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Opinion Personal

What I’m Watching – Dororo (Episodes 1-6)

This post discusses plot spoilers through episode 6 of the anime.

Check out my first impression here!

While I hate to keep mentioning my recent out-of-town trip since it’s not relevant to this site otherwise, it continues to be on my mind because these types of mini-vacations (work trips to other cities where my evenings are basically free to do as I please) are great opportunities for me to keep up on my anime-watching. Aside from The Promised Neverland, the other series that kept my company that week was Dororo. For whatever reason I was getting seriously intermittent access to Crunchyroll where I was staying (I blame it more on the Android app itself, which has always worked spotty for me even with great internet and a brand new cell phone), so I stuck to Amazon Video this time around.

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Anime Reviews Film Reviews Reviews

Anime Review – I Want to Eat Your Pancreas

An unnamed protagonist happens to find a diary in a hospital one day. The diary belongs to his classmate, a girl named Sakura Yamauchi, who is revealed to be suffering from a terminal illness in her pancreas, and who only has a few months left to live. Sakura explains that the protagonist is the only person apart from her family that knows about her condition. The protagonist promises to keep Sakura’s secret. Despite their completely opposite personalities, the protagonist decides to be together with Sakura during her last few months.ANN

Release: Limited Theatrical Release (English Dubbed Version)

Episodes: 1 (Film)

Review: Please be aware that this review contains spoilers for the film.

As anime titles go, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas is certainly one of the more eccentric ones I’ve come across. While the wording may conjure up images of cannibalistic zombie-like entertainment, the film (which explains its odd moniker fairly early on) has no relation to the undead. Instead, it wears the clothing of a bittersweet, ephemeral teenage romance, telling the story of a young man’s coming-of-age after meeting a girl who will never have that luxury.

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Special Features

Guest Experience – Anime Podcast of Some Sort

Hello, friends. I was recently asked to be a guest on the Anime Podcast of Some Sort, hosted by David and Jack. We chat about the twilight period of a couple of beloved hand-held gaming systems, some great manga deals (unfortunately expired at this point – but keep an eye on Humble Bundle as I assume this isn’t the last time they’ll have such an awesome offer), some desired live-action anime adaptations, and the potential (and glowing early reviews) for the new Alita movie.

I was so flattered to be invited and had a great time recording with David and Jack, who are very welcoming. I hope if you have some time you’ll check out the podcast! You can listen here, or wherever else you prefer to listen to podcasts.

I’m hyped for Masaaki Yuasa’s new take on the Shin-chan universe!
Categories
30 Day Anime Challenge Special Features

30 Day Anime Challenge #7 – My Anime Crush

It’s Valentine’s Day! While I don’t tend to do too many corny holiday-related posts on this blog, the stars aligned this year when I realized I’d left off on this particular “30 Day Anime Challenge” prompt. As a long-tenured anime fan, I’ve had my share of anime crushes. While it might seem strange to some folks to be attracted to drawings, I think most anime consumers have gotten that warm, fuzzy feeling a time or two. To me it’s not different than crushing on a popular actor or a character in a live-action TV series or movie – you have just as much likelihood of dating Idris Elba or Jennifer Lawrence as you do hanging out with your favorite waifu or husbando. I’m certainly no different. While my passions have cooled somewhat, I do occasionally feel that “spark” when I’m watching my favorite anime series. I wanted to talk about a few of my important favorites.

Categories
Opinion Personal

What I’m Watching – The Promised Neverland (Episodes 1-5)

This post discusses plot spoilers through episode 5 of the anime, and links to offsite content with manga spoilers later in the story.

I’m usually not great at keeping up with anime series as they’re being simulcast. A lot of that is due to my personal workflow and my resistance to watching anime where there are still other anime remaining for me to review. I realize how ridiculous that sounds but I’m someone who easily wanders off-track and procrastinates, so I have to set some weird rules in place to keep myself from becoming distracted. There are rare times, though, where watching weekly broadcasts becomes a necessity rather than a luxury, and as soon as I started watching The Promised Neverland I suspected that it might be one of those anime.

I generally try to look past hype and not let internet chatter influence my own opinions, but the discourse around this series was difficult to ignore. I read an essay about the restrictive gender roles as they exist in the story’s universe (caution for both big-time plot spoilers and some disturbing imagery), and from that point I was intrigued. Since the anime adaptation of the manga series had already been announced, I tried to put the spoilers out of my mind (I was at least partly successful due to the length of time in between the post and the first episode, which was helpful!)

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Uncategorized

What I’ve Been Watching

Hello, friends. I just got back from a week-long business trip, and while I was gone I had a lot of free evenings to think about different approaches to things on this blog. Now that I’m mostly finished with first impressions, my typical “next step” would be to start tackling the follow-up posts – posts about the subsequent 2-3 episodes of all the series I didn’t find completely off-putting during the first round of reviewing. One thing I didn’t really realize until I’d had the chance to really think about it was how much I sometimes dread these follow-up posts. To be honest, I find them to be a chore, the reason being that they’re so formal and that they force me to use a lot of mental energy writing about series that I find decent, but which I’m not really passionate about. That’s difficult enough when writing about one episode, let alone several additional ones.

Rather than continuing to force the matter, I realized that I’d rather spend more time writing about the things that I’m actually choosing to watch, whether they’re current season shows or things from the past I’m catching up on. I also want to write less buttoned-up content rather than just first episode or other reviews, because I feel like that conversational style better reflects how I talk about anime in “real life;” not necessarily less analytical , but not quite so focused on formal summaries, production information, or formatting into certain blog post templates.

What I’m going to try to do is post more throughout the season, checking in on certain series that I’m watching when I feel compelled to write about them. It’s kind of like a follow-up, but less beholden to a format or timetable – it’s just some thoughts on things that I’m watching at the moment, whenever I’m driven to check in. It could be after 2-3 episodes, 6 episodes, or after watching a particularly dramatic or interesting (or problematic) episode. I feel like this gives me a bit more freedom and I’m less likely to give up partway through as has been an issue in the past.

I think the lesson to be taken away from this is that one should never feel too beholden to a format that’s not working for them, especially if it’s attached to a personal project. Write and learn and write some more!

Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Virtualsan: Looking

A TV anime featuring 30 VTubers including Mirai Akari, Siro, Nekomiya Hinata, Tsukino Mito, Tanaka Hime, and Suzuki Hina! In a creative collaboration Anno Hideaki, the six primary cast members will appear in Evangelion costumes. The theme song is composed by producer Nakata Yasutaka, sung by Kizuna Ai in the first six episodes, before being taken over for episodes seven through twelve by the main cast as the special VTuber unit dubbed “Virtual Real”. An original 3DCG animated project with an omnibus format designed to put the personality and charm of VTubers on full display.Crunchyroll

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Various (various virtual YouTube stars)

Episode Summary: The virtual world is populated by all sorts of interesting folks. The virtual idols, whose viral fame has ushered in an entirely new kind of fandom, spend their days together navigating the strange quirks that their internet existence has to offer.

The series centers on 6 primary idols who perform in the bulk of the skits, while other moments feature various other virtual YouTube idols in supporting roles.

Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Mysteria Friends

Mysteria Academy is a prestigious magic school that teaches magic without discrimination to the three factions (men, gods, demons), who usually are engaged in battle with each other. Two of the academy’s students are Anne, a princess and honor student, and Grea, a princess born from a dragon and a human.ANN

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: 10

Source: Game (offshoot of Rage of Bahamut)

Episode Summary: Anne and Grea are two princesses who are as different as can be. Anne is confident and talented, with magical powers befitting her high status. Grea is the child of a human and a dragon and a quiet, sweet soul. Together the two form a bond of friendship that benefits from their differing personalities and makes their time at Mysteria Magic Academy much more fulfilling.

One day Anne is dragged away to aid in the quelling of an angry library spirit, and the aftermath keeps her there for some of the cleanup. Loyal Grea waits at their meeting place until the sun begins to set. Anne is surprised and touched that Grea waited, and the two go off to have their evening meal together.

Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Grimms Notes: The Animation

Set in a fairy tale world in which everyone receives a book when they are born. These books determine every little detail of that person’s life. Written by the mysterious storyteller, each book traps that individual into a preordained fate. The story, however, stars a hero without a story, someone free to decide his own fate. But since he has only blank pages he can only wander to find his purpose. Our hero travels to lands and meets characters straight out of the pages of some of the most famous fairy tales. He must work together with the characters he meets to fight to get back his story.Crunchyroll

Streaming: Crunchyroll

Episodes: TBA

Source: Mobile Game

Episode Summary: Every person is born with a book, its pages telling their life’s story and guiding their fate. What of those whose stories aren’t defined? Ex is one such individual, whose fate and destiny have been left blank. He joins a traveling band of individuals whose purpose is to battle “Chaos Tellers,” enemies who re-write reality and corrupt people’s stories until they become twisted and evil. He hopes to discover what his purpose is as he fights alongside his companions.

As Tao, Shane, Reina, and Ex arrive in Little Red Riding Hood’s world, they discover that she’s gone missing. Eventually they learn that her anxiety over her fate to be eaten by the wolf, as well as her apprehension over the prospect of the Woodsman marrying her mother, have left her open to a Chaos Teller’s corrupting influence. It’s up to this band of fighters, along with their magical fairy tale partners, to set this story straight once again.

Categories
First Impressions Reviews

Winter 2019 First Impressions – Bermuda Triangle: Colorful Pastorale

Daily life for mermaids come with everyday issues. Follow the adventures of five young mermaids as they explore their town and the world around them in this delightful slice-of-life series that takes viewers to an enchanting world beneath the waves.HIDIVE

Streaming: HIDIVE

Episodes: 12

Source: Original (spinoff of Cardfight!! Vanguard)

Episode Summary: Caro, Serena, Sonata, and Fina are mermaids who live in the quiet undersea town of Parrel. The town is known for its mill-ground coral sugar and fresh hijiki seaweed, but not much else; the people there live a slow-paced life away from the bustle of the big city.

One day the town leader receives a package, inside of which is an orb containing a young mermaid, Canon. Canon has come from the city to live in Parrel for a while, and the girls are happy to treat her like another one of their friends. After a natural phenomenon called the Grand Tide flows through town, taking with it dust and debris and overturning some plant life, the mermaids discover an old building they’d never noticed before. When they go inside, they find a projector and a cine-orb with a film of a mermaid dancing. They wonder what mysteries this forgotten place may hold.