After a few posts on AKB48, here it is back on an anime topic. Many people on the netsphere considers 2007 to be one of the best, if not the best years of anime. They certainly contain some of the most well-known animes, both widely and within specific anime community (Death Note, Gurren Lagann, Lucky Star, Nodame Cantabile among them). Therefore, this is the year that I am particularly interested in seeing which anime series comes out on top.Note that similar to other analyses I did recently, I am considering an anime to be of a particular year based on when it finished, thus Code Geass, Death note and Nana (all released in late 2006) are considered as 2007 anime in my book.
Without further ado:10. DENNOU COIL ()
Monday, September 30, 2013
Autumn 2013 Anime Preview
I'm back bitches~!I have been back in the warm embrace of my PC & wonderful internet connection for three weeks now - it's been a strange experience.For a start Ireland feels bloody tiny, but the crap public transport means that I am sorely missing not having a car.I am pretty much bankrupt thanks to my trip (which was loads of fun) so had a frantic first week home of job searching.Thankfully I got a temporary 2 month contract to tide me over for a while .which meant very little time being a NEET and catching up on things.
Being the obsessive fan I am, I did manage to keep up with a choice selection of shows from the seasons I was AWOL, but still have a lengthy list of things I want to check out - will get round to them eventually.But anyhoo, you're here for the Autumn Preview, so lets get cracking! (Can't tell you how much I missed doing these things - exhausting, but satisfying~!)
Being the obsessive fan I am, I did manage to keep up with a choice selection of shows from the seasons I was AWOL, but still have a lengthy list of things I want to check out - will get round to them eventually.But anyhoo, you're here for the Autumn Preview, so lets get cracking! (Can't tell you how much I missed doing these things - exhausting, but satisfying~!)
Sunday, September 29, 2013
100th Post Special: Part 1-Top 10 Best Villains
"When the Devil is too busy
And Death's a bit too much
They call on me by name you see,
And Death's a bit too much
They call on me by name you see,
Friday, September 27, 2013
Death Note: More to it than meets the eye?
Recently, there has been heavy discussion about symbolism in the stories that we have read in class. I thought this was a great opportunity to talk about symbolism in one of the most popular anime series of all time in the U.S. and Japan: Death Note.
In Death Note, there is a Shinigami (God of Death) named Ryuuk who follows around the main character (Light Yagami) and gave him a Death Note (A notebook that all Shinigami have. Any human's name who is written in it dies in 40 seconds of a heart attack unless otherwise specified in the Death Note after their name.)Light Yagami is the main character and an anti-hero who has his own idea of justice by killing criminals, and later on, generally whoever stands in his way. He is careful to hide his identity, and everyone generally refers to the mysterious murderer as "Kira." L is the world's best detective and the main character who opposes Light throughout the story, by attacking him psychologically. For example, L first had a publically announced global news broadcast where he put a prisoner on Death Row with the nameplate of his name by him on the screen. He then has the criminal claim to be L and give a provoking speech that belittles "Kira." (L has yet to reveal his true identity or face to anybody at this point in the story) Light is provoked and kills him with the Death Note. L later reveals that he only broadcasted that TV program in a certain region of Japan, so he immediately finds out Kira's general location. He also figures out from this that Light/Kira needs a name and a face in order to kill. L's and Light's ideas of justice are very different.Justice has many underlying meanings. If there was a poll asking all the people on the planet "what is right and what is wrong?" the majority will probably say something similar to what is stated in the 10 Commandments. L says that Kira has a childish concept of right and wrong. (although this is primarily to provoke him)In the series, before Light has Rem (another Shinigami that Light gains control over by endangering a human that it cares about) kill L, L receives premonitions of his death in images and dreams. In the same way, Jesus prophesied that He would be betrayed and killed. Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples, including Judas, just before Judas betrayed Him. L actually washed Light's feet after their conversation in the rain about lying. Clearly, L is representative of Jesus Christ in this series.
In Death Note, there is a Shinigami (God of Death) named Ryuuk who follows around the main character (Light Yagami) and gave him a Death Note (A notebook that all Shinigami have. Any human's name who is written in it dies in 40 seconds of a heart attack unless otherwise specified in the Death Note after their name.)Light Yagami is the main character and an anti-hero who has his own idea of justice by killing criminals, and later on, generally whoever stands in his way. He is careful to hide his identity, and everyone generally refers to the mysterious murderer as "Kira." L is the world's best detective and the main character who opposes Light throughout the story, by attacking him psychologically. For example, L first had a publically announced global news broadcast where he put a prisoner on Death Row with the nameplate of his name by him on the screen. He then has the criminal claim to be L and give a provoking speech that belittles "Kira." (L has yet to reveal his true identity or face to anybody at this point in the story) Light is provoked and kills him with the Death Note. L later reveals that he only broadcasted that TV program in a certain region of Japan, so he immediately finds out Kira's general location. He also figures out from this that Light/Kira needs a name and a face in order to kill. L's and Light's ideas of justice are very different.Justice has many underlying meanings. If there was a poll asking all the people on the planet "what is right and what is wrong?" the majority will probably say something similar to what is stated in the 10 Commandments. L says that Kira has a childish concept of right and wrong. (although this is primarily to provoke him)In the series, before Light has Rem (another Shinigami that Light gains control over by endangering a human that it cares about) kill L, L receives premonitions of his death in images and dreams. In the same way, Jesus prophesied that He would be betrayed and killed. Jesus also washed the feet of his disciples, including Judas, just before Judas betrayed Him. L actually washed Light's feet after their conversation in the rain about lying. Clearly, L is representative of Jesus Christ in this series.
Attack on Titan
Several hundred years ago, humans were nearly exterminated by titans. Titans are typically several stories tall, seem to have no intelligence, devour human beings and, worst of all, seem to do it for the pleasure rather than as a food source. A small percentage of humanity survived by walling themselves in a city protected by extremely high walls, even taller than the biggest of titans. Flash forward to the present and the city has not seen a titan in over 100 years. Teenage boy Eren and his foster sister Mikasa witness something horrific as the city walls are destroyed by a colossal titan that appears out of thin air. As the smaller titans flood the city, the two kids watch in horror as their mother is eaten alive. Eren vows that he will murder every single titan and take revenge for all of mankind.
Based on the popular manga series by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan is simply one of the few anime series to come out roughly every several years that rises above the mediocrity and becomes something quite memorable. Director Tetsuro Araki, who directed the prominent anime adaptations of Death Note (2006) and High School of the Dead (2010), once again ventures into dark territory with this series. In the likes of Death Note, High School of the Dead, and Code Geass (2006) before it, Attack on Titan is simply a series that is highly distinctive in terms of its premise, easing us as viewers into a world of fear, violence, terror, and even shades of darwinistic thinking. This develops the series as a very genuine and frightful look into the sociological and psychological ramifications that develop within a civilization that is on the brink of utter destruction. It is for these reasons alone that Attack on Titan is undeniably one of the best anime series to come about in quite some time.
Based on the popular manga series by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan is simply one of the few anime series to come out roughly every several years that rises above the mediocrity and becomes something quite memorable. Director Tetsuro Araki, who directed the prominent anime adaptations of Death Note (2006) and High School of the Dead (2010), once again ventures into dark territory with this series. In the likes of Death Note, High School of the Dead, and Code Geass (2006) before it, Attack on Titan is simply a series that is highly distinctive in terms of its premise, easing us as viewers into a world of fear, violence, terror, and even shades of darwinistic thinking. This develops the series as a very genuine and frightful look into the sociological and psychological ramifications that develop within a civilization that is on the brink of utter destruction. It is for these reasons alone that Attack on Titan is undeniably one of the best anime series to come about in quite some time.
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Accel World
is an anime based on the Light Novels by Kawahara Reki, the author of , in fact, I've decided to watch this show after as much as I did. Unlike Sword Art Online, I hadn't read the books, and as such this review would be based only on the anime, and perhaps a couple of points would be drawn from SAO and other media, as usual. I also want to note that the seed of the idea I'll use in this post, of the show's protagonists as villains had been planted by , reviewing the show.
Let's begin with the show's premise, or the world it's taking place at, and how it develops it: In 2046, people can access a virtual network known as the Neurolinker via their cellphone terminals. A perpetual victim of bullying, middle school student Haruyuki spends his time absorbed in games in a corner of his local network. One day he is approached by the most famous girl in his school, Kuroyukihime (Black Snow Princess). She gives him a strange program called Brain Burst that has the power to "accelerate the world." (Source: ).
Let's begin with the show's premise, or the world it's taking place at, and how it develops it: In 2046, people can access a virtual network known as the Neurolinker via their cellphone terminals. A perpetual victim of bullying, middle school student Haruyuki spends his time absorbed in games in a corner of his local network. One day he is approached by the most famous girl in his school, Kuroyukihime (Black Snow Princess). She gives him a strange program called Brain Burst that has the power to "accelerate the world." (Source: ).
RAW: What I have learnt from the movies
I haven't been writing much of late. Instead I have been quite demotivated, and turned my attention to my bed, movies and countless TV series. After two weeks, I realised something was wrong. My life has turned into a battle of the mind and I don't like who I am becoming.
I'm ever so uncertain how I arrived here. I have always been motivated with my store, blog and university work, but here I am faced with this feeling that I no longer am doing what I love, but rather for the sake of doing it. It's a rather difficult space to be in; call it writer's block, but I forgot how important writing is to me and acts much like my personal therapist. I sit here and reflect the cause behind my downward spiral and I am clouded by the very things I do. I suspect that I was consumed in events, renovating the website and awaiting my summer stock to the point where I lost interest in my vision and goals. Instead I retreated to the safety of my home, under a blanket; thinking things would change itself if I laid there and forgot to care about anything else.
What I have learnt from my bed in the last few weeks is mainly due to the movies I've been watching. I have noticed the countless messages which have been communicated to us and have shaped the way we both perceive and react to the world around us. In a way it has helped ignite some motivation within me to get back up on the horse.
I'm ever so uncertain how I arrived here. I have always been motivated with my store, blog and university work, but here I am faced with this feeling that I no longer am doing what I love, but rather for the sake of doing it. It's a rather difficult space to be in; call it writer's block, but I forgot how important writing is to me and acts much like my personal therapist. I sit here and reflect the cause behind my downward spiral and I am clouded by the very things I do. I suspect that I was consumed in events, renovating the website and awaiting my summer stock to the point where I lost interest in my vision and goals. Instead I retreated to the safety of my home, under a blanket; thinking things would change itself if I laid there and forgot to care about anything else.
What I have learnt from my bed in the last few weeks is mainly due to the movies I've been watching. I have noticed the countless messages which have been communicated to us and have shaped the way we both perceive and react to the world around us. In a way it has helped ignite some motivation within me to get back up on the horse.
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