#dan's rants

[thatnerdyrunner]

State of Jump

I just kinda realized Shonen Jump has some really good array of titles right now in it

You've of Course got my personal favorite  My Hero Academia with probably my favorite cast in a Shonen since Naruto, and who’s plot especially in the current arc is making me love so many of the supporting characters and having me so excited to see how the current arc with Overhaul is gonna play.

On the other end you've got the newcomer Dr Stone which I picked up a few week back and have really been loving the world its building and how much the protagonist thinks and I’m curious to see where it goes with the characters quest to create a scientific kingdom 

You've also got Food Wars which is in the middle of one of its most intense arcs  with the group Shokugeki and with all the stakes that are on the table here it really makes me wonder what the stories going to play out as going forward after this, also I feel like this has some of the most attractive character designs I’ve seen in jump ( I wouldn't  say best because thats ultimately objective to taste and its not my favorite style but for sheer quality its amazing for a weekly series)

On the other side you've got The Promised Neverland who’s world just keeps getting more fascinating and Characters like Emma are so compelling to watch I always wanna see how she gets through her next challenge 

Once again on the other end of things you've got fun Rom-Com in We Never Learn which has a premise I though I’d grow tired of but all the characters are likable and actually makes the main guy have a goal and not be generic love interest and all the girls seem like strong candidates but who also have goals outside of the relationship that they actively work for which I like.

Overall between those and the Occasional One Punch Man and Seraph of the End and Boruto’s monthly The magazine really is worth the money I pay every year for it and I really hope the quality continues at this level cause its been really nice to read lately.

[thatnerdyrunner]

Literally I turn into a squealing 5 year old every time I watch a new episode of My Hero Academia and thats not a bad thing :D 

[thatnerdyrunner]

Chihayafuru

I can officially say I’m confirmed Chihayafuru Trash, Chihaya is a delight and Taichi deserves happiness and love and these children are involved in such a beautiful story thats helped me get a greater appreciation of how poetry touches people and reflects in everyones lives.

[fangzeronos]

Made this post on Twitter this morning cause I got fed up at my dad sitting around and not helping me when I needed it around the house. He’s been lying to his stupid boss for two weeks saying he’s been in the hospital. “It’s the only way I’ll get a damn break from work” was his excuse. I told him to just sack up and tell her that he’s fed up and he wants a break. Be rude like the other employees for your stupid security company and bitch and moan until you get your way.

 He tells me, “I’ll help out around the house. If dishes need doing, I’ll kick them out. Trash, whatever.” He looks at me and snaps his fingers going “Hey, get up and get [insert chore here] done before you fucking do anything else.” Um, no. Kinda tired of being pushed around like this. Dinner gets over, he snaps his fingers and orders the kitchen cleaned like my names Geofrey or Niles. I ain’t wearing a fucking monkey suit, so stop treating me like a butler.

 And I know, I know. I could move out. Not without a job. Well, get a job, right? Tried. This town only has fast food joints, gas stations, and Walmart. I have applied at everything and been rejected. Even after getting a haircut and dropping 10 pounds, which I was fucking proud of, ok? Even though I didn’t eat for like 3 days and only had water……still counted as weight lost, shuddup. I’ve applied at Walmart, said I didn’t pass their stupid evaluation. I applied for McDonalds and was still told no even though there’s “Help Wanted” on the stupid marquee outside the drive-thru.

 So yeah, I got a bit pissy on Twitter and Dad got pissed off at me about it. I don’t care. He’s made posts like that about me and my sister on Facebook where everyone can frigging see it, even tagging us in the goddamn posts. My thought is, you don’t like what I post on my Twitter, you know where the unfollow button is and don’t pull the “Well I pay everything around here, so the only one to GTFO will be you” bullshit with me. Stop lying to your boss, grow up and act like a fucking 56 year old instead of a 16 year old whining brat. (He says as he types up four paragraphs sounding like a whining 16 year old.”)

[thatnerdyrunner]

That Nerdy Runner turned 5 today!

Jesus how have I had this thing for 5 years. Well might as well go for another 5 I suppose 

[thatnerdyrunner]

Hibike! Euphonium and the girl named Kumiko

(SPOILERS FOR THE SHOW)

So I’m gonna start this off by saying, I was never a band kid in high school, it never interested me and I have no musical talent whatsoever. However, around the Spring Season of 2015 a show started about a high school music club, and that show was called Sound! Euphonium(Hibike Euphonium for purists) and after just before writing this watching the final episode of its second season wrapping up the series, I can proudly say its become one of my favorite Anime ever.

I could go into all the reasons why I hold that opinion, obviously this shows animation and music are breathtaking and just invoke a world I’d love to be in, and yes the characters are wonderfully designed and the shows direction is top notch, but it wasn’t all that that made this show what it was for me, for me what made this show was the character of Kumiko Oumae, our main lead and narrator throughout the series

What makes Kumiko such a standout to me is that she is one of the most realistically developed leads I’ve ever seen in fiction. She begins the series as someone who has fallen out of love with music and struggles to find her motivation for it, and what I love is that throughout both seasons she slowly not only sees what makes those in the band want to play, but also she falls back in love with music and discovers why she loved it in the beginning. 

While it was fun playing the shipping games as the series went on (I’m a personal fan of Kumirei but thats neither here nor there) I slowly discovered that that wasnt the true relationship this series was developing, oh sure it was there but once I saw the final episode the major arc Kumiko went through finally was clear. It was about reconnecting with her sister through music and connecting with her Senior bandmate Asuka through her music. Kumiko’s love of music comes from her love of her sister and how she wanted to be part of her sisters world with her. And throughout the two seasons the sisters come to terms with their relationship and Kumiko realizes she idolized her sisters music and as she said in the penultimate episode “I love the eupho because of you”. Fully showing that she remembers what made music so special to her.

This perfectly translates to her relationship with Asuka, Asuka at first glance comes across as a cold hearted person who puts walls up to everyone. However, as the series goes on its not through words that Asuka’s emotions reach Kumiko, it’s through the music played on the eupho that they share, and as Asuka finally opens up to Kumiko, their able to express their feelings of admiration through each other through nothing but song. The final scene of the series sells this fully, as Kumiko admits she went from hating Asuka to loving her and having trouble figuring what shell do without her in the band to play with. Asuka simply gives her the notebook with the very song Kumiko was intrenched by and said “see you later”. Now I would personally love to take this scene as Asuka confirming these two will meet again and never truly be gone from eachothers lives, but also I think that through the music they share, Kumiko will never have to say goodbye to Asuka, and will be able to pass on these feelings to her underclassmen one day.

Ultimately Kumiko realizes her love for playing lies in the emotions music can convey and bring to people, and the song that helps her discover this, its literally named “Sound, Euphonium” thus helping us see that this was what the whole show was about, exploring how we as people find our motivation not just in music, but in any pursuit we have and that its those feelings that help define our relationships with others.

Kumiko comes out of this series not a perfect star player, but as one who understands why it is she plays and loves what she does, and to me that is one of the greatest arcs a show has ever given a character and it is one I won't soon be forgetting

[fangzeronos]

Ok fuck the goddamned holidays.

Just got a call from my uncle and found out my grandmother died about an hour and a half ago. She had a mass or a cancer or something on her lungs, and while the doctors were predicting 2 weeks, she went in her sleep overnight. They’re going to have her cremated, and my dad and sister are going tobe going out roughly the end of February or the start of March.

We lost one of my uncles on Christmas of 2004, my mom’s mother before 4th of July in 2013, my grandfather on Valentine’s Day 2014, my mother on Saint Patrick’s Day 2014, and my other uncle before Halloween 2012. Fuck the holidays in the godamend ear.

[thatnerdyrunner]

A Silent Voice

So I just finished reading “A Silent Voice” (Koe no katachi) and my god was that an amazing story. The drama in it was so real it never felt overplayed or anything, the art was gorgeous and the journey the main 2 characters went through was beautiful to watch. I have to say I loved the addition of a deaf character in a comic as I don't feel like I’ve ever seen that portrayed so accurately (as the author worked with Japans hearing aid society for accuracy, which in itself is worthy of praise) and the respect she's given as a fully fledged character who's disability is part of her but not all of her character was wonderful. The main lead is also wonderful as he’s by no means a perfect character and has to struggle constantly because of not only what he’s done in his past but for the effects thats had on him in the present, although that only serves to make him far more relatable in my eyes and a great character to follow. Honestly the whole cast was wonderful and I would recommend anyone who’s a fan of great human drama, especially those who have suffered a form of bullying to check this out, it may be all too real sometimes for those who have but the emotional journey will leave anybody smiling. My anticipation for Kyoto Animations film version of this just skyrocketed and I’ve heard its a good adaptation so I really hope that gets brought over here soon as I’d be more than willing to experience this story again. It’s definitely a 10/10 Manga and one of the best reading experiences I’ve had in a while