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foreverfairytailfan · 5 months

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🚨RANNT ABOUT FAIRY TAIL HATE INCOMINGGGG🚨

Long rant. Like LONG long. Feel free to scroll on by but I seriously needed this off my chest so just be prepared if you decide to read it💀 also not trying to (and wont with all due respect) debate with anyone about the things I’ve mentioned below, this is just purely how I feel inside atm, plus it’s super sloppy and emotionally charged; I would’ve done a much better job at talking if it was a debate post, but it’s not lol. Debating stuff about FT can always happen another time on another day so hopefully this post isn’t misunderstood to be starting something, just a simple rant :) okaythanksforyourtimehaveagoodday

Mentions of death, as well as murder/killing

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ARGH THESE FAIRY TAIL HATERS GET ON MY NERVES SOMETIMES FOR REAL! LIKE I GET PERSONAL PREFERENCES BUT THEY HATE OVER THE MOST STUPIDEST THINGS ABOUT IT!!

One thing I always see people complain about is how Fairy Tail hardly has any killings. First of all, wtf??? How have we become so desensitized that we want to see innocent characters to die? Like I get it contributes to good story telling by expressing the emotional process of it all, and I certainly know I’m not immune to a good and gripping character death when it’s done right, but come on do we really need to have people dying left and right ALL THE TIME?? If the story has to have so many deaths 24/7 to make it a good story, is it really a good story?

Second, there was in fact death in Fairy Tail; it’s just not enough death for people to mention apparently?? While the deaths are rare in FT, when they happen I think it hits harder, and it makes it much more personal because it’s not a normal occurrence. It affects you on a deeper level because you weren’t expecting it already, you know? It shows us that death shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Third, death is not gonna happen frequently for Fairy Tail. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARENT ACTIVELY FIGHTING CRIME!! THEY ARE NOT A GUILD ABOUT FIGHTING PEOPLE!!! They. are. not. superheros!! They are a magic guild that cares about family, their town and townspeople, and supporting one another. They always try keep the violence to themselves (aka roughhousing) and taking jobs that can have potential battles involved.

They don’t ask to be dragged into shit like guild wars, fighting literal dragons and crazies, and life threatening forces! They fight because they’re good people who want to protect the ones they love, innocents, and their planet. This is not a shonen about killing their enemies and bathing in their blood and victory, all they want is to have peace and fun with each other. There is more to the story than death. There are multiple tragic things that happen in the series that are just as heartbreaking as a death.

It’s a feel good series that doesn’t focus on the deep negatives, but how people overcome said negatives and use the power of the love for their found family to fight for what’s right. You say it’s a surface level series, but the truth is your not willing to look deeper under it because you can’t be bothered to see there is more to a series than many deaths, killings, etc.

there are so many shows and mangas like FT that don’t get a quarter of hate like FT does and I just think it’s incredibly stupid and unfair to target a show over petty reasons such as LACK OF DEATH?? It’s a wonderful show that is supposed to cheer you up and make you feel happy, why can’t we just have a series that’s exactly like that and still be considered a good story? And yes, Fairy Tail isn’t perfect; no series is. It has its flaws just like any other shonen.

My point is that FT is picked on way too much for reasons that other anime’s display as well, and that there’s a lot of hypocrisy in FT haters. I never understood why Fairy Tail was the scapegoat for all the hate when their favorite shows and mangas do the exact same thing! If Fairy Tail isn’t what you’re looking for, then move on without shitting on it.

The people of Fairy Tail are extremely important to me, as cheesy and cringe as that sounds. They raised me, taught me lessons that I still hold dear to my heart to this day. It has picked me up in times of need while still being able to evoke strong emotions from me. It just gets under my skin when so many people either pick it apart and don’t bother to dig deeper behind the meaning of it, or just sexualize the characters constantly without paying attention to the valuable lessons we could be learning from them instead.

I know it’s just a show/series at the end of the day, and I shouldn’t let it bother me this much; but I can’t help it, the characters are like family to me and have helped me process many emotions and gotten me through dark times. I just think if you’re gonna hate, you should do your research first and then come back with plausible reasons. I respect all opinions (as long as it doesn’t hurt others) and I never try to say that they’re wrong and I’m right blahblahblah because we all have our own preferences and that should be celebrated, as well as be able to have the right to express them; but let’s not over do it with hate outloud and in the open where people can be affected by the hurtful things you say.

#fairy tail #fairy tail rant #emotionally charged rant so don’t take it too seriously lol #sorry for the long post lol #rant #Im tired now lol #anime rant #have a good day friends #:)

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onerabong · 1 year

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Dark Matter rambles pt.2 (spoiler alert)

I’ve decided to start a new post cuz the old one was getting too long.

Ch.26

First of all, OH MY GOD

I had to calm myself down for a long time before writing this otherwise it would’ve just been a jumble of exclamations.

There is a LOT I wanna talk about in this chapter but I’ll narrow it down to three things- the battle, Einaros and GERYU.

Before we go in I wanna mention Boros’ dream. So his prophetic dreams are still coming to him, except with this one he was conscious. Well not conscious, but he could walk around, he had control over his body. I wonder what the difference was. With Exodia, a dream he’s had for so long warning(?) him of an attack, all he could do was experience what the dream gave him. It was vague, the only distinct thing being the environment around him, the dream only getting clearer as the real event approached. The two previous dreams he’s had was a prophecy of what will happen, something that will happen; there was nothing he could do about it. But with this one nothing seems to be happening, at least not yet. No signs of danger, no signs of anything really, only notable thing being the waterfall. Is it telling Boros of a place he’ll find himself in in the future? Probably. Is something important gonna happen there? Also probably. Maybe it’s another place with a clue? The place he’ll meet Geryu? No idea.

I used the term ‘warning’ above but that seems inaccurate. Warning implies that he could have done something to stop it. With Exodia maybe he could’ve persuaded the others to leave, but that seems unlikely. With the Maelstrom too, Proxima had the idea to stop the ship herself, even without Boros’ input. So his dreams are just showing him what will happen.. but now that he’s certain that it’s showing him the future, he’s determined to be prepared, he’s anticipating it. Is the new dream a result of this change? That he’s more prepared? Maybe, maybe not. But doubtless he’s had more control over it, even if it was only with his body. And he will be looking out for this place, anticipating it. That itself is a huge improvement compared to before, in my opinion.

(Also why was the Cyborg so cold when Boros mentioned his dreams?? His words sympathetic, but his tone cold- what does this mean? Does it have something to do with the voices?? This guy’s just wrapped up in mysteries!!)

Now onto the battle. AAAAAAAAA

Well the first thing I wanna mention is the centipede. Yes, it cracked me up to see that the monster was nothing other than a centipede, an acknowledgement to OPM’s love for those things no doubt😂

Speaking of OPM, it’s with this fight things are getting more and more like a.. shonen manga(??) seeing the main character getting stronger with every fight to be specific. Which is what OPM’s all about. So to see Boros doing that, to see this fic showing hints of what it will inevitably happen- it makes my heart race is what it does, to put it lightly.

And the way he fights, the way he defeated the creature; it wasn’t complicated, he just punched through it, but even in that simple fight we could see that he was being smart, strategic. The creature was so much bigger than him, so he waits for it to grab him first, bringing himself closer to what is most likely the creature’s vital spot; its head. And when it’s confirmed that he can do damage to it, he uses his enemy’s fight stance to give the final blow.

Two things- the copying of Iryo’s fighting style, and his energy output.

We are briefly shown Boros analyzing Iryo’s fighting style in the previous chapters. So to see him use it for himself, and victoriously at that, is SO exciting. How many of the Xar can replicate the exact moves of an enemy in a fight he’s had no control over? Not many I presume. Is it his desperation to keep his friends safe that has him learning so much from his traumatic experience? Probably. And this is rewarded with his complete calm during the fight, resulting him being able to control his stellar core, to push through his previous limits.. (limits huh)

And I can’t not mention the color of his energy turning blue, even if only briefly, to match what we’ll be seeing in OPM..

Also I love the little details like the sand crystalizing from his heat, and the shockwaves of each punch; it makes the fight so much more real.

All in all I think this fight was an excellent way to show how much Boros has learned and grown, and what his current capabilities are.. which is apparently what Einaros thinks of as well.. he is impressed.. But more on that in the next post.

#dark matter #opm #boros #lord boros #dark matter rambles

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philosophiums · 4 months

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hi, I recently came across your post about the failures of most popular shonen animanga (it was so great to finally see it articulated like that, wholeheartedly agree with it).

do you have any recommendations for shonen animanga that does it right? that maintains a story, keeps to the themes, doesn't fizzle out and turn into a mindless training->war->training format? nothing new comes to my mind but I also haven't been keeping up with post-2000s anime. please let me know which shonen titles impressed you the most!

oh boy.... i have a few suggestions. they're not all shonen though SKJBVDJKFVB

i'm not sure if Terror in Resonance can be considered a shonen, and it's only 11 episodes, but it's absolutely incredible. i showed it to a friend who doesn't watch/enjoy anime much and he insisted on watching the whole thing in one go because he was hooked

Mob Psycho 100 is beautiful and heartfelt and breathtakingly animated. it's full of story and meaning and i'm pretty sure it's like Done now, so you'll get the full story instead of waiting for the next season. highly recommend

Eighty-Six is gorgeous and has excellent sound design. there's a plot, there's well-animated battles, there's good character moments. it's mech without being like Big Robot mech. i have to warn you, though, that it's devastatingly sad. still really highly recommended from me though (i've watched it twice already)

No. 6 is also sad, but it's worth it. another 1-seasoner, this is a quick watch and has really great storytelling. it's been several years since i've watched it, but if i'm remembering correctly, it relies on a lot of "showing" instead of "telling" for the world building, which really set it apart for me since a lot of anime uses dialogue for exposition

Chainsaw Man is not shonen, but it's still very very good. the animation is top tier, the story is great, the characters are amazing, and it has really great pacing. as long as you're good with excess blood/gore and adult themes, you should enjoy it

Trigun Stampede has the vibe of shonen, imo, but it's certainly not shonen. it's also, quite simply, stunning. i really don't have a lot to say about it that i haven't said for the others, but you should definitely give it a shot. i personally really like the animation choices, and the music..... chefs kiss

i personally love Bungo Stray Dogs, but i also understand that it's an anime that you either click with right away or don't. the characters are unique and interesting, and there is actually a (tenuous) plot throughout all of the seasons, but it does have weakly explained power scaling (no training arcs, though, which is nice). i love the animation and really suggest watching at least the first two episodes of season 1 to see if you vibe with it

i also wouldn't be me if i didn't have Haikyuu in the list. it's a sports anime, sure, but it's shonen so it counts. is the plot super simple? yes. does it stay on-plot the whole time, though? yes. and the characters are wonderful, and it's funny and doesn't take itself too seriously. don't watch it for an engaging story, but do watch it for free serotonin (i rewatch it yearly, usually in the winter, for some happiness JSBDVKJDBF)

ALSO, Frieren: Beyond Journey's End is a new anime (season 1 is almost finished releasing), and i think it's absolutely lovely. it's such an interesting take on longevity/immortality and, honestly, on how to tell a story. the pacing is unique, the characters are so lovable, and the animation is stunning (the way the animators have brought fabric to life in the anime is just incredible)

#this is from now only like 10 years of watching anime #and please understand that i haven't seen a lot of anime and tend to just watch whatever i've seen other people talking about #but these are (most) of my 10/10s #i'm also really hoping to add mashle to the list but i haven't started that yet KSDBVJKDBFVJK so we'll see how that goes #also i didn't include hunter x hunter or fullmetal alchemist brotherhood on the list because to me they're just... staples of shonen KDSVBJ #but if you haven't watched hxh or fmab please do yourself a favor and get on that. they're incredible #if you get through these and want more lmk bc i have a few others on my list with a 10/10 score #most of them are either Gay or sports anime though SJHVBKDJVBJKDV

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beneaththetangles · 1 year

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It literally took a global pandemic to slow down the rapid growth of anime’s popularity. But the industry has surged back, and after a year during which studios were playing catch-up, 2022 felt like it was largely business as usual and maybe better than that, with dozens of new series released each season, new studios jumping into the fray (a trend that will really take off in 2023), and more anime movies than ever making their way to international release.

This diversity and expansiveness are reflected in our Best of 2022 anime list, which includes continuing series—titles that were notable heading into the year—but is mainly filled with anime that unexpectedly delighted. They feature an introverted rocker, an insomniac who wants to become a vampire, a famous figure from the Three Kingdoms reincarnated to become a young woman’s musical advisor, and teenage assassins who run a coffee shop. And yes, these series were every bit as fun as they sound—and for reasons we mention below, even more wildly inventive, deeply engaging, and personally meaningful than they have any right to be.

Here they are, in alphabetical order (because any other order is too hard to decide!):

BELLE • Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War • Bocchi the Rock! • Call of the Night • Chainsaw Man • Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These S3 • Lycoris Recoil • Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun • SPY x FAMILY • Ya Boy Kongming!

– Honorable Mention –

BELLE

What do you do as a parent when you look out at the world and see a harsh reality lying in wait for your painfully shy young child? Well, if you’re Mamoru Hosoda, you make a film to fill her with courage, hope, and the joy of being alive at such a time as this. You make BELLE. This masterful reworking of the classic fairy tale transforms a simple (and unrealistic) romance into a heartrendingly raw, yet gently epiphanic reflection on loss, fear, and coming of age in an unsafe world. At the heart of Hosoda’s redemptive story—the magic that breaks the curse, if you will—is not romantic love but something ever more vital in this current climate: compassion. Through her vocaloid-like online life as fearless songstress Belle, the heroine Suzu learns to extend this vital grace to both others and herself, and to receive it from those closest to her as well. In this way, BELLE celebrates the capacity of social media to do good and not only harm, while modeling how exactly to live with compassion, a valuable message in an era seemingly dominated by cancel culture. This may be a retelling of ‘a tale as old as time,’ but this is the one adaptation that will, in my books at least, truly stand the test of time—and future generations will be better for it. Thank you, Hosoda. ~ claire

Streaming on HBO Max.

Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War Arc

One of the most epic shonen anime series of all time has finally begun its journey to completion. The previous seasons of the anime ended pretty poorly, full of filler that couldn’t compare to the Arrancar and Aizen arcs. Manga readers will not be disappointed with this final arc adaptation, though! Every episode is a fun ride, full of intense battles that push the captains of the Gotei 13 to their limits. Many long-standing questions are finally answered, as the series prepares for what is proving to be a satisfying conclusion. Ichigo and his allies are pitted against some of the most fearsome enemies in the entire run of the franchise, falling short again and again against the insurmountable power that is Yhwach and his crew. Although the heroes pull out all their best attacks, they cannot avoid taking severe injuries, and not everyone will make it to the end of the season, or in some cases, not even past the first few episodes! The animation by Studio Pierrot is up there with the best, though be warned that it is more violent than previous seasons, so keep that in mind if you are watching with little ones or sensitive viewers. Overall, the action and suspense of this final arc make waiting for Mondays a real challenge, which is a very fitting end to such a blockbuster series! ~ Samuru

Streaming on Hulu.

Bocchi the Rock!

The genius of Bocchi the Rock! is the fact that it’s not afraid to defy slice-of-life conventions to tell the story that it wants to tell. A different show about a high school girl with social anxiety joining a band might shy away from the comedy in favor of wholesome friendship moments and satisfying character arcs. But Bocchi! wants to have its cake and eat it too. And it pulls it off. Interspersed with reflective ponderings on anxiety, self-talk, and loneliness are zany sequences where the pressures of social life cause Hitori to morph into famous paintings, lose corporeal form altogether, or just keel over and die. All this works because the authors love Hitori, even as they poke fun at her social anxiety-induced antics. It works because they understand her struggle to connect with others, even as she deeply desires that connection. It works because they track her growth, slow but steady, as she steps out and discovers what life in community looks like. Add on a lovely main cast and some seriously good insert songs, and we have a show that will be treasured long after the curtains fall. Hilarious yet sensitive, imaginative yet grounded, niche yet relatable, Bocchi the Rock! does it all. Producer Shouta Umehara was aiming for “the pinnacle of slice-of-life anime,” and he definitely hit the bullseye. ~ sleepminusminus

Streaming on Crunchyroll.

Call of the Night

Call of the Night is one of those shows that does an excellent job of capturing emotions and sparking a relatable tone with the audience. From the moment where Ko, the insomniac teenage protagonist, steps out into the night, in awe and amazement at the new world that surrounds him, to the moment he meets the vampire girl Nazuna, who represents the allure and enticement of nightlife and the seductive temptation of being in a world normally occupied by adults—the series is evocative and a little nostalgic too. The outstanding animation quality really captures the feel of being on the streets of a major metropolitan area in the twilight hours. Also, the OP, “Daten” is an absolute bop and held the crown of Best Anime OP during its entire run…until a certain show about a certain dude with a hardware issue came along. While it doesn’t look like we’ll be getting a second season of this one, you owe it to yourself to check it out and instantly get transported to that time when, as a youth on the cusp of adulthood, you too first discovered the awe-inspiring sights and sounds of the night. ~ Josh

Streaming on HiDIVE.

Chainsaw Man

One of the most hyped anime of the year, Chainsaw Man is an example of what happens when the powers that be say, “Okay, here’s the source material and the company credit card. Give us a 13-episode series, make it look pretty, and money is no object.” And they succeeded beyond their wildest imagination. What makes this the best anime in 2022? Simple. No really. That’s the answer. It’s simple. The story of a boy who bonds with a demon and produces chainsaws from his body to defeat other demons is simple enough for anyone to comprehend (“simple” when it comes to anime that is). Still, the characters, combined with the fantastic animation, push this narrative into “must-see” territory, especially regarding our saw-tooth bro Denji. It’s downright refreshing to have a protagonist that doesn’t have any grandiose delusions of wanting to be a superhero and fight for something silly like saving the world. Denji wants to be comfortable and live a good life with someone to take care of him, which is something that we can all relate to. I’ll be the first to say that Chainsaw Man has a lot that can turn people away—the levels of violence and sexuality might be too much for some people, but don’t let that turn you away. Every blood splatter and sexually charged moment is not done just for the heck of it—there is a rhyme and reason for it to be there! Finally, let’s talk about this dub. Can we please give Ryan Colt Levy and Sarah Wiedenheft their flowers? Ryan as Denji is so freaking spot on, I seriously can’t hear anyone else in the role. And Sarah as Power is just downright prodigious! This is a show you owe it to yourself to watch in both languages. ~ Josh

Streaming on Crunchyroll.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These S3

The remake of this classic space opera lives up to the high standard set by its revered 1988 predecessor, bringing updated animation and an excellent English dub to help introduce Tanaka Yoshiki’s saga to a new generation. While the LOGH series is not completely flawless, it achieves untouched heights when the story focuses on its complex political drama and meditations on the cyclical nature of human history. This season reaches one of those high points as Admiral Yang Wen-li finds himself struggling with the moral dilemma posed by his incredible naval victories: are they truly defending democracy or simply saving a corrupt government and apathetic citizenry from their own foolishness? This philosophical drama plays out against a backdrop of Death Star VS Death Star battles as the Galactic Empire conducts a major campaign against the most critical defensive strongpoint of the Free Planets Alliance. Whether you’re a longtime fan of the original Legend of the Galactic Heroes or a complete newbie debating whether or not to take the plunge on this famous but intimidating science fiction epic, get in on Die Neue These. ~ WacOtaku

Streaming on Crunchyroll.

Takina being dragged into the Vortex of Chaos Chisato

Lycoris Recoil

LycoReco is the very embodiment of something that shouldn’t work but, in complete contravention of all logic, really, really does. (A bit like black matter, the placebo effect, or bulldogs.) With enough twists and turns to make a corkscrew blush, and a production history that can at best be described as unconventional, this zany combo of workplace slice-of-life and sci-fi spy thriller is fantastically original. And chaotic. Did I mention the chaos? Plot lines duck and weave like a Dempsey roll and loose ends stick out willy-nilly, but all this serves only to heighten the charm, dynamism, and pure delight of watching the adventures of these teenage undercover government assassins dole out justice while forming fast friendships, devising the most mountainous chocolatey desserts known to Instagram, solving mind-boggling conspiracies, and reforming a genius child hacker. Maybe. At first, the cast seems to slot neatly into familiar tropes, yet as the series progresses (ahem, by episode two), they somehow manage to explode such conventions effortlessly. Chisato and Takina, as the cheerful, bubbly extrovert and cool, self-possessed introvert, single-handedly breathe new life into the most predictable pairing formula known to anime—and steal our hearts in the process. If this is what is possible with anime original series, then we need more of it. A lot more. Hats off to A-1 for taking the risk and doing so with such verve! ~ claire

Streaming on Crunchyroll.

I’m DONE with android deaths

Made in Abyss: The Golden City of the Scorching Sun

Surely season two of Made in Abyss couldn’t top the horror and despair of season one and its movie sequel, could it? Yes, actually, it could and it did, in all its face-melting, body-horror glory. But if that’s all Made in Abyss was about, I’d simply file it under “splatter film” and avoid the series for all eternity. No, what makes The Golden City of the Scorching Sun and its predecessors so special, apart from being set in a world wholly unlike anything depicted before, are the glimmers of hope it provides when they are needed most. The series perseveres in finding hope in the most unlikely places: when an impossible choice must be made involving a loved one, when the regrets from past misdeeds threaten to drown, when the road feels too long and difficult to follow. That’s when the series sparkles, as it reminds us that light shines brightest in the darkest of nights—or the deepest of caves. ~ Twwk

Streaming on HiDIVE.

Spy x Family

Voted Japan’s most anticipated anime of 2022 by an absolute landslide, Spy x Family did the impossible and lived up to all the hype. And then some! The series combines action, comedy, spy thriller, and a dash of romance as it follows a fake family where each of the members is hiding a secret—even the dog! They’ve been brought together by circumstances in order to save the world by foiling a war between the East and West in a Cold War-like situation. But as the story progresses, those fake bonds become more and more genuine, as the Forger Family learn to care for one another and no longer hide behind their respective masks. The animation is stunning, while the color design shines brightly and captivates the eye. The production is slick, but captures all the looseness and charm of the original manga, to the point where Anya could rival Bocchi for Best Comedy Faces of 2022. In short, Spy x Family is masterful, creating a fun ride that you never want to end. And here’s the good news: it’s not going to anytime soon! Season 2 has already been announced. Here’s to the continuing journey of Japan’s—and now possibly the entire world’s—favorite fake family! ~ Samuru & claire

Streaming on Crunchyroll.

Ya Boy Kongming!

If there was an award for Most Classy Anime Character, then in 2022, it would have to go to Kongming. Having been a world-leading tactician in his past life, he now uses his flashy intellect and proven stratagems to help young singer Eiko achieve her dreams in modern-day Shibuya. But it’s actually another quieter, hidden ability that makes him such a compelling character, namely, his ability to demonstrate what it means to serve others well, putting them above himself. He more than lives up to the call “to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” In addition to such powerful characterization, this anime also showcases some of the most catchy music of the year! Whether it’s the upbeat and fun opening song “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang”, the slower-paced and moving “Dreamer,” or the driving rock ballad “Underworld,” there’s something here for every musical taste. Ya Boy Kongming! is genuinely a one-of-a-kind anime that not only offers strong entertainment, but also explores deeper themes in such a way as to leave you thinking well after the final episode has finished. ~ Laura A. Grace & claire

Streaming on HiDIVE.

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Honorable Mention

Our honorable mention anime, perhaps more than even our top ten selections, demonstrate how strong a year it was for the medium. How so? Well, we could have slipped any of a number of these into our top ten without much fuss, don’t you think? And there are a few heralded anime from 2022 that didn’t even make it into our honorable mentions. What a strong year!

Without further ado, in alphabetical order, here are our honorable mention anime of 2022:

Aharen-san was Hakarenai

Birdie Wing

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners

Drifting Home

Do it Yourself

I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss!

Kaguya-Sama: Love is War -Ultra Romantic-

Laid-back Camp Movie

Mob Psycho 100 III

My Dress-up Darling

One Piece Film: RED

Play it Cool, Guys

Raven of the Inner Palace

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fanzillajacket · 1 month

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Mark Your Shonen Weeb Memories With This Dbz Future Trunks Jacket

Trunks has been an impressive influence on the casual cosplayer’s list. In fact, despite his look being a bit too simple, his Dbz future trunks jacket has to be one of the most popular outerwear in the Dragon Ball series.

After all, it was pretty epic when he made his first impression by destroying Frieza’s whole career by dicing him with his sword. For one thing, the battle between Goku and Frieza was one of the longest in anime history. Yet, this dude owned the alien lord within one episode. So yes, it’s obvious why the hype is worth it. On top of that, the female version of the getup is becoming a bustling trend due to the lush allure you can give off from it.

However, if you research enough, you might have stumbled upon how the creator admitted that Trunks was inspired by the Terminator movie. And, of course, it is pretty accurate since the Android and Cell Saga show it. Not only that but Akira Toriyama is one of the most influential mangakas in history. And yes, he'll will still be known as the legendary father of shonen anime.

The Influential Anime Legacy Will Follow On

The Creator of this anime was an artist whose creativity was ahead of their time. On top of that, the creator of Hunter X Hunter admitted that they were dimensions ahead of them. And yes, because of Dragon Ball, we have One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach. There’s no argument as to why Akira Toriyama was like the grandmaster of the anime world.

What’s more, is that it is a tragedy and the jolt to the fanbase has caused such a shock regarding his death. But personally, It is even more of a shock when he admits before his death that he didn’t like anime. Yet, a few fans think he felt his identity was mainly known for creating dragon ball when he wanted to be acknowledged as a respectable artist. Consider how he created Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest, and Blue Dragon. The mentioned franchises are pretty enticing in their own way, but none have reached Dragon Ball's peak.

But still, his name will always be an example, and he was a human with his own natural flaws. So, in a way, it’s understandable if you look at their motives in a wider perspective for feeling that way.

The Valorant And Vivacious Leather Jacket By Future Trunks

This Dbz future trunks jacket gives you a feminine grace while wearing it. Sure, the appeal is prissy, but it could very well suit a tomboy with this underrated charisma. On top of that, the Full-Length Sleeves are pretty figure-hugging and elevate your boldness further. You can style this in many ways for those festive occasions you have in mind. But yes, you might need some styling tips to enhance your vogue move.

A Birthday Party To Dive Into

The First tip we have for you involves you wearing a black turtleneck sweater, a yellow necktie, and beige khaki pants. With this look, you would look attractive, charming and emboldeningly feminine. And that would make you ready for a Birthday party that you have in mind for your friends. Moreover, it would be that occasion when you can enjoy the food, the music, the people and take some selfies for your vivid memories.

The Bar Night With The Girls

The Second tip we have for you involves wearing a blue jeans that suit well, as you wear white loafers. Furthermore, you would look captivating and cute as hell, and you would be ready for that Girls’ Bar night. On top of that, it would be one of those times when you can help your sisters in case they have personal conflicts. Because the ambient bar night is where you get to lighten the chest with your social pack.

Live On, Stylish Weeb!

The festive appeal of this Dbz future trunks jacket is too enticing. Furthermore, if you style with this better, you will be that aesthetic eye-grabber of the week.

Lastly, we are glad you’ve reached this far with the book and wish you the best of days to come.

#dragon ball z #Future trunks jacket #dragon ball series #hooded leather jacket #jacket

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m39 · 5 months

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Doom WADs’ Roulette (2007): Ultimate Torment And Torture

My brother in Christ!

Another partial conversion that uses a shit ton of enemies from the Monster Resource WAD that first appeared in 2007 due to KDiZD! All three of these partial conversions that won Cacoward in 2007 and all use this roster at least partially!

...

I don’t really have anything else to say; I just wanted to point that out.

G9: Ultimate Torment and Torture

Main author(s): Daniel Gimmer (Tormentor667)

Release date: September 11th, 2007

Version played: 1.07

Required port compatibility: GZDoom

Levels: 10

If you suddenly feel like you are playing KDiZD’s distant cousin, then you aren’t wrong, for this WAD is another project made by Tormentor667; although, this time it’s more like a one-man project rather than a community one.

Now you might be wondering What in the actual fuck is “Ultimate Torment and Torture”? To put it simply, it’s a remaster of the series of WADs under the same title (without the ultimate of course), now sprayed all over with Tormentor’s ZDoom’s features obsession, including background noises, a shit ton of new enemies, and other ZDoom stuff that may or may not be completely worthless on the long term.

Now since I didn’t play this series in any capacity, I’m gonna judge this WAD by its own merits. And if you didn’t already notice, do not expect this review to be completely positive; I’m not really a fan of Tormentor’s overly-designed WAD slop.

And although there isn’t really any plot in the text file in the WAD itself, there are text screens that describe what’s happening at the moment you are playing this map. But it all boils down to this – there is a hellish pentagram or something that summons demons and you go after it to end it all... again.

The plot, despite being rather simple (it’s a Doom WAD after all), takes itself too seriously in my opinion. It feels like it wants to sniff its own farts thinking it’s deeper than it thinks. The pretentiousness is especially high as you reach the final episode, with an unskippable monologue from the main character (who, by the way, sounds like Diet Caleb from Blood) rambling some kind of generic shonen anime hero speech filled with never give up this and da people I love that shit. This thing is funnier than most of the Mockaward winners that I played for crying out loud; for the wrong reasons, yes, but still.

But at least you can skip most of the textscreen stuff with the use key... after a small delay.

Now with the basics known, let’s take a look at another Tormentor’s projects.

You might probably know by this point, but if there is one thing that Tormentor is really good at is the visual aspect of his WADs (solo or community-made). And UTNT doesn’t disappoint in this. The oppressive foundry facilities in the second episode; snowy areas surrounding the base in the third one; the bastion with the demonic portal that acts like a bridge between episodes three and four; the mountain that you climb in the final episode; these are some of the highlights in this WAD.

It might be a little bit overboard with the details that aren’t just tiny objects lying around that are not some random debris from the wall, but it’s still amazing for the WAD from 2007.

Oh, and by the way, you can turn off some of the weather effects in most of the maps. Just remember to bind the key to it.

The music is a mixed bag for me. While half of the music tracks fit surprisingly well, the other half has a chance to make you laugh with the WAD sniffing its farts of pretentiousness again. It’s like the same problem as the plot; it gets a pass in the first half, but it gets ridiculous in the second one.

The final boss track is the worst case of unintentional laughter. No matter what you think about Revolutions, when it comes to the final battle between Neo and Agent Smith, the music fits really well. It doesn’t fit at all when you are flying around like a madman trying to destroy a satanic pentagram that protects itself with a demonic energy cylinder while dodging/trying to kill Cycloid Emperors that protect these things! IT JUST DOESN’T!

...

sigh

It does get better gameplay-wise at least.

I don’t really think this WAD is complicated. After the first playthrough, it didn’t really feel that tiring (at least for me). It does have backtracking sometimes, but honestly, I have experienced worse cases than UTNT.

What’s really cool about this WAD is that you can start from any of four episodes. If you are a Pistol-starter, you will enjoy this option (at least partially since you can start like this only at the beginning of an episode instead of in its middle).

You can also play as three different classes. I don’t know what are the differences aside from the starting weapon and the maximal amount of health since I played as only one class to not waste my time, but still, I’ll describe what I know:

The Marine starts with the Shotgun and 100 HP;

The Scout has 75HP and the Pistol (that shoots slightly faster from what I’ve seen);

And the Commando starts with 150HP and the Minigun; NOT the Chaingun mind you, but a Minigun. I’ll get to that weapon later.

There are two variants of the final level. The regular one takes place at the bottom of the mountain, where you climb it up while fighting the entire demonic army. There is also a graveyard with tombstones of people behind this WAD (like many other WADs before this one). This one is more of an epic type.

The secret variant (AKA the Director’s Cut) is hidden in the second part of the final episode. In this case, there are three areas full of monsters, where in the first two you have to kill a specific amount of Mancubi and Arachnotrons respectively (kind of like in Dead Simple) and in the third area you must press two switches to unlock the elevator to the final boss.

I’m not really sure which one is better. The hidden variant feels easier and has a lesser amount of annoying monster variants for the cost of a smaller amount of terrain to maneuver, while the regular variant feels like one last stand of the demonic army that fits perfectly well in a Doom WAD while having more bullshit moments.

UTNT is somewhere in between when it comes to how hard it is. It’s rather challenging, but I don’t think you will end up completely destroyed if you were playing WADs for a while before playing this one.

Every episode ends with the boss fight, where you fight up to four tough enemies depending on the skill level. It’s kind of a neat idea with the health pool showing up at the top of the screen, although I would like it more if the second boss fight had a larger area because I don’t think it was tested enough to be fun (or at least not as fun as the other two).

The final boss is... kind of stupid, I guess? You have to kill one of its guardians to make it vulnerable and fire at it (preferably with BFG). If you don’t realize it in a minute, you will end up with no ammo to blow it up. And again, the music doesn’t help.

Oh yeah, there is also stealth filth once in a while. -_-

I know it’s at worst one enemy per map, but still. What is it with these people keep adding this garbage to their WADs?

There are dozens of new enemies in this WAD. I’m fine with some new enemies to spice things up, but UTNT goes way too far with them. Some of these appear only once in the entire WAD! It’s like Tormentor didn’t know what to do with some of them and just slapped them in random places on the random map.

I don’t have time to ramble about every single one of them. Besides, I already talked about many of these in my previous reviews (like ZDCMP1, KDiZD, and Cheogsh among some of these). So instead, I’ll do quick rounds for every class of these bastards.

Without any further to do – the monsters of Ultimate Torment and Torture ladies, gentlemen, and others:

In the Zombie section we have Rapid-firing Trooper (Wolfenstein SS as an actual Doom enemy), Mutant Marine (tougher Shotgunner variant), Chaingun Major (Hoovy from KDiZD as a tougher variant of the original Hoovy), Bazooka Boy (from Obituary, shoots rockets), Plasma Zombie (‘nuff said), Railgunner (‘nuff said too), and Suicide Bomber (basically Headless Kamikaze as a Doom enemy; my personal favorites).

In the Imp section we have Catharsi (Cyberdemon if Imp; volley of projectiles, leaves a bomb when the die (if he didn’t gib)), Dark Imp (homing projectiles), Skulltag Imp (faster projectiles), Void Imp (Undead Warrior reskin), Soul Harvester (much more annoying homing projectiles; some of them are semi-invisible), Shadow (weaker Arachnotron, for some reason uses stock Imp noises despite having original ones in the past), Devil (tougher variant that can shoot constantly; uses Doom 64 Imp noises), Imp Warlord (has a couple of different attacks), Nightmare (can be hit when attacks and is constantly invisible before doing that), and Stone Imp (Imp if melee).

In the Hell Noble section we have Satyr (melee), Hell Warrior (has a shield), Hell Guard (no idea if he counts here but, whatever; shoots a volley of three projectiles), Hell’s Fury (tougher Baron), Lord of Heresy (tougher Baron but with wings), Belphegor (tougher Baron but with the volley of three projectiles), Afrit (flying, tougher Baron), and Bruiser (basically if the Bruise Brothers were actual bosses).

There are two new Cacodemon variants – Enhanced Cacodemon which shoots three fireballs and has slightly less health, and Cacolantern which shoots faster projectiles.

Same with Pain Elemental – we have Plasma Elemental (‘nuff said) and Tortured Soul (toxic clouds among other projectile).

There are also other enemies, which are Arachnophyte (Spider Bitch but flies), Blood Demon (tougher Pinky), Death Incarnate (hitscanning Revenant that has a small chance to not resurrect), Rail Arachnotron (‘nuff said), and Terror (Lost Soul that has a gigantic blast radius after it dies).

There are also the Source’s Guardians that I mentioned earlier. Look like Cycloid Emperors, kind of annoying to fight, and when they die, they leave their heart or something that functions as stronger medikit

We can’t forget about the bosses too. Aside from Bruiser Demons and the evil pentagram that function as bosses of episodes 2 and 4 respectively, we have Hectebi in the first episode (which are tougher Mancubi) and Giant Spiders in the third episode (Maulotaur reskins that burst out smaller, annoying to kill, regular spiders).

You collapse on the floor.

...

Phew...

Now with the demonic army described (apologies for the information errors if you notice one), let’s talk about new weapons.

Surprisingly, compared to the hegemony that are new monsters, you only get three new weapons. The first one to talk about is the Minigun that I mentioned earlier. It’s basically a much faster Chaingun but with a long break before firing again, meaning that it’s better for close encounters rather than sniping.

You have a flamethrower called... Flamer (how original). It’s your typical WAD flame thrower; don’t get burned by it yourself.

The final weapon is actually hidden in the secret in the first episode. It’s called Pyrocannon Prototype, and it feels like a napalm launcher that shoots mini-nukes. Perfect for bosses, so don’t use it (nor flamethrower) in any other circumstances.

I encountered some bugs while playing UTNT. The most prominent one was when Hell Warriors were completely invulnerable to anything until they raised the shield (something that didn’t happen in the previous WAD when these hulking cats appeared). Another bug that I encountered was in the second episode, where after exiting the secret area, the music from there was still playing; I had to enter and exit it again to properly change back to the original track.

The worst time was with some stability problems. There was one tiny moment in the first part of the fourth episode when there were some framerate drops due to the large amount of enemies and allies fighting each other, but there was a much worse one in episode two, during my secret-hunting run, when after the area with the blue key, the framerate started dropping like crazy, down to around 1.5 FPS.

Gee, maybe it wouldn’t happen if not for the gargantuan amount of shells, bullets, blood chunks, and gore chunks that appear everytime you kill at least one enemy (at least that’s how I think). I wonder if Tormentor ever thought of that situation.

The Ultimate Torment and Torture... makes me sad. I genuinely feel this WAD had the potential to be one of the best WADs ever created but the Tormentor’s obsession with (G)ZDoom features, many enemies that were slapped on this WAD without any reason for nothing but a small cameo, and the pretentiousness that pores out to the surface of the WAD’s plot makes it impossible to reach that status. It’s yet another WAD of its time that by modern standards feels outdated.

There is also another map known as the lost episode. I don’t know how to reach it without warping to it (if it’s even possible to get there normally), so I’ll leave it for the bonus round.

As for me, my break from Doom WADs might end up longer than a week, since I’m planning to buy a new PC that has SSD Hard Drive. So I’m going to move all important files to it once it arrives.

But until then, I’ll see you next time.

Have an early, happy 30th Doom anniversary.

#doom #doom wad #review #doom mod #doom 2 #doom 2007 #2007 #Torment And Torture #Doom Torment And Torture #Ultimate Torment And Torture #Doom Ultimate Torment And Torture #doom wads’ roulette #cacowards #top ten wads of the year

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anime-and-manga-rants · 2 years

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Overpowered Characters Done Right: The Disastrous Life of Saiki K

We’ve all seen overpowered characters, and we all know what tends to happen, at least in shonen battle anime… The main characters grow and grow until they’re at the top of their respective hierarchies, but, once they’ve reached that point, where is there to go? What challenges could they possibly face? Well, the most common answer is to simply make the antagonists level up at a similar rate. But there comes a point where this solution becomes a bit… repetitive. Right?

Now, don’t get me wrong. Maybe you enjoy those intense fights, and there’s nothing wrong with that. They can be fun, I’ll admit. But when it comes to the point where it’s obvious what the author is trying to accomplish — when it’s obvious that the antagonists are extremely powerful (and usually come out of nowhere for lack of better planning) because if they weren’t, the fight would be over in a couple of seconds — it loses a certain thrill, doesn’t it? It’s just not the same as a battle that tests the strengths of a protagonist still climbing the ranks. A battle that will judge whether the protagonist’s training has led to any newfound power, or if they haven’t grown at all.

Now, with a character unable to climb simply because they’ve already reached the top, the only option for an opponent is someone who’s slightly weaker. An opponent they’ll struggle with but ultimately defeat. And we tend to know that’ll be the outcome.

(Unless, of course, the author decides to kill off the protagonist with a stronger opponent, but that doesn’t often happen, does it? And if it does, we don’t really have the problem of them being overpowered anymore… Coming in from a different angle, it’s generally better for battle shonen to simply end when the protagonist and friends have reached such a high level and have achieved their goals. But there’s always money to be earned with dragging them on…)

Anyway.

Before I get into it, let me first address the elephant in the room. Yes, battle shonen and a character-based comedy like The Disastrous Life of Saiki K aren’t exactly the same kind of anime. But, overall, the conclusion is the same.

What conclusions we can draw from using Saiki as an example of how to create conflict with an overpowered character can be transferred to any genre with a little tweaking. It almost isn’t even about transferring. No, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K proves that there is no excuse for a lack of conflict in shows/movies/novels/etc. with overpowered characters. While battle shonen tend to be the ones with overpowered characters and (almost) equally overpowered villains, that was merely an example to provide a basis of thought.

Now, let’s actually start discussing the answer to the question I’ve only been prodding at so far.

So… what conflict can you really create with a protagonist who is unbeatable?

Well, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K reveals the surprisingly simple answer to this question: when your character is too overpowered to give them an interesting antagonist to create conflict, you’ve got to branch out a little.

In other words, make the “overpowered-ness” itself the conflict.

…

The Disastrous Life of Saiki K— one of my favorite anime of all time. With the main character a psychic in a world full of ordinary and comparably powerless people, how can this anime be worth watching?

Easy. Saiki dislikes the fact that he has his powers.

This is clear to see throughout the show. I mean, remember how excited he got when he found the germanium ring that cancelled out his telepathy? Or when Kusuke offered to take away his powers completely? And that’s just it. Saiki doesn’t like his powers because they create problems for him. Sure, he can solve nearly every outside problem with them, but when the problems are his own powers’ doing…

Saiki’s problems stem from the fact that he has them— bending spoons makes it hard to eat, telepathy eliminates the possibility of surprise parties, and winning free popsicles leads to stomachaches. In his own words:

In one episode, he accidentally turns Nendo to stone after his glasses break, and the rest of the episode’s major conflict is ensuring Nendo — now a statue — isn’t destroyed (and therefore killed) before Saiki’s medusa-inspired power wears off after 24 hours.

In another episode, Teruhashi removes one of his power-suppressing hairpins, and he accidentally teleports the hotel housing his classmates out to sea in his sleep. He then has to figure out what happened to the hotel and try to fix the mess he caused. Furthermore, he teleports Teruhashi, and to keep her from discovering his powers, he must convince her she is lucid-dreaming.

And, of course, Saiki doesn’t want anyone to know he has psychic powers, and therefore many of his problems are caused by the fact that he has to work around that limitation. Yet another example of a potential conflict that authors can give overpowered characters.

These are just a few examples of his overpowered-ness causing trouble for him. Through these examples, and through Saiki’s obvious disliking of his own physic powers, it’s clear to see they’re just as much of a curse as they are a blessing. To Saiki, they’re more of a curse. And curses tend to involve conflict in some way or another, don’t they?

And there you have it— I don’t really have much else to say. I don’t think I need to say much more.

So I will leave with this: the constant tomfoolery that is each five-minute episode of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K is filled to the brim with conflict, often created by Saiki’s powers. His extremely overpowered powers. Most impressively, these powers were never used to fight against antagonists of a similar power level. After all, it isn’t that kind of anime. Therefore, the author had to create conflict without relying on the protagonist and antagonist duking it out. And that he did.

And, without conflict, you really don’t have a story. At least, not a very good one.

...

(If any of you were thinking that One Punch Man would’ve made a more appropriate anime to base my argument around after I opened with a mention of battle shonen anime, you’re absolutely right. It would’ve. While One Punch Man isn’t really shonen, it still revolves around a hero fighting villains, as opposed to Saiki K’s more character-based shenanigans. Saitama even does fight villains that are overpowered, though they can only be considered as such when compared to any hero who isn’t Saitama.

But where’s the fun in using an easy example? Besides, it still doesn’t fit perfectly. It’s only a bit more related.

There’s a reason why One Punch Man is well-loved (at least the first season, that is). It’s fun. It’s compelling. It balances action and comedy quite well. And its conflict isn’t so much Saitama fighting villains — because, after all, it’s not much of a fight after he throws a single punch — as it is his inability to have fun. There’s no thrill in fighting when there’s no fighting at all, is there? He can’t seem to find a worthy opponent, and that’s great conflict.)

…

So, in the end, there’s really no excuse for authors to skimp on the conflict in their stories. There’s no character too overpowered to render conflict impossible. You just might have to think outside the box a little.

And no excuse for not having overpowered characters! If you want to write a character who, at the start of the first episode or on the first page, is already sitting atop a mighty pedestal, go for it. No reason you can’t make a compelling story from that.

#the disastrous life of saiki k.#saiki k #saiki no psi nan #anime analysis #manga analysis #one punch man

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lemongogo · 3 years

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hi i was reading ur tags and just wanted to share my interpretation of the whole haibara situation bc i am very emotional abt him. imo, if gege had chosen to set the manga back in 07 during gojo and nanamis teenage days, there’s no doubt in my mind that haibara would be the main character. initially u might think it would b gojo but if we follow the stereotypical shonen protag archetype, gojos abilities were already much too powerful and developed for him to make a suitable mc. in that vein, bc haibara was still learning and had vast room for improvement, along with his happy go lucky and optimistic personality and what with nanami being his angsty emo deuteragonist, he would’ve made for the most perfect stereotypical anime protag (if we also take into account gojo and geto as his powerful upperclassmen who inspire him to train harder to b more like them then it makes it even more perfect). so yes i think haibara was meant to heavily parallel itadoris character.

ur also correct in saying haibaras death was catalyst, as it led to nanami running away from the jujutsu world. haibara and nanami, while we didn’t see too many interactions between them, were pretty clearly meant to b best friends. seeing ur bsf who’s ALSO a fellow child die in battle was probably definitely hella traumatizing, and i think it made nanami realize that the jujutsu world was just taking children and placing them into the role of a savior before they were even properly equipped to deal with it. so nanami leaves yadda yadda yadda and then he comes back. and i think he sees a lot of what he saw in haibara in itadori as well. nanami doesn’t want the same thing to happen to this child who isn’t much younger than the age in which his best friend died, and so he kinda takes on the responsibility of making sure to protect what little he can. i think he kinda sees it as his second chance of sorts, a way to finally do what he couldn’t do back when he was 17 years old. so haibara appearing to nanami as he’s dying and questioning his purpose was i nanamis conscience reminding him of the one he lost, and the ones he’s still trying to save. the guilt of haibaras death never truly left him, and so by protecting this new generation of sorcerers i feel like he’s trying to combat that pain with his new purpose of being the adult he wishes he had access to when he was a kid.

(also it’s not rly clear how haibara died exactly, but the manga implies his lower half was ripped off or destroyed or smth, going by the shape of his body under the sheet in the morgue)

okay that’s all sorry for rambling i just. i get very sensitive abt haibara and nanami sometimes LMFAO

omg omg no dont be sorry , if anything im so sorry to keep u waiting AHKHAK i rmbr reading this the first time u sent it and it was so sad that i legitimately couldnt think abt it for a bit LMAOO no but thank u so much for taking the time to write this ;_;

i loveee love love how such a small scene can hold incredible significance like that. although i know there is more than meets the eye, as you've explained, i love how anyone can read that and just Understand, albeit abstractly, haibara's influence . the implications it holds for nanami and nanami's motivations, and how that , in turn, affects itadori. theres something so heart rending abt that. like the perseverance of someone's legacy (?) i guess?? and while haibara didn't get a good ending, it's part of his story that moves forward with those who still have a chance . its really special !! and i love that gege decided to allude to him in that moment

i especially love that we don't have to see haibara's face to know its him. and that the simple gesture of him pointing towards itadori was enough. SOBBINGGG

after everything u told me abt him i >............................."so haibara appearing to nanami as he’s dying and questioning his purpose was i nanamis conscience reminding him of the one he lost, and the ones he’s still trying to save. the guilt of haibaras death never truly left him, and so by protecting this new generation of sorcerers i feel like he’s trying to combat that pain with his new purpose of being the adult he wishes he had access to when he was a kid." OUGHHHHGGGGHOSPOHEFN<SS<FN)(#)(#@$@*_)*

they sound like they were so important to each other ;_; i honestly might look into the few chapters they do have, im tempted..

#genuinely obsessed w charas that r good mentors #ig some ppl find them boring but bnoo.... they r so good.. make me feel so happy #and they have their own complexities too like. u see nanami try and try to Be that good adult that these kids #desperately need. but u also see how badly nanami was failed .and u recognize that hes only one person #and to take on this burden and this responsibility is HARDD.#like part of u wants him to take care of himself . to go 2 malaysia and leave jujutsu behind. he bears the scars #but also.. he has the chance to be the adult for these kids that he never had .#he knows that someone has to do it and if he doesnt who will.decides that their safety is more imp. than his comfort #idk wat im saying anymore but like. these dynamics r so so good and so complex despite how they r often treated #i love how nanami toys with the concept of responsibility. gawd im obsessed #thinks back 2 um. tanjirou saying smth like. helping others ends up being beneficial for u.#cries.yea..........yea.#nanami #haibara #jjk #jjk spoilers #jjk manga #jjk 120 #asktag #kalofi

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autumn-foxfire · 3 years

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Im sorry ill be adding onto ur ask box but u talking about bnha again made me think of bnha again and ughhhghgg

Latest chapters have been BORING. We know Star wont defeat afo cuz of course so its really annoying that so many chapters are being dedicated to the fight. We dont know shit about Star and afo has rapidly been losing my intrest so its just like watching two action figures clash while also knowing how this is inventibly going to end cuz it would make no sense for a newly introduced chara to defeat the big bad. If this was a half a chapter to chapter it would have been fine but its been several chapters so far n its so annoying to read something u give so little fucks about cuz ur hoping characters u DO care about will eventually show up again. This just seems like hori binged a bunch of marvel movies or smtng

Adding on to that....isnt Stars intro v similar to Lady Nagants? Like we randomlyget introduced to these two female characters we havent heard a thing about up until that exact moment, who seem to have a significant connection to an already estsblished character but it turns out that connection is flimsy at best. They fight an already established character, lose and are nuked off probably never to be mentioned again.

I get that Hori is trying to show that afo is an international threat now but wasnt there a better way, couldnt he have established star sooner? Like all mights bedn doing fuck all how hard would it have been to throw in a scene of him talking to her on the phone here n there? Just so we can know she Exists before her big finale lmao

Idk...u here about big shonen manga crashing n burning at their end but its sad to see it happen n bnha is sadly inching towards being completely unenjoyable with each chapter. By now im almost hoping Hori will put it out of his misery fast if this is all we can hope for quality wise feom incoming chapters

Don't apologise for speaking to me Lucy T-T I love our chats and I've missed them since I've been afk (or would it be aft because it's more tumblr I've been taking a break from XD)

I can't believe the drop in quality in the manga. Stars and Stripe was a bigger mistake than Lady Nagant at this point and now that I've seen from the new leaks, I'm left hating this character more and more. Stars and Stripes wasn't needed.

There has been no reason for this battle whatsoever and yes, I'm taking into account the new leaks which, if you haven't seen them yet, I'll put them below a readmore:

She dies but her spirit seems to live on in the vestiges realm and we see her attacking AFO in there.

My question is why Hori had to introduce a random character we have not attachment to do this. Surely, if he wanted this grand moment where someone lives on beyond death and shakes AFO, it would be a member of the ESTABLISHED CAST that we have grown to love, not some random woman from America he introduced 4 CHAPTERS AGO.

You're right Hori could have shown AFO as being an internation threat and one of the simplist ways would have been AFO having a villain uprising in multiple countries. You know, he's said to have an underground empire, nothing says Japan will be on it's own when you have other countries fighting tooth and nail to keep villains in control in their nations and can't spare any help to Japan. There you go. Done. It was as simple as that and wouldn't have wasted 4 fucking chapters on a character we do not give a single shit about.

BNHA is crashing and burning and I'm watching this flaming wreckage hoping that I'll be able to salvage my favourites at the end.

#bnha #bnha manga spoilers #bnha manga leaks #bnha critical #thanks for the ask!!#charmspoint #I'm so mad lucy T-T this is such a joke

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codenamesazanka · 3 years

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So both the Villains and Heroes have love as the core of their motivation. Yes, both. Just in different ways: League’s love is for each other, intimate and personal, very concrete and close; whereas the Heroes’ love is very general, for the abstract masses, as many people as they can save. Both form of loves are great, both are needed, and one cannot exist without the other. When unbalanced though:

Too much love for just your friends, and you’ve got the League, who are willing to do anything for each other’s happiness, even if it means the rest of the world can (and will) burn. Too much love for the general masses, and you get Heroes that are supposed to sacrifice everything - anything - to be the ultimate Plus Ultra ‘Hero’.

At the core of the League, the reason they’ve all gathered up for, the reason they’ve stayed despite/because of everything, their ultimate dream - all boils down to love.

In the League, you’ve got Spinner who is incredibly empathetic towards Shigaraki (and Toga and Machia); but in his dedication to Shigaraki, he’s given up in the rest of the world. Toga wants to indulge in her unique and quirky way of showing affection, although it does mean other people could get hurt. Dabi, I think, deeply desires his father’s pride and attention, but failing to receive that, he falls into dark, bitter despair. Mr. Compress is willing to exchange more than a pound of flesh and blood for the protection of everyone, while Twice had just straight up gone and went full shonen protag, bursting with extreme, pure friendship that turned the tide of the battle at Deika - but in saving Shigaraki and the others, they’ve also contributed to the end of the world.

And Shigaraki wants to destroy the world, because when there’s nothing left, there’s nothing to dislike, nothing to cause pain or anger or grief. that’s beautiful, empty horizon he wants for his friends.

The basic idea behind these motivations is simple and very sympathetic - the need to connect with others and the desire to love and be loved. It’s what has been denied to them for most of their lives, often because of the way society is structured, leaving them behind and sometimes just completely kicking them out. But this taken to the extreme, is dysfunctional and pretty harmful to everyone not them.

The League is full of love, and that love is only for themselves and each other, limited only to their tiny circle; they’ll support each other to the bitter end, even if it’s at literally everyone else’s expense.

With Heroes, their idea of serving ‘the greater good’ is doubtlessly noble - protecting society, helping as much as possible, saving as many people as you can, etc. But it’s impossible to save everyone, it just can’t be done, so they aim for the next best thing: the majority. With that, we’re in the numbers game, and when the focus is on numbers, it often means making the ‘logical’ decision to take the option of ‘the most’. Helping the most people possible, but so unable to even pay attention to the outliers. Saving most of the flock at the expense of abandoning one lost sheep.

Endeavor’s desire to be a hero isn’t ‘love’, but it is true - as Shouto says himself - that Endeavor is “an amazing hero”, who had ranked No. 2 for years, who has the record of the most solved cases, whose employees at his huge company love him, apparently? It wasn’t enough for him, though - he wanted to be the strongest (in this contest of what he thought was ‘the strongest hero is the best hero’), and so he ruined his family in his attempt create a ‘masterpiece’ who can be No. 1. From a purely (and very cold, with complete disregard for ethics) numbers perspective, producing a natural No. 1 Hero is a great thing - all the potential disasters averted and people helped. And so what’s one small family of five compared a perfect, strong Hero who can save the lives of millions? (That was obviously not Endeavor’s goal at all - his dream was much more self-centered and narcissistic - but the theoretical ideal end result would’ve technically been another ‘Symbol of Peace’.)

And then: during Tenko’s walk, he says himself that one lost kid is nothing to the many and much more urgent hostage/murder/theft/whatever-crime cases Heroes could be and were solving elsewhere. All Might saves millions, for decades, but his sacrifice is his own life and body, which is easy to dismiss, except he later realizes that also has impact on the people close to him, re: Inko making him promise not to die. Hawks makes the decision to kill someone he admitted was ‘a good person’, someone who extended genuine friendship towards him, for the potential of saving the rest of Japan (and it didn’t even work/he might have made it worse). And who can forget Nana and Kotaro, and the consequences of that?

So you can save the world at the expense of hurting yourself and your loved ones, or you can keep all that love for your friends at the cost of bringing in the apocalypse. This is of course a false dichotomy, and neither is sustainable on its own. You gotta love the world in order to have a place for the people you love to exist -- and you need people to love, be loved by, and be happy with in other to have a world worth existing in. (There’s a much better way to phrase this but i can’t think of it, sorry.)

But I think that’s where Villains and Heroes are at right now, to be very simplistic about it. Sacrificing the one/few for the many, or abandoning the many for the one and the few? All for one, or one for all?

#nalslastworkingbraincell #bnha #mha #heroaca #meta #kinda #mostly pretentious and badly thought out #thank you for ur patience #The League of Villains #bnha society #Hero Society #also #very much imo and interpretation of the series #i def admit i've stretched the idea of love a bit too far here lol

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recentanimenews · 2 years

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RECS: Top 30 Anime of All Time According to Gigguk

If you’re new getting into anime, you will know how overwhelming it is to pick a new series to watch. With so many shows out there where do you even start?

Hopefully I can make your life easier for you.

Hi there, I’m Garnt, better known Gigguk online. I’ve been making anime videos on YouTube for far too long (13 years) and somehow I’ve been lucky enough to turn it into my job. I’ve been asked by Crunchyroll to list down some of my top anime recommendations, as my good friend Connor “CDAWGVA” has done before me.

As much as I want to roast his list, I have to give him credit for being able to fill up 30 different spots of anime that doesn’t start with Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure but unlike Connor, I’m an Anime YouTuber who actually watches anime so lets see if we can do something a little better. Joey “TheAn1meman” will be promptly making a list after me as well, I’m sure claiming that his list is better than mine, but don’t listen to him.

He doesn’t watch anime either.

One of the most difficult question I get asked is what are my favourite anime. My favourites can vary VASTLY from day to day based on my mood, memory, and what I had for breakfast. So if there’s one question every Anime YouTuber HATES, it’s a list of their top favourite anime recommendations.

Anyway, here’s a list of my top favourite anime recommendations:

(Image via Netflix)

1. Neon Genesis Evangelion

I don’t think it’s really possible to pick a “Greatest Anime of All Time” but if I had to pick one that was most important to me, it’s Evangelion. I know starting off with literally one of the most influential anime of all time isn’t exactly breaking the mold but I do firmly believe that this is something every anime fan should watch at least once… when they are ready.

This isn’t really a franchise you enjoy, it’s one you experience. Some won’t like that experience and that’s fine, but for those who are able to come out of this with something will be given an experience you can’t find elsewhere. This show has stood the test of time, it’s the product of a creator laying himself bare on screen showing the darkest depths of the human psyche that you will either reject, not understand at all, or connect with on a level deeper than many pieces of media will ever be able to do.

Oh, and Giant Robots go pew pew as well.

2. Fate/Zero

The Fate franchise may seem daunting to newcomers now but at it’s core, it’s very simple:

Seven teams.

One Winner.

Last team standing get’s any wish they want granted.

Ready, set, go.

It's a battle royal with Mages that can summon heroes from history and legends, and yes, that is as cool as it sounds.   This isn't just a simple Fortnite romp through Tomato Town though, this is a Shakespearian tragedy of 7 teams playing 5D chess with each other. Whether it be writing, animation, music, Fate/Zero is an absolute masterclass in so many aspects.

3. Hunter x Hunter

Shonen battle is the lifeblood of popular anime, without it I'm sure alot of us would never have watched anime in the first place. Its formula has been passed down and replicated through the ages, so it can be hard to find a single one that truly stands out.   Hunter x Hunter is what happens when you take the best parts of an established genre and condense it down into a 148 episode package. Whether you are looking for awesome fights, underdog stories, tournament arcs or one of the best power systems in all of anime, shonen doesn't get much better than this. 

4. A Place Further Than The Universe

Sometimes inspiration can hit from the most unlikeliest of places, and if you had told me years ago that one of the most inspirational Anime I would ever see would be about a bunch of cute Anime girls travelling to Antarctica, I would've said you have the wrong person.   If you've ever had that desire to go on an adventure or do something crazy to shake up your life but never had the courage to do so, this might just give you the final push you were looking for.   Cute Girls doing cute things? How about cute girls doing amazing things.

(Image via baccano.jp)

5. Baccano!

I've yet to meet a single person who hasn't thoroughly enjoyed Baccano!, because if they did I'm pretty sure they'd be allergic to fun.   Bacanno! encapsulates a pure, entertaining ride. Take a bunch of larger than life characters who'd give Tarantino a run for his money, add some immortal gangsters to the mix, put them all on one train and just let the mayhem ensure.   This is a show that proves you don't need something particularly deep to be ridiculously entertaining, it's funny, it's exciting, it's absolute chaos but most of all, it's just a fun time.

And here’s the rest:

6. One Piece 7. PSYCHO-PASS 8. Monster 9. Gankutsuou 10. Black Lagoon 11. Devilman Crybaby 12. Gurren Lagann 13. Attack on Titan 14. JoJo's Bizarre Adventure 15. Code Geass 16. Hajime no Ippo 17. the Monogatari Franchise 18. Vinland Saga 19. Panty & Stocking with Garterbelt 20. Mob Psycho 100 21. Log Horizon 22. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya 23. Haikyuu!! 24. Anohana 25. Your Lie in April 26. Ping Pong the Animation 27. Welcome to the NHK 28. Made in Abyss 29. SSSS.GRIDMAN 30. Fullmetal Alchemist

And there it is.

Now, a lot of these aren’t my “personal” favourites, but I don’t think the general audience are ready for some of my spicy personal picks. Honestly if you’re just looking for something new to watch you can’t really go wrong with anything on this list.

You can subscribe to Gigguk's YouTube channel here, and to the Trash Taste podcast channel here. You can follow Gigguk on Twitter here.

---

By: Guest Author

#Anime #News #Latest in Anime News by Crunchyroll!

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animebw · 3 years

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Binge-Watching: Pokemon Master Quest, Episodes 51-54

In which we stand on the precipice of the end, and a trip inside Larvitar’s mind results in one of the best episodes yet.

On the Verge

It’s been a long road to get here. And I mean, a long road. The journey from the start of Johto to the very edge of the Johto League has taken us on so many sidetracks and detours and unexpected pit stops that I can’t even remember them all. But there’s no denying the smell in the air now; the end is right around the corner. In a matter of episodes, Ash will face his final challenge in the Silver League and bring Pokemon’s original run to a close. That can’t help but feel at least a little momentous. It’s taken over 250 episodes to reach this point. That’s almost as long as it took for Gintama to grow from a scrappy sci-fi meta comedy to the thundering powerhouse performance of the Courtesan of a Nation arc. That’s almost the length of Naruto before its Shippuden upgrade. Most anime are lucky to run even half as long as Pokemon’s initial run. And those 250 episodes weren’t just episodes of a show; they were the start of a full-blown cultural phenomenon. For years on end, Ash, Pikachu, Misty, Brock, and Team Rocket took the world by storm, redefining children’s entertainment and smashing the boundaries between anime and Western audiences like never before. For such a simple, often shallow show, Pokemon meant something. And now that first spurt of energy is finally coming to an end.

There’s a lot I could expand upon there. About the magnitude of Pokemon as a show, how it’s changed over time, how it’s stayed the same, what it means to see its first form wrap up. But right now, I’m focused right where Ash is: the immediate challenge ahead. With the improvements to the show’s action setpieces, the Johto League might deliver the kind of shonen catharsis that the Indigo League was sorely lacking. Even just the brief fight against a friendly Magby trainer was well realized with lots of interesting moves and quick strategy. Certainly, Ash is feeling the excitement; as strong as his Pokemon are, he knows he can’t slack off if he wants to have a shot at winning. The road’s only going to get steeper and steeper now that it’s nearing its end. Even a brief catch-up with our old friend Casey only drives home how close things are getting to the climax, now that her little Chikorita has fully evolved into Meganium. These are no longer the kids they started out as; these are trainers ready to stand among the best of the best. And I, for one, am really interested to see how their final battle goes. One way or another, it’s gonna be an ending to remember.

Head Trip

And speaking of endings to remember, imagine my surprise when a run-in with the Unown resulted in one of the show’s most shockingly excellent episodes yet. Yes, I know me complaining about the legendary Pokemon not being as cool in the show is kind of a meme at this point, and really, the Unown going from “ancient unknowable alien force of nature” to “cute smol bean who misses his friends” should’ve been just as lame as everyone else’s downgrades. But then, the show makes the smart choice not to focus on the Unown and instead use it as a vessel to dive into some straight-up surreal mindspace fuckery. I love the idea that it’s creating a pocket dimension inside Larvitar’s head that’s reliving all its memories backwards, and the way it careens wildly from one trippy symbolic location to another makes for a really entertaining ride. It’s also interesting to see the show start using the kind of CG integration that the movies have been getting more comfortable with over time. But when we dive into the nightmare shard lodged in Larvitar’s mental egg, and that’s where things get great. Holt shit, I love how intense these nightmares get! We see images of Larvitar’s egg being stolen by poachers and his mama Tyrannitar getting absolutely wrecked with explosives, and it feels just as overwhelming and upsetting as it must have been for poor Larvitar. The shadows, the lighting, the raw, overwhelming soundscape, the evil black shards that cascade like crystal to form these twisted images... this isn’t just unique imagery, this is genuinely affective nightmare symbolism that sells how traumatized Larvitar is thanks to those bad experiences. Even the image of the shard stuck in the egg works as a symbol for how deeply this pain’s been embedded in Larvitar’s subconscious. This trauma’s stuck in the deepest part of Larvitar’s being, and it continues to prick and prod at the poor Pokemon like a splinter you just can’t pull out. And the brutality of the imagery within that shard makes it perfectly clear why Larvitar’s default response is to freeze up when faced with people he doesn’t know. After such awful experiences with humans at a foundational level, how could it not shrink away from them?

But then we get the single most powerful image in the entire episode. Larvitar’s soul is trapped in a tower of angry black shards, jutting out like thorns to protect it from outside threats while ensuring it can never escape either. But Ash sees it struggling against its self made prison. And he realizes that despite all the sadness and hurt it’s experienced, it still wants to break free. It still wants to live a happy, open life, no matter how terrifying it might be to step outside its shell. So he rolls up his sleeves and races forward through the black thorns, stopping at nothing to free Larvitar from his cage and pull him into a world where he can smile free of fear. That’s good. That’s really good. I got emotional in ways I genuinely didn’t expect. Ash pounding his fists against the metaphorical ice cage until it shatters just hits you, man. Yeah, it’s a simple enough metaphor, but the fact that this show was able to pull off a metaphorical representation of trauma and overcoming fear that kids can understand without losing any of its emotional weight is an achievement to be proud of. For as simple as this show is, I forget that every once in a while, it can pull off something that truly resonates on a deeper level. As long as Pokemon’s able to reach these heights, it’ll remain a show worth sticking with. I don’t know if Johto has any more of those waiting in the wings, but I can’t wait to find out.

Best of Team Rocket

-”We chose a playing card theme to royally annoy you!”

-”He could just plug them in.”

-Poor James. Give him his carnivorous buddy back!

-AND WE JUST COME FULL CIRCLE ASKDJHASKJDHAS

-Why are the Victreebell getting married WHAT IS THIS EPISODE

-”Look over yonder!” “Which way is yonder?”

-”They say failing to plan is planning to fail!” Okay, that’s actually good advice, though.

-”Hey, wait, our plan was supposed to work this time!”

-”Weezing, do anything!”

-”Prepare for trouble in slo-mo.” “Make that a cup of latte with joe.” the fucking music aksjdhakjsdhksad

Odds and Ends

-OH GOD BROCK OPENED HIS EYES BROCK ACTUALLY OPENED HIS EYES IT’S THE SIGN OF THE END TIMES RED ALERT RED ALERT

-Wait, don’t you know a Shellder biting his head will turn him into a Slowking? Why are you scared like you don’t know what’s happening all of a sudden?

-”But they can’t see what they’re doing either!” askjdhasdh congrats you played yourself

-Something’s different about the color grading in these episode. Everything’s a couple shades darker and less vibrant.

-”You bet your ponytail on it!” I really missed Casey, didn’t I?

-So is the crooked Magikarp salesman just the cabbage guy of the Pokemon world or

-Wouldn’t be a Casey episode without a corny chant to wrap things up. Miss ya, girl.

-”Some kind of fluffy, mushy, squishy, Wow Wow kind of thing!” ”She got hit hard.” Nah, that’s just Misty being Misty.

Next up: League time. See you then!

#anime #the anime binge-watcher #tabw #pokemon #pokemon gen2 #misty pokemon #brock pokemon #ask ketchum #pikachu #meowth #team rocket

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doorbloggr · 3 years

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Sunday 22/8/21 - Media Recommendations #16: Top 3's of Right Now

In terms of new media to recommend this week, there is none. So this week I'm gonna do a bit of a recap/best of media thing. From the categories of Music, Anime, and Videogames, I'm gonna list my top 3 of right now.

What do I mean by Top 3 of Right Now? Well, personal taste in consumable media is very malleable and subject to change over time. So today, I'm gonna quickly highlight what I can declare my Top 3 Favourite Songs, Anime Series, and Videogames are, as the Mitchell of August the 22nd, 2021.

Some of these things I'm recommending I will have discussed in a previous Media Recommendations post, but my discussion of each of the things I talk about today will be very short. So without further ado, let's start with music.

● Top 3 Favourite Songs

▪︎3rd: Caramelldansen - Caramella Girls

I can't really explain in words why I like this song so much, but it's just really good. I am not fluent speaker of Swedish, so I do not understand much of anything in the lyrics, but that's the magic of good music, you don't have to understand. If a song bops hard enough, the lyrics can be complete nonsense and still make worldwide charts even outside their native tongue. Caramelldansen also manages to capture that quintessential excitable weaboo nerd energy that I've come to accept is definitely part of my being.

This spot was the hardest to place out of any other placing in this post. There was about 6 songs I could declare as being my 3rd favourite song of all time, but at the very second I'm writing this, midnight on Sunday, I decided that Caramelldansen is my third favourite song.

▪︎2nd: Foolish Heart - Nyanners

One thing that will always make me enjoy a song is a funky beat. Music that just pumps and jams. Foolish Heart is fun to groove to and there's not much more to it. I also have a soft spot for bitter-sweet lovesongs, and there aren't many songs I know that are as bitter about the sweetness of love than this. I follow the artist who does this song on many of her socials and I was a fan of it the second it came out, and it will probably stay in my regular rotation for a long time.

Honourable Mentions:

Old 45s - Chromeo

A Thousand Miles - Vanessa Carlton

Mr Blue Sky - ELO

Mansion Party - Ninja Sex Party

Roundabout - Yes

▪︎1st: I Want You - Savage Garden

I had actually heard this song a bit when I was much younger, but it was only recently I became obsessed with it. It is the song used in the closing credits during JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 4, and I instantly fell in love with it. It's just so funky and goes so damn hard. It's a soft song, but also very powerful. The vocals are so smooth and the instruments are so sexy. It's been my favourite song for many years in a row now, and I think it's gonna keep that number 1 spot for a while longer yet.

● Top 3 Favourite Anime Series

▪︎3rd: Darling in the Franxx

Darling in the Franxx just vibed with me on an emotional level. My very soul was touched by how much love this anime exudes. Studio Trigger are known foremost for their intense action and over the top characters, and sure this anime has those in spades. For someone who hasn't watched it, it may appear to be a cosmic mecha anime, but in fact, it is a romance story first. I can't really explain it well, but Darling in the Franxx just punches you right in the soul with how much emotion there is. It is a beautiful anime.

▪︎2nd: Food Wars - Shokugeki no Soma

There's just something fun about rooting for a snarky protagonist who is overconfident. Especially when, most of the time, they are precisely big enough for their boots. Food Wars is a complete 3 course dinner that fills many different niches of anime. It's a lesson in many different cultures, it is food porn, it's a battle shonen, it even has light romance, but never lets that take centre stage over the journey of the protagonists. I'm admittedly a lover of tasteful fanservice here and there, and Food Wars delivers just the right amount of echi to entertain those into it, but no more than necessary. Food Wars is just... a lot. And it's great.

Honourable Mentions:

JoJo's Bizarre Adventure

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!

Dagashi Kashi

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Log Horizon

▪︎1st: Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood

FMA is just such a full package. It has a fun and interesting cast of characters. A complex and vast setting that is neither overexplained nor underexplained. A cast of villains that are all unique and the perfect balance of sympathetic to hateable. And most importantly, it does not outstay its welcome. I was very much considering putting JoJo's Bizarre Adventure up here, but the issue is that like, many other series, a series can be too long. A good anime has to be long enough to sink your teeth into, but if drags on for too long, it can become exhausting. FMA spends the perfect amount of time building up the plot and ends where it should. Edward and Alphonse Elric are the perfect dynamic duo, and every character has such fun designs and personalities. I could blab on for ages on why I love Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood, and I have in a previous post. So go search that up in my pinned post if you want a longer breakdown. It is an anime MUST WATCH.

●Top 3 Videogames

▪︎3rd: Super Smash Bros Ultimate

The very idea of Super Smash Bros is something that appeals to gamers everywhere. A suite of characters from all over gaming that are all playable in one huge game. You get to play that classic "my favourite character could kick your favourite character's butt" in real time. I'm not a big fighting game guy, but Smash has a very accessible jumping off point, simple controls and a system of combat that's only really as deep as you need it to be. Smash Bros is also a very important game to me socially, since I owe all my current closest friends to meetings I had interacting with the competitive scene. I used to be really into competitive Smash too, and Smash Ultimate in particular had a fairly balanced cast, in that if you were committed enough, you could dominate with any character. But even if I've grown exhausted with that scene, and only ever play the game casually now, I owe a lot to this series.

▪︎2nd: Animal Crossing New Horizons

As of right now, Animal Crossing is not a game I play.... at all. But for the few months after the game released, ACNH was a religious dedication. I'm in a pretty shitty place these days. Can't see friends, can't even go to work, the world is falling apart as our leaders can't get Covid under control. But while I was playing ACNH, it brought structure and purpose back into my life for a while. I had villagers depending on me, museum collections to complete, flowers to breed, an island to transform into my vision of a nice place to live. It was nice. This number 2 spot might be taken by a different game in the future, but this year, Animal Crossing New Horizons was a very important game for me.

Honourable Mentions:

The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess

Pikmin 3

Jackbox Party Pack (the whole series)

Shovel Knight Treasure Trove

Pokémon Soul Silver

▪︎ 1st: The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild

Despite Zelda being a huge part of my identity, I didn't actually get into the series until my mid teens. By that point, most of the later games were very formulaic and linear. And sure that can make for a very compelling story and experience, but BotW just threw that idea out the window. Breath of the Wild is a game you can just get lost in. Spend an hour just dicking around in the middle of nowhere and it's a blast just to move around. The world is tranquil, and also exciting. The game is gorgeous and fun to play and there's just too much to talk about. I've played the game from start to finish at various levels of completion about 5 times now, (one playthrough being a 2 hourish speedrun to the final boss) and every playthrough I found new locations, puzzles, interactions that I never encountered before. It's a game that just matched my being perfectly and I doubt a game will leave an impact like that for many years to come.

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masteroftheblade · 3 years

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What are your favorite and least favorite animes? Why do you like/dislike them?

oh god here we go lmao 🤠👍 prepare for an entire novel as always lol

my favorite animes atm are Naruto, Dragon Ball, Attack on Titan, and Claymore. Overall, my favorite genre of anime is shonen (and in case you dont know what that is, its basically shows that are marketed to young boys. it'll have shit like superpowers and poorly written female characters). My least favorite genre is Shoujo (marketed at young girls). I honestly don't hate the entire genre, I just hate how much romance is in there since im pretty romance-repulsed. If there were more Shoujo series like Claymore, I'd probably be in love w/ it. I'll start talking about these shows individually, starting w/ Naruto.

1. Naruto.

Honestly, the only reason I started watching Naruto was because my friends peer pressured me into doing it, and it actually differed from what I expected it to be story-wise. The beginning of the show started off amazing; it had excellent world building, magic systems, interesting characters, and it attempted to address how messed up the whole shinobi system is. But then Naruto got on the front page of Shonen Jump, and everything went down from there. It started to focus more on cool fight scenes than the actual plot. I wont get too much into that, because you can literally find entire blogs dedicated to dissecting that, but Naruto killed itself w/ its own popularity. That said, I love the characters and world building and I can look past most of its flaws anyway.

Would I recommend reading/watching it? Yes, but only to say you did it for bragging rights. Don't go into watching Naruto if you want deep looks into imperialism and militarized governments, because you will get the complete opposite of that :P Also the best way to watch it is to watch it with friends.

2. Dragon Ball.

I only started watching DB about a month ago, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but I think its a garbage series. The fight scenes have little to no weight to them, because no matter what, the protagonist of that episode will always succeed in some way. For example, when Goku (a 12 y/o boy) was fighting Giran (a 10ft tall godzilla man) and was getting his ass beat until Goku just... randomly grows back his tail that was cut off earlier and wins. We are never told why he grew back his tail, and i think he only gets it back so he can have a cool fight scene in a later episode. Goku can literally be battling genocidal gods and he will still always win. The show also goes out of its way to sexualize/show a female character being harrassed. Every. Fucking. Episode.

That said, it is a fun show, and I really enjoy watching it. Like Naruto, I really love the characters and the world they are in, I just hate the way it was handled, and its painfully obvious that DB was made by a bunch of old men in the 80s. Unlike Naruto, however, I really appreciate how simple it is. It doesn't force a narrative about space genocide or whatever being bad, and I'm very thankful because that kind of narrative would be absolutely botched in this kind of series. It's also nice to have a show that doesn't take itself too seriously. Shows like AOT are amazing and important, but those shows can be overwhelming with their heavy subject matter. I would only recommend watching DB if you want to see some really good art/character design. Don't take the show seriously, and you'll have a good time.

3.Attack On Titan.

This anime was actually the first I've ever seen! I saw the very first episode when it aired in 2014, so I'm definetely biased in that regard, but I still try to look at this show in the most objective way I can. This show does almost everything right. The pacing, the characters, the art, the plot, you name it. It takes a concept that looks silly on paper and turns it into this grueling story about war, politics, and the trauma of being a soldier. It never treats it's characters like they're only one-dimensional, or like they are there just for one purpose only. These characters feel human in a way Naruto and Dragon Ball could never be. But there is one thing that has me concerned about this show, and its about the weirdly anti-Semitic undertones it has.

You probably heard the controversy already, but it really effected the way people on the outside of the fandom view the series. The show is heavily inspired by European culture, specifically that of Germany, and there are an ethnic group of people called The Eldians in the show that are pretty anti-Semitic in this kind of setting. The Eldian people have the capability of turning into Titans, and the Titans are what divided the world and killed millions. As a result, another group of people started doing the shit the Nazis did to Jewish people, basically making the Eldians into this weird allegory for the holocaust??? Which was kind of a shock to me when I first realized that was the angle they were going for. I genuinely did not expect that considering what the series started off as. The foreshadowing is there and all, I just didn't think they'd use real-world events as inspiration.

Now, this actually has the complete opposite problem Naruto and DB had. Naruto and DB had amazing ideas and concepts that went to shit, AOT's whole holocaust narrative was trash from the beginning.

The show could have easily had a different kind of social/political commentary without even going near the holocaust narrative. It comes off as kind of a half assed idea that people put way too much effort in, so it's kind of in this weird grey-area between "modern anime masterpiece" and "what the fuck were they trying to get across with this show?". If you asked me what the moral of the show was, I wouldn't be able to tell you.

Now, because of the fact that the Eldians can literally turn into man-eating beasts, this makes the comparison of Jewish people and Eldians very racist, and it doesn't help that Japan is still full of legitimate Nazis, making the whole situation look even worse. Since I am not Jewish, I wont speak for other Jewish people. There is a very heated debate on whether the show is racist, and frankly I don't think it's within my right to say if it is or isn't. What I will say, is that I really loved the show and appreciated the social commentary it provided, and I think a lot of people would benefit from watching it, but I think it's also important to listen to Jewish people's views on the show. For this reason, I specifically avoid reblogging AOT stuff, but I do love that show and I wont hate on people who do reblog stuff from it. It's definitely not a light watch, but it does provide a lot of thinking material.

4. Claymore.

This. Show. Was. Amazing. But. Underrated.

First off, this is a shonen show that is led by a majority female cast and a female protagonist, and all of those women are badass swordwielding lesbians and I love it. Second, the art style is beautiful. Third, the story is really interesting from so many angles, so much so I am not even going to mention what its about because you dont need to know, you just need to watch it and see what happens. The first season was an absoloute ride of a show, and if you love shows like AOT or Berserk, you'll love Claymore. Honestly, this show was what AOT should have tried to be. It also has its fair share of militarized imperialist commentary, but this is the only show on this list that actually fucking critiques imperialist ideals and has a main character that actively refuses to participate in that kind of oppressive system, choosing to fight it all together.

But the show got fucking cancelled right before the first arc even finished. You can thank shows like Naruto for that 🙃🙃🙃

10/10 Would reccomend, but just be prepared to be left on a major cliffhanger. You can try reading the manga, but it's kind of hard to follow since all of the warrior girls look the same.

#i spent too much time writing this #oh well #im not gonna tag the shows i talked about in this bcuz if i do ill get discourse blogs to start shitting on me #so im just gonna avoid it all together lol #also didnt write abt my least faves because this was too long to write as is #anyway as promised we can now get married any time you want @kindasortasalty /j /p #👩‍🦲

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lickmydevilfruits · 3 years

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is black clover a good watch? i'm into jujutsu kaisen, kimetsu no yaiba and haikyuu lately, does it fit into any of these genres? thank uuu

Hi! I would absolutely say Black Clover is a good watch. I personally love it a ton, and love the setting of it. It’s simple and fun-- though I will say you should give it time. It took me until episode 10 to finally get into it, but was hooked on the series after that. It wasn’t that there was anything bad with the first 9-10 episodes, they’re just a bit slower feeling and you need to adjust to Asta’s constant screeching, haha!

(I only watch sub, so I can’t speak on how his dub yelling/screeching is, but I think regardless of language, it’s a lot, he’s very loud.)

Comparing to other shonens there’s definitely going to be similar points and clichés-- but Black Clover embraces that and runs with it in a really nice way? It knows there’s clichés and just goes for it. You know the types, protagonist rises from the bottom as an underdog of their world, forges bonds with various types of people and brings them to their side as they grow stronger and gain new abilities.

But that’s to be expected. From the three you listed, I’m hesitant to say it’s really like them outside of the clichés? JJK has a darker tone (with Itadori’s situation, and the curses they’re fighting, etc), Demon Slayer has a much more high-stakes run (fighting in that series is actually very life and death outside of typical plot-armored characters) and Haikyuu is hard to compare just due to the differences in setting.

I’d say it’s more of a middle ground? A fairly light-hearted setting with serious undertones laced with good humour and amazing characters.

Some points I love about BC:

Great characters - Unique individuals, even minor characters are fairly memorable.

Character Development - Both power/ability-wise and character growth (Noelle comes to mind as an early example)

Battles - Characters actually work together to overcome adversities-- that’s not to say that’s unique to this series, but it’s consistent that characters need to work together rather than wait for the protagonists to swoop in? (Not to say they don’t save the day, obviously!) It’s nice to see.

Fast paced - I’m sure to some this may seem like a negative point? But this series really doesn’t waste time on anything. Like I mentioned above, this series understands it’s throwing around clichés we’ve seen 100 times, and just gets to it’s own points faster.

This might just be me, but I also enjoy that Yuno and Asta aren’t rivals who hate each other? I do love some angst (honestly I kind of live for angst), but I love that they have a rivalry that allows them to stay friends. They feed off of each other, motivate one another and still stay great rivals who want to be better than each other.

Strong female characters

Strong. Female. Characters.

STRONG. FEMALE. CHARACTERS. - Seriously I can’t stress this enough, I often struggle to enjoy female characters in a series, but this one is not like that. Yes, there’s clichés with them, too. And yes, they fall in love or get crushes. But that doesn’t make them reliant on their male counterparts, they can still fight on their own, and grow stronger. They have their own personalities, and I love it so much.

Of course like with every series there’s negatives-- Black Clover isn’t perfect, but it’s good and worth the time.

Though please give it a bit to get going! I tell this to everyone I get to start it, it really did take me 10 episodes to get into it completely, but it’s different for everyone, you might like it from the get-go! Or just decide it’s not for you.

If you decide to give it a go I’d love to hear what you thought about it!

#Black Clover #Asta #yuno black clover #anime recommendation #Noelle Silva #in this essay i will #pip talks #ask pip

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