opinion

Moe and an Argument against Genre Elitist – Much more than just Cuteness

November 18, 2010 by Chikorita157 16 Comments

seriousbussinessmoe — Unfortunately, it is... but it does not have to be like that.

After watching Ore no Imouto Episode 7 and the past incidents with a certain commenter on my blog started posting strongly biased comments against the moe genre. Well in reality, most anime fans don’t really care about the moe but care about the characters, story, animation and/or music. Also, the strong elitist hatred towards a genre could be destructive for the whole Anime Fandom.

As demonstrated in the arguments between Kirino and Kuroneko over the kind of shows they watch, it shows the obsessive side of the fandom. Nevertheless, genre elitism is harsher in real life with bashing of titles, making fun of/bullying fans of a genre, have strong feelings of hate and saying that anime is dying because of it. Moe seems to get so much unnecessary blame to the point that I feel the need to defend the genre even though I am completely neutral to the genre.
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Category: EditorialsTag: anime is serious bussiness, elitist haters, essay, fandom, moe, opinion, rant

Fall 2010 Midseason Impressions

November 15, 2010 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

Since it’s the midpoint of the season, I would like to share my overall thoughts on what I have seen. This midseason impressions post should give you a good idea on what score I will ultimately give the show as the season finishes. [1. Original Image]
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Category: MM!, Ore No Imouto, Otome Youkai Zakuro, Shinryaku! Ika Musume, Tantei Opera Milky HolmesTag: comedy, Diomedea, JC Staff, midseason impressions, moe, opinion, romance, tsundere, Xebec

Fall 2010 Anime Music Rundown – Part II

November 13, 2010 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

Fall 2010 still has a myriad of good and enjoyable Fall 2010 songs so far. Unfortunately, there only a few I really wanted to review in depth. Nevertheless, I still want to share my thoughts about them. [1. Image Source]
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Category: Editorials, MM!, Ore No Imouto, Shinryaku! Ika MusumeTag: Aso Natsuko, ClariS, impressions, moe, music, opinion, ULTRA-PRISM, Veil

Fall 2010 Anime Music Rundown – Part I

November 7, 2010 by Chikorita157 6 Comments

As the Fall 2010 heads to its midpoint, its time to take a look of some Anime Music I decided to try out. Besides the MM! opening single I reviewed at Anime Instrumentality Blog, the other singles I tried out was pretty good. This is why I would like to share my brief thoughts about them. [1. Original Image]
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Category: Editorials, Otome Youkai Zakuro, Tantei Opera Milky HolmesTag: impressions, Lia, music, opinion, Sakamoto Maaya, short thoughts, sphere

Ore no Imouto – Episode 5 – Don’t Falsely Generalize Otakus!

November 1, 2010 by Chikorita157 10 Comments

imouto-ep5-scr1 — Why I am still playing this game?

In the last episode, Ayase ran into Kirino when the crew heads home from the Summer Comiket. Unfortunately, Ayase feels a bit concerned about Kirino from a feeling that Kirino was hiding something from her. It ultimately opens the Pandora’s box of trouble that causes their friendship to break apart temporarily.

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Category: Ore No ImoutoTag: AIC, comedy, drama, generialization, nii nii is a pervert, opinion, otaku, Siscon

Amagami SS – Nanasaki’s Arc Final Review

October 27, 2010 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

It has been awhile since I watched Amagami SS. The reason I fell behind because I was busy with the fall anime. This is why I did not focus on writing about Nanasaki Ai’s arc in great detail, as I originally wanted to. Since I have some free time today, I took the time to finish it. After I finished the remaining two episodes in her arc, I was very disappointed for reasons I am going to explain. [1. Original Image]

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Category: Amagami SS, ReviewsTag: AIC, comedy, drama, fanservice, final impressions, hot springs, nii nii is a pervert, opinion, romance

Obligatory Three Episode Taste Test – Otome Youkai Zakuro

October 26, 2010 by Chikorita157 7 Comments

zakuro-ep3-scr1 — One of the many instances where Zakuro goes tsun tsun on the Wussy Kei.

Since I have dropped Yosuga no Sora because it was too provocative for my tastes, I was able to pick up another show to fill the emptiness. Aorii from Major Arcana suggested that I should watch Otome Youkai Zakuro, which is a fantasy and alternative history kind of show. To be frank, I have read her editorial on it and I found the show rather interesting, so I decided to try it out myself…

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Category: Otome Youkai ZakuroTag: alternate history, fantasy, first impressions, imperialism bites, JC Staff, opinion, taste test impressions, that guy is a big wuss, tsundere

End of the Taste Test – Yosuga no Sora is too Risqué!

October 19, 2010 by Chikorita157 6 Comments

sora-ep3-scr1 — Even Sora's Ice Cream eating can not save the series from being dropped...

I rarely drop anime that I am currently watching since the flaws are usually insignificant to warrant a drop. Unfortunately, I have to drop it because I could not take the Yosuga no Sora seriously since it feels so trashy.

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Category: Yosuga no SoraTag: drama, Dropped, feel, moe, opinion, too much fanservice

Ore no Imouto – Eroge or Why there shouldn’t be a double standard on Violent Games and Eroge

October 18, 2010 by Chikorita157

After I watched the third episode, the show gave me some thoughts about the acceptance of eroge games in general. Even though Kyousuke’s father was right about the questionable content in eroge and that minors shouldn’t play it, I support Kyousuke’s argument since it’s unfair to shun eroge while accepting violent video games like Halo 3. I believe the double standard in western society is highly hypocritical since they accept violent games while shunning eroge. Regardless of content, both Eroge and Violent Games could become a bad influence on someone for the questionable content it has. I think this double standard exists as a result of the cultural differences between Eastern Asia (in this instance, Japan) and the West. [1. Image Source]

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Category: Editorials, Ore No ImoutoTag: AIC, comedy, controversy, drama, editorial, eroge, fandom, moe, opinion

MM! – Exploring Abusive Relationships and Bullying

October 16, 2010 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

Bullying and Abusive Relationships has been a hot topic because of the recent suicides that resulted from prolonged bullying. In the last two episodes, Yunno, a soft-spoken girl developed a fear for men as a result of an abusive relationship she had in the past. In the third episode, she ran into her former boyfriend, Yoshioka and things got a bit nasty.

The last two episodes gave me some thoughts about the recent bullying cases that resulted in the victim to commit suicide. Also, I felt that the experiences Yunno gone through with her abusive boyfriend could actually happen in real life.

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Category: Editorials, MM!Tag: abusive relationships, bullying, editorial, life issues, opinion, real life, Xebec

Fall 2010 Anime Season Taste Test Score Card

October 16, 2010 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

With the taste testing of Anime coming to a close, I want to share my overall thoughts about all the Fall 2010 Anime I have tried out. Compared to last year, I tried out a total of 5 series, which is up from three shows from last year. Most of the shows mainly consisted of comedy slice of life shows, which is not shocking at all considering it’s my preference for Anime after all. [1. Original Image Source]
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Category: MM!, Ore No Imouto, Otome Youkai Zakuro, Shinryaku! Ika Musume, Tantei Opera Milky Holmes, Yosuga no SoraTag: comedy, drama, fall 2010 season, moe, opinion, taste test impressions

Ore No Imouto – Harsh Realities of being an Otaku and Personal Experiences

October 15, 2010 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

After I watched the second episode of Ore No Imouto Ga Konna Ni Kawaii Wake Ga Nai, it seems to be a very realistic representation of Otakus in real life. In a way, it relates to some of the aspects presented in the first real life female Otaku meeting. Even though I do not consider myself as an Otaku, there are plenty of issues and experiences I can relate to the show. [1. Image Source]

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Category: Editorials, Ore No ImoutoTag: AIC, comedy, editorial, fandom, moe, opinion, otaku, personal experiences

Taste Test Part I – Yosuga no Sora

October 5, 2010 by Chikorita157 11 Comments

sora-ep1-scr1 — Twin Incest! It feels so wrong that it's a guilty pleasure.

Well, this is probably one of the strangest visual novel adaptations I ever saw so far. Yosuga no Sora is simply crazy on what they throw at the viewers in the first episode… We have this pretty white hair guy, a sister of the same age, an already made harem and of course the risque scenes[3. Because of the nature of the content, I couldn’t place that many snapshots since the blog is PG-13] of some girl doing you know what and some twin incest. Because of the rather mature content, It makes me feel so guilty when I watch this show that it could even be considered a guilty pleasure [1. A bit of an understatement], more so than Kampfer ever will be.
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Category: Yosuga no SoraTag: drama, fanservice, feel, first impressions, incest, opinion, romance, what the f have I seen?

Air – Final Review

October 3, 2010 by Chikorita157 6 Comments

Air is one of the most memorable shows I seen besides Kanon, Clannad or even 5 Centimeters Per Second since it was Kyoto Animation’s first Key Adaptation that was faithful to the Visual Novel. As a result of how well Air done in terms of animation and story, it gained a fandom and hatedom.

In spite of this, Air still remains a masterpiece for several reasons; it conveyed the summer theme rather well. Also, it had a historical backdrop and scenes with emotional impact the viewer receives. [1. Original Picture Source]
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Category: AIR, ReviewsTag: drama, final impressions, kyoani, moe, opinion

Air – Episode 12 (END) – Final Thoughts

October 2, 2010 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

air-ep12-scr1 — Believe me, I did feel sad during the last moments.

The final episode was heartbreaking and heartwarming…

The last scene where Misuzu reaches her goal and hugs Haruko was so emotional that I almost started crying. At the same time, it was heartwarming since Misuzu could stay strong because of her mother’s (Haruko) love. When she passes away in Haruko’s arm, it was very heartbreaking for Haruko and the audience to bear.

Nevertheless, what people say about Air being a snobbish Anime is simply not true in my opinion. It shown a beautiful life that was cut short by something unfortinate. Tragic and sad events is what makes people stronger and make us value our lives as a beautiful thing. This is what makes Air so emotionally powerful compared to the other stories.

Goodbye Misuzu… I will miss you forever! ;-;

Overall Rating

9.5/10, A, Masterpiece

Overall Review is coming shortly!

Category: AIRTag: drama, key, kyoani, moe, opinion

Life Drama and its Relations of being an Anime Fan

October 1, 2010 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

Life seems to cause all the drama in high school and college that causes hardship and pain. If you heard about the tragedy with Tyler Clementi, its hardships like this that shows the ugly side of life as a result of the two college students broadcasting of the victim‘s a sexual encounter. My mentioning of this is things that people, not just Anime Fans go through with.[3. Orig Picture Source.]

Furthermore, I am pretty sure that you have gone through some tragic events that affected your life such as a relationship that did not work out, loss of a family member or people bullying you because you are a minority. After reading Aorii’s first anniversary post on her blog that relates her difficulties to ones that the characters in an Anime goes through, it give me some thought on how Anime could relate to the hardships I have gone through in my life.
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Category: EditorialsTag: Blogosphere Response, editorial, life experiences, Major Arcana, opinion

Guest Review: K-ON2! Character Image Songs – Hirasawa Yui

September 25, 2010 by Chikorita157

c3dcad626b3a365b454e5d9297aa345a — Azunyan~

Since the girls in K-ON!! finally graduated from their high school, I decided it would be fun to review the most popular girls’ character sing, Hirasawa Yui sung by Toyosaki Aki.

This review was a bit different experience compared to my previous reviews. Reviewing music singles are not easy as it looks since you have to convey what you heard into words. Even though I have a musical background, it took me some time to get it right. So, if you are interested, you can read the review by following the link below.

Read it at Anime Instrumentality > (Discussion about this single is done in this post only)

For those who are wondering, I will be contributing more reviews in the future (as in the coming months). These may include:

Misoji Misaki – For more bile fascination
Additional K-ON singles

I will not review any more Girls Dead Monster singles/albums since they really suck and I don’t want my ears bleed more.

Note: Fanart used in this post is made by ぽにし。

Category: K-ON!, ReviewsTag: final impressions, guest review, music, opinion, review, Toyosaki Aki

K-ON!! Second Season – Episode 24 (END, Main Story) – Final Thoughts

September 22, 2010 by Chikorita157 6 Comments

k-on-ep24-scr1 — You forgot to sign it, Yui!

I have to admit, it was a pretty emotional episode as the four girls are finally graduate and leaves their school behind for college. In addition, it was quite funny for Yui to hide the gift from Sawako to give for appreciation. This pretty much makes her worry about Yui a lot during the graduation ceremony. In the end, it seems that she loves the gift she receives from her students a lot.

As for Azusa, she has not gotten over the graduation anxiety and she broke down towards the end. Yui gives her some mementos (the four girls freshman picture and a five petal flower) to her. Afterwards, the four girls played a “thank you” song to Azusa with the four girls singing. It was one of the best songs in addition to U&I. It was emotional and a happy song that pretty much marks the happy continuation of the friendship even though Azusa still has a year left in high school. After they played the song, they do an encore and it sends happily ever after.

I have to admit; K-ON is probably the most emotionally happy comedy slice of life ever. Forget the haters, I enjoyed and liked it since it brought nostalgia when I was having fun with my friends in high school. It even surpasses Lucky Star over its random comedy. K-ON in my opinion shows the good and simplest things in life, friendship and living life to the fullest. It’s also fully evident in another familiar slice of life show. I’ll keep that a secret. :p

Next Episode: Time for Azusa to get some new recruits… Final Review will be written after I watched the second Extra Episode.

Verdict

10/10

Overall Rating

9.45/10, A, Masterpiece.

Category: K-ON!Tag: comedy, drama, fanboying, final impressions, friendship, haters gonna hate, kyoani, moe, music, oh no you didn't, opinion

Amagami SS – Sae Nakata’s Arc – Final Impressions

September 19, 2010 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

amagami-ss-ep12-scr1 — They finally get their well deserved kiss...

Well, this was perhaps the most enjoyable arc out of the series that tried to differentiate itself from the earlier arcs. It was filled with so much cuteness, moe and perverseness that it could not compare.
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Category: Amagami SS, ReviewsTag: AIC, christmas, comedy, final impressions, moe, nii nii is a pervert, opinion, romance

Exploring Further: My Activities in the Anime Fandom

September 16, 2010 by Chikorita157 2 Comments

As we all know, the fandom is not all about watching anime, but the related activities that goes along with it. After reading the post, I have commented on what I actually do in the fandom. However, telling every exact detail on what I do in the fandom will just leave it in a style that it would be too long to read. That is why I decided to explore even further and in detail on what I actually do besides watching Anime and it could draw some similarities to the activities you participate in the fandom.

I would also like to note that if you just watch and like Anime and not participate in anything else, you are still a fan of Anime. This was something that I haven’t cleared up previously.
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Category: EditorialsTag: commentary, editorial, fandom, opinion, real life

K-ON!! Second Season – Episode 23 – Overall Thoughts

September 15, 2010 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

k-on-s2-ep23-scr1 — Saving the memories...

Even though the four girls seems to be a bit nervous about leaving the school behind and entering society by going to the same college, there is a reason to feel like that. The fun memories they had together in the Light Music Club bonded the friendship together. That friendship allowed the girls to decide on going to the same college to learn, play, and socialize together in their eternal and happy friendship.

After I looked at this episode, it reminded me of my senior year. I had fun with my friends when I went on a field trip with the bands or the time I socialized in the lunchroom. When graduation came, I know that the real world is going to be different and my friends would be going separate paths. Three years later, I am still surviving college rather well with a good outlook in my life.

For the girls, I think they will have an even brighter feature considering that they are together. It makes me wonder if they going to continue having a band right into college. They most likely will since they enjoy making music along with drinking tea and eating cake. As for Azusa, there is no doubt that she is going to miss them. Nevertheless, I think she will survive considering she still has Ui and Jun as her friends. Later on, she can apply to the same college once she graduates and reuite with her other friends.

The tape recording of all their music is very significant at the end of the journey as a memento. This allows them to treasure the fun memories through their songs and give inspiration to the newcomers who want to carry on their legacy.

In the end, these kinds of moments is what caused whole perception of K-ON being just a moe comedy change into something of a life lesson. Strong and good friendships is what makes life a beautiful thing and the girls are living proof of it. They are ambitious with their studies while having a fun time. In my opinion, this is what friendship is all about and there is no doubt that the last episode will leave us with an emotional and joyous impact once they graduate and start their new chapter in their life.

Category: K-ON!Tag: comedy, drama, kyoani, moe, opinion

5 Centimeters Per Second – Final Review

September 14, 2010 by Chikorita157 12 Comments

If you wondering about the title… That is how fast a cherry blossom petal falls.

Several people in the blogosphere, namely Flak and Kimaguresan have suggested me to watch this slice of life/romance/drama movie called 5 Centimeters Per Second. Considering that I have not watched a movie from Makoto Shinkai, which is a well-known director who directed movies that are bittersweet and appealing to the eye, I had high expectations. After watching the whole movie, I was pretty impressed even though the story did not a happy ending.

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Category: Movies, ReviewsTag: drama, final impressions, Makoto Shinkai, opinion, romance, slice of life

Opinion: Angel Beats and K-ON!!, the Day and Night Differences of the Bands

September 10, 2010 by Chikorita157 Leave a Comment

It has been nearly two months since Angel Beats have ended and after listening to the whole Angel Beats OST, I was impressed by how surprisingly well ANANT-GARDE EYES and Jun Maeda songs sounded. I mentioned this since there was a discussion about the composition of the soundtrack a while back on Twitter between me, zzeroparticle and Aorii that happened last week over how long it took to compose the music for Angel Beats, which was rumored to be 3 days. Because of the discussion, I brought up the fictional school band, Girls Dead Monster since it could explain why the songs sounded so lackluster because of the composition and the vocals. The responses I got is that the songs would sound better in the Anime opposed to just listening it as a lone track and that Jun Maeda isn’t exactly cut out to make pop songs that involves guitars.

After watching the last performance of HO-KAGO TEA TIME at the School Festival in Episode 20, it have gave me some thoughts about Angel Beats’s Girls Dead Monster and if they really can compare to K-ON’s HO-KAGO TEA TIME in regards to vocals, composition and its message, which will be discussed in this opinion piece.
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Category: Angel Beats!, Editorials, K-ON!Tag: key, music, opinion

Kanon – Mai’s Arc and Fighting her Demons

September 9, 2010 by Chikorita157 3 Comments

mai-1 — You might be wondering, what exactly is she doing?

Continuing with the analyzing of the arcs I played in Kanon, the next girl’s arc I am going to focus on is Mai Kawasumi. She is viewed by everyone as an anti-social, quiet girl who seems to have this urge to go to the school at night with a long, sharp sword. There could be a reason why she is like this because of the events that happened in her childhood she couldn’t get over.

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Category: Kanon, ReviewsTag: drama, final impressions, key, moe, opinion, visual novel