Recurring Features

Aniwords – Durarara!! and Unhidden Monsters

iblessall 4 Comments

Durarara!! x2 has…not been the best the franchise has ever been, that’s for sure. With a seemingly unending stream of new characters flooding into Ikebukuro over the last two and a half seasons and a plot that’s become tangled beyond anyone’s ability to follow, you couldn’t be blamed for thinking the show had gone entirely bonkers—and not in the good way. And so, believe me when I was it was somewhat to my surprise that I discovered that I had been noticing those elusive things called “themes” cropping up in the show.

What follows is the account of my discoveries. Here’s the link~

Durarara!! x2

Aniwords – Haikyuu!! and Capturing the Magic of Intensity

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It’s always exciting when a show that’s been long absent from its true identity finally makes a return, and that’s exactly what happened with this week’s Haikyuu!! At long last, I have no complaints about an episode of Haikyuu!!—I’m just pumped up and excited and ready for more!

So, to honor that success, I’ve taken this week’s Aniwords to break down how Haikyuu!! managed to return to form in such a wonderful fashion. I hope you guys enjoy it!

Here’s the post~

Haikyuu!! S2 18 Net

Aniwords – The “Best” Anime of 2015 (Part 1)

iblessall 2 Comments

I will not deny that this title is perhaps something of a red herring. I regret nothing, as it is perfectly and appropriately descriptive—and because most of the people who comment on it won’t actually read it anyways. So now, if you’re wondering what this column is actually about, I’ve jumped headfirst (or maybe butt first) into the world of rhetorical criticism, with the anime fandom’s lexicon as my subject. In a lot of ways, this is just a introductory piece, but it comes at a nice time in the year. And it was fun to write. Hope you guys enjoy it!

Here’s the link~

Owarimonogatari

Aniwords – A Very Gundam Christmas, Sort of

iblessall 4 Comments

Every time Christmas season rolls around, I start to feel bad about not having any ideas for a good anime Christmas post. So I’m kind of glad I was able to halfway write something related to both anime and Christmas this year, even if it might be a little bit of a stretch. Gundam, Toradora!, Christmas, and family themes aren’t necessarily the most obvious bedfellows, but I think I mostly made it work.

I’m a few days early, but Merry Christmas to all my readers! It really is wonderful to have you all around, reading and commenting. May the season (whether your celebrate Christmas or not) fills your life with love, your heart with hope, and our world with peace. 🙂

Here’s the link~

Toradora!

Aniwords – The Great Waifu Carousel

iblessall 8 Comments

In my ongoing battle to negotiate the lines of blissfully unattached fandom and genuine media engagement, I’ve run into a lot of different facets of anime watching in which this weird dynamic is found. On the hot seat this week is characters—waifus, husbandos, best girls, and everything else—and thinking about the ways that the general marketplace of fandom and industry seem to be at odds with lasting remembrance of anything at all.

But, sometimes, you find the perfect seat on the carousel. This article is about all of that.

Here’s the link~

Danmachi