Parenting

30 Days of Anime- Day 12

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Saddest Anime Scene

*Spoilers!!*

 

It is a tie for me, and should be obvious what anime my choice(s) will come from.

I couldn’t choose just one.

Both are from Clannad After Story.

Both destroyed me emotionally.

 People who have read my blog before may already know that this was the first anime that I really sat down and watched with my two boys. As we watched this, all those years ago, we all sobbed. As a parent I could only imagine (and feared) the pain that Tomoya was going through (as well as the pain Ushio was experiencing) and having children of my own made the impact of these scenes all the greater for me. These are both very powerful scenes for me. They are very sad, but also very beautifully done.

The show still remains very special to me today.

 And yes, I sat here crying as I watched these clips for this post.

Until next time: Happy *sniff* viewing! I need to go get some tissues…

30 Day Anime Challenge – Day 11

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Favorite Mech Anime

Neon Genesis Evangelion

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I guess this may seem like an obvious choice, but the truth is Evangelion is the only mech anime that I’ve watched. I found the entire series, along with the movie, “End of Evangelion”, at local used book store for under $200.00, so I decided to get it.

 It is a dark, psychologically challenging, often perplexing, show. I really enjoyed it…most of it…all of it…except that last episode. That last episode wasn’t bad exactly, but it was a big bag of “Huhh??”. The “End of Evangelion” movie wasn’t a lot better either as far as wrapping up things goes (which I thought it was supposed to be). I have yet to watch the three movies, but do plan on doing so.

Besides having a compelling story, the animation is really great and for that alone is worth a watch (the direction is excellent).

Until next time: Happy viewing!

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 10

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Favorite Fighter Anime

KenIchi The Mightiest Disciple 

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KenIchi, why of course! It’s all fighting! One big martial arts fest. Getting beat up, getting stronger, win the fight, wash, lather, rinse, repeat.

 It’s not high-minded, it’s just good fighting, get stronger fun. And there are some great characters. KenIchi is pretty typical, but I love the masters.
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Akisame and Sakaki being helpful.

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Shigure, so casual and expert with her weapons.

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The ever enthusiastic (kid at heart killing machine), Muay Thai Master, Apachai.

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Kensei Ma. Kempo Master and standard anime pervert.

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The head of the dojo,  Ryouzanpaku, Hayato (aka: the Elder).

It’s a fun show. It’s pretty typical shounen but it’s well done and enjoyable. I watched the English dub for this one, which was excellent and highly recommended.

 It also has one of the most baffling translations in a theme song ever:

“But if I feel like bursting into tears, giving it up and losing to my own weakness. I put myself in a birdcage and push it in the valley.”

That’s damned inspiring, that is.

Watch KenIchi. Get inspired!

 Until next time: Happy viewing!

*Oh! I actually cosplayed Kensei Ma once! No pictures though.*

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 9

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Best Anime Villain

Kyubey

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For anyone who has read my blog is this really a surprise?

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Kyubey, from Puella Magi Madoka Magica is my favorite villain far a few reasons. The first being that I don’t tend to watch a lot of shows with villains (I watch a lot of slice of life). The other being: Kyubey is a real bastard in the way the a corporate CEO or the devil is.

Kyubey offers an amazing deal to people (specifically, young teen girls) but will omit the details purposely to avoid sticky questions later. He chooses young girls not only for the emotional power benefits he’ll reap later, but also because critical decision making is not at their height at this age. When Madoka stalls, he pushes her often with statements like:”You could help them if you agree to become a magical girl”. He is knowingly manipulating her emotions to get her  commit.

When confronted with the magical girls horror and disillusionment of what has happened to them, he feigns innocence and rationalization.

 

Making a contract with Kyubey is very much like signing a contract with the devil: you may get what you want initially but eventually you’ll have to pay and it’s all laid out in the fine print (which no one ever reads).

That is why Kyubey is my favorite villain. Soulless, cute, psychotically logical.

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Until next time: Happy viewing!

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 8

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Favorite Anime Couple

Takeo Gōda and Rinko Yamato

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Takeo and Rinko from Ore Monogatari!! This couple is just so unbearably sweet and I loved watching their relationship begin and grow.

They are both expressive in their self consciousness and joy in getting to know one another that it makes it both a hilarious and incredibly sweet show to watch.

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I don’t really know what else to say, but that I found them to be a joy to watch.

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This post was Takeo approved.

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Until next time: Happy viewing!

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 7

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Your Anime Crush

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Mayumi Nishikino

I don’t really have anime crushes for the most part, but this was an easy one for me.

Mayumi (The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior) is a train wreck of a woman. Direct, moody, hard drinking, sometimes bitter, and occasionally dirty minded. She is a lot of fun.

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But she is also kind, caring, and vulnerable. She has moments in the show where her kind nature and fragility, behind all the bravado, shines through.

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Truth be told, Mayumi is a bit of a mess and would be a handful in real life, but still I love her character.

Just don’t piss her off…

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Until next time: Happy viewing!

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 6

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Anime You Want To See But Haven’t Yet.

Cowboy Bebop

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No real reason I haven’t watched it yet, just haven’t.

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It’s available streaming on Funimation and Crunchyroll

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I’m sure I’ll get around to it some day.

 I have beard-envy…I want this man’s beard.

Until next time: Happy viewing!

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 5

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Anime You’re Ashamed You Enjoyed.

Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn’t Exist

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I’m usually not one for “ecchi” anime, but this one got me.
I can’t even remember what got me to watch it…I think I may have just been bored one day and just started watching it.
It is so over the top…

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It is so immature…

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And so inappropriate for younger viewers…

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But, yes… it cracked me up…I’m not proud…it amused the hell out of me.

op

Until next time: Happy viewing…Maybe not as happy as these people, you might get arrested for public indecency.

bara

30 Day Anime Challenge- Day 4

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Favorite Female Anime Character Ever

Tie

Tomoko Kuroki and Olivier Mira Armstrong

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Two very different styles of female protagonists. They are my two favorite, but also for different reasons.

Tomoko Kuroki

Tomoko is the perfect definition of the socially awkward outsider looking in. She is someone who  halfheartedly tries thing to boost her social status to only have them fail miserably. She’s negative, anxiety-ridden, envious, perverse, and awkward.  She is what a lot of us experienced in our teen years, exaggerated sure, but honest. As an adult I can laugh at her exploits. My teenage son ,however, has a harder time not cringing unbearably.

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And she has one of my favorite quotes of all time.

On the other side of the spectrum:

Olivier Mira Armstrong

The commander of the North, Fort Briggs in FMA Brotherhood, is perhaps one of the baddest-ass female characters in anime.

A tough, uncompromising, fierce commander, that demands (and gets) absolute loyalty from her troops. She will put herself on the line to defend her troops, her duty , and what she knows to be right. She will not only command, but fight along side.

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So there you have it.

I couldn’t pick just one.

Two very different female characters. One representing all those human insecurities and failing for all to see. The other, a portrait of extreme strength, will, and leadership. Each an end of the spectrum portrayed really well.

Until next time: Happy viewing!

30 Days of Anime- Day 3

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Favorite Male Anime Character Ever

Sakata Gintoki

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Even though I haven’t even come close to finishing the series, Gintoki is my favorite male character.

Loyal to his friends, honorable (in his own way), fierce warrior, lazy, pre-diabetic, inappropriate, and prone to rambling nuggets of wisdom. Gintoki is just an awesome, faulty, comedic hero.

 

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I don’t have much else to say. Gintoki speaks for himself. Now go watch some Gintama!

 

Until next time: Happy viewing!