Parenting

What My 11 Year Old Watches Part 1

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Part of my main purpose of starting this blog was to not only express a few thoughts as an anime fan, but to also provide parents with a few tools before they let their child watch a show. Rather than try to rate a show by age or other guideline I decided to just list a few things that parents may (or may not) find offensive so they can make their own decision.  Everyone’s sensibilities are different.

Today I decided to list some of what my 11 year old watches. This is not a suggestion for you, but just what I have (rightly or wrongly)  let him watch.

The long form shows

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Naruto and Fairy Tail. I am not a fan of long, ongoing shows myself (I am too impatient, I like my stories wrapped up), but he likes them. Aside from some fighting, one may object to some skimpy clothing in Fairy Tail, but these shows are largely fine.

Still Airing

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Sailor Moon Crystal. The reboot of the classic Sailor Moon anime which is supposed to more closely follow the original manga. He kind of resisted watching this at first, but when he finally did, he really got into it. There is very little that is objectionable here.

The Most Objectionable on this list

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Sword Art Online. One could argue that there are some dark themes and violence, but I don’t think any permanent damage will be dealt upon his psyche. Plus he will have a better idea of what to do if trapped in a immersive video game than non-anime viewers.

The Best Comedy

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Sgt. Frog. Good god is this show funny! The English dub is what I am referring to as well. The original, Japanese show contained a lot of topical and pop culture references, so when it was dubbed by Funimation they re-worked it for an American audience. This is one show where the dub is better.  There are a few off color jokes, but no worse than you’d see on The Simpsons or Bob’s Burgers. Watch this show. It is too fun!

It Had Tanks

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Girls und Panzer. It has cute girls driving tanks. What is not to like for an 11 year old boy? Nothing really objectionable in this show.

The Biggest Surprise

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AKB0048. Pop idol group fighting to bring their music to entertainment restricted planets using the power of hope and mechas. A flimsy premise, but enjoyable nonetheless. It was a way to further promote Japanese pop idol group, AKB48, but as long as you accepted that fact it was fun enough. My son really got into it. Singing the songs, dancing along. It surprised me how much he liked it. It is a largely harmless show. The only thing that irked me, which shows up in many school based anime as well, was the obsession around body image and dieting. I know this is a reflection Japanese culture, but I know esteem around weight and body image can be a real problem for many people. Keep that in mind. And if you watch it with your kid, have conversations around this subject if it is a concern for you.

These are a few of the shows he’s watched and enjoyed. There are more, there will always be more.

They’re All Lesbians Dad…Accept The Yuri

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At least that is what my 15 year old son said to me…

Puella Magi Madoka Magica was the first “magical girl” anime that I had ever watched. I am glad I did as it remains as one of my favorites.

I was not very familiar with “magical girl” anime, but was aware that it was a sub-genre at the very least.

I had started to watch it once because it was put out by Shaft (also responsible for Bakemonogatari, Mekakucity Actors, and Nisekoi) and I was a fan of their work. I got put off at first during the first episode thinking: “Oh this is going to be too cutesy for me.” So I set it aside.

Several months later I was looking for something to watch while I was folding laundry and thought I’d give it another try. By the third episode I was hooked and my perception was changed (all who have watched the series know why).

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I am not going to say much about the story line except that is about some middle school girls who become magical girls to fight witches. This maybe a dull description, but the show is anything but dull.

The art direction is great and a real joy to watch(complete with Shaft head tilts).

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It also features some great music from Claris and Kalafina.

But is it Yuri??? Maybe, I don’t know or care really. If there were middle school girls in love, it wasn’t illicit or exploitative. I know a lot of fans will say it is (and perhaps the 3rd movie Rebellion sheds some light on this) and that is fine. My son, who is gay, perhaps sees (rightly or wrongly) a relationship that I overlook or downplay. And I think this is good, that he sees something that positively reinforces his worldview.

I highly recommend Puella Magi Madoka Magica. Beautiful art, great story, good music, and Shaft head tilts. What more could one ask for? This is a show I definitely return to.

Attention Parents: There are some dark themes and a few deaths. Also, get through the show a little before getting your kid the cute Kyubey plushie. Just trust me on this.

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And remember …..

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And the award for the best use of cabbages goes to…..

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The Pet Girl of Sakurasou

I watched this little gem a while back and loved it. It is a school based romantic comedy. The story mostly revolves around Sorata Kanda who is wishing to change his life by first getting out of Sakurasou Hall, a dormitory for the outcasts at his school. Sorata landed there when he refused to give up a stray cat he had adopted.

His life ends up more complicated when a new student, Mashiro Shiina, starts living at Sakurasou. Mashiro, while a brilliant artist, is largely helpless and disconnected from reality from being sheltered her whole life. Sorata ends up on “Mashiro duty”. Caring for her and making sure she navigates through the world.

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Even getting all her clothes on can be a challenge.

The supporting cast of other residents make the the show a pleasure to watch. The shut in computer programmer, the seemingly irresponsible teacher, and the insanely gregarious anime artist all made it a fun show.

The animation is decent, so no complaints there. The pacing is a little slow in the second season, but I forgave that over all.

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Attention Parents: There is sexual humor, bra and underwear shots, and general sexual innuendo. Do what you will.

Overall the show is a sweet rom-com with a good sense of humor. I liked it and hope you enjoy it as well.

It also has a bizarrely addictive OP.

And the full version (because I LOVE IT).

And the award for the best use of cabbages goes to….Kamiigusa Misaki!

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Dad’s Bias Against Lesbian Bears

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As a parent and a viewer of anime I will occasionally run into something that challenges my perception of myself and comfort level. This season’s Yuri Kuma Arashi did this for me.

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The story is: A planet exploded long ago resulting in a meteor shower that hit the earth. This meteor shower caused the bears of earth to rise up and start eating humans. To protect itself humanity erects a giant wall named “The Wall of Severance” to keep bears and humans separate.

The opening follows two classmates who are lovers tending to their garden on school grounds and professing their love for each other. I watched this. I thought: “Fine. They’re a couple of girls in love. So what?”

And then I watched the OP.

“That’s it! I’m done. I am not going to be the dirty old man watching this!”

Or so I thought. That is the value of connecting oneself to a larger community of viewers: perhaps your bias may be exposed to yourself. A few days after I dismissed Yuri Kuma Arashi I happened across a review of episode 3 on “RABUJOI – An Anime Blog” by Oigakkosan. It made me think that perhaps I dismissed it too soon.

I commented:

“Hmmm. The opening made pause and wonder if the show was just exploiting Yuri themes for the sake of it. I’ll have to give it a fair look based off of your review.”

Oigakkosan gave a thoughtful reply:

“no no it is, to a degree. In the same way Kill La Kill exploited flesh and violence to make it’s over the top revenge story grab our attention. Yurikuma really nails it (this week) with the visuals: Pattern making, repetition of patterns, and the use of physical objects that could actually be symbols or hold symbolism for more things. It’s visually quite stunning, bizarre, and even has an element of retroness that is envogue these days. I’m not sure the series is for everyone, but you owe it to yourself to watch up to this one and see if it fit as perfectly together as it did for me.”

So I did. I was pleasantly surprised.  The symbolism and basic off beat of the nature of the show reminded me of one of my favorites Mawaru Penguindrum and there was a reason for this, the same director Kunihiko Ikuhara.

Now the show is off beat and I would not let my 11 year old watch it due to the sexual content and adult symbolism going on.

download (6) You see? Yes? If I let my son watch this, my wife would ban anime in hour house forever.

My bias come is not being offended by lesbian content. I don’t really care about that. My son is gay, so there is no moral objection. It came in the notion of perception of oneself. I am a 44 year old dad watching sexually suggestive yuri. I dismissed a show because I was censoring myself and I thought this is how “man of my age” should behave. That is where my bias lay: in my own ego.

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I am glad I read the review and got the feedback. It challenged my original perception and I am now enjoying a new show.
Attention Parents: Nudity, adult themes, and sexual content. You have been warned.

and that is the sexy way. Shaba-da-doo

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Banishment….This Post!!!

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Chuunibyou (中二病) is a derrogative colloquial term in the Japanese language used to describe a person which manifests delusional behavior, particularly thinking that one has special powers that no other person has. Originally a term used to pertain to children in the second year of middle school who act like adults, the term eventually evolved into a term generally used to describe delusional behavior in general. (From Animanga.wiki.com)

Ahhh..To be young and delusional. The story begins with Yuuta Togashi who is starting his first year of high school trying to distance himself from his embarrassing past. Yuuta was a chuunibyou in middle school. He called himself “The Dark Flame Master” believed himself to have supernatural powers. He wants no part of this past anymore, but  this proves difficult when he meets Rikka Takanashi.

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Rikka is a girl in his class that has not let go of her delusions and is still in the throes of being chuunibyou. Yuuta, despite finding Rikka’s behavior an embarrassing reminder of his past, befriends Rikka and helps her with various things. As the story progresses you learn more about Rikka and her past.

This is just a brief introduction to the plot. What I found appealing about this show beyond this was the idea of fantasy and imagination as both a tool for escape and self preservation.

As I think on my own life (and of people I have known) I think of how one uses fantasy to escape the daily stresses and troubling parts of life. I have used art, music, or literature as a place to find refuge. Music will allow me to feel and live in an emotional place like no other. Books have let me experience new w orlds and leave behind this one for a while. Anime also allows me to retreat into a story with the added dimension of the art of animation.

Is a fantasy world a better place to be than in misery when faced with uncomfortable truths that you are not ready to face? I guess that is a question that this show asks and answers quite gracefully.

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Overall this is a very cute, well written show. The animation is good and the characters are enjoyable.

Attention Parents: There is very little that is objectionable in this show. Some mild sexual suggestiveness, but barely worth mentioning.

This is largely a review of the first season. The second season wasn’t didn’t do it for me as much, but it is definitely watchable.

The first season also ended beautifully (Warning: Spoilers):