#the concept of love and his identity and so on. and yuki is very understanding and supportive of course (if not just straight up going ‘oh

[designernishiki]

god I……love club sunshine so fucking much…………

[rei-caldombra]

Yubisaki to Renren Anime Episode 8 and 9 Review - Friends and Lovers.

Back to the lovely world of Yubisaki to Renren, this time covering episodes 8 and 9. As usual there will be spoilers. Also I just noticed while I was finishing this that the flags match the colors of one of the characters they are nearby. If I wanna go into overanalyzing mode maybe the flag positioning symbolizes how Yuki and Rin are very close without any issues between them while the green flag being between Kyouya and Itsuomi symbolizes how there is actually a hidden rift between them. Who knows… I don’t actually think there is anything to the latter while the adorable friendship between the former is very clear. 

Every single character in this show is gorgeous at all times, even in casual mode. We got deep into Shin’s backstory in episode 8, with it explaining Itsuomi’s relationship with him as well as his relationship with Emma. What I am taking away from Shin’s character is that he is very insecure, feeling inferior to Itsuomi. And that still seems to be affecting him now. Both in high school and in the present day, even with Itsuomi being off the table romantically he is unable to be honest with his feelings towards Emma. He is unwilling to be honest because he is assuming he would never be picked over Itsuomi even if he is not available. The girl Shin was dating in high school hit the nail on the head, he tried to use another girl to get over it but clearly could not shake his feelings. This leads to a one sided relationship that she is understandably upset by.

The above dramatic line goes to show how deep his insecurity runs, where he can directly lie to everyone when he has the perfect chance to be honest. This can also be seen as his speaking this out loud to try to convince himself that this is how he should think. I have struggled a lot with an inferiority complex, especially in high school, so I can relate to where he is coming from. It makes it even harder to change the status quo they are stuck in after Emma remarks on how nice their relationship is. The character animation continues to be really good in this episode, the way Shin’s mouth moved when he was hesitating to tell her how he feels accentuates the emotion of the scene by better matching the voice acting. This is a struggle that looks like it will continue amidst everyone else having very successful romantic pursuits as we see in episode 9. 

This is my favorite outfit of the ones they showed at the beginning of episode 9, I love her hair with the black shirt. One thing that a series can do to really engross me in their world and characters is showing them with lots of different outfits in their daily lives. It breathes a lot of life into the characters, making them feel more natural and real. I appreciate when characters don’t seem like they must have a closet full of the same outfit they wear pretty much every day, and have no interest in fashion or expressing themselves. It also gives the audience more displays of the character’s identity and personality. How much this matters can depend on the show, but for slice of life and romance I really think this can make a big difference on immersion. If the characters are in situations where you are constantly looking at them in largely static ways, it is easier to pick up on details like this. In a romance show it can especially matter because they are in situations where they want to look attractive, stand out more or less, etc. It is also better on the fundamental level of making the visuals less samey. Different outfits can be a notable way for people to remember segments of the story too. Another show that does this really well is Demon Girl Next Door. I’m really happy to see this concept that I'm fond of being present in Yubisaki to Renren. 

The sign language bootcamp is such a fun idea that fits perfectly for the characters. This was a great way to create new situations for the characters to be in for romantic shenanigans that feels like a completely natural outing for them. We got some notable progress between Rin and Kyouya and some sweet moments between Yuki and Itsuomi. I adore the moment when they point out random objects in their vicinity and have Yuki translate them. It was so natural and funny. We also got to make the point again of how seriously Itsuomi takes learning sign language while the others are trying but not as serious. 

The mature tone that the show carries when it comes to the romance really comes through with the conversation between Kyouya and Rin. Kyouya has the perspective of someone older (they apparently have not confirmed his exact age so I am gonna go with my gut and assume he is around 6+ years older than them) who is not looking to go through the motions of playing the romance game with lots of people. He was previously in a long term relationship and that is seemingly what he desires. He is the type of person who would only put the time and energy into attempting a relationship with someone he could take seriously. This is a feeling I know resonates with a lot of older people who have moved past the type of thinking you see in romance involving younger characters. The point of not wanting to spend the energy on romance is a feeling a lot of people in general can relate to. It takes a lot of mental energy that is already taken up by everything else in life, which I appreciate the show acknowledging. The maturity of the characters is also shown with Emma directly shutting down her coworker rather than letting his advances drag on. 

Continuing with the above point of emotionally mature characters, It's so nice seeing characters be direct with their feelings in a romance. Kyouya wasn’t certain if he was picking up on her intentions or not, but when presented with the chance he made the effort to bring it up and get the confirmation. Rin was nervous around him but when the situation came up she came right out with her feelings in a way that fit the conversation. He even opens up about his deeper feelings, such as feeling jealous over the phone call and being childish. That last point felt perfect, as even more mature adults still have their issues and insecurities. He may be notably older than the rest of the main cast but he still has things he can be immature over. It’s very satisfying to see characters be emotionally open and vulnerable when they have taken the time to have that openness feel earned through their friendship. I was afraid her twisting her ankle would be used to put off this conversation, but it didn’t really do that. While we did not get a clear answer as to if they are now dating, they both clearly made the feeling known to each other that they are interested in giving it a chance. And I am totally fine with their relationship moving forward in that kind of context. It does not need to be as black and white as dating or not, with their feelings known I am under the impression that they are going to see where things go naturally. Which is a valid way of growing closer romantically. I’m glad we got this focus on Kyouya that really gave us the first proper glimpse into who he is deep down, and excited to see where it goes. Honestly I was not expecting things to go this way. I thought Kyouya was not going to be interested. I correctly picked up on Kyoya’s not being as gung ho about romance, but did not think he was going to be interested in Emma. I do not oppose this development though. And at the end we get just a bit back into Oushi who is also harboring long held feelings that are not being made known. More on that next episode.

And that’s another 2 great episodes covered. This show continues to not have a single dip in quality or have anything I feel critical about. I can’t wait for more! Thanks for reading!

[couldibesomethingmore]

Could I be Something More?

Could I be something more?

This is a blog just for me. The expectation is that absolutely no one is going to read this and that’s kind of the point. To be honest, I’m going through it. Like really, truly, irrevocably going through it. And not in a funny down bad kind of way, but in a soul-crushing kind of way. Yes, I’m overdramatic. I’m aware. I just don’t know anymore. I know, not an original problem but let me cope. I’m about to finish my junior year of high school and am having a quarter-life crisis. Once again, originality is not the issue here. Unlike most people on this godforsaken site, I don’t have an individuality complex. I’m trying to learn how not to be special because I don’t think I am anymore. I know at one point I was, but not anymore. How do I exist if not to revel in my specialness? Heaps of expectations weigh me down and I enjoy it. The pressure to succeed, the lure of failure all make my daring academic feats worth it. This brings me to this very moment. I feel that I could be something more, that I could reach the same heights I reached just a few years ago, that I could try harder. I need to know if this is a delusion. Am I ordinary trying to act as a God? Am I special but don’t try hard enough? Am I deluding myself into thinking I reached greatness in the first place? So I am not articulate enough to tell this to a real person and am resorting to Tumblr to at least speak out into the void.  

Let’s start with the basics, everything I consider essential to my identity. I use she/they pronouns and am bisexual. I’m a white American living in the midwest. I have a mother, father, and 2 older sisters. I have a best friend and a group of friends, but those are separate. My favorite color is blue. I like to read. Math is my least favorite subject, but the easiest for me to grasp. I have a very cute dog. I watch a lot of TV and play animal crossing. My family is upper-middle class. I go to a public high school. I’m a band kid. I like philosophy and fantasy novels. My favorite song is “Cloud 9” by Beach Bunny and I listened to it for a total of 23 hours last year. I value self-expression and independence (this is not to be confused with uniqueness). My favorite show is “Attack on Titan.” My comfort show is “Snow White with the Red Hair.” My favorite movie is “Good Will Hunting.” My comfort movie is the sequel to National Treasure. My favorite book is “The Giver.” My comfort book is The Inheritance Cycle. I am an INTP 5w4. I really relate to Yuki and Rin Sohma. I would like to relate to Ichigo Kurosaki. He gained power for his friends and then gave it up. He does not need to be acknowledged by the world to feel whole. He is complete on his own. I take 40mg of Prozac and see a therapist on Wednesdays. I am incapable of accepting love. No, not because I don’t think I deserve it but because I can’t fathom it. I loathe myself. I’ve never really trusted somebody. More than anything, I want to stand on my own.

Now, what does this add up to? Absolutely nothing. Nothing but delusions of grandeur and good intentions. So, I’m going to start at the beginning and work my way to the present. Maybe, if I’m lucky enough, I can figure some things out along the way.

My earliest memory is from when I was two and yes, I meant the very beginning. I woke up in the hospital it was dark, like really dark and I remember being close to the ceiling. The nurse kept giving me popsicles and I wouldn’t stop eating them. Thinking about my unrestrained enjoyment makes me want to cry, like really badly. I do not know why. The last one I ate was purple but most of them were orange. My Dad walked in with my mother. He had just gotten off of work and was wearing a white collared shirt with brown slacks and black dress shoes. He asked me how I was feeling. I don’t remember anything else. I retained no sounds or smells. However, most of this is probably false. Memory falls prey to suggestion and the only corroborated part of my story is the popsicle thing and the being two thing. Again, is this a normal memory embellishment or am I subconsciously trying to convince my non-existent readers of my brilliance? Do I want people to be amazed at my memory skills from such a young age? Do I want to announce my specialness from the beginning?

I think about this a lot. I don’t know why. 

I’ve also been focusing on Paddington Bear. I had a multi-hour argument with my friend over his identity. Culturally, Paddington is British. This we can agree on. He was adopted by British people, uses a British accent, and was introduced to society by British explorers. However, we disagree on everything else. I say Paddington is a Peruvian bear and therefore an illegal immigrant. He certainly does not have British citizenship. She disagrees. She says Paddington is a British Bear and he is not human enough to need immigration papers. To her, he is more of an invasive species than anything else. To me, he is an eco-terrorist. Also, Paddington uses soap and water to wash his hands. Does he use lotion too? Shampoo? Conditioner? He is also a pervert. He grasps the concept of clothes and actively chooses not to wear them. I am aware that he has no genitals, but it’s a matter of principle. He understands clothes as noted by the wearing of his coat and hat even when the weather does not require him to do so, but does not put on pants. Why? The bear is a sentient being and as such, I believe he requires pants. 

This is all for now.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 9/30/20

Accomplishments of the Duke’s Daughter, Vol. 6 | By Reai and Suki Umemiya | Seven Seas – Another series down to “once a year” release—I had to jog my memory at the start to recall what had been happening. Many things are going wrong for our heroine, who is trying to be strong and tough but is also starting to break down, and I felt that the scenes with her and Dean struck just the right balance of comforting and letting the heroine cry without making her seem weaker. This sets the stage for her comeback, which is extraordinary. (And also has a corrupt Church, a constant in Japanese light novels, though at least here there are also honest and good religious people in it.) That said, eventually Dean’s identity will come out, and I do wonder how this very good “villainess” isekai will handle it. – Sean Gaffney

The Ancient Magus’ Bride: Jack Flash and the Faerie Case Files, Vol. 1 | By Yu Godai, Mako Oikawa, and Kore Yamazaki | Seven Seas – A faerie switched at birth for a human child, Jack never fit in in either world. Only in the mortal realm could she earn money for anime collectibles, however, so she decided to make herself into a tough, capable woman like her literary heroes and set up shop as a detective. Together with her fellow changeling, Larry the werewolf, Jack takes on supernatural cases in New York City. In this volume, Lindel tasks them with tracking down a missing dragon egg. I liked the resources Jack uses to obtain information, which include a dapper theatre ghost and a spell with components of rat whiskers and taxi tires because “Nobody out there knows this city better than them.” I still found this a bit hard to get into, though, especially the parts involving a perpetually tearful off-off-off-off-Broadway actress and her pickpocket boyfriend. Still, I will check out volume two! – Michelle Smith

Black Clover, Vol. 22 | By Yuki Tabata | Viz Media – At long last, this interminable arc comes to an end. I enjoyed a lot of it, but I cannot deny it should have been about two volumes shorter. Most of the book is taken up by shonen battles, with the villain being nigh unkillable, the heroes almost breaking themselves to stop him, etc. Fortunately, the day is saved, and even the Wizard King turns out to be… sort of alive again? Shota fans should be happy. Asta fans perhaps less so—the sheer amount of damage done to the kingdom in this arc means someone has to be blamed, and give Asta has the “dark evil magic” it’s gonna be him, especially when he takes the incredibly obvious bait they use to get him to fight. Oh well, if Asta were smart, this wouldn’t be Black Clover. – Sean Gaffney

Don’t Toy with Me, Miss Nagatoro, Vol. 3 | By Nanashi | Vertical Comics – Part of the problem with titles like this and the other teasing works (Takagi-san less so as Nishikata doesn’t fall into the category) is that they are, at heart, the classic “extroverted girl acts overtly extroverted to bring introverted guy out of their shell,�� and that’s not really a plot that feels comfortable in the Gen Z days, where you’re more likely to say “why doesn’t she just let him be in his quiet, safe space?” And by she I mean they, as Nagatoro’s two friends appear far more often here, which offers some good two-way teasing action, as they clearly see her crush on him, if not why. It’s still sort of hard to read, but if you pretend he’s more OK with it than he actually is, this is cute. – Sean Gaffney

Failed Princesses, Vol. 1 | By Ajiichi | Seven Seas – The concept of “popular girl meets unpopular girl” is a common one in yuri manga, and we do indeed hit several of its tropes in this first volume. The amusing thing is that Kanade, the shy outcast girl, is perfectly aware of how things are supposed to go, and keeps pulling back a bit to try to save Nanaki from, well, making herself an outcast by associating with the wrong people. The best part of the volume is that Nanaki really doesn’t give two shits about any of that, and seems set on making Kanade her best friend… and also making her over, which backfires a bit as Kanade cleans up nicely. I hear this gets a bit dramatic later, but for the moment it’s a cute and fluffy proto-yuri story. – Sean Gaffney

In/Spectre, Vol. 12 | By Kyo Shirodaira and Chashiba Katase | Kodansha Comics – The first story in this volume is another “Rikka tries to make people understand Kotoko is an evil Machiavellian schemer,” this time with one of her ex-classmates, but again the response seems to be “we know she’s a manipulative bitch, but she’s a good person anyway.” The larger story, which will continue into the next book, seems to be a chance to write Kuro and Kotoko as an actual romance, as the man we meet here and his relationship with a yuki-onna… as well as his penchant for attracting misfortune… very much parallel them. That said, they’re very cute together, which is why I hope he avoids the murder charge he’s now being investigated for. Still a favorite. – Sean Gaffney

Interviews with Monster Girls, Vol. 8 | By Petos | Kodansha Comics – The author knows what people want to see, but also knows that the best way to get readers is to drive them crazy by not showing it. We finally get what we’ve been begging for here, as Tetsuo asks Sakie out on a date. (This is after rejecting Kyouko’s love confession, both because she’s his student and also, as he is forced to admit, as he likes Sakie.) The stage is set for the date… and the rest of the book is thus spent with the three main student girls going to Kyouko’s for a fireworks viewing and meeting her family. They’re good chapters, and I really liked showing how difficult Kyouko has it as a dullahan in terms of everyday life, but GOD, please get back to the teachers, I beg you! – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 16 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – The series has gotten to the point where the more rewarding chapters are the ones as part of a larger arc. Not that the one-shot chapters are bad—though Maki’s journey to India may be the most pointless thing in this entire series to date, we do get Chika’s iconic “shut up or I’ll kill you” here. But the larger arcs, featuring Miyuki and Kaguya attempting to date without interruptions, and setting up Ishigami and Iino for a romance—though given the number of limbs broken in this book, and Iino’s own horrible lack of self-awareness, it may be a ways out—are better. This series is still hilarious, but we’ve come to read it more for the heartwarming moments. Heck, there’s even some serious drama here. Very good. – Sean Gaffney

Nineteen | By Ancco | Drawn & Quarterly – Although it was translated and released second in English, Nineteen is a precursor to Ancco’s internationally award-winning manhwa Bad Friends. The volume collects thirteen short comics originally published in Korea over a decade ago which absolutely remain relevant to today’s world. While understandably not as polished as some of Ancco’s later work—one can observe her style evolving and growing over the course of the collection (which is fascinating)—the comics still carry significant emotional weight and impact. Nineteen includes diary comics, which tend to be more lighthearted, as well as harder-hitting fictional stories, many of which also have autobiographical inspiration. As a whole, the collection explores themes of young adulthood, growing up, and complicated family relationships. In particular, there is a compelling focus on the relationships among daughters, mothers, and grandmothers. Some of the narratives can be rather bleak, but a resigned sense of humor threads through Nineteen, too. – Ash Brown

Ran the Peerless Beauty, Vol. 8 | By Ammitsu | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Shoujo manga that has couples getting together BEFORE the end of the series is inevitably going to have an arc dealing with how far the lead couple should go now that they’re dating, and this is Ran’s turn, as she and Akira and their friends go to a beach house Ran’s family owns and have some beach fun. Unfortunately, the cast gets winnowed down one by one until it’s just the two of them… and her overprotective father, who arrives in time to provide the cliffhanger and no doubt ensure that nookie does not ensue. Not that I think it should—these two kids are even purer than the couple from Kimi ni Todoke, and I think they should mature a bit more before going further. Plus, watching them blush and kiss is wonderful. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | Viz Media – Having spent our first volume establishing that our found family can really come to love each other deep down, this volume shows off how they are also, at heart, fundamentally awkward and unable to socialize normally. This is unsurprising—hints of Loid’s life we’ve seen show him as a war orphan, Yor is a contract killer, and Anya basically grew up being experimented on by bad guys. As the school soon finds, this leads to issues. The second half of the book introduces Yor’s sister-obsessed little brother Yuri, who turns out to be a torture expert for Loid’s enemies. As always, half the fun is that everyone except Anya has no idea who their real selves are, and the cliffhanger tells us we’re in for some hilarious family fun. I love this. – Sean Gaffney

Spy x Family, Vol. 2 | By Tatsuya Endo | VIZ Media – After a brief spell atop the waiting list, Anya officially makes it into Eden Academy. Loid is anxious to progress to the next stage of his mission and, believing there’s not much chance in turning Anya into an elite scholar like his agency wants, focuses instead on having her befriend the younger son of his target. It does not go to plan, of course. Anya is very cute in this volume, and I also really appreciated how Loid genuinely listens to Yor and values her input. The arrival of Yor’s brother, a member of the secret police, is going to be a fun complication, and another cast member with a secret, but my favorite part of this series is probably always going to be how much love these three are already feeling for each other. So unique and good! – Michelle Smith

Sword Art Online: Hollow Realization, Vol. 6 | By Tomo Hirokawa, based on the story by Reki Kawahara | Yen Press – The weakness of this manga is the same as always—it’s written to tie into the games, and features several characters I just don’t recognize, which can be a problem given this is the big final let’s-save-the-world ending. That said, this is still a decent SAO title. Kirito gets to be cool and badass, but because this isn’t written just by Kawahara others do as well, and it’s a nice balanced effort that focuses on heroine Premiere. I also really liked the point where all the NPCs are worried when everyone has to log out for several days for maintenance. While I’ll still remember this as the “SAO only everyone is alive” manga, I enjoyed reading it, when I wasn’t confused. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[lightlorn]

ship bias for nev, shizuka, and mercy!

i have the worst takes. ll accepting.

gwynevere:

artovere: fuck my ass, mal really got to me with this one. i always thought there was an interesting dynamic to explore in giving the princess and the knight a shipping dynamic, but mal looked me in my stupid little face and said ‘we’re going to take over your entire brain now,’ AND BOY DID IT WORK. the dynamic of the healing and all-loving and all-loved princess with this revered and honored knight who is slowly losing his grip on his self, his sanity, his goals, nev looking at artorias losing these battles and knowing she cannot heal him, it really adds a deeper layer to thinks. throw in that they started out hopeful and young and both end up the villain of their own story, corrupted by their own aims. damn. damn i love this ship. thank u @abysstaken for my life.

flannevere: the one truly canon nev ship. perhaps my only canon nev ship. in item descriptions, nev left anor londo with this guy, becoming his wife and having at least a daughter with him. what kind of man must he have been to seduce the princess from her tower and legacy in canon? well, i figure he must have been a swell guy, especially on this page’s lore. between the poles of artorias’ fatal fall from grace and oceiros’ partnership rather than love, flann was the sweet spot and her hope. if she had stayed with him, her life might have been a happy one, but alas. duty comes first to my girl.

oceirovere: mmmm ok here’s where we get in shaky territory. i don’t really ship it, and i don’t think it was a romantic relationship. it was a business partnership, where nev could rule while oceiros dedicated himself to his studies so long as he served the divine family. in their final days together, it was an absolute shitshow. mal puts it as ‘oceiros the cucked king.’ but. the dynamic is so narratively rich building off of this, and the fact they had one another’s backs and shared interests up to the point nev fled. it’s a relationship, though not romantic and only once sexual, that i am very interested in working through and fleshing out.

finavere: gwynevere is bisexual and fina was her long term on and off. love and light, what better f/f dynamic is there among the divine? though they were not always together, and gwynevere practiced polyamory behind closed doors, keeping artorias as her secretive main partner... they had a deep affection and respect for one another. where most simply saw a deep and positive friendship, the pair were devoted to one another behind closed doors, in every way that matters in a relationship. cry about it, lautrec.

ciaranevere: listen. they both miss artorias. they both loved him in their own ways. i hc that ciaran mentored artorias and gwynevere’s daughter. why can’t lydia have two mommies since her daddy ran off and got his ass lost to the darkness?

shizuka:

shimaj: oh we hit it out the park w this one. the identity issues, the trauma and the need to defend, the bad person and the one so convinced of their own badness... it’s a delight, lucky. you blessed me with this. there’s a lot of layers to them both under their bombastic, unconventional lifestyles that they’re still trying so hard to shield from the other’s notice. the fact they might actually get one another on some level, the way no one else understands. it doesn’t even have to be romantic -- they’re still ride or die, still repaying loyalty with loyalty. especially once they are at points where they don’t owe it to one another, when majima is no longer their patron and they no longer have an obligation to protect him as an honorable man. i think you once joked that one day when they’re both old as hell and retired, they’re just going to get married because they have nothing else to do, and i think that’s a good summation of the dynamic. slowly working through things together, and getting closer to one another almost against their will.

gensaiyama: shizuka’s gay for kaoru. that’s it, that’s the post. i feel like if there was ever a wlw answer to the buddy cop dynamic, this would be it: law abiding hard ass lady cop who eats yakuza for breakfast juxtaposed off of the convention defying chaos loving defense attorney who has been openly accused of being yakuza otaku in the past. both are in the same game, but on opposing teams. and yet, shizuka has loads of respect for kaoru and what she knows of her department, and thinks a woman like that deserves the finer things. they’re both dfab in a man’s world, after all, chasing the shadows cast by the underworld. if kaoru ever ends up in kamuro again, shizuka’s gonna go out of their way to ensure at least one dinner with this indomitable woman.

yukizuka: shizuka’s gay for yuki. but then, who isn’t gay for yuki? they’re both legendary in the cabaret game, though shizuka operated under a different identity entirely. really they just want yuki to step on them and prove why she deserves to be the alpha host(ess) in the relationship. this is a nightmare that any majima who acted as shizuka’s patron in the host days is having. shizuka showing up in their old host garb is a nightmare that yuki is having, because the ponytail and vintage cut suit is bringing back flashbacks to the grand. and yet, shizuka’s hope springs eternal that osaka’s queen notice them and give into their endless charms.

shizuka/anyone who will treat them right tbh. someone who can convince them the opinions of others and the scorn they faced in the past for their identity and beliefs do not define them. that their heart is in the right place and they’re fighting against an institution they find unjust, and that this is a show of strength and care for others. someone who makes them slow down without making them stop entirely, someone who supports both their career and their own needs outside of ambition. one day someone’s going to love this mess right and i will cry.

mercy:

merhog.

that’s it. i never got on the genji/mercy express, fareeha and mercy fandom intimidated the hell out of me, i kind of called 76 was gay that and the age difference coupled with their dynamic squicked me out, and i don’t know a lot about the new characters.

but the concept of two characters who lost their family to war and made some bad decisions in the years after? the idea of a take no shit woman on the side of the angels staggering the big bad don’t fuck with me type that has never been challenged in his life? i’m really digging it, guys. beauty and the beast. hope vs survival. the healer with the sick. there's so much dichotomy that i want to take a solid bite out of. no, i want to devour it.

[saiangelo999]

2020 T.V Show Tracker

T.V. Shows

The Witcher 

Started 2019 finished 2020. Click here for my thoughts.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

Completed - I really enjoyed the episode with Pimento, that episode was just hilarious. I think that was one of my favourite episodes this season.

Self Made

It was very a enjoyable mini-series. Sarah's story is so fascinating and inspirational precisely because of how many hardships she had to deal with throughout her life. I enjoyed the show and learning more about Madam CJ Walker.

Interior Design Masters

This was a really fun show. I didn’t agree with everything that the judges said, but I definitely had fun watching the contestants renovate commercial and residential places. My favourite episode was when they worked on the stores (not restaurants). I really loved those transformations.

The Big Flower Fight

It was such a fun show! I really enjoyed watching how the contestants used plants to create beautiful and interesting topiaries/sculptures. I loved most of the contestants and was always looking forward to their take on each challenge!

Space Force

It was a fun show! Enjoyed watching it with my sister.  :)

Hannibal

Re-visiting this show from the one or two episodes I watched back when I was in grade 12 and one of my teachers was promoting this show because her friend was an extra in it. But, I really am intrigued by the concept, the way the show is filmed is just so gorgeous for such a gory show and the plot is very fascinating. Anytime Hannibal feeds anyone I get a bit antsy. But Will Graham is just such an interesting character. I have high expectations of the show!

Update: Finished s1 and LOVED it! As I was binging s2 I started to get nightmares and also the plot started to move forward at a snail’s pace (imo) so I will put this show on hold for now.

The Umbrella Academy s2

So I really enjoyed this season of Umbrella Academy because I got to see more of Five kicking ass as a teenager, the character growth of BOTH Diego and Luther, seeing the entire family getting closer to Vanya and the general action sequences of the show. I enjoyed the new characters as well - Lila and The Swedes. I admit my memory of season 1 of this show is somewhat vague, but I found that the ending of the season (its climax to be precise in episode 10) to be somewhat lackluster considering the build-up. 

I really enjoyed was seeing Klaus, Allison and Vanya deal with their respective subplots and that scene in the barbershop with the three of them bonding really was a highlight of the season. Also when (spoiler alert) Ben finally ‘died’ and went to the afterlife that scene was so well executed and emotional and has got to be one of my favorite moments of the season. It was nice to see him helping Vanya out.

The Haunting of Bly Manor

I loved this show! I grew to love these characters so much! I loved Hannah and Owen’s relationship so much.

The Haunting of Hill House

So, I read the book first and wanted to see what the hype was all about. I really enjoyed the little easter eggs to the book in the show, and that ONE SCENE with the ‘Bent-Neck lady’ gave me a nightmare... It was good, definitely an interesting take on the story.

Anime

The Disastrous Life of Saiki: Reawakened

I love how the show constantly shows us that Saiki will tolerate anyone for the sweet sweet coffee jelly. I need more of this show!! Please give me more episodes @Netflix.

Haikyuu!

I love it. I understand the hype now. I really enjoy how they show the lives of all the people in the show, the ‘extras’ on the team, the opponents and give us a glimpse into their lives and their stories. I finished season two and am looking forward to more! It’s honestly so hard to be rooting for just one person in this show and I love that.  Finished 2 seasons so far. Will get back into it eventually. I’m honestly jealous that I can’t play volleyball rn.

Mob Psycho 100

This will probably take me a while to finish as I am planning to read it before watching it. It’s so so lovable. I love Mob and I would do anything to protect him. Also I really like Regen’s protectiveness and genuineness towards Shigeo. It’s just a great manga/anime. Finished season one. It is so addicting! I love Mob and Reigen so much! <3

Update: finished season two. Man watching this show makes my heart grow 5 x as big every time I watch it! It’s just so endearing, fun, comedic. I love how season two really just show’s Shigeo’s growth throughout the season. His speech to Shirazawa at the last episode and how it came full circle - loved it! I also was surprised by the red headed son (Ryu?) in the best way. I hope we see more of him in the next season. Can’t wait for more!

Fruits Basket season 2

Can’t wait for more crying. 🙃 I am really looking forward to seeing Yuki’s character development and his relationship with Machi and Kakeru developing. Also looking forward to seeing Momiji growing and more moments between Kyo and Tohru.

Update: Love seeing Yuki’s arc in the anime format. Seeing him reach out to his brother, Hatsuharu and the student council peeps and grow is so rewarding to watch. Looking forward to more and more Kyorhu. One wish is that, I wish with this season we could see Momiiji change physically a bit more but I’m holding onto hope for that near the end of the season. 

March Comes in like a Lion/ 3-gatsu no Lion

It’s not my usual type of anime to watch as it is so slice-of-life, but in a weird way it really reminds me of My Roommate is a Cat except after I watch it I want to play chess or learn shogi. Of course, Rei has depression and a lot of issues he needs to work with, but the sisters are just so sweet and the moments that they show up to take care of him are so heartwarming. I love his self-proclaimed ‘best’ friend and rival - Nikaidou. I just really love how he’s drawn, his personality and when he shows up in the show it definitely perks me up. I really enjoy seeing him develop as a character and as a person. I am somewhat sympathetic to the plight of his foster sister but where I am in the show (finished s1) I absolutely loathe her. I really like seeing  how many people are around Rei and watching him tackle life and grow. Looking forward to watching s2!

The animation is very interesting. One thing that I am not sure if it is deliberate or not is how the characters’ facial expressions (mostly the way the mouth is in close-ups) are drawn to me seems very ambiguous to me - I can’t quite understand what emotion is being conveyed.

Update: Started s2 and man the bullying storyline with Hina is so sad.

Teasing Master Takagi-san

DNF. Just started it randomly. It’s very cute.

The Great Pretender

I started it cuz it was short and seemed like fun. It has darker undertones than I expected going into it. On the Singapore storyline.

Wotaku

This was very short and binge-able. I liked it, it’s fun for what it is.

Dramas

Never Twice

So idk if I’ll actually keep up with this as it is a guilty pleasure atm. I just started it because I liked some of the tropes that the show had (found family, sweet male lead, baby being doted on etc.). I am enjoying the gifs of the show. The plot is very... boring and I do recognize that for the most part the female characters don’t have much intrinsic motivation or identity outside male characters... 

05.2020 Update: DNF. 

Crash Landing on You

I am really enjoying it so far. I really like that both the female leads are just very powerful and interesting on their own. Really like how the found family trope is being used. The romance is cute (a bit much at times imo). I still can’t get over how Captain Ri heard her suicide tape and just went ‘oh we are fated to be together’. That was... an interesting interpretation of the tape...

Also the whole thing with her being in N. Korea is hilarious and really the drama asks the viewer to really suspend disbelief to enjoy the show but  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Update: Completed. Enjoyed it overall. Wasn’t the best drama I’ve ever seen but REALLY loved the female leads in the show. Seo Dan and her family are just SO adorable. Can’t believe Gu Suengjoon was killed just as his relationship with Dan became so cute. One qualm is that this show does the whole near death thing WAY too many times with the main couple for my taste. 

365: Repeat the Year

Interesting premise and it has Nam Jihyun who I love. Looking forward to more and hoping it will keep my attention. I can’t believe that by episode 10 that the serial killer was revealed. I mean, I’m still invested in the show but that definitely caught me off-guard.

Finished it! I am really glad that they reduced the total amount of episodes because I felt that the ending was well done - not too rushed, not too out there (for the show). It was a very good ending for the show! I recommend it to anyone interested in a sci-fi/thriller. Overall, it was a fun time! Very engaging and would appeal to anyone interested in thrillers. I do have ONE gripe about the show which is a spoiler but it did not prevent me from enjoying the show. 

Love with Flaws/ People with Flaws

Finished! I started it cuz of a random compilation I saw on Youtube with the show and the gifs of it here and there and it’s decent overall. I would say that out of the many kdramas I’ve seen in this genre, it does stand slightly apart from the rest because of how each character is portrayed. I feel like there were no overt archetypes for the characters and I especially liked how they portrayed characters relationships. I liked how the siblings’ relationships were portrayed, and I really ended up loving the female lead’s eldest brother. He’s just so sweet and kind and I love how he does his best to take care of their entire family. It was definitely sad to see at points knowing that Cha In Ha committed suicide, but his character in the show was just so well done and important! Also his boyfriend is literally so pure I love him. As usual Seulgi just makes me go  😍😍.   

Nobody Knows 2020

It’s really good - very dark and bizarre. The shady foundation’s motivations are a mystery to me, but that hotel owner is a very interesting character. I will get back to it when I can handle more pain.

Update few months later: The twists and the turns though. Wow. I love all the children and how (so far) they are all portrayed as victims of circumstance. They are so sweet and I appreciate how Eun Ho, Dong Ryong and Min Sung’s relationships progress throughout the show. I’m also enjoying the character development of Sun Woo (the teacher/heir to the foundation). It’s also nice to see Cha Young-Jin begin to slowly open up. I’m enjoying the show a lot so far and am very intrigued by Baek Sang Ho’s group.

Final update: FINISHED it! Really loved this drama a lot. I love how all the characters are written so lovingly with so much depth to them. I liked the way the plot unraveled, I liked how all the relationships developed in the story, I loved the way forgiveness and morality were discussed. It was a really good drama and I am missing it already!

Chicago Typewriter

A re-watch. Man I love this drama. The three leads and their relationship is just adorable. 

I hope that in Shin Yul’s world/afterlife or whatever they can be happy together. <3 

Oh My Baby

I started this out because I was extremely bored and saw a few gifs of the show. It seems promising. Don’t have super high expectations of the show tbh. I do like the main couple though! They are adorable, nervously awaiting how it will conclude.

Update: Skipped a couple of episodes (4?) and went to the end. It ended up alright, very open ending and somewhat realistic. I’m glad the main characters were able to put their relationship above their disappointment in being infertile.

Strangers from Hell/ Hell is Other People

I really enjoyed it!! - If I were to recommend it to anyone I would recommend they go into it as blind as possible to enjoy it to the fullest.

So... I had no clue that this show was ONLY 10 episodes long, so imagine my surprise as the events that have been put to play begin to climax, I checked and was surprised that it wasn’t a 16 episode drama. Anyways, this drama had superb writing, directing, acting and fight scene choreography. Everything came together to really make this show have such a dark, creepy atmosphere that intensified as the episodes went on. I loved how the show portrayed how Yoon Joon Yoo/O’s mentality was tested to the breaking point. Tbh I thought he was slow in the beginning of the show (episode 1-2), but turned out that he did far better than his counterparts. I think that one thing that was a shame was they didn’t really show the strength of his relationship w his girlfriend too much before, and had they had more screen time as a couple I would have been even more invested in the story. 

Mystic Pop-up Bar

Loved it! This was a really enjoyable show. The pacing was good, the story was interesting and I liked watching the characters relationships develop. It was heartwarming and a fun watch! I enjoyed the focus on various people’s stories showcasing all sorts of relationships. 

It’s Okay Not to be Okay/ Psycho But It’s Okay

Put it on hold for now - watched up until episode 10-12ish.

Flower of Evil

The best kdrama of 2020 so far? Possibly.  Love how it mixes being a thriller with the marital relationship aspect. One potential con is that it seems that the mystery aspect of the show for now seems fairly obvious but how the situations will be handled keeps me on the edge of my seat!! Also I totally did not expect such a strong marriage to be shown in a thriller drama! Also the way that Cha Ji Won is written is just chef’s kiss. I love how complex she is, how intelligent, kind, caring and so so good at putting things together. I love Hyun So’s family and I hope it ends with them staying together.

Update: Finished it! Not sure how I feel about the very last episode... but I can say I’m glad that Do Hae Su got some crumbs in terms of character development by the end. So glad she didn’t end up with Moo Jin and started a new life abroad. The amnesia plot was unnecessary imo, I would have rather seen more cute scenes of them together than angst in the last episode. But, it was interesting to see how the trial was revealed, and the Baek’s got way better than they deserved which is unfortunately realistic.

Lie after Lie

Plot sounded way more interesting in the synopsis vs the execution. Mediocre plot which I thought was easy to see through.

Eighteen Again

sort of dnf? I made it to epi 14 or so and just finished it in my head and through gifs. It had so much potential which I think it squandered... but there were some genuinely heart warming scenes from the show which I really enjoyed. (Siwoo and his dad bonding, all the scenes showing the mc as the nicest dude).

I don’t want to be friends with you

I really enjoyed the show. I liked how it portrayed the mother-daughter relationship, the differences in how they were raised and how Li Jing Bu was able to get the love she so craved through her dream?/journey. I liked how the romance was handled, how she gained such meaningful relationships during the show and how important it was to her that her mom was happy.

The Good Detective (2020)

I really enjoyed this show! It was really cool to see a show that critiques the corrupt systems they have in place and the unexpected consequences that it can have on people. I liked how it touched on themes of guilt, remorse, forgiveness and resilience. Also, it was interesting to see a guy who has all the money in the world choose to be a workaholic detective.

Part 2

[sparda3g]

Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma Chapter 281 Review

“Soma and other Elite Ten members did a great job for making a great comeback; even surpassing the expected number of $27,000. While that’s all nice and all, it’s sad to know the arc will go to another serious threatening arc that will probably use the ladder routine like one hero will say, ‘You guys go ahead and save Erina. I will take him on!’ Oh well, it was fun while lasted.”

That quote was my early intention to write. I was certain that it was going to be the case. I was wrong. I was so happy to be wrong. This chapter is an example of what if you wait for a little longer and see what this arc is truly capable of. By no means, it did start fishy with the Noirs and the Underworld concept, but this chapter is what I would like to think the one that pulled 180 for the greater good. Needless to say, I am excited.

The chapter begins with Soma and others celebrating for passing the exam. I was beginning to wonder when we will get to see Erina, but in due time. Polar Star Dorm also passed the exam, which is expected but good to know. Elite Ten is being heavily praised by Yuki because it’s in their title. I love Alice taking it all in and gloat about friendship power, even though Nikumi knows that’s not completely true.

I like the fact Hayama and others elaborate Megumi’s accomplishments in the exam. If you thought she was only greeting them, think again because she was everyone’s waitress. That’s incredible; hospitality at its finest. It shows how great she has improved. I can’t say she can do Shadow Clone now, but give her time. She will soon enough.

Always the charming Alice thought she can go on a vacation, but because she’s an Elite Ten member, there’s no time for that. She got all pouty about it, which is always adorable. If she wants freedom, got to drop the title then. Not that I want her, I’m just saying. It is now that Soma realizes Erina has been missing for a while. Judging by the chapter’s title, I thought it will mean he will suffer the blue for her disappearance.

Megumi suggests that she could have gone to the Mountain Course and it appears that they buy into that story. Now I get why we have a small mention of Hisako at a different location. That being said it dismiss the idea of Soma feeling the blue, let alone anyone. It’s as if the writing wants everyone to take time before realizing her disappearance, and then engage the rescue mission. After reading this whole chapter, it doesn’t appear to be the case. In fact, it’s far better than I expected.

Most of the chapter is technically a flashback, where Erina was locked up a day ago. Erina gathers all the information from the past and quickly discovers the identity of the group. I know Saiba exposed himself, but Le Cuisiners Noirs was something she learned from her grandfather, Senzaemon, so she is very aware of their capabilities. What’s hilariously cute is the fact she learned about them when she was a grade-schooler. He told her stories in a most haunting and disturbing way possible; so much so, she couldn’t sleep for a while. And you thought Azami was evil.

Seriously, why would you tell her stories so violent at a young age? I know we all eventually learn outside world isn’t all sunshine and rainbow, but goodness gracious, talk about traumatizing a kid to her sleep. Poor little Erina. It is comical how her visual of Noirs being cliché criminals seem to be accurate with drugs and deadly weapons on the floor like no one’s business. What a friendly home.

Saiba finally speaks up to advance the plot or exploit the reason behind the kidnapping. He wanted to settle the point that he’s a bad dude and what better way to do so than a place filled with bad stuff. Plus it does make conversation easier for him. In case you’re wondering, the guy with black hair and glasses was the kidnapper. I know it because Saiba flat out said it. This series is so self-aware. The guy sounds very loyal to him; I’ll bet he’ll be shouting, “Boss!” So now come to the real meat of the chapter.

Saiba challenges Erina. Oh no, that means he’s going to derail her hype. That means for the time being she will suffer a disorder where she was once showed greatness, but once she becomes hostage, all of her “power” will be wiped out and cry someone for help. It looks like it was starting already with Erina asking him for why he did all of this mess. I got to admit, I do like how Saiba is self-aware that there are things that can’t work the way he wanted, so he’s just like, “Yeah…I’m just going to kidnap you and demand a challenge.” Way to go, guy…

It’s like what he said, he truly wants to marry Erina for supremacy. His bet is if he wins, she will marry him. The whole reason why the Noirs spread out earlier was to test her; uncovering her prowess to be legit and not a rumor. If it’s Erina, anything incredible is true. Once he confirms the truth, that’s where he begins to go after her at Tootsuki Academy. It doesn’t explain the ordeal with him and Joichiro, but in due time, especially with that ending.

Apparently, the members he sent out weren’t their best, rather their worst. Who said they’re the true pillars? I assume the ones in the room are among the best. It’s expected Shounen formula to hype the real threat. So what Erina can do about this? Surely, she has to stay and feel helpless; unable to do anything. This is what fans feared the most: unable to stand up for herself.

Well thank God, she broke the so-called code of WSJ Heroine of remaining hopeless as a damsel in distress, because she does stand up for herself, literally!

This is what fans was hoping for, myself included. Not only she exploded with rage, but she wants to slaughter the hell out of him. He wants challenge? He sure damn got it. Keep in mind, she didn’t know he was Saiba back then, so there was no reason for her to take in charge. Now that she knows, she won’t let him get the best of her. She was ready to throw down a face down (yeah, I said it). Hell, it’s even better that she mocks his agenda as a foolish act, which we can all agree on.

She didn’t back away one iota. I thought she will just break free and win; I can buy into that. I don’t know why but when she asks for a knife, I can’t help but vision in my head, thinking she said it like, “Give me that f*****g knifc!” Talk about close call before making her return to the state during Azami’s reign of terror, which was understandable at the time. It’s good to see some series in WSJ not succumb to the so-called “Heroine doesn’t matter” law. I don’t need to be SJW to know that’s nonsense. That’s nice and all from her, but she’s going to lose to him right now, right? Not exactly.

As much as I enjoy the characters, the arc could have been rough if it was following the Shounen law of escalation or tower of doom system. Plus, it would have been less believable to buy in characters taking on one enemy at a time where everyone could just barge in and rescue Erina altogether. It’s like some form of Yu-Gi-Oh! Why let card games stop you? Punch him. The world literally depends on you. Ahem. Bottom line, it would have been odd. Thankfully, not only there’s another (better) way, but it’s at this moment where my interest increased tenfold.

Saiba challenges Erina, but not in a form of Shokugeki. Instead, he actually has a good idea for once. It goes through a slow hype build to the revelation, starting with the mention of The Blue. How foolish I was that I didn’t think of the grand competition, The Blue, rather the mood. It’s one of the fans’ most anticipated tourney, so when he brought it up, he got my full attention. In case you don’t know it, it’s a tournament that gathers the top-tier chefs from around the world; as long as he/she is younger than 35 years. Sorry, no Joichiro.

This begs one question: why would Saiba brought it up if it’s a tourney for legal chefs only. This year however is different because Chief Executive changed the policy to go beyond. The rules no longer has a limitation, which means Noirs can in fact enter the tournament. That Chief has gone mad. What does this all means? Saiba will challenge her through a genuine match at The Blue, and everyone will be at the tourney to claim the best of the best title. This is surprisingly a great move.

This removes the idea of rescuing Erina at the Tower of Doom system, because everyone, including Noirs, will be at The Blue. It’s like Tsukuda takes the best aspect of “serious” arc and tournament arc. The serious side is the personal bet between the two and the tournament side is self-explanatory. We don’t have to worry about the world ending stake or anything too dramatic. It’s inserted within The Blue. It’s more of character’s subplot than the main plot.

The best part is the tournament. We’re going to see plenty of new/old characters across the world, so we can expect plenty of new style/type of dishes. Another good part is it removes the complete predictability as there will be other characters to worry about. As long as it doesn’t format the predictable straightforward Noirs versus Elite Ten. It could mix up with some other character(s). There are tons of possibilities. I got to hand in to Tsukuda to pull a 180. First the pairing moment, now this. Well done. Of course, Saiba really believes he’s going to win and marry her. Haha. Okay. Maybe if she was in another manga, she would easily lose, but here, well, we’ll see, buddy.

If that whole revelation wasn’t good enough, the chapter ends with Joichiro arriving to the beach to meet Soma at the shop. He looks rather happy after losing his knife to Saiba, let alone losing. This is a great time to clear out some confusions with his ordeal with Saiba. There’s a good chance that he will avoid it, but I’d prefer to clear it out now. Either way, I look forward to the next chapter.

This was one of the best chapter that involves with Saiba and Noirs. While I didn’t mind so much back then, it wouldn’t be my ideal of introducing a new arc involving with another dark storyline. Instead, it’s more of a personal grudge manner and that’s how it should remain. What better way to settle it than at the Blue. And some people thought it wouldn’t happen at all, because “it’s Soma lol.” I suppose so. Still waiting on that “moon mission” in that other series.

Hm. I feel bad for that shot fired; I apologize.

Anyway, Erina remains great as I was expecting. I told you, fans. Don’t let mainstream series get to you. She is above that, believe it or not. The artwork is solid and comical with Erina exploding like a volcano. Seriously, I think she can kill them by herself. With Joichiro arriving, this arc is looking very promising. Let’s hope Tsukuda can keep this momentum strong. We’re counting on you.

[ani-not]

Vampire Knight, or AKA how to piss off half or most of your fanbase

Warning: Gore, LOTS OF Incest, weird subtext, Suicide mentions, Stupidity, Lots of terrible anime cliches, 

Rating: 2 /10

Episodes: 26 Episodes (2 seasons)

Dub or Sub: Does it really matter tho Vic Mignona as Zero really does make it at least somewhat bearable even if he’s a piece of shit.

Opening and Ending Themes: S1 Opening: 2/10. Bland.  S1 Ending: 6/10. The S1 ending definitely captures the tone of what the series is going for. S2 Opening: 4/10. Better than the S1 opening, closer to the aesthetic but still kinda eh. S2 Ending: 5/10. It’s alright. It fits into the context but it’s reaching. 

Pacing; SLOOOOOOOOOW. slow as fuck like I literally die because it’s so slow help me I can’t believe there’s 26 episodes of this I feel like I could watch like 100 episodes of Inuyasha in the spans of 1 episode of VK. 

Concept: Yuki goes to a school that’s got humans and vampires, which doesn’t make any sense because the thing about vampires is that they’re the same age forever why the fuck would they need to go to school america explain!! but she’s one of the only people who knows there’s vampires because she’s “the headmaster’s daughter” and has gotta protect the stupid humans and also a love triangle that ends stupidly. This is your basic bitch of vampire teen romance that was popular at the exact time teen vampires were popular and then ended extremely grossly. 

-----Spoilers Below You’ve been warned---------

First of all. 

Let’s introduce our main 3 characters. 

Yuki Cross Kuran: An amnesiac idiot. Classic dopey Helpless Damsel. She was trained how to fight against vampires and she does all these cool jumps and stuff but every single time she’s in trouble, she needs to get rescued. She looks EXACTLY like the Vampire Class President Kaname, but no one brings it up ever. I don’t hate her, but she does get annoying at points. Apparently, when she 5 years old, she was wandering around alone with no memories, was almost attacked by a vampire and then was rescued by TEENAGE Kaname, and she’s looked up to and liked him ever since. She does have that ‘I believe there can be good in anyone’ charisma that I’ve liked in other characters, but it’s done very poorly here. She wants to bond and become closer to Zero and knows that his family was murdered, but doesn’t understand that boundaries are a thing and need to be respected especially with someone who was traumatized like Zero. She’s actually a pure blood vampire and Kaname’s younger BLOOD RELATED sister who ‘was born to be Kaname’s wife.’ Her mother died in the process of sealing yuki’s powers and memories away to make her human for awhile. 

Zero Kiryu: THE ONLY RESPECTABLE CHARACTER. IN THIS HOUSE WE ONLY STAND WITH ZERO KIRYU, EVERYONE ELSE IN THE SHOW OR SERIES CAN FUCKING PERISH. HIS VAMPIRE SLAYING FAMILY WAS MURDERED BY A VAMPIRE. HATES VAMPIRES. WANTS THEM DEAD. VALID. VALID BOY. HE WAS TURNED INTO A VAMPIRE BY A PUREBLOOD VAMPIRE AND HE HAS TO DRINK BLOOD AND HE HATES IT. HAS A LOT OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND PTSD AND ANGER AND FEAR BECAUSE HIS FAMILY WAS MURDERED. BY A VAMPIRE. AND HE WILL END UP BECOMING A MINDLESS VAMPIRE. AND NOW HE’S FORCED TO PROTECT VAMPIRES. LITERALLY TRIES TO KILL HIMSELF OR WANTS TO DIE BEFORE THAT HAPPENS. HE HAS A VALID SOFT SPOT FOR YUKI BECAUSE THEY GREW UP TOGETHER AND SHE WAS HIS FIRST AND ONLY TRUE FRIEND AFTER HIS FAMILY WAS MURDERED. BY VAMPIRES. WHAT I’M TRYING TO SAY IS THAT THE HEADMASTER IS A FUCKING DICK. DOESN’T DESERVE TO BE IN THIS SHITTY ANIME. 

Kaname Kuran: A gross incestuous CREEP. HE NASTY. MANIPULATIVE CREEP. THIS IS BASICALLY ME EVERYTIME HE’S ONSCREEN.  HE’S A PUREBLOODED VAMPIRE????WHICH MEANS HE’S TOP OF THE CHARTs?? AND OP I GUESS??/ A MJAOR DOUCHEBAG- ALSO KNOWS THAT ZERO’S FAMILY WAS SLAUGHTERED BY A PUREBLOOD VAMPIRE AND KNOWS ZERO WILL BECOME A VAMPIRE AND STILL TAUNTS HIM ABOUT HOW HE’S BECOMING A BLOODTHIRSTY BEAST AND EVEN ALLOWS THE VAMPIRE THAT KILLED ZERO’S FAMILY TO COME WRECK HAVOC AT THE ACADEMY WHEN HE’S SUPPOSED TO BE KEEPING PEACE. CREEPS ON YUKI LITERALLY ALL THE TIME SINCE SHE WAS A KID. ALL THE OTHER VAMPS WOULD LITERALLY JUMP HIS BONES IF HE ASKED BUT DECIDES TO CREEP ON HIS SISTER INSTEAD. LITERALLY HAS BEEN THE ONE KEEPING HER IN THE DARK ABOUT HER PAST THE WHOLE TIME, 

The concept in greater detail: 

The Headmaster, Yuki’s adopted father, Kaen Cross, wants Vampires and Humans to get along. 

Apparently, in this world, Humans and Vampires are separate races, and vampires can make vampire babies, but they also can still turn humans into vampires, and the Vampire babies can still grow and mature??? And be teenagers, except Kaname but we’ll get to him in a minute. Anyway, so since his school has both humans and vampires, he enlists his own children, Yuki, and Zero, his other adopted child, WHO’S FAMILY WAS MURDERED BY VAMPIRES, to keep the humans separate from the vampires, because the humans are stupid and don’t know that the night class(Vampire Class) are in fact, vampires. And on top of that, both Zero and Yuki have to attend Day classes, and then patrol the nights to protect the humans, so they literally get no sleep whatsoever and wow, Child labor and Negligence. Let these kids sleep goddamn

Season 1 in a nutshell:

Okay, Season 1 basically sets up the story and characters and background in a really slow weird pace, like usually in the first episode of an anime you’d set up with short descriptions of the main characters and then later on delve into their aspects and motivations, they barely do that here and also you get the context of the plot in the first couple of episodes, this takes like half the season to fully unleash all the characters and background which makes it easily forgettable, like I just watched it and I’m still like- why is this a thing- oh- oh okay- uh huh- weird? not gonna explain until 10 episodes later? okay. 

Also I shit you not, once they finally get into Zero’s background and backstory more, the vampire that killed Zero’s family, turned him into a vampire and kidnapped his twin brother which I guess is now a thing??????? is back with his twin brother, who ‘always secretly hated’ Zero and always wanted him and their family dead’ and not only does the Headmaster get weird senses about her infiltrating the school as a student, but FUCKING Kaname knows RIGHT OFF THE BAT, WHO THE FUCK SHE IS, WHAT THE FUCK SHE DID, AND LETS HER FUCK AROUND WITH ZERO UNTIL KANAME KILLS HER, STEALS HER POWERS AND THEN PINS HER MURDER ON ZERO. THUS LEAVING ZERO AS A SCAPEGOAT FOR THE WEIRD TWILIGHT? VAMPIRE? ASSOCIATION? TO GET PISSED AT AND TRY TO KILL BECAUSE SHE WAS A ‘PURE VAMPIRE’  AND EVEN YUKI’S LIKE- ‘SAY HE DIDN’T DO IT KANAME’ AND KANAME GIVES HER THIS LOOK THAT’S LIKE ‘I KNOW HE DIDN’T CAUSE I DID BUT I’M NOT GONNA SAY IT BC I’M STILL CREEPING ON YOU’ 

AND ZERO’S THIS CLOSE TO LITERALLY LOSING HIS MIND AND KANAME REALIZING THAT ZERO’S THE ONE THAT’S BEEN PROTECTING ‘HIS PRECIOUS YUKI’ THIS WHOLE TIME, DECIDES TO FORCE HIM TO DRINK HIS OWN BLOOD TO KEEP HIM FROM BECOMING A COMPLETE MONSTER. 

Also let’s talk about Zero’s convenient, cliche and weird twin brother Ichiru.

Okay, for Ichiru, he’s kind of...all over the place. But I’ll try to condense it down. 

Remember how I said Vic Mignona being Zero’s voice actor helped make this show bearable? Well, they used Vic AGAIN for Ichiru, because??? he’s??/ his twin??? i guess??? Listen, Not every set of identical twins are going to have the same voice too??? and it’s really??? kind of like- kills what Vic has going for Zero. Take for instance, Hikaru and Kaoru Hitachiin from Ouran High School Host Club

There’s enough difference to tell them apart as people but same enough that they sound related instead of sounding like weird clones. 

Now listen to this clip from VK dubbed

It sounds like Zero is just talking to himself in the mirror. He does do Ichiru’s voice a little lighter and Zero’s heavier, but there’s barely any distinction and it’s just ugh. Using him as both Zero and Ichiru is just lazy.

So, Ichiru hated Zero and their family because he was born weak and easily to fall to illness within a family of vampire killers so he felt that they hated him because of it, and that wasn’t the case at all, and was the one to lead the pureblood vampire to his home to slaughter his family, then left with her to become stronger by being her servant and drinking her blood. But she won’t drink his bc he’s too obedient and likes Zero more because Zero fights her will with everything he has. And Ichiru is a jealous lil bitch because I guess Zero gets all the attention even though he really doesn’t/ doesn’t want it and thinks it’s Zero’s fault that his life is this way. 

Season 2 in a nutshell:

Things are FINALLY getting revealed. So, the reason Yuki was brought to the headmaster was that her parents (WHO WERE ALSO SIBLINGS WHO DECIDED TO GET MARRIED AND HAVE KIDS BC PUREBLOODS GR O SS) WERE KILLED BY THEIR EVIL OLDER BROTHER WHO WAS COMING FOR YUKI AND SO KANAME BEING HER ELDER BROTHER STOPPED HIM, AND BROUGHT YUKI TO THE HEADMASTER SO THAT SHE COULD LIVE NORMALLY AS A HUMAN UNTIL SHE WAS FRESHLY COOKED ENOUGH TO BECOME HIS GROSS BRIDE/LOVER/WIFE AND LIVE AS A PUREBLOOD VAMP AGAIN, AND YUKI IS TOTALLY INTO IT???? AND SHE SAYS SHIT LIKE “IT’S SO FUNNY THAT I’VE BEEN IN LOVE WITH MY BROTHER THIS WHOLE TIME.’ AND KANAME’S LIKE ‘WHY IS IT FUNNY? WE’RE PUREBLOOD ARISTOCRATS AND IT’S NOT LIKE WE’RE HUMANS LOLOL’ LIKE NO- N O THAT STILL DOESN’T MAKE IT OKAY. 

Also the headmaster was vampire hunter previously and killed a ton of them before was like ‘lol this ain’t the life for me anymore’ which. I can get. I really can. But also, can you just not. “I stopped being a vampire hunter bc I thought that’d be like rejected Yuki and Zero” 

Also now that Yuki is revealed and unsealed as a pure blood vampire all the other vampires are worshiping her like they do Kaname and it’s weird as hell.

Kaname is also manipulating her again, saying that when she wants to protect something she cares about it hurts him. 

also i guess kaname also has been using zero the entire time to make him the strongest vampire hunter in the world and is going to send him to kill the vampire that killed kaname & yuki’s parents and who is also now after Yuki because he wants to eat her and sap her power i guess.

i hate this show so much

but I still love ze-

AND ZERO JUST GOT FUCKING SHOT IN THE HEART BY HIS GODDAMN TWIN GOD FUCKING DAMMIT

APPARENTLY ICHIRU WAS SO WEAK WAS BC ZERO TOOK SOME OF HIS BROTHER’S POWER WHEN THEY WERE IN THEIR MUM’S WOMB LIKE THAT’S??? NOT HIS FAULT??? W H Y ARE YOU DOING THIS??? AND ZERO LEARNING THIS- JUST WANTS HIS BROTHER TO BE HAPPY- 

BUT LIKE THAT STILL ENDED WITH HIS BROTHER KILLING HIS FAMILY. 

AND THEN HIS BROTHER WITH HIS FINAL WISH AS HE LAY DYING IN ZERO’S ARMS, FROM TRYING TO KILL THE BIG BAD GUY AND GETTING HIS ASS WHOOPED TELLS HIM TO DRINK HIS BLOOD SO HE CAN GET HIS FULL VAMP HUNTER POWERS AND CONTINUE TO LIVE

And Zero does it. Because he wants to protect the only friend he’s had. God, Zero is so fucking valid. 

Headmaster actually throwing his lazy ass into the fight to protect Yuki and the academy is the arc reversal of the century. 

also Yuki being able to wield her Vampire hunter weapon despite being a vamp with just her willpower makes no goddamn sense. Power of friendship my ass.

ALSO THE BAD GUY IS SUCH A CREEP. LIKE CREEPS RUN IN THE FAMILY. KANAME AND THE CREEPY ASS UNCLE RITO

ZERO!!!!!

.”TIME FOR CURTAINS TO DRAW ON OUR VAMPIRE NIGHT” 

Roll Credits.

So, all in all, the show ends with Kaname fighting creepy uncle until Zero is the one to kill him, and then as another slap in the face, Yuki leaves the academy with her disgusting love interest grooming brother after drinking Zero’s blood one last time to prove she is actually a vampire. Proving that the only ‘friend’ that he genuinely cared about all this time is gone, and that the next time they meet, he will be forced to kill her as his role as a Vampire hunter. And it ends with Yuki looking forward to that day??????

I. hate. this series. 

I HATE IT SO MUCH. 

It has interesting ideas, and it got popular the time vampires were megahuge, but it’s just utterly disgusting and disappointing. I only liked ONE character. ONE. And he’s the one who gets fucked over the most. 

It’s cliche. And Gross. And just. I braced myself for some bad anime but I had no goddamn idea how bad it actually is. 

If you like it, then you do you my dude. I just can’t. This series? scarred me for life? I would rather eat an old moldy sock than sit and watch this again. 

[indianapownall-blog]

Offering Canapes And Canape Recipes.

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Do allow your dinner companions understand when you sit down at the dining table that you are actually anticipating a significant call, and also if that happens during the meal, you will must stand up and also leave the dining table to have the call.

[recentanimenews]

Bookshelf Briefs 5/18/21

Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon, Vol. 1 | By Shio Usui | Seven Seas – It’s always worth buying a new yuri volume that features two adults, and this one does not disappoint. Hinako is trying her best to live the life that everyone and everything says she should be living, but she’s still pretty unhappy with it. She also finds herself drawn to Asahi, the cool and collected (and scary to the other workers) manager at the place she works, who turns out… to be a lot cuter than she expected. Meanwhile, Asahi’s sister finds out that she’s made friends with another woman and pushes hard for them to bond some more, as Asahi’s life revolves around work and her sister and that’s about it. This has just gotten started, but I really like both heroines and hope they make it work. – Sean Gaffney

Farming Life in Another World, Vol. 2 | By Kinosuke Naito and Yasuyuki Tsurugi | One Peace Books – I may have been a bit too generous with my brief of the first volume. I think the main issue is that the series does not allow our hero to leave the “village” that he has created—he’s considered too valuable, so others act as his envoys. Which is fine, but… the series never leaves his POV, so they just fly off, then come back. I suspect the series is popular with young men because it does not shy away from talking about how he’s having sex with over 50 women… but I wonder what they get out of it, since none of this is ever shown. You’re left with a book heavy on the food and farming but light on adventure or sex, the reason you’d think folks would be reading it. – Sean Gaffney

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, Vol. 19 | By Aka Akasaka | Viz Media – Again, a book of two halves, and it’s all about the front half, as we resolve the “Hayasaka quits” plotline. It’s very tense and dramatic at times, and I enjoyed seeing Hayasaka briefly fantasize about a more typical romantic comedy resolution to things before being confronted with the sordid reality: Kaguya is upset and feels betrayed. And, well, with good reason. That said, Kaguya clearly understands that Hayasaka was doing this under threat, so they’re able to resolve their past and start over as friends. It’s really nice. The rest of the book is more typical, though we’re definitely setting things up to resolve the Tsubame subplot—is she going to betray Ishigami? Probably not, but I would not expect her to win. – Sean Gaffney

My Hero Academia, Vol. 27 | By Kohei Horikoshi | Viz Media – This marks the start of a very long and very devastating arc, and it’s clear almost from the get-go that it’s not going to go as well as planned. It’s impressively planned too, as the heroes really do try to take everything into account… but the villains are also very, very good at being bad guys. Indeed, the end of this volume revolves around the very question of “can bad guys be redeemed?” and the answer—yes, but you’ll need to do prison time—does not appeal. So the series shows it can kill off regulars, but will it go further? Certainly Mirko facing off against the Nomus involves a painful sacrifice for her, and the students all question whether they should really be there… a question the reader might be wondering as well. – Sean Gaffney

Natsume’s Book of Friends, Vol. 25 | By Yuki Midorikawa | Viz Media – This is down to about once a year now, but I still love it whenever it comes out, whether it’s telling more light-hearted stories, like the one here about a weak yokai hitching a ride out of a dangerous area, or more serious stuff, like the story that takes up the rest of the book, one of the longest arcs to date (and it ends on a cliffhanger), involving Natsume, Natori and Matoba teaming up to take on a nasty customer who seemingly works for an even nastier one who likes to collect yokai-related items. We get lots of (seemingly) identical ceramic cat dolls that look like Nyanko-sensei, some very scary paper dolls, and a real sense of danger on all sides. This feels like the sort of shoujo title you’d read in a horror magazine. – Sean Gaffney

Remina | By Junji Ito | VIZ Media – I’m not exactly a horror manga aficionado, but the premise of Remina intrigued me. Sadly, I ultimately found it strangely unaffecting. When a scientist discovers a new planet and names it after his daughter, she becomes a celebrity. And when said planet swiftly devours the rest of our solar system and heads for Earth, public opinion suddenly shifts as people become convinced that killing Remina the girl will compel Remina the planet to disappear. It’s a neat concept, but nothing lands with any weight. The destruction of the other planets happens so fast, for one thing, and Remina is largely passive (often “rescued” by creeps who then turn on her when she rejects their advances) and frequently expressionless. There are several panels, for example, where if not for dialogue reading “sob sob sob,” I never would’ve known she was crying. For better Ito, I recommend “The Enigma of Amigara Fault.” – Michelle Smith

Sadako at the End of the World | By Koma Natsumi | Yen Press – I’ll have to admit, I’ve never actually read Koji Suzuki’s novel Ring. Even so, I’m still very familiar with the premise of a cursed video tape and the character of Sadako who emerges to kill anyone who watches it—with so many adaptations and references to it in pop culture, Ring is a touchstone of Japanese horror. Sadako at the End of the World is a somewhat unusual but surprisingly effective take on the character and curse. The conceit is that Sadako has been brought forth by two young girls in a post-apocalyptic setting. In their innocence, they don’t recognize Sadako for the vengeful spirit that she is and are instead delighted to finally have someone else around for company. Natsumi takes a humorous approach, but at heart Sadako at the End of the World is a work of horror, even if it can at times be unexpectedly charming and endearing. – Ash Brown

We’re New at This, Vol. 5 | By Ren Kawahara | Kodansha Comics (digital only) – Now that our newly married couple have managed to have their first time, they may like it a bit TOO much—it’s strictly regimented to Friday and Saturday evenings, so that they get enough rest for their jobs. As always, there is a core underneath all the comedic fanservice, which is properly communicating with your partner, and not just assuming you know what they’re thinking. Even Sumika and Ikuma are having trouble with this… the rules have been set, but that doesn’t mean that Sumika doesn’t want her husband noticing when she’s horny and ready to go anyway. This is never going to get very deep, and you’d better be OK with sex and nudity, but it’s still a favorite of mine. – Sean Gaffney

By: Ash Brown

[recentanimenews]

Fate/Stay Night's Cooler, Edgier Brother You've Never Watched

  A frail girl in a white dress walks to the edge of a tall building. Soothing music plays over ethereal vocals as grainy images of a butterfly appear. Another cut back to the girl, this time lying dead on the sidewalk. This is the sequence that plays during the opening credits to the first Garden of Sinners movie. It’s a strange way to introduce a story, but a perfect glimpse into what The Garden of Sinners is going to be like. Across its eight movies and two OVAs, The Garden of Sinners is dark, beautiful, challenging, dense, confusing, thoughtful, and heavy, sometimes all at once. It’s by no means an easy series to watch, but it’s also a one-of-a-kind experience that shouldn’t be missed.

  Though The Garden of Sinners itself isn’t very well known, its creator has made quite a name in the anime world: Kinoko Nasu. Before he wrote Fate/Stay Night, which has since spawned a massive franchise, Nasu wrote and self-published The Garden of Sinners (known in Japan as Kara no Kyokai) as a series of novels, which Ufotable (a studio now known for its adaptations of Fate/Stay Night and Fate/Zero) later adapted into a movie series with a soundtrack by the legendary Yuki Kajiura. The Garden of Sinners has an all-star team behind it, no doubt, and they were clearly giving it their all across the board.

This background is, in part, what makes The Garden of Sinners so unique. Every aspect of The Garden of Sinners — the animation, the art, the music, the writing — is excellent on its own. But combined, they’re something else. The Garden of Sinners is an incredibly dense story. It’s very dialogue-heavy, the characters are intentionally difficult to figure out at first, and the plot is told out of order. In spite of that, its haunting atmosphere and quiet beauty keep the story anchored, creating an otherworldly feeling that makes its stranger aspects feel more natural. It’s as though you’re wandering through a dream, a world where everything is just slightly skewed, but one that you can’t help but be drawn into. A dream where supernatural forces wander just below the surface, where a person’s psychological state can have very real impacts on the world. Sudden bursts of violence break up the beauty, but it retains that pull that promises answers right around the corner. It’s this feeling that gives even the story’s slowest moments a kind of haunting beauty that keeps you fully engaged.

  You’ll notice that I’ve avoided talking about what the story is actually about, and that’s because a proper synopsis would practically take a whole article on its own and would almost have to include spoilers. At a basic level, The Garden of Sinners is about a girl named Shiki — who has the ability to see and activate lines of death that represent the concept of death inherent in everything — and Kokutou, a perfectly ordinary boy who’s nonetheless drawn to something in Shiki. Each film is a seemingly stand-alone story, but it’s only when viewed together that you start to see how the puzzle fits together. Offhanded comments in early films come back as crucial plot points in later ones, and the overall themes of the story only become apparent at the end.

The Garden of Sinners isn’t an easy anime to watch by any means; it’s not the sort of series you can have on in the background while you’re doing something else. It demands every ounce of thought and focus its audience has, but gives something wonderful in exchange. I loved it the first time I saw it, but it’s only on rewatching it (several times) that I found myself appreciating the subtle details that I overlooked at first. Virtually every line of dialogue and every shot has some sort of meaning behind it, whether hidden plot information or extra details about the characters that add to your understanding of who they actually are. This is doubly important because Garden of Sinners is intentionally coy with its cast, keeping them emotionally distant until the seventh film, which also concludes the main plot.

The seventh movie, titled Murder Speculation Part B (...not nothing heart.), forces Shiki and Kokutou both to confront something that’s existed as an undercurrent from the very beginning: Shiki’s desire to kill. Kokutou, like any decent person, abhors murder but also loves Shiki, someone who’s obsessed with the idea. Everything about the film’s plot exists to emphasize their differences and the strain it puts on both. It’s an emotionally raw experience, full of unfulfilled feelings, frustrations, and shocking bursts of violence. It’s here that the series makes its mark, that it turns around and gives you the answers the other films have kept hidden. Everything about the film is cathartic to the extreme, a perfect capstone to The Garden of Sinners’ main arc.

  But that’s not all it has to offer. If you’ve seen any of the Fate adaptations, you’re probably familiar with Nasu’s fondness for digging into his characters’ psyches and using them to make broader philosophical points, a habit that’s front and center here. Each film has something meaningful to say, whether it’s about gender or how identities are constructed or what makes people connect. The Garden of Sinners was written in the late ‘90s, years before Fate/Stay Night, and showcases Nasu at his rawest. All of his idiosyncrasies are on display here: his formalistic dialogue, his complex magical systems, his fondness for philosophizing, and even some prototypes of characters who show up in Tsukihime and Fate. Though The Garden of Sinners is a radically different sort of story, it has a lot of the same fundamentals that Fate fans love (and even a few references to concepts that show up in Fate), so it’s perfect for fans craving more of Nasu’s work. Looking for supernatural action? No shortage of that here. Craving some character-driven philosophy? The Garden of Sinners has got you covered. Everything that makes Nasu such a great writer is present here, making it a perfect series for long-time fans and newcomers alike.

In spite of its quality, The Garden of Sinners hasn’t gotten the same level of recognition as Fate, partially because of limited availability in the US. But now that’s changed! The entire series is available for streaming right here on Crunchyroll, so now’s the perfect time to watch it! It’s a beautiful story presented with gorgeous animation and one of the best soundtracks from one of the best composers working in anime; everything about the series is fantastic across the board. Even if you’re just now getting into to Kinoko Nasu’s work, you owe it to yourself to check out The Garden of Sinners! You won’t be disappointed.

  Interested in watching The Garden of Sinners? Give it a watch and let me know what you think in the comments!

      Skyler loves writing and chatting about anime, and is always ready to gush about the latest One Piece chapter. Read more of his work at his blog apieceofanime.com and follow him on Twitter at Videogamep3.

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