Kitty's Anime Time

A place where I will spam my thoughts about the animes I watch. Which is alot, maybe too many but lets go!

[kittyanimetime]

Chobits

So I promise not every Clamp anime is weird. This one though? You gotta go in with a certain mindset. How exactly to explain that mindset is the hard part. With that much of a warning, I'm sure it makes my stance seem a little confusing. I enjoyed Chobits, and honestly, to me it led to alot of interesting thought experiments. I know some people are bothered by Chii. But Let me explain a little and hopefully it'll help you see why maybe to give it a chance still. Or even more in this weird ai creep in.

So in Chobits, there are human-looking robots that are called persocoms. They are so life-like that the only real tell is the little ports on the sides of their heads, some would call ears. Our protagonist is a little country guy who came to the big city to do the college thing so naturally, he doesn't have the most money. But one night, while walking back from the kobini he sees a wrapped-up persocom in the trash. And like anyone, he dives into that dumpster and takes the persacom home. The start button is well..between the legs. And clearly, the operating software is some sort of damaged cause all she says is Chii.

So I'm sure you can see how this makes some uncomfortable. A college-aged guy getting a born-yesterday type of situation with a robot that basically is next to human. He has to dress her, care for her in the same ways we care for our pcs, but also teach her things since her software was damaged. However, if you come from a more abstract place, the series is a really interesting exploration of the relation between human and machine. Can there be such a thing as a romantic relationship between humans and persocoms or is it a truely one sided situation cause they're something we created? Chii is our exploration through that as she slowly finds her other self. It's very Android's Dream of Electric Sheep

So if you can get the protagonist's awkwardness and weirdness about the female-like body of his computer, this can be a really interesting story. And with the way that our technology is getting smarter and more efficient, you could joke it's only a matter of time before creations such as persocoms could be a reality. So maybe join Chii on the journey of finding a person just for her. Maybe it's even you

Recommend if you like: thought-provoking, sci-fi lite, slapstick, robots, other Clamp titles, beautiful clothing

[kittyanimetime]

Kill la Kill

So like clothes? There really wasn't another opening I could think of for this series. Studio Trigger really managed to figure out such an intense metaphor for their first TV project and stuck the landing with precision! I know it's crazy to realize this series was their first real TV project, especially when you see the layers in it but they have a rep for a reason.

Clothes and nudity as a metaphor for conformity, social hierarchy, and oppression. And to strip such things away, sometimes you gotta just bare a little skin. Or a lot! Warning if you can't handle some tastful semi nudity. But it's really a great topic, the whole series is mantled with. The two main girls use halves of scissors as their weapons; an instrument that's vital in making clothes, but can also destroy them easily. The very concept of the life fibers even! But then we'd be crossing into deep spoiler territory.

The pov character Ryuko is mad about her dad's death and she wants answers, so what better to do than storm a school, right? Well to her, it makes sense, and we're just along for the ride honestly. The school has some crazy uniforms that only continue to get wackier as the story unfolds. Plus the little family she finds that take her in as one of her own might be a bit broke and a little stupid but their family and they support her. Even in that one time they didn't but they got heart.

If the wild ride that is this show can give you is at least to maybe put some thought in that next fit before you go out. Just what does it say really?

Recommend if you like: metaphors for plot, talking items, killer fight scenes, to exercise the galaxy levels of how can i make that fit

[kittyanimetime]

Ancient Magus Bride

This show is pure magic. That's not even an over-exaggeration, both we the viewer, and Chise our heroine, get pulled into a world of European folklore. You can tell the creator had such a deep love for the folklore and supernatural of different places and blended them together exquisitely in this world.

Now I will give a bit of a preface warning! As it was no issue for me, but others had told me that the dynamic between the two main characters turned them off. Our heroine Chise, is technically bought by Elias, but that was for her to become his bride. Chise has a rare condition of being a sleigh beggy, which makes the fae drawn to her because of her raw magical output. (Why she was in a situation where Elias could buy her in the first place) She asks him to teach her how to use and control magic in order to make the condition easier to live with. They to eventually grow affectionate towards each other in an almost Beauty & the Beast way. So if that bothers you, I'd still suggest giving it a chance to cast it's spell over you.

If your unfazed like I was then all the better. Considering the world of the fair folk the two's dynamic isn't all that surprising. Plus they live with other creatures as Chise learns how to harness her own ability, which she can eventually get into some trouble with. Elias is also a fascinating creature cause his origin is masked in mystery it is almost implied that someone as powerful as the queen of fae herself, Lady Tatania, doesn't know where he came from. And as we established, I love any show that can send you down a good rabbit hole. This tale can send you into a whole labyrinth. And if you fall in love with Chise, Elias, and their little found family, you'll be happily sat for the 2nd season despite it feeling slightly less magical than the first. Just so you can spend a little more time soaking in this atmosphere. Maybe it might help you even find a little magic in your everyday life.

Recommend if you like: atmospheric, folklore, just pure magic, beauty and beast tales, a reminder of older fantasy

[kittyanimetime]

Princess Jellyfish

Do you ever feel like not pretty? The girls who are the ensemble of this series understand that all too well. Maybe a bit too much though? This is a simple little series of nerdy girls sharing a house together. A bunch of different otakus with their own niches. But they all seem to agree they aren't part of the 'pretty world'. Well a boy might have something to say about that!

Kuranosuke is introduced as yet another stylish beauty but it very quickly becomes apparent that isn't all that is about him. And if anything could scare out heroines more than pretty people, it's definitely a boy. But despite the original apprehension, once he shows them how that he wants to help them through self-discovery and save their living space, a tight-knit friendship is formed. I know this is a bit more than I've given on the plot of other series but that's because the main draw for me was Kuranosuke himself.

Here's a guy who is very happy to be a guy but wants to enjoy the fun of fashion, beauty, and it all. He sees the tool it can be and wants to teach our sweet otaku sisterhood that they can wield that tool as a weapon against the craziness of the world. I originally watched the series around 15/14 years of age and that for me was such a powerful thing. That even if you acknowledge that fashion and frilly beautiful things are something that others respond to YOU can control that response. You can pick an outfit to set the mood. Put on a makeup lewk that creates a shield. Paint that signature color on your nails that signals you mean business. And carry it all with grace and a beauty that is entirely YOURS and no one else's. That's what he teaches the sisterhood and the audience through the screen.

Now let me reiterate: Kuranosuke is happy with his gender, but he cross-dresses to play with the power of femininity and beauty. He never looks down on the girls of the sisterhood for their interests and appearance. He never tries to make them feel ugly because they aren't. They are simply beautiful in a deeper way that isn't easy to see on the surface. Even encouraging them to pursue their interests in ways that help them push themselves out of the intense comfort zone they've found.

I know I haven't said much on the heroins, our sisterhood, but that's cause I genuinely think it would be more fun for you to meet them yourself. Each ones interest covers some of the stereotypes of what otakus were during the time period it was made. But our main girl is so sweet and soft you can't help but fall for her in that same qasui platonic that our leading man does. Or maybe is is full romantic? You'll have to come back and tell me.

Recommend if you like: fluffy vibes, accidental friendship, self love, cross dressing, icon behaviour, needing an easy watch

[kittyanimetime]

Mushi Shi

That feeling when you find an odd book on the shelf you swear you never acquired. Dusting off the cover, it somehow feels familiar in the hand, but you can't ever recall how it ended up there. That's how Mushi Shi feels to me. Somewhere at some point I had acquired the first 2 manga volumes and to this day I can't remember where they came from. And the anime feels just as odd but comforting.

We follow the Mushi shi, or mushi master, Ginko. There's no indication that there's a linear path in the series as each story is in a way self-contained. So we follow Ginko through his wanderings as he meets different people and different mushi. "Mushi are not gods, ghosts, or demons, but primal, unseen lifeforms that coexist alongside humanity, often causing trouble simply by trying to exist." This is how the story itself explains them, and in a way, they feel very fae-coded. Even the slightly more macabre tales feel like an oddly thick blanket you curl up in during a stormy day when you can actually pretend the world is much simpler.

There are forest gods, messed-up bits of humanity, and living words but none of that shocks Ginko; he just tries to maintain the harmony between the world and the mushi. The mushi aren't to be blamed for the problems they cause as most of the time it's just them following their nature. Just as it feels kinda wrong to blame an animal for catching it's prey because they took a mother from it's litter. Sure to us it seems cruel but to them it's just nature. And this series does such a spectacular job making you feel that same distance from them. Which almost seems like a lost art nowadays in the saturation of modern fantasy. Most would claim that the fae and certain spirits have fundamentally different rules that bind them from the ones that bind us.

What's really great is you can pick this series up and set it back down easily. Watch or read one story at a time, almost like a bedtime story then come back the next night for another. Or in 3 weeks, when it's stormy again, that thick cozy blanket will still be there. Just don't be surprised is a little critter is waiting.

Recommend if you like: feeling spellbound, sleepy vibes, self-contained stories, mystical

[kittyanimetime]

xXx Holic

Clamp will always be a vice for me. They make a series and I will probably love it and I swear they somehow made this series just for me. Supernatural elements based in folklore, a beautiful buxom witch that knows exactly how to be the combination of mysterious and teasing, odd little critter who can talk, and a student who got wrapped up in this world? Please sign me up! Now, let me preface by saying I have only seen the first 24 episodes, cause getting a hold of the other 2 seasons after the Funimation/Crunchy combo has been very hard. Not to mention as far as I know, it wasn't dubbed? I'm perfectly happy to hear otherwise or if some magical reader found a place to watch the continuation, I'd be in your debt.

We follow the sweet Watanuki as he stumbles into the witch Yuko's shop, where she partakes in the selling of wishes. That alone was enough to hook me in. The elongated proportions of the characters gives another level to it feeling otherworldly but I know it can not be to everyone's taste. But the work that our friend Watanuki has to do in order to pay his debt to Yuko is where the meat of the plot lies. There are references to some abstract things such as water spirits but also sometimes more direct things like the angel game. (For the western audience, the best comparison is MASH if anyone still plays that) But if you ever felt confused by a supernatural element of the story a simple bit of research can lead you down a rabbit hole of knowledge. And as a lover of folklore; nothing could make me happier. This series is actually how I learned about quite a few things.

One concept that is fully a Clamp creation is Mokona. What is Mokona? Well, Mokona is mokona there's two monokas but sometimes just one. Does that sound a little confusing? Don't worry it's a riff on the quote from the little guy introducing himself. Mokona the creature, originally was in the series Magic Knight Rayearth (which is getting a remake in the next few years!) And this is the first series since that he was a whole character again. He works as a storage pouch, a communication device, a possible deus ex machina, and a companion. His weird little rabbit like shape makes him perfect for the tricket empire and yet somehow he has very few pieces. Now there is the original white one, with his red gem, but in Holic we meet his counterpart whom is black with a blue gem. They actually come back during the Clamp crossover saga Tsubasa but that's for another time. I just wanted to gush about him for a minute.

Getting to see Yuko and Watanuki's relationship blossom as mentor and student but also as almost comrades, as she pushes him to learn about the parallel world of the supernatural around us. She's honestly goals to aspire to as a confident, intriguing, mysterious woman. Not to mention her wardrobe is fire! It's unfortunate it didn't get as big as some of the other Clamp series in the west cause really would make amazing competition builds. The side characters are just as complex too! They all feel like they have their own worlds outside of what we get to see through the screen. Honestly, even Watanuki feels that way for a bit. It's part of why I've returned to the show multiple times and have always held it just a bit higher than the others from my favorite group.

I really need to get some more spending money to collect the manga.

Recommend if you like: supernatural, witchy goodness, atmospheric, Clamp Studios, a touch of unsettling

[kittyanimetime]

Soul Eater

The pitch? Halloween met anime and it's sick! That might not of been the pitch at the manga magazine but it was certainly the pitch at my school when a classmate was trying to convince the rest of us to watch. And honestly? as an October baby myself can confirm! So in this world, some people can turn into weapons and some can wield them. These are the types of students that are at the DWMA academy that is ran by Death himself. No joke, we literally find that out episode 1.

(Also to preface I've watched the whole anime and read the majority of the manga but been a minute) An interesting writing aspect is that we have the first couple of episodes to meet our different teams. Each has clear dynamics that the others don't but it works for them. There's a character here for honestly everyone. You enjoy a brash stereotypical shonen protagonist? Black Star. Prefer a bookish, serious but sweet type? Maka. Doomed romantic because of slow insanity? Dr. Stein! Yeah, you heard me Stein like Frankenstein! There's also some zombies, creatures, and witches even. All with some serious swagger to their designs. You can tell the mangka had a bigger lens of culture than most. Which led to some actually decent black rep from what I was told by the ones at my school in the og years of it's airing. But that's not surprising when you see that his previous apprentice is the current author of Gachiakuta.

There's more to it than just the appearance. But dang it draws you in! The concept that Death would let other people harvest souls but only certain ones is fascinating. And the witches are not okay with the current system, for reasons that aren't entirely clear at first. And we follow our three teams as they try to get to the bottom of what is really going on in this world. Eventually, when the plot gets thicker, we find out about certain characters being down right evil but there is something worse than evil here. Madness The chaotic energy has a potency that can be in tempting to some of the cast for reasons that oddly make sense. It can lead to some interesting thought experiments. But you can also just float on the surface of it for the ride.

Unfortunately, the anime had caught up with the manga while still airing so pulled the tried and true early 200s of making it's own ending. And while not bad in my opinion it still left lots of open threads. Which the manga definitely weaves together for you. And I would highly recommend reading it so that you can see Kid's full arc. Also some people could be bothered by Blair, but honestly, a sexually assured cat girl is a touch of fun to me. Like I adored her for her confidence and zero fucks. But anyhow, if you're looking for some cheeky fan service, fall vibes, supernatural stories, and a good time, I'd say the anime is still worth it.

Recommend if you like: witches, cheeky fanservice, cat girls, halloween, death as a person, killer music, a touch of multiculturalism in your anime

[kittyanimetime]

Princess Tutu

Would you think ballet could mix with a drawn medium? Outside of the art museum, I mean. I feel like not very often, yet somehow Princess Tutu exists. Personally, I grew up with a lot of classical music and so naturally I saw a decent amount of ballets and to come across an anime that has so many references to the art form was oddly heartwarming.

We follow the sweet Duck in her transformed state as Princess Tutu as she tries to help repair the prince's heart that was scattered by the evil raven. At least that's the story that Drosselmeyer wants to tell, but what the characters want might be something else. That's the story that this anime is trying to tell with that exact dreamlike essence that one can feel when seeing the Nutcracker for the first time. If you ever felt the spell that the theatre or ballet can put over you, this will be perfection. That specific odd spell that only a live stage can give the audience.

The duck, the princess, the prince, the writer, the storyteller, and the raven. Which role actually suits which character your so convinced of when it starts but by the end I think you'll be hoping they can change their story just as much as they want to and get whatever happy ending. Which, in a way, they do in a way but perhaps not the way we picture for them. And if you think about it with them being characters in a story; it makes all but perfect sense.

When you add all of that up and actual, beautifully rendered ballet moves, it's a lovely watch. It can be a little bit of a tear-jerker, but more of a melancholic candy than a full sob. The small fanbase this anime has are truely dedicated. Some learning even how to dance on pointe in order to cosplay these beautiful, magical girls. (Which you don't have to do if you choose to cosplay! But it's really cool) Something about it sticks with you in the same way those simple soft stories we grew up on do. The Nutcracker, Peter Rabbit, Peter and the Wolf, Swan Lake. If you haven't seen one in a while maybe this can give you a bit of that speck of light again.

Recommend if you like: ballet, watercolor painting, storybooks, fighting against the power, magical girls, simple but complex

[kittyanimetime]

Code Geass

Ya know how people claim chess is like actual battle strategy? I never really got that til watching the fantastic Code Geass. It's another pick from the dark days before anime is cool are you surprised? Expect quite a few; I've been around a while.

The show follows a fallen prince and his attempt to get what he sees as justice. Is that killing his father and raising the lower class? Is it taking the original kingdom for himself? Or maybe something in between that gets a bit lost and confused on the way there. Also, it has this soft magic system of Geass, which is completely different for each person who uses it. But if you complete the wish you'll become immortal? Only some can say. All while occasionally getting a random slice of life at school episode due to the cover of being a normal school student in an oppressed country. Sadwiched between some banger music!

That's a bit confusing huh? Now what if I also told you there's mech too. It almost sounds like some sort of early 2000s fever of anime. And in a way it kinda is yet was and is still solid. Plus! one of the rare cases of a visibly disabled character in Nunelly being both wheelchair bound and blind. And it's not played up for sympathy but more that this happened to her and how she lives now. Yes her brother holds himself responsible for why it happened but that's part of his reasons for him becoming Zero.

The show is a little hard to talk about without basically ruining some of the mystery that you learn as it continues. So for now I'll leave you some little tid bits and recommend you seek it out if it fits something your craving. CC is a witch and somehow a girl failure. Karen deserved way better. It could of been gayer but yet not. Geass is god?

Recommend if you like: political intrigue, they could of been roommates, gaint mechs but NOT in space, quasi religious, viva la revolution, is this a possible future? don't think to hard now

[kittyanimetime]

Cardcaptor

My origin point; that's not even a joke. Cardcaptor is literally the earliest memory I have of not only anime but of all animation. It is an art form that shaped who is writing this for you to read. It's what introduced me to this art and I'm so glad that it existed when I was little.

Ok cool story but what is the show? Cardcaptor Sakura is a magical girl series by the studio group Clamp. It follows the young Sakura who uncovers and interesting looking book in her dad's library and gets swept up in becoming the magical caretaker of the Clowcards. You have all the staples of the genre: an animal-like sidekick, whimsical outfits for the fight, everyday item that becomes their weapon, emotional connection to their magic.

But what's really cool is also that Cardcaptor had some of the first twists towards the cores that make up the genre. Sakura's bestie Tomoyo makes every costume that she wears to catch the clow card and even takes into consideration how to keep her safe. Like a rubber-based outfit to fight the Thunder card. Multiple creatures that guard the magic: both Kero and Suppi. You also have the sweethearts, whom I won't mention for fear of spoilers. She even has a super healthy family dynamic that loves her dearly! One of the neat factors is her brother and his relationship with his best friend. Not to mention Shoyran, Mey Lin, and their classmates, who sometimes get pulled into the adventure.

The magic itself, the clow cards, truely feel like the abstract concept of magic given a shape. Some are elemental others are purely concepts. Wood, wind, power, sword, little, fight, firey, thunder just to name a few. And seeing Sakura grow into her role while still truely feeling like a child is just utterly enjoyable. Made by the group that goes by Clamp it dose also carry some of their tropes that can make people unhappy. Soul bonds or the idea that certain people are always going to be bound to each other and fine eachother no matter the age or surface things. Sakura's parents were a teacher and a student when they met. Her classmate also has an even more odd relationship with their current teacher. But honestly it's not the most in your face so if you can bypass that it's well worth it!

Recommend if you like: to learn the history, whimsy, cosplay ideas, feel cozy but also seen

[kittyanimetime]

Fairytail

Let's go first with Fairytail. You'll probably pick up that I have a variety of tastes but also tend to be a sucker for certain things. Fairytail very much fell into that for me. Magic systems, shonen jump speed, lots of arcs and characters, something for everyone! So basically, we follow Lucy Heartfillia as she goes to join the wizard guild Fairytail. This is a world where there are all sorts of magic and different wizards specialize. The fairytail guild is a big family and we get to see how Lucy finds her place in this chaos. If you've watched any of the og big 3, then the format wouldn't feel anything extraordinary, but something about it felt like a cozy comfy blanket. The creator of Fairytail is also the mind behind Rave Master and another sci-fi reskin of this show. Personally I found Lucy really compelling as someone who was going through that similar "attemping to find their place in the world" space in my life. The idea of the zodiac being used as her magic was really cool too. It's been quite a few years since I originally watched it but the Fairytail anime brought me alot of comfort and some solid times in the cosplay scene. Haven't ever met a Fairytail cosplayer that wasn't cool!

Recommend if you like: easy plots, fun magic types/ systems, girls who own it, cheeky fanservice, needing that hole that Naruto left in you filled