It’s been bugging me that I haven’t officially closed the blog for a while now. Perhaps I thought I’d eventually dive back in head first  and resurrect like  a pheonix from old, old, oooooold ashes. But in any case, the chances of that happening are ridiculously miniscule. I have come back to do this one thing though, since I know I’ll regret it if I don’t. And at least then there’d be a reason to remove the site from my bookmarks.

A short history first: I started the blog when I missed a trip to Venice back in July 2008. I actually think of myself as fortunate that my passport had expired the week before – the thought of starting a blog hadn’t even remotely occured to me until that point. While all my friends were in Neo Venizia I was feeling rather lonely back home so I thought to take my anime hobby (something I’d been into for a while, yet hadn’t been able to talk to with anyone since almost no-one was into it as much as I was at my school) and finally create a platform by which I could express myself.

It was a pretty fun ride. From Yukan! to OH!, gaining/losing my readership, the shitstorms (of course) and just following shows and the discourse as it came and went. It was just what I needed – I wasn’t too social before I went to university, so meeting all of these great and entertaining people online helped me feel a bit better about myself. When I did go to university last year, I got slightly busy (and even more lazy) so I stopped posting. Uni was freaking amazing. I met so many new people, did so many new and interesting things and even joined the anime society (not so full of introverts as you might think). I used blogging as partially an escape from reality, so when I didn’t need to escape that reality anymore, I didn’t need to blog. I could just talk with people face to face about shows (although no-one really compares to the guys online). Even when I tried to come back for the Aniblog Tourney, there wasn’t much point as there were already these great new blogs emerging to replace ones that died like me. So, once again, I stopped posting.

It’s not that special really – my personal reason for blogging dissappeared so I didn’t feel like continuing. I’m also kind of dissappointed (and surprised) I stopped following anime season to season, as well as the blogosphere entirely, and that’s something I will try to change since I really miss it.

Thanks to everyone I met, talked with, and who supported me online, waaaaaaaaay too many people to count, though you could just check out my followers list on Twitter (the one thing I still keep up with these days). Check them all out (except for the spam) they all have great articles to read. So for anyone still here, it was a really fun few years, but I guess it’s time to move on. See ya.

“Don’t wake me when I land, where they barely understand what I speak but they nod to my beats.” – Lupe Fiasco, Paris;Tokyo

I’ve always liked the way music works with anime. It’s kind of amazing to me that so many good soundtracks and original compositions can come from it (then again, I’m always amazed at how innovative and different music can be in general). Even if the music doesn’t stand out to me, most soundtracks do a good job within the context of the show. There are very few shows which have bad or ill-fiiting music; a lot of times you can say “Well, the show was pretty bad but at least the music was okay”. Or perhaps that’s just me and my inability to dislike most styles of music.

Then there are those times where a certain track or opening just “clicks”. Perhaps it’s something to do with the animation or the scene that goes along with it, but those moments where the music just fits can really add to a serie’s appeal. What really interests me is the case with openings. I don’t understand a lick of Japanese outisde  a few keywords or phrases I’ve picked up naturally through watching anime. Add to that the natural rhythm and stylisation of Japanese singers (or, you know, any singers ) and I really have no idea what they’re talking about at all. But that doesn’t matter because there’s no barrier between me and the instrumentals. If the music sounds good and fits the show’s themes, storyline, animation, characters, basically anything, it’ll forever be to me what “fits” with that show. It acts as the musical link between me and the series, which I find is normally one of the strongest. It’s the summation of everything about the show within one and a half minutes, reminding me of everything I know and love. After a few replays, the anime will forever be defined to me by that music. It may seem obvious to say, but whenever I listen to an opening I can’t not think of  the anime that I first heard it in. And all this happens without even knowing the lyrics.

But every now and again I wonder if I can really trust my interpretation of the way openings work. Lyrics are definitely important. The most significant example I can think of is the opening to Casshern Sins. When I first heard it, I was incredibly disappointed. The pop rock opening didn’t seem to have a place within the bleak, post-apocalyptic world of Casshern. I wondered what in the hell the creators were thinking. Then I actually read the (translated) lyrics:

Hey now, why were we born?

Hey now, why did we meet?

…

On a hill rife with fissures under the rusted sky,

We, the living, are much like blue flowers.

Wow, these words are literally perfect for this show. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that this song had been created specifically for it. Even so, the song still doesn’t sit well with me as I think of the show since the happy go lucky musical style is so different from the tone of the series. Something like this works a lot better.

Another example I can think of where a similar thing happens is the insert song for the original Full Metal Alchemist series, Brothers.

Just… perfect.

When I nominated this song for the MAL music club (join today!) the theme was Hope. I was suprised when the general consensus was that the song was more the exact opposite of that, and I wasn’t sure why. After checking out the lyrics, I can see what people meant:

Dear Mom, sweet Mom!

We loved you so much.

But all our efforts

Unfortunately were in vain.

Then there’s all the stuff about forgiveness, death, sin and all other sorts of terrible, terrible things. So yeah, “hopeful”. But seriously, I had no idea about the lyrics when I nominated the song, since that wasn’t what I was paying attention to. The melody and soothing tone of the song made me think of sadness, but also about hope for a better tomorrow and redemption, and that’s the reason I nominated it.

There’s no doubt in my mind that knowing the lyrics  to a song can improve your understanding and appreciation of the series – the Casshern opening is testament to that. However, me learning the lyrics to Brothers kind of took away from my enjoyment of that song and how I looked at it personally. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a brilliant song, but I don’t think I’ll ever look at it (or the series) again in the same way. It might’ve been a rare case where not knowing what was being said was actually better.

Lyrics or not, perhaps it’s just more about your taste in music and your own way of mind and personality that shapes how important a song is to you within a series. Althouh it is important to know what’s being said to get the whole picture, I just know that every time I hear Guns ‘n’ Roses or Sorairo Days, I’ll probably end up with a smile on my face.

And I’ll never understand half of what rap artists are saying.

Image source

Seems like I’ve suddenly turned into someone who looks at the trends in shounen anime…

This wallpaper I discovered (which ended up being my desktop for a very long time) got me thinking about what backs represent in a few of the anime I’ve seen. Every now and then you see a protagonist being said to have a “wide back” or something similar. What stands out in my memory, “Did his back always use to be this big?” Of course, it’s not supposed to be anything literal – saying that a hero has a “wide back” is just another way of saying that they’ve grown or matured, and that they’re able to take on more responsibilites. A specific example I can think of is Ed from FMA. At some point during the middle of the series Winry, who’s known Ed since their childhood, remarks that that his back wasn’t always that large. I think this is something that’s easy to take notice of due to the two’s relationship. Winry’s seen Ed before and after the experiences that have shaped him into the the man he is today, so more than anyone else she notices the differences between him then and now.

And naturally, there’s also the example of Gurren Lagann – the amount of times the camera’s shown the heroes from behind looking forward to the next challenge makes the point in and of itself. It brings up the idea of someone’s back not only bearing responsibilites and burdens, but also being a way that those who came before them and support them an urge them on. It acts as a connection between those who pass on the responsibilittty and those who now bear it. The same thing happens a few times in Ippo as well (which will always continue to crop up in my posts from now on, it seems). Whenever a protagonist is about to go down in a significant fight, something that helps them keep going is the though that their friends and loved ones are right there behind them, spurring them onwards.

I’m a complete action fanboy. And being a fanboy means that I love good shounen. The first anime I can remember being exposed to was Dragonball Z back around when I was 11. Me and my friend always used to talk about how awesome the show was, but took two very different paths: he got into gymnastics/fighting/general awesomeness (as his love of DBZ was less a love for anime and more a love for all things martial arts) and I just kept watching more anime. DBZ was just a gateway drug, and although it’ll always be with me as a part of my childhood, these days I easily dismiss it for not being all that good. But that’s not really the point.

The point is that another thing the show gave me other than a general love for anime was an expectation. From then onwards, whenever I watched a show where there was a clearly defined good and evil, a bad guy who just has to be defeated, I thought that no matter what, even if the antagonist was completely invincible and unbeatable, the hero would never lose. No matter how many times they were knocked down, they would always get back up again for the sake of their friends, their family, or the fate of the world. That’s something that I’ve always loved about shows such as these – they always appeal to the kid in me who wants to see the bad guy lose. The heros represent justice, determination and the American way!. The Gokus and Luffys of anime are just like the Supermans and Spidermans of comics. They’re who the kid in me wants to be, the strong hero who saves the day despite all odds. And I never get tired of seeing it happen.

The points that stand out to me in Dragonball Z and One Piece are Goku’s fight against Frieza and Luffy’s fight against Lucci. Both fights have those “hell yeah!” moments where you just get the urge to shout your support for the hero’s side. At the same time, both character’s exhibit traits that we I love in my heroes, defying the powers of evil and refusing to submit to them.

Goku – “The future of Gohan…of Chi-Chi…not to mention the entire universe. It all depends on me! I don’t care if you’re a million times stronger than me, mark my words, I’m not going to let them down! So get ready Frieza because this time you’re going down!”

Luffy – “Until I defeat you, I’m not going down!”

The never say die attitude of these guys is something that always inspires me no matter how critical I become of anime – it just appeals to the part of me that wants to be as awesome as these heroes.

Another series which really brings out the fanboy in me is Hajime no Ippo (how many times do I have to rail on about this thing before people take notice!?). In every one of Ippo’s battles, his dreams, aspirations and pride are riding on the line. But on top of these things, there’s something else he’s inherited through his fights. The words of the reporter Iimura say it all:

“At the very least, your fists carry the dreams of 19 different people in them. I don’t believe that those fists are so light you can just toss them aside.”

Every match Ippo’s been in has allowed him to grow and take on new challenges, and that growth is what makes him able to withstand any punch and keep fighting. Without every ounce of experience he’s gained from his battles before,  he wouldn’t able to continue on his path. Not only can he not give up, he’s not allowed to give up, for himself and the sake of all the people that he’s beaten.  The series is always packed full of tense moments and seeing the protagonists rise again and again despite all odds never stops being awesome.

After seeing a good amount of anime, I can safely say that outside of shounen action series, this isn’t a very prevalent trend or at least not as clear cut as good beating evil. There are always exceptions, though such as Casshern Sins, but again Casshern’s “invincibility” and the moral and philosophical messages in the show kind of challenge the assumption that there is a “good” or an “evil”. However, I could always be wrong as there’s always something that I’ll not have seen or perhaps even missed in something I’ve watched or read. One example outside of shounen I can think of is Shin Angyo Onshi.

[spoilers]

It’s not so much how Munsu gets up again, but how he doesn’t back down at all despite being destroyed by the end of the manwha. I mean, just look at this. He loses both his arms and is fighting a monstrously powerful demon, yet he’s still able to overpower him through sheer force of will. His death afterwards makes his actions before all the more impressive.

[/spoilers]

This stuff appearing in shounen (Soul Eater, Gurren Lagann etc) and anime in general is one of the many reasons I love watching anime so much, as those “hell yeah!” moments don’t seem to show up in movies or televisions shows as often.If there’s anything I’ve miseed out on or should take notice of, feel free to leave a comment with some suggestions!

Goddamnit, look at this cover, this has got to be one of the funkiest, coolest motherfucking thing you’ve ever seen. Look at this guy’s soulless, chilling eyes, he looks like he’s staring into your goddamn soul and you can’d do a fucking thing to stop him. You see this art style? This is some freaking heavy, realistic shit right here, none of that simplisitic, spastic crap you get with every other goddamn genre of anime these days. No huge eyes which scream AIDS, no ridiculously long hair or stupid ass clothing, just a guy with a white shirt on looking at the reader with the eyes of a fucking DEMON. The tone of this cover is so fucking amazing, just this jazzy, groovy hue of blue that echoes of a cold and dangerous world. The second you see this cover you know this guy is a fucking GOD and this manga’s going to be one of the best things you ever read. And I haven’t even gotten to the best part yet – the goddamn name.

Holy shit, this is the best name for anything since motherfucking Lesbian Vampire Killers. “Me and the Devil Blues”. Fuck, just repeat that to yourself in the coolest black guy voice you can think of. James Earl Jones, Samuel L Jackson, whatever. That sounds so fucking awesome. God, it instantly conjures up images of a man haunted by music and the power of the blues to capture people’s souls and never let them go. Jesus christ, I haven’t read a single fucking page of this manga and already I’m hooked on it.

Fuck, that name.

Even though the new season is very much underway, Durarara!! still stands out as one of the best shows currently airing. Whenever I think of my favourite series, I can always point out the single element that had me completely hooked. There was just something that series did so well that made it stand out to me, be it excellent direction, dialogue or character development. Though I love Durarara!!, the show hasn’t shown itself to have that one quality that instantly makes it a must watch. Even so, it’s still an excellent show and easily one of my favourite series. And I think it’s due to the fact it doesn’t have a single element that stands out because everything is so high quality – all of it is done so well.

It’s quite obvious that the team behind Baccano! want to replicate the style of that series, and though it isn’t as amazing as Baccano! (I really love that show), it’s still great in its own right. The show manages to have a heavy and unique atmosphere while still being pretty light-hearted when it needs to be. The mixture of these elements is done in a way that one is always used to counteract the others so that the viewer is always interested in what’s going on and the pacing is kept up. The flow from comedy to drama feels natural as well – the shift in tones and scenes is almost seamless.

A large cast of characters is always a hard thing to handle, but when done well they can all be great fun to watch. With such a huge cast you get a great variety of different dynamics and interactions, always keeping things fresh. They all have distinctive and likeable personalities which help carry the show and make all of the dialogue interesting. This means that the drama doesn’t seem forced and doesn’t bog the other parts of the show down.

I’ve always gotten the sense from Durarara!! that Ikebukuro’s a huge thriving metropolis with a secret to be discovered around every corner. The setting is urban, yet mixed with the hint of the criminal and supernatural that makes it feel like there’s always a mystery surrounding the town. The contrast between the deserted back-alleys and the bustling street means the setting is always shifting and changing. One of my favourite things is the different times of day portrayed in the city – the shift from daytime, through to sunset and finally nighttime gives each location a unique feel.

I quite like the story technique the shows adopted as well. Rather than the character’s themselves telling us about their thoughts and feelings, the narrator does. It kind of distances the audience from the character slightly, but at the same time it reaffirms the notion that we’re watching a story unfold, being shown all the different viewpoints so we can understand it more easily.

What I most love about Durarara!!, though, is that it’s not trying to have a deep and complex story, although the style, visuals and direction might make it seem like that. In this way, it’s similar to Trapeze and (of course) Baccano! – the show doesn’t aspire to more than simply recounting the events of in Ikebukuro in an interesting, exciting way.

All of the parts of Durarara!! combine to create a whole that works incredibly well, making it a show that’s easy to watch, and something you can just sit back and enjoy.  Even if the character’s are all demented.