The future is a terrifying thing.
Hanekawa Tsubasa and Me; or, Why I Blog about Anime
Anime Weekly: Winter 2016, Week 4
As I was writing out the title to this post, I had a horrible sensation that I’d accidentally typed “Winter 2015” for last week’s post—but I didn’t.
Elements of the Pastoral in Konosuba
My first essay on Konosuba, elaborating on the pastoral elements of the show.
Hyouka, Episode 20
In an episode where Hyouka switches up its normal format—instead of solving a mystery himself, Oreki has to create a mystery that someone else can solve—it’s appropriate that we also see a shift in terms of the stakes of the episode’s events. Where heretofore Hyouka‘s mysteries have been expressions of interior character realities, in episode 20 (which is really the precursor episode to the finale, in many ways) we see and feel the outside world starting to creep in on the comfy lives of the Classics Club.
Upgrading Mage in a Barrel
I’m going to keep this short.
Those of you who like to spend time poking around the blog may have noticed a couple of new things. I’ve changed primary fonts, have taken down a few old (read: not very good) blog posts, and have added a few other new things here and there.
Of these, the biggest addition is a new page nested under the “About the Blog” page, called “Donating to Mage in a Barrel.” This new page lays out a few details about why I’ve opted to open up this little fundraising campaign, so I’ll let you read those details there, but the long and short of it is that I’m asking you guys to support me just a little as I look to upgrade the backend of the blog (which will, in turn, result in better frontend content). For example, as I’ve started to increase my volume of writing related to cinematography in anime, it’s become increasingly clear to me that I need some sort of video capabilities on the blog to help illuminate more complex points. This upgrade would be a big step towards making that happen.
I’ve put up a donation button and tracker in the sidebar—once we’ve hit the goal, it’ll go away. Of course, donating is completely optional. I’m not going to implement paywalls or anything like that. But I would really appreciate your guys’ support so I can continue to create new and better stuff for you.
To donate, you can use the donate button or follow this link. If you have any questions about this, please feel free to ask in the comments!
Song of a Distant Idol: Performance Intimacy and Love Triangles in Macross Frontier
Love songs are a weird thing. By nature, they’re an expression of the most intimate of emotions, but the majority of the time they’re conveyed at a distance—sung from a radio, through headphones, or on a stage—and as a performance object to be heard by many, not one, thus stripping them of the personal emotion they ought to host.
But, for a little under two minutes in the middle of Macross Frontier, a love song connects.
Anime Weekly: Winter 2016, Week 3
Yet another narrative adventure through my weekly watching schedule, courtesy of a revival of sorts in my drive to blog and write things. I do apologize for the lack of updates recently; I think I burned out more than I realized. But I’m feeling it again, so let’s go!
Swing low, sweet anime chariot.
ERASED and the Cinematic Life
An analysis of ERASED‘s first three episode and the incorporation of cinematography into the functioning of the show.
Mage in a Barrel 