Anime

Critical Thinking, Anime, and You

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We all watch anime for different reasons. Some of us want a time sink, some of us want entertainment, some of us want an artistic experience, some of us want a combination of things from our anime, even differing our expectations by show. And when we’ve seen a show we love, for whatever reason, we usually want to tell people about that show. It is one of the great pleasures of encountering any form of media: finding something you like and sharing it with others.

Yet, many of us (myself included) struggle to articulate what it is about a show that drew us in, and struggle to defend our favorite shows from the negative criticism of others. And on the other side, many of us fail to effectively communicate our problems with a particular show.

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Spice & Wolf (Season 1) Review

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There are some anime that convey deep meanings; there are others that are crazy masses of gags, jokes and fun. And then there is the perhaps neglected category of shows that simply tell stories for their own sake. Spice & Wolf (2008; Imagin) is one such show. It’s nothing deep, it’s not raucous and loud; it simply tells the story of two people as they live their lives and learn to understand each other.

Spice & Wolf was an infinitely pleasant watch for me. It’s a well-executed show that made its proficiency and likability evident early on. As such, I was able to simply relax while watching, confident that the story would carry me through on its own terms. For all this, I give Spice & Wolf a 7/10, with its comparative ranking in the Ongoing Anime Rankings.

Spice and Wolf

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A Couple Songs from fhána

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I don’t think I’ve hidden the fact that fhána is my favorite anisong band I’ve encountered in my time watching anime. Their sound is just one that really appeals to me. I’ll probably write a post on my favorite anisong bands/singers sometime, but for now I just wanted to share a couple songs they’ve recently released.

1. “Kotonoha Breakdown”

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Scrapped Princess Review

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Which is more valuable, one person or the entire world? It all depends on how you value a single human life. If you’re like me, it’s not an easy question to answer. Nevertheless, this is the central question that the 2003 anime Scrapped Princess, from the studio BONES (they really do make great stuff), tackles as it chronicles the journey of a girl cursed from birth and her struggle to choose her destiny for herself.

Scrapped Princess is the oldest anime series I’ve ever watched, and the charm of the presentation (not to mention the polished story) won me over from the initial episode. As the show continued on, I was continually impressed by both its treatment of the characters and the important thematic questions it engages. Scrapped Princess is proof that there’s no substitute for good characters, good themes and a good story. I’m giving it a high 7/10, and its ranking can be found on the Ongoing Rankings Page.

Scrapped Princess Sceptic Shannon

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Inadequate in Paris

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So, as you may recall (or not, if you don’t remember inconsequential things like when anime bloggers go on vacation), I was on hiatus not long ago doing the Grand Tour around Europe. I’m sure you’ll all be glad to hear that I had a lovely time, and that, of course, I didn’t forget about the blog or about anime while I was contemplating life in the mountains of Switzerland. Before I was in Switzerland, I spent several days in Paris, where I encountered a number of shops with anime/otaku-related merchandise. And, through these experiences, I came to realize: I’m not very hardcore. At all. What follows are some pictures of anime related shops and items that I encountered during my travels. I hope you enjoy!

Not Otaku Enough for This

I’m just not otaku enough for this nonsense.

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First Impressions: Spring 2014 Anime

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I know I’m late with this post, as the Spring 2014 season is already well underway, but I’m going to do it anyways, including everything I’ve watched to this point. My hiatus is over and I’ve got some big things in the works, but I have to get caught up on the current season first!

Pet Show of the Season: Hitsugi no Chaika

This was my pet show even before it started airing. The title, synopsis, character designs and overall feel were right up my alley and it was coming out of my favorite studio of all time, BONES. After making my way through the first two episodes, I’m totally charmed by everything about this show: the color palate, the magic systems, Chaika’s adorable-funny way of talking, her simple motivation of wanting to bury her father, the siblings (even though the imouto is a brocon, ugh…) and the overall feel of the show. I’m not expecting brilliance from Chaika, just a pleasant fantasy adventure with a good story.

poster6979

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Blogging Hiatus

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Hey all!

I just wanted to drop a quick note and let you all know that I will be taking a brief break from blogging. I am taking a two week trip around Europe, and I’m not bringing my laptop, so I won’t be watching anime or blogging about it while I’m away.

I have exciting projects in the works for when I come back, including my spring premiere reactions, an essay on the applying the critical process of media to watching anime and a review of Durarara!!

Stay well, and we’ll chat when I get back!

Best,
iblessall

Karen Wave

Until later!

EDIT: Oh, and don’t worry. I promise this isn’t a Togashi-esque hiatus. Really.

Top Winter 2014 Anime: Final Ratings

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The Winter 2014 season has come to a close, and so it’s time to assess the shows that I watched, rate them and rank them. What follows is are short reviews and rating on a scale of 1-10 of the shows that I watched during the winter 2014 season. Overall, the season was one of the least impressive I’ve seen, although it did has a few shows I genuinely enjoyed.

Here’s the format I’ll be following. I will be going through the list of shows I’ve been watching in ranked order. Each show will be given a rating out of 10, as well as a short review and any awards the show won (Best Animation, Best Comedy, etc.).

Tiered rankings will be found here, and full series reviews for the shows that need them can be found on the Reviewed Anime List, as well as on the front page of the blog as I post them.

Let’s get started!

Kagari Ayaka

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