires. Kazuki believes that as long as he has his brother, he doesn’t need anyone else, but the nature of the kappa work necessitates sharing his secrets with Enta and Tooi, and his shame at his cross-dressing being found out proves how fragile that self-delusion is. He wants to connect, but he’s hiding behind a false face that keeps those true intentions from coming through, because the mortifying ordeal of being known is too terrifying for him to comprehend. And he’s so committed to keeping up that self-delusion that he’ll even go as far as stealing a goddamn cat for the sake of making his brother happy, hurting himself and his own mental well-being in the process. None of them want to lay themselves bare to such an extent, but they also can’t reach the fulfillment they need without doing so. And the more secrets they reveal, the more impossible that contradiction is going to be to maintain. Something’s gonna give, and I pray to god these boys are ready when it does.

UTTER BANANAGRAMS

So on the one hand, Sarazanmai proves that Ikuhara is capable of telling symbolism-driven stories that still make emotional sense and connect with sincere humanity. That alone is such a load off my chest; with that barrier cleared, Ikuhara’s strengths will have so much more opportunity to actually work their magic on me. And thank god for that, because on the other hand, the real magic of Sarazanmai thus far is that it is utterly, maniacally insane. There’s no other way to put it, this show is off-the-walls lunacy wrapped in jaw-dropping imagination and deep-fried in enough surreal bombast to make Salvadore Dali shit his pants. Every second is throwing something at you, every frame is delightful, every moment is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. The montage in the first episode where Kazuki and Tooi are reacting to the Kappa’s curse, drenching themselves in water and chipmunk-chewing on cucumbers? Perfect. Perfect comedic timing. The dreamscape of the world our heroes battle in? utterly stunning. The transformation sequences as the prince kappa devours the boys to turn them into kappas themselves? Sweet buttery muffins on a crumpet, I lost my shit the first time that happened. It’s simultaneously one of the goopiest, grossest sequences of body humor ever put to screen and one of the single most glorious spectacles of surrealist whimsy ever dreamed up. It’s an explosion of chaotic glee that splatters across the screen like rainbow prolapse fluid, and it’s got more imagination packed into less than a minute than some anime manage in an entire season.

And the animation. Holy fucking shit, the ANIMATION. The opening running sequence was already stunning enough, with enough lavish attention to detail to put KyoAni themselves to shame, but that’s nothing compared to when the action kicks up in the second half; it is INSANE. It’s so bombastic, so fluid, so chaotic, so multilayered, with a million things happening at once and everything exploding at the same time and the camera swooping at a million miles an hour and it makes you feel like you’ve just been blasted out of a jet engine and GOD. My jaw was on the floor in two seconds flat. The speed of the action, the elasticity and punch, the constant barrage of somehow-coherent flashes of imagery and color and impact... it’s gobsmacking in every sense of the word, and it sells the utter insane delight of the epic flight, the driving dance moves, the million-moves-a-minute transformation sequences, the rushing tides of color and energy, and the sheer chaotic glee that filters through every last goddamn second. OH, AND DID I MENTION IT’S ALSO A MUSICAL? BECAUSE IT’S ALSO A FUCKING MUSICAL. Christ, I don’t even know what happened to me when they started singing, but I’m pretty sure I ascended to another plane of existence. How the absolute fuck is this show already standing toe to toe with Symphogear for bombast and showmanship in just two goddamn episodes?

I don’t know, but I am 100% here for it. Sarazanmai has blown all my misgivings away; it’s an utter triumph in every sense of the word. It’s riveting, it’s mind-boggling, it’s stunningly crafted, but above all else, it’s human. And I can’t wait to see what else it’s got up its sleeve. You’ve won me back, Ikuhara. Now let’s see how far you can take me.

Odds and Ends

-...okay, this OP is fucking spectacular.

-Two reactions to finding out you pissed off a kappa prince: pray not to be cursed, or get ready to throw down with a slide rule.

-”I refuse.” “Wha? Is that safe to do?” I love them already.

-THE FUCKING SPOTLIGHTS AND THEME MUSIC FUCKIDGN

-”Today’s topic: Seriously? Flying boxes?” askdjhaksdh HELP

-Okay, the cop’s theme music is fucking swing.

-”Can I wish for a year’s supply of cucumber rolls?” See, this is why you always go for the tuna.

-Fat Cat gonna get high as fuck, yo.

-”Want to deal with this tomorrow?” GOD DAMMIT I SHIP THEM ALREADY

-It is unreal how well composited the ED animation is onto the live action backgrounds. That’s some Roger Rabbit-level shit.

Holy crap, here we go. Bring it on, Sarazanmai. Let’s make this a goddamn ride to remember. See you next time!

[hibiscus-tome]

consider: a Mawaru Penguindrum AU

The mercenary girl falls. 

Edelgard watches it happen in excruciatingly slow, painful detail: first the bandit’s axe comes down, and there is a shrill cry as a fountain of blood lands on her, but none of it is Edelgard’s. The girl crumples, her face dreadfully pale and her pupils blown wide as her knees fold under her, and it’s all Edelgard can do to hold on because this wasn’t supposed to happen.

She says nothing, when one of the Knights of Seiros gently pries the girl away from her. She says nothing when Alois’s voice goes oddly soft as he talks to the girl’s father with one hand on his back. She says nothing when the girl is rushed to the infirmary and the archbishop herself goes with them, delicate hands clasped tightly around the girl’s father’s shaking hands.

She says nothing, as the girl quietly dies there.

/

Byleth. Her name was – is – Byleth. Dimitri learns her name too late, hours after the healers pronounce her dead. A lifelong mercenary, loved by her father. Her father, the former captain of the Knights of Seiros, looking anything but knightly as he falls apart just outside the room where his daughter died.

Dimitri is no stranger to self-criticism, and so he welcomes the whispers at the back of his mind that claw their way to the forefront – that he should have been faster, stronger, better, and then maybe that girl would have survived.

Another ghost, just as cruel as the rest – crowding his head, refusing to let him rest.

Edelgard and Claude do not weep for her, and Dimitri wonders if it’s because none of them had known her before she died for them – but Claude’s eyes are oddly distant as he stares at something or maybe nothing by the window, and Edelgard continues to pick at her hands where the girl’s blood had once been.

–they’re in school, for the goddess’s sake. It was supposed to be safe here. No one was supposed to die; no one was supposed to die for them. 

“They say the former captain will be rejoining the Knights of Seiros,” Edelgard muses, her voice cold. 

“It’s just as well, I suppose,” Claude sighs, and Dimitri very deliberately does not ask: what else does the girl’s father have, now that his daughter is gone? 

–and by the goddess, if he could only go back in time, tear that bandit apart limb from limb before he could come anywhere near that girl – something, anything to get her damned voice out of his head–

–and then, against all reason, the girl sits up. She does so completely on her own, even though she’s supposed to be dead. Her eyes are a brilliant green as she stares, unseeing, ahead.

Claude clamors out of his chair, a high-pitched curse on his tongue. “Wh-What?” Edelgard gasps. “But you were just...” She slowly, shakily, makes her way towards the girl, lets her hands hover by the girl’s shoulders–

–and Dimitri can only stare in horror as the girl’s green, green eyes widen and she cries out, “Survival Strategy!”

/

The first time it happens, it sends Claude’s heart racing into his throat. It doesn’t get any easier, after that.

The mercenary girl Byleth, who was dead less than a moment ago but now apparently is not, stands before them in a fluttering black dress that looks out of place against the stark white of the infirmary, her arm outstretched as she hollers, “Imagine!” at the top of her lungs. It’s not her, not really – the battle where she had died is a blur, but Claude can remember that her eyes hadn’t been quite so green, or so sharp – that that great golden headdress that tangles in her hair hadn’t been there, either.

“Listen, you lowlifes who will never amount to anything,” she says in a voice that is both hers and not. 

“What is the meaning of this?” Edelgard demands, struggling against the golden chains that suddenly bind their hands.

“But you were...” Dimitri gasps, his face utterly pale. “No, that’s not possible...”

“I am not the girl who fought alongside you,” says the girl who is not Byleth, behind those unnaturally bright green eyes. “I have come from the destination of your fate.”

“And just what is that supposed to mean?” Edelgard retorts shrilly, her perfect composure splintering with every step that not-Byleth takes towards them.

“I have decided to use my powers to temporarily extend this girl’s life,” says not-Byleth. “However, everything in this world has a price. I will be claiming the price for her life now.”

“What price?” Dimitri cries. “What could you possibly want–” The last word fades into a scream, as he falls away from them all.

–and not-Byleth’s green, green eyes drift between them both. “Let’s initiate the Survival Strategy.”

/

When it’s over, Byleth blinks, heavily, and her eyes are a dull, opaque blue. The great golden headdress is gone, and so, too, is the fluttering black dress in favor of the simple white shift that Professor Manuela had slipped onto her in the absence of her now ruined armor. Dimitri grasps her hands so tightly in his that he very nearly crushes them. Edelgard smiles, surprisingly gentle, as she wipes at her eyes.

Claude allows himself a moment to take this all in, before heading out into the hallway and retrieving the girl’s father. He used to be the captain of the Knights of Seiros, if Alois is to be believed – but there’s nothing knightly about the way he all but flies into the room and sweeps his daughter into his arms. “Don’t ever do something so stupid again, do you hear me?” he says into her hair, and his voice shakes so much that Claude can’t fault him for it.

At the door to the infirmary, Archbishop Rhea smiles. “Thank the goddess,” she says, serenely – and for one absurd instant, Claude wonders if she knew – if she’d heard what Byleth had said when the girl had seemingly not been there at all, as if there was another person or entity entirely behind those brilliant green eyes.

Claude looks at the great golden headdress that sits atop Rhea’s head, and wonders why a random mercenary girl, whose existence seemingly none of them knew of until just a few short hours ago, would have something so similar.

[mahou-furbies]

so we know your favorite mahou shoujo group designs, but which magical girl has your favorite individual design?

I can’t pick a single favourite design, but here’s a list of ones I really like, in no particular order.

I love Princess Tutu, she has such a lovely and soft design that’s distinctly ballerina but also strange enough to be a magical girl. Especially the weird hair is wonderful. She also pairs well with Princess Kraehe, but I suppose that doesn’t answer the question about individual designs.

Also while I have zero emotional attachment to Sailor Moon, I have to say that the titular character has an amazing design. The odango hairstyle and the sailor collar style are simple but memorable. And now in 2019 her red-blue-yellow colour palette definitely stands out since after her it has apparently been decided that little girls absolutely have to like pink the best.

I also know very little about Balala the Fairies, but seeing Jellyfish Balala on my dash makes me very happy every time so I suppose I really like her design too. Which is a pretty good achievement from the Pink Girl!

MagiPro has a ton of incredible designs, but I’m going to be a bit boring and say that the main character’s is my current fave. Snow White uses magical girl design elements and specifically looks like a magical girl and not just any fantasy character, but also manages to avoid the worn out cliches, and there’s nothing stupid about her look. Real shame that Marui-no has been changing her hair from platinum blonde to a more pinkish shade...

Then there’s Princess of the Crystal from Mawaru Penguindrum, who in all honesty I don’t even really consider to be a magical girl, but she gets to be on this blog due to some vague connection to magical girl tropes, and most importantly an amazing design.

Lastly Tsukurotte Piature, where I love the pink girl’s fresh and unique and a little silly look. I was so bummed out when I learned this wasn’t an actual show…

And then some honourable mentions: Sugar Sugar Rune also has super cute and distinct art style and the author has design sense on the same level as CLAMP (+Vanilla’s poofy hair looks so soft and lovely), but I like that more as a whole and can’t pick or really even remember an individual design. Creamy Mami has a super appealing colour palette. Also all of Aoki Ume’s designs are really good, but I’m not exactly passionate about any single one out of them. And then there’s Stocking from PSG; I don’t really have an opinion on the dress but I love her hair. Finally a shout-out to Kazumi from Kazumi Magica whose design I would otherwise put in top tier, but the fanservice aspect is just so stupid that I can’t ignore it.

[shima-draws]

Shima can you pls hit us with some anime recs?? ówò

OH YELL HEAH I GOTCHU FAM

Putting all this under the cut because inevitably it got long lmao

Eden of the East

Eden’s one of those animes where you start watching and then decide you’re not going to stop until you finish it. It’s absolutely binge worthy and has such a unique concept with a lot of mystery and romance sprinkled in here and there!

Eden of the East is about a girl named Saki who goes to Washington to visit the White House. There she meets a boy named Takizawa who, for some reason, shows up completely naked, and just had his memories wiped, so he has no idea who he is. As Takizawa and Saki start to bond, Taki starts to put together the pieces of his past. Apparently before his memory got wiped he was involved in a “game” with 11 other people, and each of them were gifted 10 billion yen to attempt to change Japan for the better. Taki discovers more and more about the person he was before he wiped his memory–he might have been involved in terrorism, that’s great–and he and Saki start falling in love with each other and it’s really. Really soft.

It’s 11 episodes, and then there’s two sequel movies after that!

Mawaru Penguindrum

ONE OF MY PERSONAL ALL TIME FAVORITES…MP is such an underrated series and it’s so unique and just out there. Everything in this series has symbolism, though it may not seem like it upfront–everything has a deeper meaning! The series pretty much rides on symbolism and reference to other media in the background.

The story follows twin brothers Shouma and Kanba Takakura, who live on their own with their terminally ill little sister, Himari. In the first episode, Himari passes away, but is miraculously revived by a strange spirit inside of a penguin hat. The spirit demands the brothers find what’s called the “penguindrum” in order to keep Himari alive. The siblings are gifted with the help of three strange penguins who are invisible to everyone except for them. Their search leads them to a girl named Ringo, who has a mysterious diary that can apparently “change fate”. Believing this to be the penguindrum, Shouma gets heavily involved with Ringo’s schemes to chase her one true love, Tabuki, who also happens to be the twins’ teacher. (Which, inevitably, ends in disaster lmao.) As the series goes on the themes get darker, as the twins discover more about their parents’ past and their involvement with a terrorist act many years ago. 

I should warn you that while MP is VERY good, it definitely gets…weirder as it progresses, and darker, like I said. There’s a couple triggers I should warn ya’ll about if you plan to watch it: (minor) incest (Kanba kisses Himari in the first episode and that’s like. The extent of it), attempted rape (a character wants to become pregnant with a guy’s child, but they’re stopped before they can go through with it, and there’s also another one with two women), terrorism, sexual and physical abuse, and…I think that’s it? Wow I honestly forgot how dark this series is tgnakdsasda

Anyway I highly suggest it, it’s one of my favorites, but it’s definitely…strange, and not for everyone. You have to have a certain taste to really take to MP, but I promise it’s worth it, especially since Shouma is baby and I would do anything for him and his stupid pretty long eyelashes

I love these boys so much they’re so sTUPID

This one’s 24 episodes!

Kobato

This one is absolutely ADORABLE and soft and a very feel-good anime. If you wanna sit down and relax with a lighthearted series with romance and slice of life definitely go with this one!

The series is about a girl named Kobato who wants to fulfill a lifetime wish of going to the place she wishes to go. It isn’t really specified where until the end of the series so I won’t spoil ;) In order to do so she has to collect the healed fragments of people’s hearts inside of a bottle. However, she has a time limit–one year to complete the task. Unfortunately, Kobato is ditzy and naive, which leads her into a whole bunch of troublesome situations, and this makes it hard for her to connect with people. She’s guided by her partner, a little dog plush toy named Ioryogi, who was apparently cursed and trapped in that form due to his meddling in the affairs of the heavens. If Kobato completes her mission, Ioryogi will also be allowed to return to his original form. Kobato soon learns that being herself–honest, kind, and sweet, is the way to heal people’s hearts. She gets involved with a kindergarten and begins working there to help out the principal, Sayaka. Also part of the kindergarten is Fujimoto, a very handsome yet sarcastic man who is very closed off from everyone. As the series progresses, Fujimoto’s initial irritation and annoyance with Kobato fades away, and they start falling in love. 

They’re so cute I LOVE THEM 😫

This one is 24 episodes as well!

Senyuu

Of course I’m going to suggest Senyuu do ya’ll even KNOW ME

For those of you who don’t know, Senyuu is one of my all time favorite series in existence–unfortunately the anime doesn’t even cover the good parts of it, as it only adapts part 1, which is just the beginning of the whole mess. I’m still going to recommend it nonetheless!

Senyuu’s about a hero named Alba and the royal soldier assigned to him, Ros! Alba’s more of a wannabe than anything, and can barely hold his own against super low level slimes. He’s sarcastic and witty and acts as the straight man in a comedy routine with Ros. Ros, on the other hand, is sadistic, snaky and rude, and his favorite pastime is teasing Alba incessantly. Together the two of them are out on an adventure to find the Demon Lord, who was apparently sealed away a thousand years ago by the Legendary Hero Creasion. The Demon Lord released tons of monsters into the human world, causing problems for everyone. When they do encounter the Demon Lord, however, they discover that she’s actually the granddaughter of the original Demon Lord, and that the appearing monsters were caused by a mere accident. Alba and Ros decide to help the girl, Rchi, find all of the monsters and send them back to the Demon World where they belong. They go after the Big Twelve, the most powerful demons in existence, and end up in a lot of trouble regarding a conspiracy in the kingdom!

Senyuu’s basically a comedy until the last few episodes where shit gets Real and secrets are revealed! If you enjoy the anime and want to know what happens next DEFINITELY read the webcomic, part 2 is my personal favorite and where a whole bunch of crazy plot twists happen. 

There’s 26 episodes, they’re only about 5 minutes a piece, so you could finish the entire anime in about 2 hours 👌

And that should be a good start for now :0c If you guys need more suggestions hmu again, I’m happy to share my good collection of shows to watch ;)

[subliminalcherry-blog]

can we talk about how Enta feels more like the main character than Kazuki does atm?  I mean, from the preview trailer, he gave off lead vibes but Kazuki is supposedly the lead. Tooi feels the most left out so far so I hope he gets more focus on his character but they’re really pushing for Enta. Enta apparently has a lot of songs (?) or something according to the track list I saw a while back so maybe he’s the stealth lead character and Kazuki is a decoy lead? That has happened before. Or Ikuhara doesn’t know how to balance his characters out. He didn’t do that bad a job when Mawaru Penguindrum had 4 main characters but like... Himari was kinda unimportant, tbh. So I guess she doesn’t count. 

Enta honestly is my least favorite of the 3 of them. I don’t like his design or personality (Or What I’ve seen of it rather) so the fact that he’s getting so much attention is ehhh...... 

... regardless I hope they adapt the Reo and Mabu manga into an OVA when Sarazanmai ends. 👀

[fernysbasement]

THE THREE EPISODES THROWDOWN Where we sing and dance to Luis Miguel’s AMVs.

Shoujo☆Kageki Revue Starlight

Yes it’s a Revue review, which isn’t quite a pun, since revue is indeed the origin of the word and both mean simply “see again”. Which would be a wise step before writing an analysis, especially for this series. TOO BAD.

 Now, the other meanings of revue are that of “magazine”, perhaps because that’s what they were for initially, and in English, revue theatre consists of shows with several acts or a combination of several skills in an act, which is what most concerns the Japanese variety and thus, this series. The main inspiration for this work, in every sense, was the Takarazuka Revue company, the first all-female group focused on western stories, born at the beginning of the 20th century in contrast to the classic all-male Kabuki theatre, as a touristic incentive produced by the Hankyu Railways. Though not the original intention, this has obviously become iconic for many a women looking for empowerment and a sense of personal expression. Funnily enough, this line of theater developed in a much more cabaret-like fashion in South America, where the “teatro de revista” (magazine theatre) is usually a mix of lousy comedians and voluptuous women in skimpy, yet flamboyant outfits.

So this is what “dressed to kill” means.  

Anyway, Revue Starlight is about a bunch of performer girls in training at a prestigious academy, where the usual Japanese intensity and group effort is compounded with the theatre’s competitive nature, all towards the Zero Position, the place in stage for the number one star… which is apparently still one who plays male roles. Japan. In particular we focus on Karen and her estranged childhood friend Hikari, who, as kids, swore they would become stars, then got separated for years while Hikari went to study at the best British academy, and now they reunite to fulfill or utterly mess up said promise.

I come to kick ass. From England. 

Well, I’m the queen of bland, so there. 

Production-wise… it’s spectacular. Design, animation, music, singing, it’s all top notch. There’s theatre imagery everywhere, there are creative uses of forced perspective, lighting, shadows, props… you name it. And it’s quite consistent so far, all the more so during the audition-fights, which are as dynamic and detailed as the best.

Truly a cut-throat industry. 

But then there’s the most interesting, confusing, bombastic and fantastic element of the story, the underground revue. This are casting auditions, but also a rather dangerous tournament. They sing and dance, but also actually fight. This is the way the roles are determined, but it’s also a secret. This has every sign of being metaphoric, but the series makes it all too clear it’s absolutely happening for real. Everything else in the series is pretty much a realistic depiction of the struggles of theater training, except for this. I have to assume the idea here is that it works as representation of the feeling of theater itself, a land of contradictions. You compete with the people you share the stage with, you delve deep into the fiction of the stories presented, you confuse reality and fantasy at times, maybe? I should point out I know very little about any of this and I’m so very much NOT the intended audience for this. Also there’s a giraffe overseeing the audition tournament, because… yeah. I guess it’s a stand-in for a Kirin, which is a sort of good-luck fantasy creature. Or because the staff really like beer, dunno.

 The other thing I should point out is that the director, Tomohiro Furukawa is a protégé of Kunihiro Ikuhara and worked extensively in Mawaru Penguindrum and Yuri Kuma Arashi. This is immediately apparent in the somewhat surreal nature of the audition tournament, very reminiscent of Ikuhara’s debut, Revolutionary Girl Utena, which itself was deeply influenced by the revue theatre, so you could say what goes around, comes around. The shocking use of color, music and a “transformation” scene full of mechanical action, all feel very much like the work of Ikuhara indeed. However, these elements and the place of this fantasy within reality are what worries the most about the future of the series. Even more than the fact that there’s not a single man in the series because it’s a Bushiroad idol production, so any interaction makes the fans combust. (I’M NOT KIDDING, LOOK IT UP)

As for the writer, it’s Tatsuto Higushi. Let’s say he makes very compelling ecchi. Have you heard of Cross Ange?

Why make it so very clear that the deadly auditions are happening, if there’s no way they are real? And why not show a level of reaction to this reality that corresponds to its fantastic nature? Why not show this world isn’t as normal as it seems in any other way than that? It’s a unique kind of uneasiness that also stems from the fact that both the realistic and fantastic sides of the story don’t just aim towards the same goal, stardom; but also involve almost the same skills, with the glaring exception of combat. And sure, in the end, the winner simply has to take out a button holding a cape, but it sure looks like they are trying to kill each other for the most part. Usually, fantastic elements work by either making sense in the context of the series or having an uncertain nature that makes it clear they are metaphors. None of those options quite apply. Also, I’m concerned that there’s very little symbolism in the “transformation” sequence, and it’s mostly just an spectacular depiction of the making of clothes and putting on makeup.

 So, I guess I hope the series manages to become more compelling in both fronts, particularly in the interpersonal conflicts, since all the characters still feel rather stereotypical and the yuri overtones (probably not his fault, but hey, another Ikuhara staple) will probably amount to nothing relevant. The most interesting aspect, in the context of revues, is that Karen, the protagonist, wants to become number one to share the spotlight with… everyone. Or at least with Hikari. That would be a drastic change from the current and real system, and at least that’s a theme that seems like it will be explored in depth.

[22degreehalo]

So I was tagged by @strawberryeclaire to do my top 5 anime OPs!

1. Mawaru Penguindrum season 2

The full song is honestly a blessing from God and deserves to be appreciated in its own right, and when combined with the amazing colourful, stylised aesthetics of this gorgeous anime, this was a shoo-in for number one.

2. CLANNAD After Story

Seriously beautiful song, seriously beautiful visuals, perfectly capturing the wistful, romantic tone of the anime. I’ve never not appreciated watching this. (BTW, if only to sate my pettiness: if we were including VN OPs, Little Busters! would win by a mile.)

3. Princess Jellyfish

A more down to earth one than the others on this list, but the earnest, quirky style of this one is just SO pleasing that as soon as I remembered it for this list I had to smile!! It captures the spirit of these great characters so well, and the song is so catchy and relatable!!

4. Yami to Boushi to Hon no Tabibito

If you’re like any sensible person out there, you’re probably like ‘huh?’ Because yes, this is an OLD one - one of the original yuri anime out there, and one I suspect hasn’t stood the test of time. (And even at the time, the ending drew criticism - although it’s not too different from a number of other yuri anime out there...) But, I had a memory of the song from this one being really good, and when I rewatched it, I had to admit the entire thing is absolutely fantastic - the fantastic visuals, the editing, the overall atmosphere - just a really good OP!

5. Yuri Kuma Arashi

Okay, another Ikuhara - and I was reluctant to add this as well for that reason. But, shit, man. Everything about it is just SO GOOD - the visuals, the song, the plentiful yuri - it can’t be denied this show is My Aesthetic in like ten different ways and this OP shows them all.

Honorable Mentions:

Fruits Basket. Darn it, I really intended to sneak in this one on the end there, but apparently there’s a five embed limit, foiling my plan!! Anyway this OP made a huge impression on me back when I was an anime newbie and hoenstly, the unique, heart-breakingly bittersweet feel of it still hits me to this day.

Mahou Shoujo Lyrical Nanoha. Just watching this almost made me cry ;__; admittedly this is more because of nostalgia than any inherent quality but who cares!! I love it!!!

Little Busters Refrain. Objectively speaking I still can’t put this on the same level as CLANNAD (*grits teeth and glares at KyoAni eternally for not producing Little Busters!) but re-watching this made me so fucking mad all over again that nobody watched it :’))) so uhhh the emotions are there!!!!

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinju. The song is SO FUCKING GOOD and the visuals are SO CLOSE but I still feel like they could’ve pushed it further into making it AMAZING.

Chihayafuru. Nostalgia again ;____; (Why am I getting so nostalgic, this was only like three years ago??? But Chihayafuru is so god damn good...)

Yuri!!! on Ice. I still have Complicated Feelings about this anime but. I’m listening to it right now and I want to cry. The song is so.... so good, and the visuals as well... this probably also could’ve been no. 6 on the list tbh.......

Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko. I genuinely regretted watching this anime beyond the first three episodes (which were good!!! It’s just all the rest that was pointless lol), the OP is genuinely really Weird in a thoroughly enjoyable way. And the ED is in some ways even better IMO!!

(Though if we’re bringing in EDs, I can’t possibly not mention Inu Boku SS’s, even despite me never having seen the show. It’s just too impossibly CUTE!!)

.......................that’s really much more than I was supposed to give, isn’t it;;;;

[trit34]

Novembre en mangas !

Bonjour à tou·te·s !

Vous savez, les apparences sont parfois trompeuses. Regardez : en faisant mon planning du mois, j’avais l’impression que novembre serait, sur ce point aussi, un mois particulièrement inintéressant (je vais pas vous redire à quel point je n’aime pas ce mois, je l’ai déjà assez répété)… Et pourtant, voyez plutôt : 12 mangas, 1 LN et 2 coffrets d’animes ! Là, c’est plutôt copieux !

Au programme de ce mois, pour les mangas et light novels :

Attache-moi ! (Nana & Kaoru), tome 18 (enfin, c’est fini !!! Pour la série principale, en tout cas…).

Au grand air, tome 4.

Citrus, tome 8 (reporté…).

Éclat(s) d’âme, tome 4 (le dernier !).

Freaky Girls, tome 6.

Gate : au-delà de la Porte, tome 9.

Mawaru Penguindrum (roman), tome 1 (après de nombreux reports…).

Métamorphose (Henshin) : le grand retour du hentai chez Taifu, avec du ShindoL pour commencer !!!

Stop !! Hibari-kun !, tome 1 (un très ancien titre encore inédit chez nous, et ce sera d’autant plus intéressant, au vu d’une des thématiques abordées… :3).

Un échantillon d’amour (Renai Sample) : et on continue le hentai avec Homonculus…

We Never Learn, tome 2.

Your Name, Another Side - Earthbound, tome 1.

Yūna de la pension Yuragi, tome 6

Et côté animes :

La famille excentrique (Uchōten Kazoku), intégrale S1-2.

Witchcraft Works, intégrale TV + OAV.

Honnêtement, j’avoue avoir été surpris de voir les hentai de Wanimagazine arriver déjà chez Taifu, même si j’avais lu l’annonce en son temps. Et même si Métamorphose ne sera pas le plus gai des ShindoL (ouais, je spoile, mais tout le monde l’a déjà lu chez le panda triste, alors bon…), je vous annonce d’emblée que décembre nous apportera un titre de Gunma Kisaragi ! Un nom qui devrait être familier des amateur·rices de vanilla décomplexé (et consenti, c’est important) en milieu lycéen et qui aiment aussi les jeunes filles avec une coiffure hime et une frange parfaite ! Ça fera un beau cadeau de Noël, hein ! :D

À dans un mois ! o/