Counter Culture Anime

I will be as harsh as truth and as uncompromising as justice. I am in earnest. I will not excuse. I will not equivocate. I will not retreat a single inch. I will be Heard.

[ccanime]

It begins

[robottopurinta]

[ccanime]

Importance of Friends: The Watching of Shimoneta

Connor: Remember the importance of experiencing work with a community. I watched all of Shimoneta this past Sunday. To get to the point, I thought this show was god awful. I gave it a 2 on MAL maybe it’s a 3 on a good day. The characters are garbage, have one or no defining characteristics, and are mostly stagnant throughout the show. Despite all of that I still had a fucking blast watching it. The reason: I watched it with friends. Bro Nights: the glorious occasions were I sat in Josh’s living room with six other guys including CCAnime’s own Jonathan and marathon an entire show. This week was the  J.C.Staff puddle of piss Shimoneta. We bros laughed at every shit dick joke, cringed at every chunk of bad dialogue, and raged at the total shit-show that was this show. While my life is no better -- might be worse -- for having seen shimoneta, my life is better for deciding to walk that small mile to partake in a the great experience my friends give to me. 

[ccanime]

Modern art at its finest

[ccanime]

Stephen Arrives

Hey everyone, I’m Stephen. I like cute little anime girls. If you like cute little anime girls too, we should talk about it. 

[ccanime]

Do you read light novels? If so would you do a review of one?

Hey. The only one I've ever played was katawa shoujo and when I start this page up in the next week I think I might do that one. I absolutely loved that one.

[ccanime]

Pick up tomorrow with the review.

[redlightoptional]

My Thoughts on Attack on Titan's success

I have a love hate relationship with Attack on Titan. I am not someone who thinks that the anime fandom should be one filled only with hard core fans and analysts. I was so happy that people were drawn into anime due to this show. However, the popularity of attack on titan reminded me the issue I have with not only anime but all media. Attack on Titan is deeply flawed (I’ll get to those later), yet people in the anime community and new entries into it were and still are praising it as the best anime ever. To have a show like this representing anime as our best work troubles me because it doesn’t due the medium justice. I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I need to say it so I can make a point with future reviews.

[ccanime]

Accidentally posted this to one of my other blogs. Sorry.

[redlightoptional]

The Success of AoT

When Attack on Titan first aired it boasted numbers of viewers that crushed all other anime to come out in the last half decade. It’s watchers that put it as a favorite on My Anime List actually tied with the big 3 shonen. That had never happened in anime history and still hasn’t happened again since. People who never even thought of anime were drawn into watching it due to it’s popularity. Personally I met 4 people who’s only anime they had ever seen was Attack on Titan. My cousin, who works as a lawyer, even had a coworker recognize her whistling the aot theme. I don’t think I’m at fault in saying that aot might be the most popular anime of the new millennium.

[ccanime]

Guys I accidentally posted these to one of my other blogs

[ccanime]

Man, titan faces can be so funny some time.

[ccanime]

Characters of Attack on Titan (part 1)

After reading my first three character summaries, you might need some clarification on my thoughts. The first thing I want to say is that I don't hate these characters. They are likable and they serve to move the plot along well. The issue with the characters is that they are part of a world where the titans have fundamentally changed the way people thought. This change in thought is never explored (the only time we see any psychology explored is people looked scared when they see titans and in info dumping by eren as a narrator.) The show fails to give an impending doom feel to a world that should innately have it. The big reason for this is the shallow characteristics of the characters and the really stereotypical actions they take. The characters are simply missing something that could elevate them higher then just plot devices. More in part 2.

[ccanime]

Armin Arlert

Armin is the final person in the main character triumvirate. He is also kind of a token character, very stereotypical. He has always been scared and whiny. He is a smart strategist. Unlike the other two characters Armin at least has some character development attempted on him. However, even this development is the stereotypical he finally grows some balls and does something. That type of development only works if there’s more behind it other then the “hes scared but then he does something brave.” Even in his brave moments he has to be saved by Eren. I like Armin but that's because I have a bias towards characters who are only there as a catalyst for other more important characters even if the side character is so much more adept. (That pretty much sums up mikasa and Armin) Thoughts: Again, not much more to put here. He's not a bad character but again there's not much to him. He has one very trite characteristic that is kinda shallow. You either relate with that characteristic or you don't.

[ccanime]

Eren Jaeger

Eren is the main character and protagonist of Attack on Titan. He is you action shonen stereotype. He is big headed, confident, strong willed, and short tempered. He does impulsive stuff, but he isn’t exactly stupid. He also doesnt realize that Mikasa wants his dick after he saved her life as a child, and like seriously dude what the hell is with these guys. EVERYONE CAN SEE IT BUT YOU... (small cough) Due to the killing of his mother Eren’s whole purpose in life is to take revenge on all of the titans. This is what compels the rest of his journey. At this point in the show theres also some mystery with erens missing father and some key to a basement. All of that is unclear.

Thoughts: Im going to say something that might piss everyone off. I think the main characters in AoT are kinda bad. Eren and mikasa are cardboard cut out characters with no depth. Almost everything about them seems illogical or ass pullish. They arent awful characters but they are certainly not this shows strength. more on this with mikasa.

[ccanime]

Mikasa Ackerman

Mikasa is the bad ass bitch of Attack on Titan (you know this show does its women justice kinda.) mikasa is Eren’s life long friend and wants nothing more then for him to bend her over a stool and JUST FUCKIGN GIVE IT TO HER, DAMN SHONENS PISS ME OFF SOMETIMES. sorry, sorry. anyway, mikasa’s role in the story is to act as the bite behind eren’s bark (well at least until eren transforms into a titan.) she is the greatest slayer of all the trainees, and is really the only one who can actually kill titans. She is in love with eren after he saves her life and lived with him since the accident. 

Thoughts: I actually liked Mikasa. I am not going to lie, but after really thinking she kinda falls to the same trappings of all the other characters. She’s still the tragic back story, unrequited love, inexplicably strong, backup female. She pretends to be mysterious but doesnt have the actual mystery to back it up. Ill say it again no matter how unpopular. She’s not a well written character, that said i still enjoyed her.  

[ccanime]

Characters of Attack on Titan part 2

At the end of part 1 I casually mentioned that the characters aren't elevated above plot devices. This is much more important when you take into account that a big praise of this show is that it kills off people (notice they haven't killed main characters.) The shallowness of characters is a problem in death is that killing them only had weight in the action of the death. The death hasn't cut a connection with the viewer and the character. If no connection it's established or if the connection is weak, the death isn't important

[ccanime]

Attack on Titan Schematics

Show: Attack on Titan

Japanese name: shingeki no kyojin

Episodes: 25

Studio: Whit studio and production IG

Director: Tetsuro Araki

Composer: Hiroyuki Sawano

Thoughts: one reason for this shows success is that the team behind it is amazing. Tetsuro Araki has cemented himself as the most successful anime director of all time. Whether you like his movies or not, you can’t deny the man’s important role in bringing anime to the west. Production IG again showed the stacks of cash in their basement from illegal cock fighting because the art is awesome. The new Studio Whit will have no problem getting more projects after this success. The music is also solid. Over all from a technical stand point this show is great.

[ccanime]

Not aot but I just learned one punch man just got announced to have an anime adaptation and I'm psyched!!!! Read it!!!!