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Come Follow My New Blog!

I mean, it’s basically just this blog with a new name. For a while I’ve just been posting the same articles from there onto here, but I feel that’s just little redundant, so from now on https://theregoesmykokoro.wordpress.com/ will the main place to get all my thoughts and opinions on all the hip new animus we know and love! Isn’t that great?

This doesn’t necessarily mean I will post here no longer, but it will probably be much more infrequent and not what you expect. Thanks for all your support!

Kizumonogatari Divided - Why three parts?

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing one of the finest pieces of animated film to ever touch this planet. A sheer masterpiece in it’s own right, surely no one would disagree. And even if you would, that’s not what we’re discussing here today. For today’s post, I’m going to start off with what already feels like a common, inevitable complaint. Kizumonogatari should not have been cut up into three separate movies.

Some might argue the movie would’ve been better off as one whole. Even two parts could’ve sufficed. But three? Hour long movies? Too much. That’s not to say part one has too little because of this. An excellent beginning in all regards, is part one of Kizumonogatari. But it leaves off in such a weird place, in such a quick cut way, that it feels like the movie was almost certainly divided after the fact. We’ll have to see by the start of part two whether that’s true or not, but even now it’s painfully clear there was no need to slash this movie into thirds. Back to my point about even being cut in half, without spoiling the story I will say that there is a pretty good cut off point in the middle of the novel. But the way they did it here, the place they did it here...it just doesn’t feel right.

What adds to the feeling of having our entertainment force fed to us piecemeal is the fact that every part is planned to be released in 2016. Now, I won’t pretend to know more about the anime industry and how studios work outside of what I’ve learned from Shirobako, but it seems like this movie is finished, or damn well near. Part one does not look or feel like something that’s been made in a matter of months. This film already feels like years in the making, and I just don’t know how they could come out with two more parts with the same caliber or greater in the next twelve months. But of course, this is just conjecture.

Now onto the “why?”. Why turn this story into three parts? It doesn’t seem like the studio needs the time, and even if they did the full movie would be ready in the matter of a year according to schedule, so why not hold it? The simple answer is money. You can make more money making people pay three times than just once...or so it may seem. But I’d like to propose something else. If Aniplex thinks this movie is worth that much, why not just triple the price? I paid around $13 for my ticket (tax included), but I would’ve much rather pay $39 to see the whole thing at once. Kizumonogatari is worth it to me, and it’s probably worth it to a lot of other fans. The only thing you’re wasting is my time (and the cost of trip as I don’t live too close to one of the select theatres). It’s disappointing, and I hope we don’t come to see this more often in the future.

#kizumonogatari

Bloody Brilliant - Kizumonogatari, Part 1

“SHAFT is perfect and creates nothing but masterpieces. Anyone who disagrees is wrong.”

Noir

I could watch this movie without any dialogue whatsoever and still be kept thoroughly engaged from beginning to end. That’s my untested hypothesis, of course. Needless to say, Kizumonogatari is visually stunning. Gorgeous. Magnificent. Ravishing. Sensational. Out of this world. I just want to keep listing off words to describe how fucking beautiful this movie looked. As is the SHAFT guarantee, there’s never a dull moment. Whether it be the playfully unique changing of camera angles to the cuts of text, or how it manages to take us from location to location to location in a matter of seconds, the monogatari series has always been something that encourages keeping your eyes glued, otherwise you just might miss it.

The character art is fantastic, and even more mesmerizing in motion. What’s even more fun is how the camera moves with the character it’s following. It’s an interesting view to, walking behind Araragi. Or in front. Or to the sides. Or to any angle imaginable, which is basically what Kizumonogatari is trying to accomplish. Look good, in every possible way. And from scenery to character art to motion, it succeeds.

As for the character’s interactions, they’re absolutely wonderful…but succinct. It seems like there’s much less dialogue in this movie than in any of the other monogataris. For the first five to ten minutes (roughly) not even a single word is spoken. Now, I’m not one of those asshol- erhm, “special people” who like to criticize a movie through comparison with the novel it was based on. They’re different mediums, and it’s an adaption, so there’s no need to get our knickers in a twist. However, the book does hold quite a lot over the movie in terms of dialogue and Araragi’s inner thoughts, and it might’ve been nice for SHAFT pull more from it. Still, the movie still manages to be witty and profound without it.

Without getting too far into the issue of runtime, I will say that Kizumonogatari ends in a…strange place. A weird way to end a movie, that doesn’t really offer up much of a conclusion nor cliffhanger. Even the final line wasn’t much to go off of. It’s…a little disappointing, considering the film as a whole was bloody brilliant. But I think I’ll write about the story being cut up into three parts another time, so for now I’ll just leave you with these words: Bloody brilliant. Excessively excellent. Splendid masterpiece. Impeccable piece of art. Epitome of film. Fucking amazing.

Thanks for reading!

#kizumonogatari

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 10

A Ruru episode.

…

…Okay. Look, I’m not saying Ruru’s a terrible character…

…

…but she kinda sucks, and I’m really disappointed that they dedicated an episode to her. But I’m not surprised, as every other character seemed to have their own up until this point. So I guess it’s only fair for Ruru to have her time to shine.

Starting with the plot, well, it was even dumber than I expected. Ruru is small, but she wants to drink a full bottle of Ramune. To fully ingest this Ramune, she needs to become the size of a human. Luckily, a benevolent witch phantom just happens to be passing by, and grants her wish so she can drink Ramune at the festival. Then shit happens where she can’t reveal who she is to her friends because of an arbitrary set of rules, and then breaks those at the end of the episode because apparently she’s the only one that can save Haruhiko from the firework phantom. And they’re all said because they actually think for a moment that Ruru is dead from the explosion, and sad because she never got to drink that Ramune soda. But it’s okay, she’s alive, the end.

Thought I said “Ramune” too many times in that last paragraph? Well that’s not even half the amount of times they mentioned Ramune in the show. Product placement or does the writer just really like Ramune? I don’t know, but tune in next time for when Izumi becomes addicted to the Pocky phantom!

Back to the witch that I briefly mentioned earlier, I thought she was a cool addition and would like to see her in more episodes. This is of course, based almost solely off of looks, but what can I say, I like characters with cool designs. And it would be nice to see her character be developed a little more.

One thing I’ve noticed throughout the show is that Izumi’s powers have been tragically underused. Apparently, she can’t eat everything for random reasons like “it’ll make her tummy feel bad” and “they need to be weakened first”. I’m paraphrasing by the way. Her powers are completely situational and most the time useless. Remember that time she revealed she had healing powers, then never used them again? I do, because I keep blogging about this stupid show no matter how little substance it actually gives me.

I feel when the show focuses on comedy, and especially on Ruru, I don’t laugh. The show was funnier when it was organic, or at least felt that way. But now I only find myself laughing because of how incredibly stupid this show is. It’s still very pretty though, so there’s that.

+ Visually pretty

– Ruru episode

– Rampant product placement?

– Reina tragically underused

#myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world

Problems With Erased, Episode 9

I’ll first start this off with a simple *SPOILER ALERT*. I don’t know why you’re even here if you didn’t want to be spoiled before watching, but I figured I should give the common courtesy of a warning. Now, as to why I’m reviewing this episode, I just found the latest episode worthy of a review. That’s all. It’s not like I’m running out of ideas for weekly posts or anything. Heheh...

In all seriousness, I found episode 9 of Erased to be quite lackluster, and possibly the lowest point in the entire series. It came as quite a disappointment too, as I was having such an enjoyable time with the show prior to this point. But that’s not to say that this episode ruined it. The episode just didn’t shine as brightly in almost any aspect.

Starting with the beginning, we pick up where we left off from last episode, in front of Hinazuki’s house. Kayo, Satoru and his mother confront the abusive parent at her doorstep. The thing is, she’s fucking crazy. Kayo’s mom shoves Kayo to the ground and swings a shovel at Satoru’s mom. She dodges it, then the action stops as the teacher and the child protection agency (or whatever they’re called). But then they don’t do anything and Kayo’s mom threatens to go to the police. Finally Kayo’s grandmother inexplicably shows up and defuses the situation.

This. Was. Awful. There’s a number of reasons why this scene is terrible, like how their plan to confront the mother could’ve completely back fired. She could’ve put a shovel through Kayo’s head and that would’ve been the end of it. I don’t understand why these characters thought this approach would be safe? Kayo got shoved and Sachiko was nearly decapitated, not to mention the only back up they had was a protection agency that ultimately did nothing.

Then they brought in this grandma in some sort of an empty to make Kayo’s mom seem more human, more understandable. Flashbacks show of her getting beaten by her old husband or boyfriend or whoever, and that’s what caused her to beat her child. Makes sense. Wait, no it doesn’t. I still don’t empathize with this horrible character at all. What’s worse is that Kayo’s being separated from her anyway, so what was the point of the flashbacks? The show had already established her as this villain without a reason, and she served her purpose well. But then they gave her a reason after the fact, and it just wasn’t good enough to be worth anything.

The worst thing that comes from this is that Kayo is being taken away. From her mother, from Satoru and friends, from the town, from the story and from us. Kayo’s gone now, and that’s a bit of a letdown considering the amount of time the show focused on her, making us get to know and eventually care for her. Of course I wanted a happy end for Kayo, but was this really it? Would she really be happy away from Satoru? I’m just disappointed because the show spent so much time developing this character, and the bonds between the characters. I like Kayo, and her being taken from the plot is basically the same her being dead. This might’ve been fine had this been the actual end, but there’s still a mystery to be solved. Wouldn’t Kayo be better kept still in the story? She’s the most well established character by far, and also the most beloved. But perhaps this isn’t the last we see of Kayo, as there are still 3 episodes left.

In fact, it feels almost impossible for this to be the last of Kayo. She was the first of three murder victims, and it took three quarters of the show just to save her. With that much time dedicated to one character, it seems almost counter intuitive not to use her. Or maybe I just don’t want Kayo to leave. ;-;

After that beginning, the show doesn’t really go anywhere. There’s a nice moment shared with Satoru and his teacher in the car, but not much else really happens. And then the episode ends with a pathetically weak cliffhanger. Like, it’s just that one girl from class looking like she’s about to pull something. Is she the killer? Unlikely, but who really knows? You’ll have to tune back in next week to find out!

Oh, and I will say that up until this point, I was really having a blast. Erased did so many things right, and looked so very good through and through, but this episode has left me a little skeptical. There were even noticeable dips in the animation this time, mainly a conversation in the bus with no cuts for what felt like a whole minute (I’m exaggerating, but it was long, and two characters had their back turned so they only had to animate one mouth). I was really loving the show up until this point, but now I’m feeling uneasy. I’ve watched through at least one poorly ending mystery show for each of the last two seasons, please don’t make it three.

If you want to know what those shitty mystery shows I watched were, please leave me a comment. Also, tell me what you think about Erased so far. Feel free to follow me here or on Twitter @crispyn64, and thanks for reading!

#Erased #boku dake ga inai machi

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 9

Man, this show is really reaching for straws when it comes to giving this group something to do week after week. Anything and everything that goes even remotely wrong at this school or in this town is automatically relegated to this team of high schoolers. But in this episode, there’s nothing going on to begin with. A random character is introduced and she asks the group to be part of her play. Apparently no one else in the entire school can or wants to do this. Okay. So now our protagonists are now staring in a period piece put on by the drama club, and it’s all fun and games until a phantom inevitably shows up.

Turns out that the Phantom is the girl who asked them to do this in the first place. What a twist! Then comes the all too cliché breaking in the middle of the play. Quite frankly, this is one of my least favorite tropes to ever exist. The actors break character but still say everything out loud for the audience to hear, and then they’re all like “wow, this is meta” or some crap.

It was at that point that I checked the time left in the show, thinking it was all but over, because that moment is usually used as a climax. But the show goes on and they finish the play, in the coolest most immersive way possible. The Phantom changes the stage and the cast is transported to Edo period Japan, where they are to complete the story. This makes for some sweet action and stunning visuals, otherwise known as “The KyoAni Special”. I’m coining that, right now.

Two very important things I noticed, or rather didn’t notice, was the chanting and exposition. Minase’s chanting is really annoying. The Human Encyclopedia needs to shut up. These are facts. And as far as I can tell, they were non-existent in this episode.

Now onto a new issue: Haruhiko needs to stop clumsily falling into Izumi. It was funny the first time, only because they did it in a comical and self-aware way. Now it is just getting routine and uninspired. Basically what I’m saying is: Step off my waifu.

In the end, this felt like a fun, contained adventure with stunning visuals but not much else. I like these characters (with the exclusion of Haruhiko), but I feel this show has strayed too far from them since each of their respective episodes. There’s almost no way this show can be anything more than an action comedy show at this point, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But we’ll see where this show decides to go, as it seems to do whatever the hell it wants to.

+ No Minase chanting

+ No Haruhiko exposition dumps

+ Pretty show, pretty colors

+ Kurumi holds a gun!

- Kurumi holds a gun?

- Awkward stage break

#myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world

Konosuba - Where will it go from here?

Now, for those of you that haven’t been keeping up with anime simulcasts in winter 2016, or perhaps just this show in particular, Konosuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! is yet another show that lends itself to the ever popular trapped-in-a-game sub-genre...or at least, something close to that. You see, our main protagonist Kazuma Satou isn’t actually trapped in a video game. He died, and this typical mmo rpg-esque world is his afterlife.

Because of this, his goal never is to escape this place, but to learn to live and thrive in it. Furthermore, the show offers up a grander objective of defeating the Demon King, but the path to that is much longer than Kazuma expected. Just moving up from remedial labor to monster slayer takes several episodes, and then when he finally drops the tracksuit for a more adventurous look, Kazuma still finds trouble trying to move up in the world. This is mostly due to the never ending debt that his comrades keep accruing from their consistent and unintended destruction of everything around them.

So far, this has made the episodes end in roughly the same place they started. This lack of progression makes me wonder if the show plans to go anywhere. Konosuba seems to be more comedy-centric, rather than be focused on characters or plot. That isn’t to say they’re completely forgotten, however. There have been episodes that make callbacks to previous moments in the show, meaning there is continuity and an overall storyline here. Even though Konosuba relies on humor and has fun downplaying the serious moments in the show, those moments do happen, and a bond seems to be forming (or has already been formed) in this party of misfits.

And this all just begs the question: Where will Konosuba go from here? Is this just the start of a grander adventure or the platform for a quest-of-the-week kind of show? Maybe it’s a combination of both, or perhaps it’s just a wacky and somewhat satirical take on the genre it lends itself to. Or it might just become something else entirely, as the show already seems to do whatever the hell it wants. Personally, I hope this show goes on for maybe another one or two seasons and that’s it, but that’s just me preferring my shows to have an end in sight.

But what do you think about this show so far? Any ideas on where it could lead us? And do you like Megumin as much as I do? I doubt it, but feel free to leave your comments below, and check back next week for another feature post. Thanks for reading!

#konosuba: god's blessing on this wonderful world!

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 8

This was a weird episode. Yes, even for its own standards. But I won’t knock it for being fanservice-y, but I will laugh at it. A lot. But first, let’s start from the beginning.

One minute and forty-five seconds. That’s how long this week’s intro took. I’m getting really tired of these classroom lectures at the beginning of every show. And I learn almost nothing from them. But I’ve rambled on about these intros before, so all I’ll say is that they suck and I’d be happier if they just cut down the runtime of the show altogether rather than include these wastes of time.

So they introduced the Phantom through a supernatural occurrence at school. Again. But this time’s a little better because they get right into the problem. There’s a monkey hot springs that’s overheating the entire school, and nothing can be done for some reason until the Phantom is gone. I actually like this setup because it leads the entire student body to try and fight it, one at a time with hilarious results.

Then our protagonists step up to the challenge, and in the best way that I never thought possible. The plan is to seduce the monkey and make it come out of the water so the Human Encyclopedia can fully see it and capture the image onto his sealing book thing. Of course, due to a number of mishaps, that doesn’t work out, and so he summons a Phantom to save the day. And although he probably could’ve just did that in the first place, I’ll ignore it because I got to see Mai’s ass get painted.

All in all, it was a fun episode, but it severely lacked in any sense of importance or meaning. And perhaps that’s just exactly where Myriad Colors Phantom World wants to go. I’ll be baffled if this show decides to end a note that’s anything but silly and hopeful.

Oh, and I was completely satisfied with this end, in hopes that the Human Encyclopedia actually does marry Mr. Monkey and never returns. I’ll I’m saying is, it better be canon.

+ Not the hot springs episode I was expecting

+ Reina swimsuit!

+ The ultimate canvas, Mai’s ass

- Intro

#musaigen no phantom world #myriad colors phantom world

The Joy of Anime Endings

Just like my love for anime openings, anime endings hold a special place in my heart. Usually end credits are just disregarded by most viewers of any visual medium, not out of disrespect for the creators, but simply because there’s nothing left there. Black screen. White text. Scrolling down. Blatantly put, a director could leave a confession to murdering his spouse in the middle of it and never face conviction, because no one would ever read it. And so, to bring an end to boring credits, anime came and saved the day. Okay, I’m not a historian, so don’t be surprised if that’s completely wrong. The point is, anime endings are cool, and are not as boring as the alternative.

It’s a shame that some people can’t find as much enjoyment out of anime EDs as I can, but I guess that’s their prerogative, and I can respect that. What’s really a problem is when creators don’t understand the importance of having a memorable and creative ending to supplement their show. While sometimes not as useful, for marketing and publicity, as openings are, endings can have more of a connection with the show, as well as an emotional resonance for the viewer. Or they can just be cute with a catchy tune. Either way, they’re important to me for a number of reasons, so here to explain those reasons are some handpicked examples of some of my favorite, and not so favorite anime EDs:

The Pet Girl of Sakurasou

This show is, by all means, a true masterpiece, and although it may not be my favorite anime of all time (because Bakemonogatari exists), it is the most important. Nothing could possibly sum up my feelings and utmost love for this show. That being said, EDs come close. DAYS of DASH, performed by Suzuki Konomi and written by Hata Aki, is my favorite song to ever exist, and some (if not most) of that is due to the fact the it reminds me of the show. Every time I listen to it I can’t help but remember this wonderful show and these remarkable characters and the unforgettable time I had watching it. Endings stick with us, and can carry some of the emotions you felt from the first time you watched it.

Bakemonogatari

Also a really memorable ED for me, but instead of getting into the sappy “this anime means so much to me” crap, let’s talk about what makes it a good Ending, as opposed to an Opening. Specifically in terms of song choice, it’s good to have a song that’ll match the tone of the end of any episode. You’ll see that a lot of anime EDs are somewhat solemn and less cheery on the happy-sadness scale. That (and this is just speculation of course) is because when shows have cliff hangers, that’s usually when shit goes wrong. It would be very odd for the second Opening of Non Non Biyori to play right after the protagonist just watched his mother cut his father’s face off and wear it as her own. See, it just doesn’t match. Thankfully, Bakemonogatari’s ED, as well as Sakurasou’s, transition well in most every situation, especially in their final moments.

Charlotte

Not one of my favorite shows, and certainly not one of my favorite EDs. I like the song and it had nice pictures, but that all it was. Pictures. Still frames. As pretty as they were, I don’t want to watch a slideshow. It’s an anime, so animate something. There are plenty of simple techniques to give a little life to an Ending. Just add some moving parts, a few more frames and some actual effort, the only way you can screw this up is by not doing it.

Comet Lucifer

Just look at Comet Lucifer. Not a good show by any means, but it had very nice Ending. It managed to look like a lot more with very little, and if you observe closely you can tell. Just YouTube it, the show isn’t actually worth watching.

Durarara!!

Durarara!! has found a different way to get away with not animating their EDs. Instead of having a simple slide show with pretty pictures and a nice background tune, Durarara!! fills the screen with one large frame, featuring the entire cast of characters, intertwined and interacting with each other. By doing this, it forces viewers like me look back and forth, eyes wandering to analyze every character, effectively capturing our attention as it scrolls down to the very end.

Working!!!

What’s with all these shows having multiple exclamation points? Hmm, perhaps that’s a post for a different time. And a different blog. Anyway, Working!!! (season 3) has what I think is a really cool moment in it’s ED. As seen from my screenshot above, the characters are all dancing in this strange, unexplained place. It’s serene, majestic, and relates to the actual show in almost no way shape or form. And that’s one thing I love about EDs. You can just drop characters in entirely new, unrealistic spaces that would make no sense had it been in the real show. Well, I guess they could write in a way for all the employees of Waganria to become celestial beings and dance among the stars, but that seems incredibly unlikely.

So what do you think about anime Endings? Do you like them more that Openings, or is it perhaps just a case by case basis? Tell me that, and also list some of your favorite EDs in the comments. Oh, and if you’re the type of person to skip past the Ending to get to the next episode, go find your nearest bridge and jump off it. I kid of course, please don’t do that. Instead, check back next week for more posts about anime and stuff. Thank you reading, I’ll see you next time.

#the pet girl of sakurasou #working!!!#comet lucifer #charlotte #monogatari #bakemonogatari #durarara!!

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 7

Okay, I can’t go another week without saying how awful the chanting is. Specifically, Minase’s chanting. It’s terrible, I hate it, and I never want to hear it again. Mai’s chanting I can usually deal with, but this time it doesn’t even show the fanservice to go with it. How am I supposed to enjoy this show without needless self-boob-groping? How am I supposed to appreciate this art without little moments of indulgence spaced evenly throughout, keeping my interests piqued and my blood out of my head?

In all seriousness, I do kinda miss the fanservicey bits. They never actually did much for me in terms of arousal, but the cute and creative ways they went about it were worth a good laugh. Also, I can’t unsee Mai-oneesama, which is also worth another good laugh. Even Ruru is getting a bit funnier, outside of those abysmal opening segments. Oh, and cat puns! There was a bear pun in the last episode and now there were cat puns in this episode. How delightful! So that’s cat puns, Mayonaise-sama, and sometimes Ruru...yeah, I kinda wish the show had more going for it in terms of comedy this episode. Sure, there’s some slapstick, but I feel like I’m not laughing as much anymore.

As for the other good stuff this episode had to offer...cat girls (and guys)! If you’re into that, have at it. Personally, I think they’re just alright. What I really enjoyed about this episode was the mansion they entered and what happened when they entered said mansion. There were a lot of cool effects and scenery going on as they wandered through this phantom fun house, or “phun house”. Okay, that was bad...but I’m keeping it. Lots of really cool shots could be taken away from this episode, with plenty Izumi. But other than looking pretty, this episode felt pretty needless, adding nothing to the overall plot of the show or characterization to our protagonists. Of course, if this is just going to be a feel good, phantom of the week show all the way to the very end, then I guess that’s fine. You do you, Myriad Colors Phantom World.

#myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world

The Joy of Anime Openings

I love watching anime openings (OP). Call me old fashion, but I almost never skip them to get directly into the story. It’s rare that I ever find one OP that I dislike, so much so that I would skip past it. To me, OPs are very much part of the experience, something that’s feels actually essential to the way I enjoy anime. Truth be told, I feel a little empty inside whenever an episode starts without it, usually due to picking up where a very important cliff hanger left off.

Openings can be used for so many things, whether just being a cool animated music video or being implemented a little more practically, each complementing the show in their own ways. Openings can set the mood, or purposefully do the opposite (I’m coining the phrase ‘setting the anti-mood’). Not only that, they work great for marketing and publicity. Just as one music video might convince you to check out the entire album, one anime OP could sway you to try out the series.

Anime OPs can be absolutely wonderful, and here are some fantastic examples:

Anything from the Monogatari Series

If you couldn’t tell already, I’m a huge fan of the Monogatari Series. It’s my favorite series of all time, and quite possibly my favorite thing to ever exist in this world. So obviously, I’m incredibly biased. That being said, everything about Monogatari is positively perfect, and their OPs are no exception. SHAFT shows off their mastery of animation and cinematics to delivery stunning visuals and sequences, queued expertly to catchy and sometimes hauntingly beautiful music tracks. What’s even better is that the OPs are crafted to individual characters during their story arcs, leaving much more to be enjoyed than just the standard “one OP per season” approach.

Erased

Erased has a truly well-made OP, one that pairs an awesome song with a powerful visual sequence. Together it completely captures the essence of the show (so far). An incredibly exciting and intense ride. It also does some cool little things that make it that much more admirable, such as placing these three in front of a projector, the film actually being projected onto their bodies. Just something nifty that was brought to my attention.

Durarara!!

Now, I’ll admit that Durarara!! might only have pretty okay OPs, but I guess that it, just like everything on my blog, is a matter of opinion. What I will give the Durarara!! OPs credit for however, is practicality. For more than one reason (two to be exact), every Opening for this show has a practical use to benefit primarily you, the viewer. Firstly, the recap tucked into every OP. A simple implementation, but nonetheless useful to an audience member that doesn’t quite remember exactly what was going on, and for Durarara!!, that’s incredibly important considering the amount of shit going on in its plot. To further lighten that burden, the Opening gives a still frame with a name tag to every key character in the show. These are aspects that could be easily overlooked by binge watchers, but for weekly consumption it’s nice that the show offers a helping hand.

I could probably write an entire series of novels about the anime Opening I like, but when it comes to OPs I dislike...well, none really come to mind. Even the worst shows I’ve watched seemed to have semi-redeemable OPs, perhaps due to my reason earlier of being used to sell a show. Or perhaps I’m just too lenient. Still, there are some things I find in OPs that mildly irk me. Here are some examples of anime OPs that did something they shouldn't have.

Dagashi Kashi

The song is catchy, but the visuals were pretty lackluster. What disappointed me the most about this Opening was the re-use of clips from the actual show. While I am not against re-using assets, I felt Dagashi Kashi relied on them entirely too much, leaving little originality and ultimately accomplishing nothing remotely unique or interesting. But then again, the song is catchy.

Parasyte –the maxim- and Mirai Nikki (OP 2)

I actually found both of these OPs to be very entertaining, and I was lucky enough not to notice the problem they had while watching the show. For the sake of spoilers, here is your warning. *SPOILERS ABOUT POTENTIAL SPOILERS, SKIP THIS PARAGRAPH* Well now that that’s out of the way, here’s the problem that both these Openings have. The lyrics spoil the plot and plot twists of the show. Thanks to the auto-tuning and pronunciation during the song, it’s hard to notice that the lyrics are actually in English. Similar to how Hollywood trailers often spoil entire movies, these OPs literally read off what happens in the show, and that’s kinda not good.

Well, I’m glad I got to talk about anime OPs this week, because I love them so gosh darn much. But how do you feel about Openings? What are your favorite anime OPs? Are you one of those monsters that skips past them every time? Tell me in the comments or tweet @crispyn64, then come back next week for my post about anime EDs. Thanks for reading, have a wonderful day!

#nisemonogatari #monogatari #dagashi kashi #erased #boku dake ga inai machi #durarara!!#parasyte #mirai nikki #future diary

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 6

Hey, just a heads up, there will probably be more screenshots in this post than usual. I usually try to limit myself, but I just don’t have the heart to leave out any this episode.

I mean, they were all so good. Throughout the entirety of the episode, the visuals were incredibly gorgeous, some might even say stunning. My favorite had to be at the beginning, but perhaps I’m just a sucker for good reflection. Anyway, the whole show left me feeling warm inside, and part of that I believe was just due to the color palette. Bright but never clashing, the beautiful visuals actually took my focus away from the actual story a couple times when watching.

But that may also be due to the fact that this was probably, in terms of plot, the simplest episode yet. In the beginning, Kurumi lacks confidence, but by the end she realizes it’s time for her to step up and protect her friend, just like how her friend had protected her many times before. Basically, the resolution resolved her resolve.

And so now she can finally be a prominent member of the Phantom Hunters, or whatever the hell they’re called. It’s all nice though, and there are cute and touching moments and stuff, it was a fine episode. What’s important now is that (hopefully) all the characters have been sufficiently introduced. It’s time to see them all work together, and hopefully go through a story arc with actual meaning. Or, you know, keep doing the whole “Phantom of the Week!” thing.

Oh, and bear pun(s)! (Not entirely sure if there was more than one.)

+ Visuals!!! A++

+ Bear pun(s)

+ No chanting!

- Still exposition and intro

#myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world

The Revenge Story...In Anime

It seems to me that revenge plots in anime, as well as in other media like video games and movies, have become much more prominent in the mainstream. Of course, vengeance is something that’s been around for ages. It’s the urge to get back at someone whom had previously wronged you. Perhaps it’s a natural feeling, but often times it’s also a malicious one. Revenge tales have been passed down for generations, and many would come across with the same message.

Revenge is bad. Two wrongs do not make a right. Vengeance is self-destructive, and you should refrain from indulging in it. Folk wisdom is very clear on this issue so why is it, that modern stories are rewriting the tale? Every now and again I come across a story, a movie, a game, an anime that deals with the theme of revenge, but offers the exact opposite lesson to be learn from it. Plots where the protagonist has had their parents killed or their possessions taken, to be wronged in any way by the antagonist, therefore creating the inciting incident that becomes their motive for the story to move on through.

The introduction is anger and hatred, the climax is finally taking revenge, but what’s truly different about these modern tales is the falling action. They’re happy and fulfilled, acting as if vengeance was the answer and the story was resolved.

But is it? What does revenge solve? Is revenge self-destructive? Or is it justice? Is revenge natural? Is revenge wrong?

I’m not going to pretend like I know the answer to this, but I’d like to think that it is wrong. It’s wrong to inflict pain on others. That I would think to be true, although even that is just an opinion. But if someone inflicts pain onto you, does that give you the right to hurt them back? Even if it does, should you hurt them back?

There’s just so many questions when it comes to the ethics of revenge, so why not look to anime for the answer. My first pick, while still airing at the time of me posting this, deals with revenge in a very straightforward, aggressive assault. The plot is very similar to what I had just described moments ago, where the bad guys invade and the good guys retaliate. And the good guys retaliate, HARD.

I’m talking GATE, of course! But instead of getting into the politics of the separate worlds fighting, I want to skip right to the latest arc: Fighting the dragon. First Lieutenant Itama embarks on a quest to kill the dragon that caused massive amounts of death and destruction to peaceful villages. One village of elves in particular was left with only one survivor, Tuka. Itami takes it upon himself to avenge Tuka’s village, and more importantly, her father. So he, along with the girls, set out to destroy this fire-breathing menace.

*Spoilers* they succeed, with no casualties of main characters. Now this accomplishment can be taken in a lot of different ways. On one hand, they did the world a service by preventing any more damage this beast could have caused. That winged beast did do quite a number on those innocent villagers, any I’m sure many would argue that killing the beast was necessary for the safety of the people. On the other hand, it was an incredibly risky, albeit stupid decision to have a go at this dragon with just their small group and some weaponry that, at least to my knowledge, wasn’t truly proven to be effectual at that point in the story. Had it not been for the additional troops dispatched to rescue them from some unexpected complications, our heroes, and our lord and savior Rory Mercury-sama (all praise Lady Mercury) would’ve have been finished.

But aside from poking holes in logic, let’s just take a look at what was to gain, emotionally. Pro: People no longer had to live in fear of this particular monster. Con: The people the dragon killed, well, they’re not coming back. Yes, revenge has been taught to us as a shallow victory, but GATE seems to approach it as a victory nonetheless, and so the characters are all happy and all is well and good. At least, that's how it seems so far, but I’ll save my final judgement for when the series comes to an end.

GATE uses vengeance as a theme and driving force for its protagonists, and it works out pretty well for them (so far). But as for antagonists, no better example comes to mind than Sasuke Uchiha, from the immensely popular series, Naruto.

While I do believe the show to do quite a few things inadequately, I think it does a great job at showcasing the self-destructive aspects of revenge. Sasuke really is a torn character, removing himself from his friends and his village in his pursuit for power. While he’s driven by hatred he does horrible, uncompassionate things, even to the people he once called friends. And the affect he has on other people only continues the cycle of hatred.

Sasuke does bad things because of his desire for revenge and stuff. Honestly, I stopped watching Naruto Shippuden at episode 288, and I’m surprised I made it that far. The show is stretched incredibly thin, and although I used to love the show, I just can’t take it anymore. I think the show has a good revenge story, but the overall plot and needless prolonging of the show make it impossible for me to care. I’d love for a 50 episode remake of the series with none of the filler, but for now I’ll just ignore it and stick to shows with an actual end in sight.

But what do you think about revenge plots? Is revenge good, bad, or dependent on circumstance? Is it better for our society to idolize vengeance or degrade it? And is Naruto still worth watching? Please tell me your thoughts in the comments below, and thanks for reading!

#gate #naruto #revenge #young black jack

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 5

Alright, I’m going to stop complaining about the same minor things every week. I’ll just sum it up right here, and then if it doesn’t change I’ll refer you to this post, to tell you the bad part of Myriad Colors Phantom World. Or rather, just the things that I don’t like. I don’t like the intro sequences, not to be confused with the OP, I actually think that it’s pretty alright. I decided not to let Ruru get on my nerves anymore, it takes two for annoyance to exist: One to annoy and the other to be annoyed. She’s okay, and I’ll leave it at that. AS for the whole chanting process, can we just stop? We get it, it’s magic. You don’t need to waste more time reciting the same boring chant over and over again. Finally, and the biggest problem I have over all with this show is that there’s far too much exposition. It was really bad in the first few episodes and it’s gotten mildly better in the last couple.

Well, now that I got that out of the way, let’s talk about these new characters! Holy fucking shit, she has a giant fighting teddy bear! How fucking cool is that? I am referring to Kurumi, of course, the little admirer of Mai with lavender hair and an adorable voice. She’s very cute and seems to interact well with the others. Also, the show hints that there’s more to her than just being moe for moe’s sake, and I’m sure we’ll see more of her in the future.

Now on to the character of the week, um, what’s her name? Oh yeah, it’s Minase. Basically, she’s a loner and a phantom hunter. She has a little backstory that makes sense of her resentment toward phantoms. It works just fine, but I feel the added touch of the phantom that started it all being the one they faced in the episode was unneeded, like the show was just making a connection for the sake of making a connection. Of course in the end it turns out that it wasn’t the actual phantom from her childhood, so the real thing’s still out there, somewhere...whatever.

I am glad that we got to see a little emotion out of her at the end, because up until that point she only had one face, a blank stare. Now she has two! A blank stare and blank stare – blushing cheeks version.

Now we finally have an idea of who these characters are and what powers they have. Here’s my run down:

Haruhiko Ichijou (a.k.a. Human Encylopedia) – He’s a know-it-all that can summon a dog and seal things with his drawings.

Mai Kawakami (a.k.a. Mayonaise-sama) – I wish I could say I noticed the Mai onee-sama thing earlier, but it actually flew right above my head until recently. Anyway, she has considerable physical strength and combat experience, plus she can sensually rub herself up to control the elements.

Reina Izumi (a.k.a. Best Girl) – She’s very cute and has a wonderful voice. Also, she’s the real deal that seals and heals, ya feel?

Kurumi Kumamakura (a.k.a. That Girl) – She has a giant, ass-kicking teddy bear.

Koito Minase (a.k.a. Loner Chick) – She can sing and seal things. Why do they have so many sealers?

+ Giant, ass-kicking teddy bear

+ The band’s finally together?

+ Great visuals, as always

- The usual (exposition, intro, chanting)

- Unnecessary phantom connection

#myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world

My Ultimate Guide to Twitter, Update 2.0!

I’ve added some stuff to my Twitter guide. Maybe you should check it out?

https://theregoesmykokoro.wordpress.com/category/the-twitter-guide/

Please?

#twitter

Myriad Colors Phantom World, Episode 4

I don’t like the way they intro this show. The Human Encyclopedia (Haruhiko) starts teaching us about some concept that loosely relates to the content of the episode at hand. This week he talked about family and polygamy and stuff. Then Ruru cut off his boring lesson and the show actually starts. Every week. Ugh.

It feels boring and ultimately useless to me. I don’t laugh or cry or shiver in excitement. I don’t even learn anything remotely important. So what’s the point? Are these intros just here to fill up space in the show’s run time? If so, I’d rather just watch a minute of Izumi dancing or eating or something. Anything GIF-worthy will do.

Other than the intro however, I actually found the rest of the episode to be quite enjoyable. Of course, I wouldn’t expected anything less when this week’s showing is dedicated to Izumi. Hell yeah! We got a Reina episode! But the fact that it was mostly about her wasn’t the only thing that made this episode exceptional.

There was noticeably less exposition! Looks like whoever has been writing this show has been reading my reviews (:3). I’m just joking around of course, no one reads my blog, heheheh *sheds one tear while trying to smile*. Still, the exposition is a little heavy-handed and mostly unneeded. I think I have a pretty good grasp on the whole “Phantoms” thing, so you can stop explaining it to me.

I’m starting to warm up to Ruru, just a teeny bit. If The Human Encyclopedia is going to continue spouting exposition, it’s nice to have someone to keep telling him to shut up. I know this is just a solution to a problem that the show itself continues to make, but at this point I’ll take it. Also, her jokes have been getting mildly comical. Worth a soft chuckle, if nothing else.

Now onto the ending. There was a few ways this episode could’ve ended, and I’m glad they went a sweet and simple one. From the start, this phantom wasn’t really a problem. Izumi got to spend time with her nice imaginary rabbit parents, no time passes in the real world when she enters and leave the magic school bus, and she ends up with a free ride to her house.

It was all a pretty swell ride, up until the point she realized it wasn’t real. Once she realized that, the illusion could not carry on in the same way it had before. Now she had to make a choice: Stay there for eternity or return to the real world with her real friends and her real family. During the decision making process, The Human Encyclopedia even offered up some advice that was made sense. The phantom faded away into a beautiful light show and a touching scene for Izumi. Reina was welcomed home by her parents, making for a happy yet somewhat mournful ending.

That could have gone in a completely different direction, one that I was actually expecting (and dreading). I was afraid they were just going to seal away this phantom because it was a phantom. That wouldn’t really be fair, as the phantom really didn’t do anything to hurt anyone, and as a Phantom Rights Activist (PRA) that would’ve sorely disappointed me. So it was a good thing they didn’t. Izumi had to face her feelings and cast away her delusions for something real.

All in all, this was a very sweet and somber, and easily the best of the season so far, not to mention that it was brimming with Izumi screen-cap potential.

+ Izumi episode!

+ Gorgeous visuals, as always

+ Nice ending

- Intros need to stop

- Exposition problems (but considerably less thus time)

#myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world #anime

Anime Students That Need To Follow Dress-Code

Follow the rules, damn it! You can’t just go to school wearing whatever the hell you want! There’s a dress-code in place, so why do you think you’re above it? Everyone around you complies with it, so why are you so stubborn? Why do you feel the need to express yourself through clothing when the rest of us just want to fit in? Do you feel the need to differentiate so that senpai will notice you? Well guess what? It’s going to take a lot more than that to be best girl.

So here’s a list of anime students that need to follow dress-code.

Persona 4 – Chie Satonaka:

Seriously, do you shower with that jacket? It’s enough that you have this weird obsession with meat and kung fu, you don’t need to make a fashion statement to prove you’re different. Seriously, you can go one day without wearing green. It won’t kill you.

Persona 4 – Yukiko Amagi:

Well if it isn’t little miss Yukiko, heir to the Amagi Inn. Look, I know you think you’re a bigshot because your family owns a hot springs, but that doesn’t make you above school dress-code. Wear your uniform, Red, or I may just have to throw you into a Television.

Persona 4 – Naoto Shirogane:

Cool it, Magnum P.I., you can’t wear hats in school. Also, where did you get that gun? I’m not going to judge you for wearing a boy’s uniform, you be who you want to be, but there are no hats and certainly no guns allowed in school. Also, I don’t understand why people think you’re best girl when Rise Kujikawa exists. Different strokes, I guess.

Nisekoi – Seishiro Tsugumi

Again, totally fine with your choice of male clothing. Stick it to those gender norms. However, could you at least wear the correct uniform? Also, no guns.

Nisekoi – Marika Tachibana

Okay, even best girls can make mistakes. I’ll forgive you on this one, Marika, but you should really consider getting the actual uniform. I’m sure it’d look great on you. #TeamMarika

Myriad Colors Phantom World – Mai Kawakami

Our latest offender seems to wear a yellow sweater vest over her uniform. Although that’s not too egregious, Reina Izumi is best girl, so you don’t have that privilege. Sorry.

And that’s it for now, folks! Who am I missing? I’m sure there’s a ton I’ve overlooked. Feel free to comment or tweet at me (@crispyn64) and perhaps I’ll update this list one day. Thank you, and see you next time.

#persona 4 #myriad colors phantom world #musaigen no phantom world #nisekoi

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