Routine Attached Video:
Knights of Sidonia 2 Opening - 騎士行進曲
Really sad I can't link the full version. So all I can do is provide the link. The presentation and performance is absolutely stunning.
Sidonia no Kishi - 256 mech frames in a circular formation going from 0 to full thrust. If that isn't enough to describe it, I don't know what will. The stellar atmosphere. The out-of-place humor. The thousand year old sexy grandma that looks exactly like her granddaughter. The spaceship rockgun. The moment a minor character is in trouble and no one cares so he dies. The moment a main character goes missing and they send an entire FUCKING army search team.
Current: Waiting for episode 11 of season 2. The journey has been epic.
WataMote - Sokora no Kigurumi no Fuusen to Watashi (5th ED)
WataMote is a painful-bittersweet story about an antisocial, socially awkward, and delusional girl. It's an anime difficult to watch at times but manages to cling on like an emotionally attached significant other you want to be with despite the hardships. The picture used in the video sums the story and character pretty well.
After watching the OVA that got subbed today, one thing led to another and I was piqued by the ending song that stuck to me when I watched the original series. This played at the end of episode 11, following a sweet moment, with a rarity of 1 in a million, in the bittersweet life of the MC. The song starts off like a Christmas song then gets warm and fluffy like the spring air that spins and spins into a summer memory. It's very well-matched and gives the MC's life a glimmer of warmth - that she is not all that lonely and people notice her.
Akame ga Kill! - Konna Sekai, Shiritakunakatta (Ending Theme 1)
Akame ga Kill! isn't a type of anime that hasn't been done before. There are plenty out there where characters part of the main cast get tortured or graphically dismembered on screen and die. Examples include Terra Former, Elfen Lied, and the popular Attack on Titan. These are shows with no "nakama" talk here; when you die, you die. So what makes this one stand out above and beyond the rest? AgK nails one element that others (not all) have overlooked. It manages to connect the audience to the characters by giving them "life" and providing glimpses of their backstory so that they more than just another 2D face in the crowd. Although some of these may be short, they are sweet that says "this is who I am and how I came to be". It manages to cling onto this element while driving the plot strong at the same time. The show makes you feel like you just finished a full-course meal with excellent service at a restaurant and want to go home and sign-up on yelp just to write a 10/10 review because the experience was so good. Now I may be jumping the gun here when I said "finished" as the anime is still airing but I have great prospect that the conclusion will not be anything short of others rated highly on my watched list (MAL)
The death flags in AgK raises one after another and triggers just as fast. When one goes off, it feels like a hole has been left in my heart. This is quickly followed by some half-rate patching in the following episodes that slowly grows on me over time.
The summer 2014 anime season was wrapping up this week and the new season has yet to start. During these few days without something to sate my habit, I realize how much I've relied on new episodes on a daily basis to unwind and get away from life's craziness. It is today that I realized I am going through a slight withdrawal - with feelings of unease, antsy, and uahsjkdakjagghas. As much as I hate writing and acknowledging something like this, I thought it'd be nice to laugh at some years in the future reading this (lol).
There are numerous reasons why we decide to start a new anime, rewatch one, get started on a long-running series, resume a long hiatus, or drop an anime entirely. These are some pretty damn discussion rich topics and I've had my fair share of each. But for this post, I'll be sharing my current experience on a new anime I just started to watch, which of course is related to the song right here.
I like to listen to a bunch of songs on shuffle, especially ones I'm unfamiliar with. Even though I may have heard a song many times before, a strange glitch occurs: when I listen to it for the n-th time, I suddenly start hearing it in a new light (or should I say frequency). It's really strange and I wonder how have I been overlooking something so amazing.
So how does a good song translate to making me want to watch the show? When I hear something like this for instance, it makes me feel something, it creates a mood. With the desire and crave to feel that something, I check out what its about and pick it up if it appeals to my current desire. As for this song, the something can be expressed as melancholy? simplicity? feels? It's along the line of Gray's back story with Ul from Fairy Tail - that type of mood.
Paired with this cover art from the OST and it creates the perfect combo. I mean just look at it - how can a bunch of cheerful girls possibly fit with a song that makes you feel melancholic? It's like saying here are some laughs and giggles but please, have some feels and emotions as well.
Other triggers I've experienced include screenshots, fanarts, .gifs, and figures. I may be updating this post in the future since I like the topic but its late and I'm getting sleepy. To wrap things up, here are some pictures that have caught my interest at some point but I have yet to start the anime.
Whelp. I thought I had way more than 2 saved on my computer. I know I've came across a zillion of them. These 2 were super curious and silly looking so I saved them (heh).
The great'o Chuuni season 1 was enjoyable and had all the elements of a rom-com slice of life to get a fucking 10/10 on my scale. Now I don't have out 10's like highschools here in the US hand out free condoms either. It was the third anime to hit that rating because I really enjoyed watching it through and through.
Then comes Chuuni2 Ren in the winter 2014 season. Looking forward to an equally good or superior sequel, I was excited. Season starts. It's okay. Season continues. Getting dull. Continues again. No development between the two. Watches episode 10. I fucking flipped. It was so difficult to watch and bear with. I feel for Satone so much and everything is so unfair... [yes you should have grabbed his hand back then, missy] Allow me to elaborate further.
This is a minor spoiler but hey, it should be expected. At end of season 1, Rikka and Yuuta engages in a "lover's contract". Great! Things were stirring up between the two. Season 2 drags on and their relationship is all.... FUCK. Not the literal fuck either. It's seriously nonexistent and what they have is pointless. Things that worked in season 1 don't work in season 2 because it's repetitive and people want to see development especially since they are in a relationship now. Most of the time, if feels like Yuuta is babysitting an immature little sister, Rikka. You're lovers and the most you guys did were hold hands and recieve a peck on the cheek once in 6 months? Like really real dude, this does not work when love is acknowledged between the two. Simply put, there is no love-chemistry, sexual tension, or anything of the type between them. Even if they are moving slow at their own pace, its so un-synchronized and deadlocked.
Ok now episode 10... OOOooooo.. episode 10. We get more and more into the new character in season 2, Satone. This girl fucking works with Yuuta as a lover. They had a past together and the chemistry is present but Yuuta doesn't see her at all (since he has Rikka apparently). As much as I'm rooting for Satone, there is just no way she will win because that's how anime are: 95% of the time we know who pairs with who in the end and Chuuni revolves around Rikka as the main. This crushed all hope I have for the anime. Seeing Satone in tears with Yuuta looking clueless grinded my last gear to the last bit.
The best way to put it: Rikka
is like a little kid hogging a toy she doesn't play with. When
someone wants to play with the toy and picks it up, she grabs it back
and drops it again when their backs are turned.
>>>>If anyone disagrees or want to argue with me, let's hear it. I am all rooting for Satone here.
This and last week marked the end of Fall 2013 season as well as 2013's line up of anime. In fact, it was the first full year from Jan-Dec that I actually watched anime as they were airing at 1 episode per week per series. But boy oh boy, this year was amazing and pumped out many good titles. I counted a total of 44 full series watched, some shorts, many OVAs, several extras, and 7 on-going from Fall into Winter 2014. For this wrap-up post, I decided to go with the "best ____" and "most ____" approach etc.
Amateras Records - Selfish Trick (わがままトリック)
Best Slice of Life
No blood shed, no crazy characters, no drama, no feels-moment, no sword slinging action, no plot twist, no climax. Non Non Biyori is a heartwarming series of everyday life unfolding with cuteness and hilarity that can be enjoyed again and again. Every episode kept me smiling the entire way through.
Best Storyline
Shingeki no Kyojinhas it in the basket despite only being partially complete. The execution was good and got me craving for more after the end of each episode. There's just an insatiable element as there are so many mysteries still remaining such as origin of the Titans and what's inside the basement of Eren's crumbled house. The hype and craze over SnK is rather over the top though, like really really... over the top.
Another title worthy of this "best" is Suisei no Gargantia that takes place on a revitalized earth after all the glaciers have melted. The story unfolds in a serene environment while touching on humanity issues with plot twists thrown in. Extremely satisfied with this one as it ended conclusively as well.
Best Comedy
Comedy... my favorite genre. NouComeis one of those gems in a pile of rough with overdone cliche characters and jokes that manages to be endlessly entertaining as heck. Even with a touch of harem element, the male MC is actually likable and not some brain-dead-dense-stupid-cunt-fish that will leave you feeling like time well wasted *cough Infinite Stratos 2 cough*
Best Action
Yokuraza Quartet: Hana no Umi took me by surprise. I was initially put off due to the original series but upon seeing this gif. (that gave me the hhhnggggg!! of the century) and realizing HnU is set in an alternative world, I gave it a try and was sucked in. This show seriously got the best action sequences ever and the animation is top notch. The ecchi is not forced, silly moments are abundant, and characters are absolutely adorable and unique.
Top Guilty Pleasure
This goes to Ro-Kyu-Bu! SS. I don't think elaboration is necessary. Story is nice too, of course.
Biggest Let Down
THEY RUINED ONE OF MY FAVORITE RETARDED SERIES. The first and second series was so stupid it was funny, which was the redeeming merit that made it good. BUT(!) here we have Futari wa Milky Holmes, where everyone is serious as a brick without an ounce of stupidity.
PS. gif. is from the good series, of course we don't get this cuteness in the new version
Honorable Mentions
Highly enjoyable, would re-watch 10/10
Aoki Hagane no Arpeggio: Ars Nova - Tsundere. Heavy. Cruiser Chihayafuru 2- This is love. Aiura - dem legs Mondaiji-tachi ga Isekai kara Kuru Sou Desu yo? OP-ass MC Yuyushiki- puppet theory!! Love Live! Idol Project - sugoi sugoi sugoi! White Album 2- This is real love.
Looking forward to a wonderful 2014 of anime.
Merry New Years to everyone.
