#oooh is the other title you mention an anime too or is it manga?

[wolfchans]

Apothecary Diaries is so underrated. I love Maomao's humour, her wit and she is absolutely stunning.

Ohh I heard the news season starts in January. So I hope you're ready for more of Jinshi and Maomao.

Apothecary Diaries kind of reminds me of "Raven of the Inner Palace". It's about a special consort who unlike other consorts does not sleep with the emperor. She uses her powers to help solve mysteries around the palace and helps sprits 'pass on'.

Yess! I saw the trailer for the new season on my YouTube recs and i wanted something to watch bc the animes I was following this season finished already so might as well give it a chance! I love the OP of the first part, i didn't know it was for this anime! It's one of my favorite songs 🥹

I adored maomao 🥹 when they turn her into a kitty when she's excited about poisons is sooo funny and cute, she's totally cat coded 🙂‍↕️ I also really loved how they didn't push too much with a relationship with jinshi, I mean I guess it's gearing up for that ? but I really enjoyed that the show didn't focus on the romance too much and more in maomao solving puzzles about the things happening in the palace and just being generally being a badass

I also found it very funny how jinshi is just a simp, mao just glared at him and he instantly went 🥰😍 the weirdo

I'm super excited for the new season!!! I wanted to keep watching sooo bad, the episodes flew by 🥹

[prettyboykatsuki]

Oooh, what are your favorite animes then??

*puts on my annoying weeb hat and cape on*

well since you asked..

i have watched many anime in my life because i didn't have any friends growing up and was on the internet for a long while b4 was normal so my list is a very very random fucking assortment of an me. my top ten is a mess but these r reccs where im like. if u think anime is lame.. Watch These

also this list won't include anime like hq, bnha, kny, aot, jjk, any of the big three or rlly anything that came out more recently i dont think since you probably already have seen those animes b4

ALSOO i didn't think it fit here but another anime i love is silver spoon - its a farming anime with a rag-tag group of characters and it's near and dear to me. my favorite slice of life ever.

tldr ;; if you don't wanna go through the list, number 3, 8, 9, and 10 are the must watches imo.

IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER,

ARI'S ANIME RECCOMENDATIONS!

PLEASE PROCEED W CAUTION AND LOOK UP WARNINGS - a lot of these are super dark!!

1. baccano - a fast-paced non-linear mafia anime that follows the storylines of several interesting and charismatic characters in the prohibition era in the states. has elements of surrealism and gets pretty violent albeit it's a little slapstick. i think this anime is fucking fantastic. think the story-telling is brilliant and interesting.

2. zankyou no terror - a psychological anime about two japanese teenagers responsible for a giant terror attack using a robot named sphinx. despite the title and the intial episodes - zankyou no terror is not an anime about terrorism but about politics and reflections. its really great but i can't tell you much about it without spoiling it.

3. inuyashiki - this anime is a fucking mess and it is incredibly dark. the same death note air but with a lot more sarcasm and black humor slash comedy. the gist is that two men encounter robotic powers. while the older of the two mcs finds that being responsible and heroic is important despite his pathetic life - the younger more apathetic one immediately starts fucking killing people. 😭. home to the iconic "do you watch one piece scene."

4. psycho pass - one of the first animes i ever watched and im genuinely really elated that ppl are watching it. about a society where everyone's thoughts and feelings are carefully monitored and how that reflects onto their careers and lives in general. very dark and has a lot of content warnings, but it's great.

5. durarara - this is a very biased opinion but i think this is one of the best animes ive ever watched. i couldn't pin why. i think the cast of characters is absolutely stunning but i also enjoyed it a lot conceptually. it's a gang anime with supernatural elements but it's honestly hard to explain other than that. still so fucking good though.

6. say 'i love you' - this is a random one i know. but it's a romance anime between a subdued highschool girl and a popular highschool guy. seems very generic but the characters and world-building are real and raw and every single person has a story. from a writers perspective it's brilliant and yamato was a childhood crush for me. there's a lot of discussion with one character about eating disorders as an fyi but god. god. we deserved another season but the manga is good too.

6a. honorable mention on great romance anime is maid-sama. don't let the cover fool you - our main lead is a badass but she works at a maid-cafe. one of her classmates happens to catch her. very sincere romance that i highly reccomnd.

7. cowboy bebop - this anime is literally a classic, so i don't feel like i have to tell you to watch it. probably one of the greatest animes that will ever exist. space cowboys kickin' ass and a goddamn fucking banger if i've ever seen it. of everything here - a must watch.

7a. honorable mention - gintama. one of the funniest animes ive ever seen but it's hella long. hijikata is goddamn funny though.

8. samurai champloo - this is . ONE if not THEE best fucking animes you'll ever fucking watch. this anime is witty, charming, historical - with an iconic cast of characters and some of the most funny and wholesome interactions you'll ever witness. mugen is cynical and badass and his dialogue and swords skill will keep you engaged no matter what. essentially two samurai and a waitress end up being fugitives in edo-period japan and it's just so fucking fantastic. please watch it.

8a. honorable mention - afro samurai. similar samurai concept with the coolest mc you've ever met. more shounen-y if that's your thing.

9. mushi-shi - this anime changed my life. no joke. this anime is probably my number one influence on me as a person and as a writer. it is slow-paced and episodic and it follows the story of a man named ginko. mushi are the main element in the world, they are small creatures that can't be seen to everyone. this is one of the best animes ever imo. it's not for everyone but if you like something a little more subdued and sentimental - please check it out.

10. steins gate - this anime is probably one of the only animes that people universally agree on being a must watch. follows the story of a mad scientist and talks about subjects of time travel and a secret society. the execution of the tropes in the show are done flawlessly. objectively one of the best on the list. very.. melancholy? psychological? but so fucking good. a good watch if you liked death note or psycho pass.

THIS WAS SOOO hard to write. im sure no one cares but this list is very near and dear to my heart with anime i think is fucking incredible. if you give even one of these a watch - please talk to me about it!!! i have so many more even w/o the honorable mentions but yes... Yes.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 238: Shigaraki Tomura: Tattered Goth Remix

Previously on BnHA: Young Shimura Tenko killed his whole family, as angsty young misguided antagonist characters sometimes do, and then proceeded to wander the streets feeling all sad about it until All for One just happened!! to come across him and was all “oh you poor thing it looks like you killed your whole family by accident, let me just adopt you and raise you to be my own personal killing machine.” We got some more flashbacks showing just how this transformation took place, plus some answers about the hands that kind of just raised more questions though tbh, and watched as little Tenko made his first premeditated kill after a number of effed up AFO pep talks. AFO then rechristened him “Shigaraki Tomura”, and we learned that Shigaraki is actually AFO’s own last name. The chapter ended back in the present day, with Tomura reflecting on how his family’s death wasn’t really a tragedy after all and ended up setting him free. We’ll have to agree to disagree, kid, but in the meantime have fun fucking up Re-Destro and dealing with Gigantomachia’s rampage!

Today on BnHA: Re-Destro tries to smash Tomura at 100% and absolutely nothing happens. So then he summons a bunch of robot armor bits like fucking Iron Man, and levels up to 150%! Tomura could not care less, because he’s leveled up to be one of those “yawn, is that all you got?” bad guys now, and while RD desperately tries to intimidate him, we briefly check in with the rest of the League. Everyone is freaking out at how quickly Machia is destroying the Liberation Army, and Compress calls Ujiko and frantically begs him to warp them all to safety. But Ujiko is all “nah” and says he wants to drive Tomura into a corner. Meanwhile Gigantomachia finally takes out Dairy Queen, since Dabi was doing fuckall, and the chapter ends with Tomura possibly killing Re-Destro?? To be honest it’s really unclear. For all I know the dude just dropped dead of a heart attack from all that stress. In fact, now that I’ve typed that, I kind of think that’s what did happen. Anyway! The point is I’m pretty sure the battle is finally over.

(All comments are my unspoiled reactions from my initial readthrough of the chapter. I did a quick edit for grammar and clarity immediately afterward, and added one or two ETAs in the process, but aside from that there are no changes.) 

so I mentioned this in an ask post a couple days ago, but this recap is a day late because I was out of town this week. consequently I’m behind on my asks and other things as well (I know, what else is new), so I’m sorry about that!

also! @temperatezone informed me that there’s yet another BnHA spinoff coming out, and that the preview chapter debuted last week! so I went to check it out, and holy shit, it’s a manga all about the U.A. kids teaming up with various pro heroes!!!!??!! between this and the new anime season coming up in just two months (it’ll fly by) and BakuDeku: Heroes Rising coming out in December, I feel like I’m being fucking spoiled with BnHA content. and I didn’t even mention the 2nd light novel which just had its official English translation released last month! so all in all it’s a lot of good stuff, and I desperately want to recap chapter 0 of the new spinoff as soon as possible, but it’ll probably be a few days unfortunately, unless I decide to be very irresponsible and do that instead of the piles of work I should actually be doing. we’ll see which impulses actually win out sob

fortunately Jump is on a break next week if I recall, so that’ll give me some time to catch up. anyway let’s start this thing before I manage to procrastinate anymore! so the new chapter is called “Liberation”, probably after a certain army

and the chapter is picking up where we left off before, with Tomura taking his Father Hand out of his pocket and saying he doesn’t need it or any of his other hands

ooooooh

maybe the title isn’t referring to the Liberation Army after all! or just one of those cool double meaning things

oooh man

god but that is satisfying. is there anything more satisfying than seeing a character you’ve been rooting for finally reach out and take control of their own destiny? ahhhh yessss that’s the good shounen shit right there

lol Re-Destro

he finally scared you into using your ~full power~, huh? punk

don’t mind me I’m just appreciating how much of a total badass my boy here is

your move, RD. personally if it were me, I wouldn’t want to fuck with him anymore! but hey your funeral bud

hmmm

the last few chapters have been so well-drawn that I’m starting to think I was maybe getting spoiled. I wonder if Horikoshi will re-do these later for the volume release

anyway so it seems like what’s happening is that RD is trying to hit Tomura with another Almighty Bitchslap and Tomura is not having any of it, basically

oh wow

and this isn’t even the Gigantomachia damage. will there be any pieces of this town left larger than a toothpick once all is said and done here?? stay tuned! but the answer is no

so the rest of this two page spread is just more panels showing vague high-contrast images of the destruction. we’re also briefly cutting to Gigantomachia! and to Dabi, who is still fighting Pinkberry, and like, dude, come on. finish him off already

and now the dust is clearing after that latest clash, and would you guys fucking look at this dramatic bitch though omfg

Shigaraki Tomura: Tattered Goth Remix. you look like the cover of a Bauhaus album. thank god this arc isn’t set somewhere stupidly dark, like, say, a basement

lmao Re-Destro is so mad

once again I would like to point out that you invited him here, you overconfident dishrag

so now Tomura is casually conversing with him

Tomura did you burn one right before this battle. you’re so fucking chill all of a sudden. gotta say that if someone had asked me “what do you think it would take to get Shigaraki Tomura to mellow out” before this arc, I probably would not have answered, “hmm, well maybe flashbacks to his horrific childhood and the violent deaths of all of his loved ones”

well at any rate, watching Re-Destro progressively freak out while Tomura makes more (ﾟ⊿ﾟ) faces is my new form of sustenance, guys

“you seem a bit rattled. a bit ill at ease. perturbed. something’s got you in a tizzy, huh.” ⊂( ・ ̫・)⊃

(ETA: okay but rereading this here, he keeps talking about his heart pounding, and then he goes and summons a fucking robot suit that actually raises his stress on purpose. so like, I don’t know? but I vaguely recall reading a theory on reddit a few weeks ago that RD was going to have a heart attack and it looks like it could really be the case. or not! that last page is really inconclusive.)

and now the Re-Destro flashbacks that absolutely no one asked for! of course!!

-- OH MY GOD

I’M DYING I CAN’T. SEND HELP

Iida I’m so sorry. all this time I have been teasing you and calling you a 40-year-old man, when this whole time it was actually Re-Destro who Benjamin Buttoned his way from his mother’s womb

is he related to the Alpha Kid from the adventures of the Babysitter’s Club? he can’t not be, right? what else could it be? two characters just happening to vaguely resemble one another in a purely coincidental manner?? are you even hearing yourself?! get out!!

um hey, so what the actual fuck is happening

...Krestro??

lol what. Horikoshi Muriel Kouhei, did you seriously just give this fucker Hulkbuster armor. do you just have a list of Marvel comics tribute shit that you check off as you go

so apparently this suit jacks his power up to one hundred and fifty percent! wowwwwwwww

but meanwhile Tomura is all just

what would it take to faze new Toked Goth Remix Tomura, I wonder

sob omg

goddammit now he’s going to want one. Ujiko you’d better get on it

oh my god you guys

I’m starting to feel really bad about all of these nice Twice clones who are being so helpful and are just going to end up dying in the end omg

also, if someone ever asks you, “should I read BnHA,” you can say, “well that depends, how much do you like scenes of characters with two broken arms getting piggyback rides from other characters?” and they’ll be like, “that’s really specific, does that... happen often,” and you can be like, “well it’s officially happened more than once, so”

like, it’s a whole thing now I guess. also, ouch

anyway so Real!Twice is concerned that Machia is having far too easy of a time kicking names and taking ass, and he’s trying to regroup with the rest of the League

oh my god Compress, seriously?

League of Ungrateful Sods, is what you guys are. he’s trying to help you guys out!!

lol Dabi you fucking liar

no you fucking weren’t, you were going to keep fighting him for a million more years. your fight was going to make Goku VS Frieza look like a 15-second Youtube ad. once again, you guys should really be more grateful here

(ETA: why did they even invite Dabi lol. all he did was fight offscreen and have zero (0) flashbacks. fucking tease.)

so now Compress is calling Ujiko and asking him to warp them out of there

what...?

he’s absolutely 100% making this up, right?

lol yeah now even Compress is calling him on it

right, Compress??

okay now Ujiko is straight up telling him no

oh, this is good you guys

Ujiko, I don’t know how to tell you this but while you weren’t looking, the dude hopped on a fucking golf cart and drove his own damn self. and now appears to have made himself pretty damn comfortable in that corner too

oh is Halo Top finally about to fucking die??

the cornerstone?? really?? holy shit, it really is remarkable how thoroughly unprepared these guys actually were in the end

anyway so now more action panels are happening

did Machia kill him? it looks like he survived but just went flying

and what the hell does Hanabata think he’s actually going to be able to do. drive his van at him? give him encouragement??

anyway I guess we’re wrapping this up now, and we’re cutting back to Tomura who’s saying something extremely cool

it is kind of like that. except that it’s bullshit

anyway so it looks like he’s touching the ground and using his decay again and holy shit is this it???

!!!!!

YOU GUYS DID HE JUST DISINTEGRATE RE-DESTRO OH MY GOD. JUST LIKE THAT!!??!

YOU GUYS I HONESTLY CAN’T TELL, ALL I KNOW IS TOMURA TAPPED THE GROUND, AND RE-DESTRO HAD A WEIRD PANEL WHERE YOU COULDN’T SEE WHAT WAS HAPPENING, AND HE HAD A THOUGHT AND IT WAS SUDDENLY CUT OFF, AND THEN WE CUT TO GIGANTOMACHIA WATCHING AND WE COULDN’T REALLY SEE ANYTHING OMG

but can you imagine, though?? “one single strike”?! like oh my god, there wasn’t even any fanfare? if he really did just kill him that is pretty much exactly how I would have wanted it to go down tbh

at any rate, it’s safe to say life just got a hell of a lot more dangerous for our Actual Protagonist with this new power-up. shit. oh my god

well I guess that’s it! does that mean this arc is gonna wrap up next chapter. because I’m also going to be away the 16th, so I’ll be a day late in doing that chapter too. I s2g Horikoshi, if you finally cut back to U.A. on a day that I’m not able to read the chapter right away, I will... well actually I’ll be pretty happy regardless, but secretly I will also believe it’s some sort of conspiracy against me. so just know that

[scummy-writes]

ashleymeowtese replied to your post “Well now that we know you like vocaloid, do you watch any anime??? If...”

I think the first one you mentioned is Seraph of the End and the one about the god wanting a shrine sounds like Noragami, I really like this one! Yato is so funny. FMAB is one of my favorites!!! I really recommend picking it back up now that you’re older!

I’m thinking of watching Bungo Stray Dogs sometime soon, all the characters look very interesting~ I often watch anime with my little sis while eating noodles!!! It’s a great bonding time! 

I love bsd ajhbfsdjbf The anime hasn’t caught up with the manga yet, but the manga is still ongoing! I love it a lot. Dazai is my fave but he’s.....a pos ajhbfsf, But yes!! You were right about the titles I couldn’t remember! Haha I have...such terrible memory. Apparently the god in Noragami has the same VA as a character in BSD! That’s actually how I started watching it, haha. I showed a friend BSD and then they were all “OMG THATS ___!!! LETS WATCH THIS SHOW TOO!”. I really wanna watch it again soon but we’re both so busy TvT.

I might add FMAB onto the anime list with my bro. Right now we’re just watching BNHA because we dropped the p5 anime, so it’d be nice to have something to fill that slot. (I’m also glad I’m not the only one who nerds out like that with their sibling ajfbshjfds)

crytalstellar replied to your post “Well now that we know you like vocaloid, do you watch any anime??? If...”

Fullmetal Alchemist is so Good!! I semi-marathoned Brotherhood and it's just plain amazing! I've never personally watched it but if you liked Madoka then I heard Yuki Yuna is A Hero is a good show that's similar. on a separate note I recommend Eden of the East. It's one of my favessss.

Oooh!! I’ll have to try the Yuki one and look into the other one! I think Madoka is one of those good shock shows. Like you think it’s all cutesy and then you’re like “What the f u ck” by the third ep. I also really loved the uhhh...the witch art stuff! Very cool!!!

[todokori-kun]

Ok:

Luna, you’re the best. You’re smart, you’re talented, you’re dedicated, you’re creative and caring, a wonderful listener, so much fun to debate with, and the best friend anyone could ever ask for. I’m so grateful for everything you’ve helped me with ever since we started talking; I respect your resolve. You’re unique and amazing, and I’m so, so sorry this is happening to you.

I won’t go into detail because it’s a complicated story that’s also way too long, but I’ve sort of felt that way before too (thinking it might be better if I just disappeared/wishing I didn’t exist/feeling worthless). It sucks.

I don’t know if this’ll help, but just know that I’m always here to listen if you need it. You can Email me (though I guess that’s probably not an option lol) or just, like, I don’t know, maybe post something on the blog like ‘Evans can we talk’ and I’ll definitely see it and respond because I stalk this place 24/7 (Evans is a creep please don’t encourage her). I’ve also been considering finally getting a tumblr so maybe we’ll be able to PM each other sometime.

There’s absolutely nothing to apologize for. It’s really brave to talk about stuff like this (I never can). And if there’s any way I can help, please, let me know.

  (Also, funny story (it’s actually gross and is basically just Evans whining about stuff):

I know from experience that stomach-related sicknesses suck. When I first started taking swimming lessons I was an idiot with zero stamina who could barely swim halfway across the pool without coming up for air, so needless to say, I ended up gulping a ton of water (especially since my teacher didn’t go easy on me; mom told her not to because I’m a sloth and I usually won’t do any exercise on my own besides simple stretches and some walking/running). I mean, the water in swimming pools is usually a bit disgusting, and it’s even worse where I take lessons because it’s a pretty old place and I don’t think it gets cleaned that often… so not only did accidentally swallowing it trigger my clean-freak senses, I also ended up with a terrible stomachache. I thought it was fine, that it would pass. But then I got a fever and every other thing I ate made me feel like someone was twisting my intestines from the inside, I couldn’t even lie down and rest for a sec because whenever I moved or tried to change positions it got even worse ;p; (also my mom never let it go, she kept jokingly 'reminding’ me that water from a swimming pool is not something you should drink after I started swimming again. I guess I kinda deserved it, though. I was an idiot))

That sounds so lovely <3 I’d really love to go visit Norway myself sometime, though I’ll probably have to wait a few years (my mom has back problems that make it painful for her to stay in one position for too long, so long plane/car rides are a huge no). And oooh if you have any good pictures I’d love to see them :D

Thanks, I’m glad I managed to explain my shipping reasons (like it’s so hard to properly talk about why I ship stuff sometimes XD)! I would give anything to have you join me in Stoki hell so let me just recommend basically the entire Remember This Cold series (it’s angsty as heck so proceed with caution…there are bits of humor and fluff in there, though, and then some extremely rare (almost) pure fluff fics. Like the one where Steve wants to propose but is a nervous bean because Loki’s a PRINCE and he wants to make it perfect). I’ll also try to find some more good fics later becase I can’t remember any titles right now ^^;;

YES ANOTHER T'CHALLA FAN I adore this guy (also I feel like he has a really cool voice. Not really sure why, it just sounds so nice). I really respect him for his attitude towards Steve and Bucky after he figures out Bucky’s not the real murderer, and how he later stops letting his anger towards his father’s killer consume him.

We’ll fangirl over the Black Panther movie together when it comes out, won’t we *schwing*

(right after I wrote 'schwing’ I got this mental image of Hisoka having his glowing, expolsive schwing moments after seeing T'Challa. And then Hisoka schwinging in theater while watching MCU movie fight scenes. Why am I like this)

I can draw, but I don’t know how to animate so these memes will never be a thing ;-; it’s so sad, I’ve got everything planned out…everytime eyes are mentioned the screen zooms in on Illumi’s eyes (yes even when Illumi’s not in the song because he’s a Zoldyck assassin, you can’t keep him out) and the word 'eyes’ gets the weird treatment where all these high/low/metallic(?) voices get layered so it sounds like the creepiest thing ever

('History has its eyes on you but it’s actually Illumi’ is both the animatic I want to see the most and the animatic I hope will never be created)

Fun HxH facts I want to let you know about:

Kite (AKA Ging’s student and Gon’s big brother figure) is dead and has been brainwashed into being a weapon/punching bag for his captors. When sunshine angel Gon meets the new Kite he lets Kite beat him up and then hugs him, promising to save him (THE FEEEEEEELSS)

Forgot to mention this about Chrollo, but when Kurapika killed one of his troupe (a guy named Uvogin), Chrollo acted all cool and never really talked about Uvo…

but then he had the rest of the troupe murder 2000 mafiosi guarding a building they were trying to get into, and while watching the chaos from afar, listening to their enemy’s screams, he started waving his hands as if conducting an orchestra…

“Uvogin-san. Can you hear it? This requiem we’re dedicating to you.”

(jeez Chrollo we know you’re extra but you can’t just murder 2000 people and play a funeral march with their cries of horror every time you lose a subordinate)

Lastly: There’s a new character named Knuckle who’s like the HxH version of Metal Bat. He is the sweetest cinnamon roll. I love him. I’ll send you a pic later

So um did you hear the news about Hinami

(Queen Luna cosplaying Maka(? or any of the other three MCs)…omg that sounds so awesome)

*facepalm* ok WHOOPS I actually read about that on the SE wiki a while ago. How did I forget about it

Yep! It was so good <33 (Lizzy looks so graceful and pretty I can’t even) I actually found the whole movie on YT but just watched the parts I was really looking forward to seeing animated, like UT’s fight scene, Seb getting stabbed, the rest of the Midford family…(Francis’ hair shocked me. Idk how to feel about it. At first I thought it made her look like an old lady, but then, the more I look at it, the prettier it gets…like, it’s actually a really nice design, but I guess I got too used to manga!Francis lol)

Light is the trash GOD.

(hope you get to read the light novel! As far as I know it’s got a TON of L and Naomi in it so it might make you feel better :D)

Oh yeah, I get what you mean. Light’s reasoning/views on the justice system probably connects a lot to the culture and social issues of Japan at the time.

DN’s probably still one of the easier-to-adapt mangas out there, though, since the themes of justice and questioning the idea of 'greater good’ is something anyone can relate to (and they still botched it, I’m very salty about this and you can’t stop me ;-; even with how terrible Ryuk and Rem looked in them, the Japanese movies were WAY better, and it’s actually pretty rare that Japan makes a good live-action movie from a manga or anime. Apparently the TG movie that came out this year was pretty good too, though :D).

(I apparently somehow accidentally erased the part where I mentioned I actually read HCs/theories about Japanese-American Light on tumblr somewhere….that’s what got me thinking about it.

I agree though, seeing how different cultures would change Light’s character would be very interesting.)

The lack of potato chips doomed the entire Keikaku from the start.

I can see you being similar to Pearl too! I think I’m maybe a bit like Lapis…or possibly Connie. Or maybe Blue Diamond because I also cry way too much (but then again BD actually has a reason to be miserable so)

Those are both cool gems<3 and yeah, they’re both really pretty :D

I was talking about gem 'roles’ back on Homeworld, though ^^;; like, how Pearls are considered servants or pretty accessories, Diamonds are leaders, fusions like Garnet are outcasts, Rubies are 'dumb muscle’, Sapphires are valuable prophets, Peridots are tech experts, Jaspers are soldiers…sorry, I should’ve been more specific OTL

I’d probably be a Pearl lol. I could see myself being a Peridot and being scared to death without a Quartz soldier to guard me but I’m not good with any kind of technology so nah.

And sorry for asking weird questions, I forgot it’s been a while since you watched the show ^^;;

Hey, don’t feel bad about slow replies! Like I said before, I seriously don’t mind as long as you’re ok :D and I’m so glad I’ve managed to help.

('a friend I appreciate’ *ugly sobbing* thank you)

Did someone say suffering?

*'Remember That We Suffered’ plays in the background*

DID THE QUEEN JUST SAY 'Goals’ ABOUT SOMETHING I MADE OMG I’M FREAKING OUT TYSM

Ayyy I’m so glad you liked them! (The Hide pic was painted with the intent to kill)

(last thing:

I’m sorry, this is probably really creepy, but I ended up telling my mom about you because she asked who I was talking to (she knows I have internet friends and has seen me writing messages before). Since I’m only 13 she worries about the people I talk (she knows all my friends on ao3) so I told her some small things like your age, that you’re from Croatia, that you play the piano too and that you mentioned having a sister.

I’m really, really sorry if this makes you uncomfortable, mom just worries a lot and she likes to hear about my friends (like, she worries for my safety on the internet so she has to ask me some basic things about the people I talk with, and when she knows I have a good friend on the internet she sometimes wants to hear if my relationship with them is ok). I’d never tell her something really private but sometimes she wants to talk and I know she worries for me so I do tell her small, random details from our convos.

if you’re uncomfortable with that, though, I’ll stop. Again, I’m so sorry about this.)

And after two weeks of silence, the species finally shows some signs of life.  ;-;

I’m totally not crying.  I’ve said this so many times and you’re probably getting annoyed, but I have no idea what I did to deserve you in my life.  You’re actually the only person I’d told about my current mental state at that time, and I’m so glad you didn’t freak out or just write it away as me overreacting (like my mom did), and it means so so so much to me. Truly, thank you for being here for me. (And not giving up on me, considering how long my replies take ;-;)

I’m here for you as well, though, so if you’re ever feeling down, you can message me ^^ 

Oh, it’d be cool if you’d get a tumblr! I can guarantee my replies would be faster then, since the messages would show up in my notifications...

Also, to brighten things up a little, this is how I picture you at the beginning of the message:

Oh  god that sounds disgusting XD And perfectly describes why I don’t wanna do swimming as a sport. Are you still swimming? It’d be cool if you were, cause it’s a really beautiful sport imo. 

That’s unfortunate... Hopefully you’ll be able to visit it someday ^^

Tbh considering the shit I unironically ship sometimes, no ship is weird enough to be unexplainable. Name a single reason why you ship it, and it’s valid in my eyes. Heck, it can be ‘they look good together’ and I’ll say ‘makes sense’. Y’know why? Because I’m one of those ppl who will ship it if they so much as look at each other.

ok fun fact: I’ve loved T’Challa since I was like 8, because every summer, there would be a weekly publication of superhero comics, and Black Panther was almost always there, and I was a nerd even then, so I’d always buy them. Other than Spiderman, Black Panther was my favourite superhero. 

Lololol I need the HxH Cast watching MCU movies. Oh yeah, I found this a while ago and immediately thought of you:

Amazing... If you ever learn to animate, please send me a link, because I will pay money to see that. Just. I’m not even into HxH, but I’d give up a lot to see the crossover XD

Ouch, that seems like a lot of feels... Seriously I have no idea where you get the mental strength to read to many angsty moments...

um, yeah... i have actually... but um, she’s alive, right?

Turns out I gave my skirt I’d used to charity, so until i find a replacement, I can’t take any pics... well, at least i can grow my hair out to Maka’s length till that happens XD

I adore the movie, seriously, the animators did such an amazing job with it, especially the most important scenes. BUT HECK; WHEN WILL WE FIND OUT WHAT OUR CIEL’S NAME IS?? It’s been hinted that it’s quite unusual, BUT THAT MAKES IT EVEN HARDER HNNNGH

Oh yeah, I’m gonna find that novel even if it kills me, because I need the L. 

lol I still haven’t forgiven the movie adaptation of Avatar the Last Airbender. It was so bad that most people (including me are denying its existence). I might watch Death Note some time soon, so I can judge it for myself tbh... 

Of course, the chips were a vital part of the Keikaku... No wonder it didn’t succeed...

No worries! It’s not your fault! Tbh, i dont think id even reached that part when I was watching it, so it’s interesting to hear all the roles...  Aw, you’d be an adorable Peridot ^^

Tbh ‘friend that I appreciate’ doesn’t even begin to describe how precious you are to me. You’re the first online friend I made and the first person I told about my mental state, so honestly, you’re one of the people I feel closest to...

Nah, I don’t find it creepy at all!! Seriously, I sometimes tell my parents about people I talk to, so I’ve mentioned well ^^ It’s your choice what/who you’ll talk about ^^

[courage-a-word-of-justice]

Stars Align 2 - 3 | BnHA 65 - 66 | Iruma-kun 3 - 4 | Shinchou Yuusha 3 | Dr Stone 16 | No Guns Life 3

Stars Align 2

The first episode I saw at the anime club, so I’ve skipped straight to ep 2 for the coverage.

Hmm? I thought this would cut to the OP…it didn’t.

Oh, poor Maki! He has a slap mark on his face!

Why is it uniforms are so gendered anyway? Not just sports ones. (It might be because I’m so used to wearing other people’s hand me downs, regardless of their gender, but…yeah.)

The real tennis-playing dude is Kei Nishikori…LOL.

That’s the 3rd Ishigami for this season, methinks. (The others hail from Dr Stone.)

Come to think of it, the most I’ve ever done in one shot is 10 laps of a court (and that was with lots of practice). 20 would be torture…

The animation…where it goes black and white…that’s awesomeeeeeeeeeeeee, y’know???

I like how Maki’s just splat on the ground without his hands to support him.

Windows tablet with stand. I’ve seen those in stores and catalogues before…they should run Windows 7 at the bare minimum, 8 or 10 if they’re newer.

Maki’s top says “continue” on it. It’s a good shirt for a boy that really does continue, despite his hardships.

I-Is Maki’s mother having an affair…? With Shou? Or is Shou a good friend of hers who happens to be male?

The way Toma wears his jacket…it reminds me of Chuuya (BSD). Pretty badass for a middle school kid, don’tcha think?

Kenkou = health, so a squishy ball is a health ball…makes sense. It’s good for the circulation and all that.

When Toma started explaining the grips…I realised I’d fallen into what I just called the Tsuritama trap…that is, when I watch a show for entertainment and end up learning about skills I’ll never need in the process.

Both boys are righthanded, I noticed.

Didn’t notice at first, but Toma put the ball in his pocket.

Is it just me or is there CGI in this show…? (That’s a feeling I’ve had since ep 1, but haven’t been able to confirm since it’s so well integrated.)

Hmm…I heard there was plagiarism going around with this show’s choreography…I didn’t see the Chika dance in context, so I wouldn’t know if it was copied from there. Still, it’s interesting how the guy on the left (if there is one) generally does better than the one on the right. Some of them just give up in the end, LOL.

Hmm…Hoshiai no Sora means “The Sky where Stars Line Up” or something of the sort…hence, “Stars Align”.

“Even in an ever-changing world, the starlit sky will not change.” – That’s the words that sometimes accompany the title.

BnHA 65

Yeah, how are the League any different to the yakuza anyway?

The interesting thing is that Deku also has “power he can’t control”, but we see more of that narrative.

I love how Mic’s words were put into the visuals too, culminating in the “HA!”.

Okay, so Togata’s pun is that he’ll ittemirio, a pun on his name (obviously) and ittemiro (let’s go see). The English says I Togata see, which keeps his name in there and keeps the level of cheesiness to boot! Good job subbers! (By the way, that pun’s not in the manga.)

I already know what happens in this arc (thank you, free Viz chapters!), so now I have this sinking feeling when it comes to talking about Nighteye…

Apparently Bubble Girl was a winning design from a competition. Sorta like how Horikoshi appeared in One Piece one time and that, you could say, was the start of his career in print (so it’s a legacy in a sense).

Iruma-kun 3

Oh hey, I just realised Asmodeus’s nails are bright red…that’s kinda cute, actually. (In that “boys are hot” kinda “cute” sense, people.)

I have no idea what the lyrics to Clara’s song are meant to be in Japanese…not that I could track down whatever the heck she’s singing anyway.

Okay, so “play house” appears to be mamagoto (literally “mother’s thing[s]” (in a metaphorical sense, playing house is replicating mothers’ chores, so…yeah, mothers’ things), but it’s got the character for “demon” twice instead of what it should have. Hence “murder house”.

Hey, couldn’t you at least make Azz-Azz (as you call him) your husband?(!) (small LOL)

Demonathon = marathon, but with the character for “demon”. That’s actually straightforward in both languages…for once.

The alarm clock is a cute bird with horns!!! So cute!!!

I feel sorry for Opera. Which reminds me, why would Sullivan need a butler if he was living alone?

Whoa! Iruma actually refused before Clara said “please”! He’s growing a spine! So early…(whispers “My boy is growing up so fast…” as a joke)

Clara’s nails are a bright pink…a few shades off from Asmodeus’s red, but still really bright.

*vending machine appears* - Now that’s what I call “getting Yocchan some cold drinks”!

Azz isn’t dressed in white, he’s in pink! Dang colour palette, going against what Clara says!

I just realised Asmodeus wears two jackets…or is that a jacket and a long shirt?

There’s no pun in that segment title…it’s just “Akuma no Otomodachi”.

Poor Opera…it looks like he’s wearing two pairs of pants…or maybe that’s his shirt? Or his boxers? Who knows?...Actually, when I think about it, that might just be his shirt. Sorry, Opera.

Wait…so if most of the demons fly to school, why do Asmodeus, Clara and Iruma walk…? (Well, Iruma can’t fly, but the other two might be able to…) Update: We do kind of address this in the next ep, but that doesn’t answer why Clara hasn’t shown she can fly in that ep.

Oh, if it isn’t Sna-er, Kalego…(LOL) But seriously, Kalego’s hairdo is actually kinda nice for a guy. Then again, I’m the one who likes dudes with long hair, so…eh. I can take it or leave it.

Did Kalego never meet Clara…?

Eggie-sensei…no kidding, that’s what she says. It’s from the –ego in “Kalego”, of course. (But I have no idea if “Azz-Azz” is what Clara actually says for Asmodeus…) Similarly, the school store guy is called Kamukamu-san, so it’s literally “Comecome”...as in “come and buy from me”. Update: Yes, Azz-Azz is what she calls him.

There aren’t a lot of girls in that crowd, Eggie-sensei and Clara…

Eggie-sensei really is shaped like an egg! So fluffy! I wanna plushie of him in that form!

Wait, the sticker costs 333 bills? Iruma’s gonna have to pay for it later…Update: 2 stickers = 666 bills.

“Pay me.” – LOLLLLLLLLLLL! I’m so sorry, Fluffy Snape, but you were hilarious in that scene!!!

Demons don’t even have the concept of “friends”…? That’s…cute! Way too cute!

The mochi Clara refers to is because tomodachi is the word for friend (it has “mochi” in it, see?).

There’s Sullivan’s face on his stamp, LOL.

See? Asmodeus does have black wings like the demons you see in all those morning shots of this show!!!

Dr Stone 16

Byakuya (Senku’s dad)…his face keeps getting censored, even though it’s right there on the spinoff promo material…! *points to the spinoff page on Viz*

The piano music in this scene is nice…I heard the OST is on Spotify too, so I’ll chase it up later.

“Senku, the science guy” doesn’t have as much of a ring to it as Bill Nye does.

Taiju’s just got this proud face, like he didn’t really know what he was doing but he claimed the credit anyway…the big oaf. (LOL)

There’s a banana on Senku’s phone, LOL.

Hmm…where’s Senku’s mum? Did he ever have one?

Shamil’s face looks like Tsukasa’s so much, it almost unnerves me…

[TMS Football Stadium] - TMS is responsible for this anime adaption, I’m pretty sure…LOL.

A Byakuya reboot just started in manga form. I wonder if the Dr Stone anime will cover any of it…?

BnHA 66

Notably, “hero work studies” = hero internships. Those two translations seem to be interchangeable.

Normally, the end of the phrase would be “Boy Meets Girl”, right? There’s an important girl in this arc, y’know?

The contract is kind of hard to read, but I did make out the word “Nighteye” in katakana.

Technically, Midoriya should be in possession of a funny bone - the humerus, y’know??? (<- comically missing the point)

Mirio kinda reminds me of Araki (Area no Kishi), for some reason…it must be because they both like comedy. Then again, Midoriya at the moment is reminding me of Bakugo, because of all the mouth shapes being similar…

This is interesting. In the manga, the scene pointing out Ochako and Tsuyu weren’t going to be at their original internship places wasn’t at the dorms.

Ooh! They’re even foreshadowing Hawks, which wasn’t even in the manga at this stage!!

I do believe this “Hado and Amajiki talking to the students who’ll be relevant to this arc” is also anime-original. Todoroki’s joke was definitely AO (anime original).

Shinchou Yuusha 3

…can we not with the boob jokes??? Rista doesn’t have a flat board, people. Update: She also acknowledges this…we don’t know Aria’s size, but Rista is a D cup.

Oooh, oooooooooooh! I spy a ponytail boy in the back there and me likey! (I guess I’m still feeling a bit bummed out because I attended a wedding yesterday and ended up crushing on a cousin’s younger brother-in-law – precisely because he had long hair, but then he put it up into a man bun and I went, “Nope, I can’t have him,” not to mention he’s married already. Plus the Area no Kishi episode I found today – ep. 30 – had a kinda chubby Araki, so I noped out of it and as a result, I need me some bishonen to appease the eyes. Good thing Seiya does the trick.)

Marth, eh? *thinks about the blogger* Then again, there’s my reaction when it comes to Ariadoa…

Oh, this is like a PreCure dance ED. I see…then it turns out to be Rista’s figure alarm. The logic checks out.

Iruma-kun 4

Seriously, Azz doesn’t sound like he should be Iruma’s age…but that’s part of the joke, I guess. *gets pelted with tomatoes for revealing said joke*

So “The Misfit Class” is technically the “Problem Child Class” (Mondaiji Kurasu), but the alternative reading given to mondaiji says “Abnormal”.

It seems “devi” is an alternative way to say “very” in this show, hence the ED being “Debikyu” (Devi Cute).

I…think these demon ranks may actually be Phonecian letters (which I learnt about from Star Driver)…

That “thinking reed” business I knew from somewhere, but…turns out it’s just a person called Blaise Pascal.

A “heugh”? Wassat? (It just sounds like some noise you’d make when you barf…) Okay, I’m joking, here’s the real meaning: “a steep crag or cliff” or “a ravine or glen with overhanging sides.”

Clara, stop fiddling with Sabrock’s tail…!

Oh, demon birds are cute! Like regular sparrows, only with a different colour scheme! The demonitors are cute too!

So many cute birds~. I’m so spoilt~!

Hmm…if humans cause demons to heal…no wonder they’re delicacies.

Hmm…I suspected this episode would end with a cliffhanger. The plotline was running far too long for just 23 mins.

Stars Align 3

Geesh, Toma’s got a huge bag…Update: (They all have huge bags, what are you saying???)

Lemme guess – I know nothing about tennis, but the best tennis doubles need good communication. I learnt that sort of thing from the Amazing Race, to be real with you.

Come to think of it…it’s always the mother with her unconditional love, huh? Any single fathers in anime? (No, I don’t mean like Father Fujimoto in Blue Exorcist – he’s an adoptive father.)

Judging from the cacti and fossils, Toma likes paleontology and biology. Or maybe that was from Ryoma…who knows?

Toma appears to have green frames for his glasses and then standard black frames.

Dang, it cut in the middle of that revelation! If this were a manga, I would’ve been chomping at the bit for the next chapter! However, it does get finished at the very end, so keep watching.

Update: There’s not a lot of music to this show…not that that’s a bad thing. It’s good for tense moments, in fact.

No Guns Life 3

This OP rocks, man!

Ayatsuri Ningyo = Manipulated Puppet. Or Puppet for Manipulation.

That thing on the door says “best luck” (daikichi). It’s a very Chinese thing to do.

His apron says “meat”. He’s probably a butcher or something.

How does a guy with a gun for a head drink coffee? (small LOL)

I remember someone called Juzo with Basket “a Nezuko cosplay”.

Does Tetsuro’s voice change for the Extended he affects with Harmony?

I noticed in the ED Juzo has an arm missing…must be important later.

I believe Mary’s shirt in the ED says “skill” or “technique” (read as “gi” or “waza”).

[thejpfdude-blog]

The Upcoming Winter 2018 Shows I’ll Be Watching

HAPPY NEW YEAR everybody! What better time than now to talk about the new season’s shows in the annual pre-seasonal post where I describe the shows I’ll be watching/giving a chance from the coming Winter 2018 season! Always a fun time, and fun to look back at and see how wrong/right I was about a show.

A reminder of the usual thing I say in these posts:

I might watch some other shows that are good or drop some shows if they aren’t good, but that’s for the future.

Like always, I’m organizing these shows into three categories: Full Chance are shows I’m giving the whole season towards, Short Leash are shows I’m giving three or so episodes towards, and One Shot are shows I’m giving one episode towards. As we progress towards categories, expect less words for each anime as I lose interest in writing. Also a reminder that MAL links to the shows are on the titles for those interested.

Some words about next season: I know everybody is hyping up Spring 2018 to be THE season for anime (just look at that lineup), but I think the Winter 2018 season has some potential gems. With each passing season I’m getting more and more picky with the shows I keep, let alone give a chance. Even with that, there are 20 anime below, and that doesn’t even include a few I’m sort of interested in but decided to not watch because I already have a lot on my plate. Plus the fact that I’m pretty dang excited for a few of these shows, which might end up backfiring on me in the end because Sturgeon’s Law. Oh well, that’s life.

All right, let’s get this show on the road, starting with...

Full Chance Shows

Dagashi Kashi 2: I legit can’t believe this got a second season. The first season of this show was way back 2 years ago during the first season I started watching seasonal shows, and even then I knew this show wasn’t really that special. Basically the problem with the show was that it was a candy infomercial at its core: the characters and their stories/development were overshadowed by “lol look it’s candy”. The only great thing the show had going for it was the character design, which got nullified for this season since a whole different studio is handling it (Tezuka Productions instead of feel).

But there’s good reason to hope that this installment of the show will be better than the first season. The biggest reason for that is that this time around, Dagashi Kashi is a short anime. Not one of those 3-minute blazers, but a 15-minute half-length short. After hearing that, I had some hope for this show: the first season at times felt like it dragged on with its skits. Hopefully cutting the length will help immensely with that. Plus, there’s a new character which might potentially add more spice to the mix. So you never know, this second season might be pretty good. Or it could be bad. Either way, I have no expectations given how the first season went.

Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san: A bit of (unrelated) backstory: I know this only because the anime club I’m in had the manga as one of the readings for the manga social. Otherwise known as Skilled Teaser Takagi-san, the show is basically about a middle schooler named Nishikata who gets teased by Takagi, a girl who sits next to him in class. In revenge Nishikata tries to tease Takagi himself, but it always ends up backfiring, resulting in Nishikata being teased yet again. From the little snippets I’ve seen/heard about, the show should mostly be comedic with the cute moments and max smug. I’ve seen complaints that it’s very repetitive and that there is no romantic progression, but the second point seems kinda null when you realize there’s a spinoff of the original manga, which is about something I won’t mention explicitly here (go look it up if you’re curious). With that in mind, I’m not expecting too much, just some occasional cute and funny moments that may or may not be repetitive.

Mitsuboshi Colors: Uhh... yeah. Now before you call me a lolicon, let me tell you what this show is about. Basically just three kids living their daily lives exploring the town and all that.

...Wow that doesn’t make it better does it. Well, whatever. The show’s looks to be a relaxing slice-of-life, and that’s something I’m about (as long as it has something else to it like comedy). Fun fact: the manga shares the same author as Hitoribocchi no ○○ Seikatsu, a manga I’m reading right now that I’m really enjoying. Just a random fact, but it’s a good sign that the source at least has good roots.

From the comments I read about it, Mitsuboshi Colors looks to be wholesome, with similarities to Ichigo Marshmallow. Also apparently the kids are savage af, which is both realistic (kids that age are too real) and right up my alley. Overall sounds like a good time, and though I’m trying not too expect too much, I’m wouldn’t lie if I said this was a show I’m excited for.

...So yeah. Pls don’t call the FBI. Yet.

Poputepipikku: I have nothing to say about this show. Seriously, go read the MAL description (or lack thereof) and watch the PVs, and tell me you know what this show is about.

The only basis I have is the 4-koma this is based off of, which has translations somewhere in the web as well as video adaptation things here. I guess if you want a sense of what this show is about the videos are the best way to figure that out. Basically what I get is that this show is one huge meme.

So yeah I’m super down for it. Bring it on. Absolutely no clue what it is, but sure. I like memes. The danker the better.

Saiki Kusuo no Ψ-nan 2: I’m probably less excited for this show than I should be, I admit. Towards the end of the first season, the show felt a bit stale since they added more and more new characters which made it feel like a “too many cooks” situation where it felt like they were running out of ideas with the old characters. I’m a tad worried about this second season because they’re adding even more new characters, as if we didn’t have enough in the first place. Though if there’s anything to be hopeful about, it’s that they’re keeping the format of 5 shorts a week. Definitely the better format than just a compilation episode at the end of the week.

At the end of the day though, this show made me laugh almost every episode, and that’s a rare thing nowadays (DAE sadbois). So yeah, I’m still pretty excited this got a second season and hopeful that the new characters add more depth to the show. Guess we’ll see.

Violet Evergarden: OOOH. It’s time. It’s time to be hyped, but then tell myself to keep that hype down. Because it’s here, ladies and gents. The one I’ve been waiting for ever since May 27, 2016, the day the CM came out (this one). Now is the animation going to be as good as in the CM? Hell no. But man, I’m not gonna lie: I’m super excited for this one. Like SUPER excited.

There’s a bunch of reasons for that: the biggest reason is the involvement of Kyoto Animation. I admit I’m a KyoAni fanboy: I’ve watched most of their shows and with the exception of Musaigen no Phantom World, I’ve liked all of them (and even Musaigen started getting good towards the end). Of course the animation in Violet Evergarden is going to be high quality (that’s a given), but the story is apparently top-notch as well, something a bit unprecedented with works adapted by KyoAni. Most of the LNs/manga that KyoAni adapt are... a bit lacking. From K-On to Chuunibyou to Free, all of them weren’t the best source material. Though most of them were good enough to win Honorable Mention in KyoAni’s annual light novel competition, none won the Grand Prize. And that was the case for the first few years the competition ran: no Grand Prize winners. Until Violet Evergarden won the Grand Prize. Sure says something about the LN’s story. Combine that with KyoAni’s ability to fit a source material to an anime format well, and you get the biggest hype train since One Punch Man.

But what about the plot itself? That was a mystery to me until now, and after doing some research into the story it looks like it’s about a robot/cyborg who formerly was fighting in the battlefield who now works as a “Auto Memories Doll” who “carries peoples’ thoughts and memories and converts them into words“. Apparently it’s similar to Kino’s Journey only with more drama/interesting characters (so most likely episodic). Which I’m down for since I enjoyed Kino’s Journey (well at least the old one). Also small side note: minimal romance until the end, which is fine since I think a romance subplot would distract from the main storyline.

So yeah, I’m on the hype train. But with this big of a hype train, anything less than a 9/10 would be disappointing. So to prevent that from happening, I’m trying to keep myself in check by thinking about the last time I got onto a hype train, which was Mahoutsukai no Yome. And look how well that turned out... “on hold” (though I may pick it up... 5% chance). AKA anything can happen, and because of that expectations are “low” -- but let’s be honest I’m hyped for this. Let’s go.

Yuru Camp△: Let me get the joke out of the way now: LOL DAE READ AS “YURI CAMP”?????

I’m sorry.

Anyway, if there’s one word to describe this, it’s COMFY. The best way I’ve seen this described is a combination of Non Non Biyori and Yama no Susume. And having seen both shows, I can see the maximum comfy this will provide. The plot is simple: cute girls doing cute camping. Slice-of-life + comfy + CGDCT = good stuff for this guy.

Though doing further research, there were some things that turned me off a bit. One is the following words: yuri undertones/subtext. Those two (three?) words have the potential to ruin the show, though it depends on how strong they are. If we’re talking Hibike Euphonium levels, we’re doomed. If we’re talking Love Live levels, we’re fine. Though I wish CGDCTs nowadays shouldn’t feel like they need yuri undertones, if it’s not too overbearing I can just brush it off.

Another thing that concerns me a bit is the studio handling this: C-Station, which doesn’t have the most inspiring list of shows made. Now they’ve done a few full-length shows, but I’ve never heard of them before, so it’s... unknown how they’ll be able to handle Yuru Camp.

A final, nitpicky thing is past experiences. Watching the PV made me feel comfy, something I didn’t feel since... Flying Witch. Which, while comfy, was also boring. Who knows, maybe Yuru Camp will actually have humor to it so I don’t fall asleep while watching it. But generally comfy = boring for me (with an exception being Non Non Biyori), so it’s something to be wary about for me personallly.

Though negatives aside, this show has great potential and it’s one of the handful of shows I’m excited for. Let’s get comfy.

Short Leash Shows

Citrus: Hoo boy... if I have to be honest, I’ll be super surprised if I end up finishing this show. This is one of the few times where I read the source material beforehand, so I can share my experiences and tell y’all what to expect. And let me tell you... expect this show to be bad. I know it’s being really hyped because it’s yuri, but holy melodrama Batman. Now I admit I’m not the biggest fan of yuri, and I haven’t read much works in the genre. But still... even I know there’s a lot of better works out there with the yuri, most of which haven’t gotten an anime adaptation.

There are two main problems with this show. The first is the characters. Specifically one character, the student council pres/stepsister. Her actions make absolutely no sense, and are the driving force of the questionable moments in the manga. Which brings me to the second problem: the drama, which stems from some of the weirdest problems that shouldn’t even be problems. I’d state an example, but that’s spoilers that I kinda want to avoid. This image sums up the manga well in my opinion (thanks to /r/animemes). Add the fact that the yuri isn’t even that good, and you got a dropped manga, one of the few I dropped (my manga list for reference). 

With that in mind, I feel kinda bad for the people really hyped for this show. Then again, most of them are hyped for the yuri, which... I don’t blame them to be honest given the lack of good yuri anime out there. Still... have some standards y’all. Expect this show to be one of the “most disappointing” shows out there.

Darling in the FranXX: Basic facts about this anime: Trigger and A-1 Pictures are collaborating on it and it’s a mecha show. In terms of actual plot, the MAL summary is a pretty good idea of what we should expect. Because otherwise, nobody knows since this is an anime original. Looks interesting enough though, so might as well give it a few episodes and see what’s up.

Gakuen Babysitters: So this looks pretty cute. Basically we got a guy and his brother who gets taken in by a chairman of a school, later becoming the school daycare’s new babysitter. Tragic backstory aside (the guy loses both his parents), the manga is apparently diabetes-level of adorable, which I’m down for. Cute things are cute.

Hakumei to Mikochi: Small girls (9 cm tall) living small lives. That’s basically it. Such a small anime deserves a small description. So I’ll say this: looks to be comfy and laid-back. I’m about that.

Koi wa Ameagari no You ni: And here’s the winner of the “Questionable Plotline of the Season”. We got high school girl who falls in love with her 45-year old manager. AKA the problem I had with Blend S taken to the next level... you would think. But I think if the show does it tastefully, it won’t be too bad. And apparently that’s what it is: a feel good slice-of-life/romance with interesting characters. Plus the fact that it’s not the older guy being all lovey-dovey this time, which helps a lot. This should be an interesting one to keep an eye on, both in terms of the anime itself and the reception towards it.

Random side note: I honestly think it’s kinda sad when the top comments of /r/anime’s thread for the PV of this all talk about Aimer and how they’ll watch the show because of her only. Seriously... that’s some weak reasoning for watching an anime, when only a minute and a half out of 23 minutes is the thing you’re watching for. You don’t see me watching Eromanga-sensei because ClariS did the OP. Just a bit of a personal gripe.

Ramen Daisuki Koizumi-san: As you can kinda tell from the title, the show’s about a girl named Koizumi who really likes ramen, and goes to various places to eat their ramen. I have no idea what to expect given there isn’t much info out there about this, but I guess I’ll expect lots of ramen to be eaten. The way this is laid out, I’m hoping it’s a short, because otherwise it’ll drag on for way too long.

Sora yori mo Tooi Basho: Next to the obvious shows like Violet Evergarden, this is the one show I’m seeing /r/anime announce as a dark horse AOTS candidate. But doing further information, I’m kinda confused as to why. It doesn’t really fit the standards of the typical show that /r/anime really loves (Made in Abyss, Houseki no Kuni, etc.) considering it looks like it’s just a CGDCT about girls going to the South Pole. Though I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s a dark turn that happens given the setting of Antarctica, nobody really knows given this is another anime original. But hey, I’m not complaining. I like CGDCTs. And this season’s got a bunch of them, like...

Slow Start: This one. Plot doesn’t reveal anything special, just about a girl who started school a year late. That’s it.

Background-wise, though, this show has good potential. Same director as GochiUsa, same magazine as a lot of CGDCT anime, etc. I’m not expecting much from this show, but there are points for it to be good.

Takunomi.: Like Osake something something from this season, we have another show about adults drinking. A 15-minute short, has potential but like the shows above I’m not expecting much.

One Shot Shows

Death March kara Hajimaru Isekai Kyousoukyoku: Holy moly, I had the biggest case of deja vu while watching the PV for this show. Just look at the MC for this show: the most generic MC I’ve seen, so generic it literally looks like the MC for that isekai smartphone show that came out a few seasons ago. Heysus Christos, what is this baloney. Seriously, compare these two: here and here. I’m honestly more impressed than anything.

Anyway, the show looks to be your standard generic isekai. Yay. My favorite.

Märchen Mädchen: It’s kind of an isekai... I don’t know, at this point I’m tired, just read the summary. I like the eyes. That’s all I really have to say about the show.

Ryuuou no Oshigoto!: Yeah the summary says it best. A moe Sangatsu no Lion, though I’m sure the only similarities it has with the show is the theme of shogi.

Sanrio Danshi: One big commercial for Sanrio characters. At least that’s the vibe I’m getting. Also shades of shounen-ai. Eh.

And that’s all for this really long post! Thanks for reading! Quick announcement: the newest version of The Week in Anime is probably gonna be delayed a few hours since I’ve been busy being on vacation (yes I’m busy even now). Apologies for that, but it should be a short post anyway since there were only three shows to watch.

Anyways, thanks again for reading, and I’ll see you in the next post very soon!

[chickenball]

My favorites of 2016

I know, this is something that should have been posted back in 2016. But 2016 wasn’t over yet and I needed time to process anything new that could have come out at the end of the year.

Luckily, that actually happened, so this list is justified! :D

Favorite Chinese Pop Album

G.E.M.:  新的心跳

A real “gem” of a Chinese pop album! Haha, sorry. I cannot resist the puns. But seriously, I wrote off G.E.M. as just another HK Cantopop artist in a sea of other artists who sound the same - I actually heard of her through Carlos Douh. But then she sang in Mandarin more and released this Mandopop-only album at the end of 2015. Of course, I only discovered it in 2016, and this quickly received tons of replay on my phone. Her melodies are great, and 再見 is possibly one of the best Mandopop songs I’ve heard all year. The entire album is also amazing - I actually like every track on it.

Favorite Pop Album

Tove Lo: Lady Wood

I blogged about this album not too long ago. Do I need to say more? It’s perfect. Even after taking a break and coming back to it again, it’s still amazing. It’s probably been on repeat the most of any other music on my phone.

Honorable Mention: The Weeknd: Starboy

Favorite Soundtrack Score

Allegiant: Original Motion Picture Score

Joseph Trapanese has come a long way since composing with Daft Punk in TRON Legacy and again with M83 in Oblivion. Here, he’s refined what he started with Insurgent while retaining the tricks he picked up from both collaborations to really make Allegiant the better score of all three Divergent films.

I don’t say this lightly because the honorable mention here was Stranger Things, a two album delight that shined brightly on the synth heavy 80′s inspired tracks. However, it relied on too many established incidental music tropes of filler with no sense of melody at all.

In the case of Allegiant, not much is wasted on each track. Tove Lo’s entry with Scars is also what turned me on to Lady Wood.

Honorable Mention: Stranger Things: Netflix Original Series Soundtrack Vol. 1 and 2

Favorite Pop Culture Phenomenon That Everybody Must Experience

Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)

I am not throwing away my shot... to listen to this album for the millionth time! If there’s one album I must insist on hearing, it’s this amazing soundtrack to one of the best Broadway productions ever. Don’t be like Burr willing to wait for it - sit down and give this a good listen. That would be enough.

Also, it’s the only legal and affordable way to enjoy the musical without trying to score Broadway tickets a year in advance.

Also released in 2015, I wasn’t introduced to it until I was back in Canada mid-year.

Favorite Korean Drama

오 마이 비너스 (a.k.a. Oh My Venus)

What can I say? I was forced to watch this by my girlfriend, my mom, and my aunty. So, I watched it and found myself pulling a marathon.

It hits all the right notes as a romcom without making all the K-Drama clichés. Even the ending was... well, you should see for yourself.

I apologize for nothing!

Favorite Last Minute Surprise Release

Nine Inch Nails: Not The Actual Events

Dammit, Reznor. How could you do this to us?

While the actual EP pales in comparison to the amazing Broken (which Columbia House once described as a “compact slab of angst”), Not The Actual Events tugs at our love of NIN with a raw and ugly sound, straying away from the minimal sound of Hesitation Marks.

Unfortunately, repeat plays aren’t enough to make up for how much I wish this EP was a full album instead.

Favorite Animated Movie

Disney’s Zootopia

It was a close call. I loved Moana to bits, but nothing could compare to this tongue-in-cheek world of furries living life and making racist jokes about other races... of animals.

“Oooh... you see... a bunny can call another bunny, ‘cute’, but when somebody else says it...”

Nice, Disney. I see what you did there. Hiding human flaws in a family cartoon is very clever.

Also, reimagined Disney movie titles like “Pig Hero 6″ and “Meowana” were full of win. Hahaha.

I want sequels, cartoon TV series, comics, viral websites, and more Shakira as Gazelle.

Honorable Mention: Moana

Favorite Netflix Original Series

Stranger Things

Part homage to 80′s kid flicks and part D&D reference, this well-crafted series came out of nowhere. There was something magical about the trailer that made me want to watch it even though I still needed to finish Daredevil Season 2.

From the neon synth opening sequence to the WTF ending, I am so pumped for the next season.

Oh, and I still need to finish Daredevil S2.

Honorable Mention: Marvel’s Luke Cage

Favorite Anime

WWW.WORKING!!

There are gonna be a lot of haters for this, but I didn’t find any of this year’s titles interesting. I didn’t finish Love Live! Sunshine!!, but what I watched was missing the heart of the original cast.

I loved the original WORKING!! series. This follow-up is actually based on the prequel manga and takes place in another Wagnaria franchise location.

The new characters are fun and just as wacky as the original. Here’s to wishing for a crossover!

Favorite Video Game

Hahaha, just kidding. I didn’t play any new video games because they’re stupid expensive nowadays, so I’ve been replaying old titles all year.

Actually, I did play my brother’s copy of Street Fighter V. But would I rate it as my favorite video game of 2016? Probably not.

Favorite Television Season

Orphan Black

Season 4 had some crazy moments. Rachel making her comeback, the shocking fate of Siobhan’s mom, Cosima on the brink of death, lots of Beth flashback reveals, more clones, and more Helena LOLs.

Favorite Movie

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

What can I say? This movie boarded the hype train and delivered on all fours using AT-ATs.

Then it goes to further surprise us with several references to Clone Wars and A New Hope. Disney has renewed my faith in the Star Wars franchise. Bring on the Han Solo movie!

Unfortunately, none of Marvel’s entries this year were up to par. Captain America: Civil War was just Avengers 3 with senseless in-fighting and Doctor Strange had overwhelming magic to compensate for a lack of movie magic.

Honorable Mention: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Favorite Vacation Spot

Noosa Heads, QLD, Australia

With tons of small shops next to a public beach to die for, Noosa Heads turned out to be my favorite place to just chill out.

But honestly? I loved every inch of Queensland.

Favorite Daughter

“MEEEE!” My daughter would say. I’m inclined to agree :D