Got a good recommendation on Twitter (I think it was kind of tongue-in-cheek, but I ended up running with it) and popped out my longest Aniwords column yet. I’ve kind of been trying to keep them around 750 words, but this one just got away from me…whoops! So, how about a full version of that lovely article thumbnail?
I feel like I’m barely watching anything these days, but post ideas are starting to pop into my head and the reduced “I have to watch this now!!” stress is really helping me actually feel like blogging. Of course, this also means I feel weird saying things like, “This was a good week,” because my anime week this week consisted of watching exactly six episodes, thanks to Blood Blockade Battlefront taking a week off for a recap. That being said, I did think this was a pretty good week, at least for what I saw.
As I started the final five episodes of Rose of Versailles, a friend warned me that I was in for a “rollercoaster.” Having come off the ride, I think I’d have to say that, as thoughtful as the caution was, it was unfortunately understated, as the conclusion to this magnificent series wrecked emotional havoc on me like it had not in 35 episodes prior. In considering why, I of course ended up at some of the easier conclusions for explaining my emotional wreckage—character investment, Stockholm Syndrome, lack of sleep, an exceptionally doomed ship—but I found myself unsatisfied with those answers. However, in considering the show as a whole, rather than simply a five-episode excerpt, I came to understand that I had, to continue to metaphor, been on a rollercoaster the whole time. On a terrifying and exhilarating ride known as “life.”
Is this the week I finally get on the same page as Ore Monogatari!!?? After a couple of weeks of being kind of on-again-off-again with the show, everything clicked this week—and did so in a way that actually felt like my expectations and what the show’s goals were actually lined up for the first time in a long time. And, you know what? I kind of liked that. Oh, and the cute stuff. I liked that, too. Like THIS.
This week’s Aniwords is basically a love letter to idol anime—a favorite anime genre of mine that you’re probably aware of if you’ve been following me for any length of time (especially on Twitter, where my idol-related convulsions are more…unfiltered than they are on here). The column’s really, officially started now, which is both exciting and a little bit scary!
I’m kind of wondering to myself if this is the new normal for me—will I never feel as to blog and writer as I did before the real world came? I’m hoping it’s just the transition affecting me more than I realize, but it’s a bit upsetting how much of a non-positive effect I feel the move to the real world has had on my blogging. I’m gonna keep at it, though! There are shows that must be championed, even this late in the season!
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little unsure about my ability to blog Ore Monogatari!! through the end of its runtime. As much as I like it, I can’t really deny that there’s a gap between substance and depth in this show that was highlighted in this episode—plenty of teases at going deeper, but no actual commitment. Which isn’t, by any means, a terrible thing for a show like this, it’s just not all that conducive to weekly blogging.
So, I teased a big, exciting announcement at the beginning of the day and now it’s time to make it (although it’s already been spoiled if you follow me on Twitter):
https://twitter.com/iblessall/status/605890626761007104
Click the image to read the article!
I won’t lie; I’m pretty freaking excited about this. This will be the biggest audience I’ve ever written for and (to tell the truth) I’m at least partially looking at it as a way to expand this blog’s reach. I’ll certainly be putting up a post every week linking to the column itself, but I’m considering doing something a little extra for you guys on here. Y’all were, after all, my first and are still my most faithful readers and the people I most enjoy interacting with. So, yeah, there might be some sneaky bonuses coming your way in the future. This is supplementary to my work on the blog, and I don’t intend to change my posting schedule here for the sake of the column.
But, for now, I hope you enjoy the semi-inaugural edition of Aniwords!
So, this was my first full week having being under ten shows. It was nice. I’m hoping this upcoming week allows with few shows allows me to catch up on blogging about things I’ve been wanting to blog about (aka catching up on those BBB posts), but we’ll see how things go. Otherwise, I’m still trying to get used to balancing anime and blogging with work in my headspace—considering taking naps right after work to see if that helps me shift gears better. I’m a work in progress, that’s for sure!
Up until episode 8, Sound! Euphonium had been one of my favorite shows of the current anime season—beautifully produced, delicately written, nostalgic in the extreme, thoughtfully reflective on the nature of competitive high school music programs. But, when episode 8 hit the Anitwitter waves, there was…a shift in focus I wasn’t expecting. And the effects of that shift were, well…I didn’t realize what they were for a while, but I thought the overall arc of my experience with the episode was interesting enough that I ought to bring my immediate reactions over from Tumblr and make a more reflective piece out of this fascinating experience.
Mage in a Barrel 