That anime is so overrated...
You guys know that I love anime. Hopefully this blog shows my feelings towards the art! Just like my video game blog, I think about anime every single day. The movement of the anime industry is extremely important to me. I've seen the absolutely amazing content that the industry has put forth, and continues to push out to this day. The treasure trove of amazing anime content out there deserves to be recognized by the masses. Well, some of it anyway!
Not every anime out there can be a gem. We wouldn't love the good if there weren't the bad out there. Usually it's very easy to spot the content that didn't exactly get the same love and care that other features did. There are certain earmarks to look for in bad anime content, and they usually smack you in the face within the first couple episodes of the franchise. Thankfully there's much more good content than bad.
There's also the anime content that people put high above the other workings of the industry. The anime features that man fans gush on and on about, seeing it as the best that the industry can crank out. Since I'm a very easy-going guy, I usually agree with the anime crowd when they gush about a feature being well worth your time. With that said, I know that there are certain anime out there that are applauded by many, but others wonder why.
What anime do you think is quite overrated by fans and critics alike? I'm sure there's a series or a film that you watched, expecting an amazing experience, but coming away just moderately happy. Leave us a comment and let us know about that feature that just didn't tickle you like you thought it would. No worries, you won't be judged here!
Not every anime out there can be a gem. We wouldn't love the good if there weren't the bad out there. Usually it's very easy to spot the content that didn't exactly get the same love and care that other features did. There are certain earmarks to look for in bad anime content, and they usually smack you in the face within the first couple episodes of the franchise. Thankfully there's much more good content than bad.
There's also the anime content that people put high above the other workings of the industry. The anime features that man fans gush on and on about, seeing it as the best that the industry can crank out. Since I'm a very easy-going guy, I usually agree with the anime crowd when they gush about a feature being well worth your time. With that said, I know that there are certain anime out there that are applauded by many, but others wonder why.
What anime do you think is quite overrated by fans and critics alike? I'm sure there's a series or a film that you watched, expecting an amazing experience, but coming away just moderately happy. Leave us a comment and let us know about that feature that just didn't tickle you like you thought it would. No worries, you won't be judged here!
Yukemuri Sanctuary Chapter 07 [End]
Note: Mature Content!
Group Scanlating: PayaPaya Scans
Here's the last chapter of Yukemuri Sanctuary. Another good series has ended. Too bad, I thought there
d be more. :(
To download previous chapters, click here.
Overall rating:
Download
Yukemuri Sanctuary Chapter 07 [End]
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Durarara!! Ep. 10 - impressions
Durarara!! seems like a series that just keeps getting better and better. The more we get into the series, the more reasons I have to get excited for the future. I really have enjoyed the series thus far, but last night's episode got me super excited for what's coming next Things have been on a slow boil for awhile, but the rest of the series is sure to be pretty explosive from here on out!
Durarara!! has done a great job with building up characters and suspense as things move along. You know a ton of characters and some of the things about them, but you don't really know their true motives. You don't know what makes them tick and what they're really out to do. Episode 10 finally gives us a look at how all of these people are going to come together for one reason or another.
As you know, one character in the show has been looking for something very precious her, and now she's found out who has it. The main character of the show is now the key connection to these two characters, and we can see how they're going to come together. I don't know what the resolution will be, and I'm trying not to spoil anything for those that aren't watching yet, but the possible resolution to this situation can't be a pretty one!
In Episode 10 we also got to learn a bit more about one of the gangs, The Dollars. Durarara!! has a few gangs that run about town, and it's very clear that they don't like each other. The thing is, each group is just as mysterious as the other, but at least Episode 10 showed us a little bit of the true colors with Dollars members Again, this is only helping to build up the intensity for future episodes.
The episode ends with a tease of the main character taking a big action. We know that he's going to make a move on the situation, but we don't know which way he's going to lean. That's because the episode purposefully cuts before we hear what the main character's decision is. If that's not a good sell to watch the follow-up episode, I don't know what is!
Episode 10 of Durarara!! has gotten me more excited about the series than I've been so far. I'm really seeing how the story arch was planned now, and we're clearly at some sort of tipping point. No matter where the series goes from here, big things are going to happen. I'll definitely make sure I'll be around to watch!
Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo - Reo x Mai Diaries Episode 09
Source: SHIN-gx Fansubs
Here's episode 9 of Reo x Mai Diaries. Wow, That was fast! I think I read that this anime-game only has 10 episodes. I wish they'll be more. I love their pairing!
To download previous episodes, click here.
Overall rating:
Download
Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo - Reo x Mai Diaries Episode 09
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Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo - Reo x Mai Diaries Episode 08
Source: SHIN-gx Fansubs
Here's the latest episode of Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo - Reo x Mai Diaries. Reo is so cute. I love her!
To download previous episodes, click here.
Overall rating:
Download
Sono Hanabira ni Kuchizuke wo - Reo x Mai Diaries Episode 08
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Durarara!! on Adult Swim - Episode 10 live chat (stars 12:30 A.M. EDT)
Power is on, internet is up and I'm ready for some Durarara!!. I'll be joining the chat in just a few minutes. I hope to see you there!
Is this artist being serious, or is he just trolling everyone?
Time to lighten things up, shall we?! This little tidbit was sent over by Josh Thomas of TheBitBlock. He thought this was a game that I'd like to share with everyone, and boy was he right!
I am not a very good artist at all. I can barely play Pictionary, that's how bad I am. The man in the videos below is Bill Connolly, and he's a better artist than I am. With that said, I think his works are...well...fairly lackluster. That might putting it a bit too lightly. Take a look at his anime drawings below and tell me what you think!
Well, what do you guys think? Does Bill Connolly think his work matches up nicely with the originals, or is this one of the best internet trolls out there?! Make sure to hit up that YouTube account for more work of his.
I am not a very good artist at all. I can barely play Pictionary, that's how bad I am. The man in the videos below is Bill Connolly, and he's a better artist than I am. With that said, I think his works are...well...fairly lackluster. That might putting it a bit too lightly. Take a look at his anime drawings below and tell me what you think!
Well, what do you guys think? Does Bill Connolly think his work matches up nicely with the originals, or is this one of the best internet trolls out there?! Make sure to hit up that YouTube account for more work of his.
Reminder: Durarara!! Episode 10 live-chat tonight at 12:30 AM EDT!
We have made it to the double digits, my friends! I can't believe 10 episodes have gone by already. This is a great way for me to roughly track how long I've been doing this anime blog. I'm amazed things have already come this far!
We'll be hosting another live-chat tonight as usual. This time I'll actually be able to attend, but that's weather permitting. Hurrican Irene is about to touch down in NJ (hopefully a tropical storm by tonight), and I'm sure there are going to be some power outages. As long as my power is on and my internet is up, I'll be here!
The deplorable conditions of anime production houses
Sorry to have it be such a depressing day here on the anime blog. I know that Grave of the Fireflies isn't the happiest anime to talk about, but I feel it an important one to discuss. While there's more to come on that, we're going to take a side-step now with another...also sad article. I stumbled upon this story earlier today, and I absolutely had to share it with you.
It sounds like the situation with many anime production houses is pretty sad indeed. Specifically we're looking at the working conditions of these places. To say that the working conditions are deplorable would be a huge understatement. This information comes straight from an American animator that has worked on multiple anime projects.
One higher-up who pushed himself too hard ended up in the hospital for three months, after which his doctor banned him from ever working in animation again. Studios were poorly ventilated, and everyone smoked. In summer years of accumulated tobacco resin would begin to melt, dripping off the desks.
You absolutely have to read this article to get more insight on what it's like being part of the anime workforce. The article makes one thing very clear. This situation absolutely has to change, and that change has to happen as quickly as possible.
It sounds like the situation with many anime production houses is pretty sad indeed. Specifically we're looking at the working conditions of these places. To say that the working conditions are deplorable would be a huge understatement. This information comes straight from an American animator that has worked on multiple anime projects.
One higher-up who pushed himself too hard ended up in the hospital for three months, after which his doctor banned him from ever working in animation again. Studios were poorly ventilated, and everyone smoked. In summer years of accumulated tobacco resin would begin to melt, dripping off the desks.
You absolutely have to read this article to get more insight on what it's like being part of the anime workforce. The article makes one thing very clear. This situation absolutely has to change, and that change has to happen as quickly as possible.
Grave of the Fireflies and the Eastern mentality
Grave of the Fireflies is considered by many Western film critics to be among the best films ever made. It has received numerous nods from big-name movie critics, such as Roger Ebert. The praise for the film here in the West is quite abundant indeed, but it's a different situation over in Japan.
For those that don't know, Grave of the Fireflies takes place during the end of World War II. The content may be years old by now, but the mental wounds of Japan are still fresh. When the film debuted in Japan, it was actually a flop. No one wanted to see the film due to its topic, and the fact that it was very depressing. The only reason the film received notoriety was due to a pairing with My Neighbor Totoro, which went on to be quite a success.
It seems that the negative Eastern stigma against the film still exists to this day. One of my Facebook friends left the following message on my wall concerning Grave of the Fireflies.
My wife and I went to Japan for our honeymoon a few years ago. We went to the Ghibli Museum with a tour guide. She asked us on the way over what some of our favorite Ghibli movies were and I told her Grave of the Fireflies. She kind of made a face of disgust and said that one isn't so cherished over there because of the content. I felt like I gave her the wrong answer!
World War II will never be forgotten, nor will the tragedies that were involved. While I think it's unfortunate that the film gets a cold shoulder in the East, I can understand why. Perhaps one day both East and West can come together over this film. It showcases a very important part of history, and also manages to humanize a conflict that many never put a face to.
For those that don't know, Grave of the Fireflies takes place during the end of World War II. The content may be years old by now, but the mental wounds of Japan are still fresh. When the film debuted in Japan, it was actually a flop. No one wanted to see the film due to its topic, and the fact that it was very depressing. The only reason the film received notoriety was due to a pairing with My Neighbor Totoro, which went on to be quite a success.
It seems that the negative Eastern stigma against the film still exists to this day. One of my Facebook friends left the following message on my wall concerning Grave of the Fireflies.
My wife and I went to Japan for our honeymoon a few years ago. We went to the Ghibli Museum with a tour guide. She asked us on the way over what some of our favorite Ghibli movies were and I told her Grave of the Fireflies. She kind of made a face of disgust and said that one isn't so cherished over there because of the content. I felt like I gave her the wrong answer!
World War II will never be forgotten, nor will the tragedies that were involved. While I think it's unfortunate that the film gets a cold shoulder in the East, I can understand why. Perhaps one day both East and West can come together over this film. It showcases a very important part of history, and also manages to humanize a conflict that many never put a face to.
The Female Body
Note: Mature Content!
Group Scanlating: Lililicious
Here's my favorite out of the 4 new releases. The story is about a woman who's in love with her sister-in-law. Good thing her love was returned. I love happy endings.
Overall rating:
Download
The Female Body
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Group Scanlating: Lililicious
Here's my favorite out of the 4 new releases. The story is about a woman who's in love with her sister-in-law. Good thing her love was returned. I love happy endings.
Overall rating:
Download
The Female Body
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Incident at Honnoji Temple
Group Scanlating: Lililicious
Here's a new story by Natsuneko, mangaka of Butterfly69, Blue Line, Quilt Queen and other one shots. It's a teacher-student love story. Like it!
Overall rating:
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Incident at Honnoji Temple
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Androids Don't Look Back
Group Scanlating: Lililicious
Yay! Lililicious released 4 one shots in one day. Awesome! Here's the first one and the story is about a girl who wants to be an Android.
Overall rating:
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Androids Don't Look Back
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Grave of the Fireflies is THE film to change anime perceptions
I think I'm going to be talking about Grave of the Fireflies all day today. It truly was that amazing. It's a film I'm going to continue thinking about for days, months and years without a doubt. It's hard to convey the sense of emotion that the film gives off without acting seeing it yourself. Hopefully I've convinced you to check it out, but I'm also thinking it's an amazing way to introduce people to anime.
As we've said in the past, many people that don't understand or like anime believe it to be nothing but stereotypes. They think anime and all that comes to mind are big boobs, naked girls, over-the-top violence and gore, and absolutely insane moments. There are plenty of anime features out there like that, but real fans know that there's even more content that doesn't go down that path. I'm not saying that content is right or wrong. It is what it is, and you are free to enjoy whatever you want.
My point is, Grave of the Fireflies can show people the power that anime has, and also convince them that anime isn't just the stereotypes they believe in. I cannot stress enough how powerful the film is. I honestly cannot picture a soul alive that would watch this movie and still say they dislike anime. Grave of the Fireflies is a true eye-opener. The only issue is that it's truly sad, and I know some people aren't into watching content like that.
If you have a friend or family member that subscribes to anime stereotypes, Grave of the Fireflies is definitely the film to do away with those thoughts. It's such a strong, series movie, it will definitely rid those shallow ideas from those that haven't given anime a shot. Once they see the film and realize what they've been missing out on, you can introduce them to the world of anime that's out there. It sometimes takes very moving experiences to change minds, and I don't doubt that Grave of the Fireflies can do that.
As we've said in the past, many people that don't understand or like anime believe it to be nothing but stereotypes. They think anime and all that comes to mind are big boobs, naked girls, over-the-top violence and gore, and absolutely insane moments. There are plenty of anime features out there like that, but real fans know that there's even more content that doesn't go down that path. I'm not saying that content is right or wrong. It is what it is, and you are free to enjoy whatever you want.
My point is, Grave of the Fireflies can show people the power that anime has, and also convince them that anime isn't just the stereotypes they believe in. I cannot stress enough how powerful the film is. I honestly cannot picture a soul alive that would watch this movie and still say they dislike anime. Grave of the Fireflies is a true eye-opener. The only issue is that it's truly sad, and I know some people aren't into watching content like that.
If you have a friend or family member that subscribes to anime stereotypes, Grave of the Fireflies is definitely the film to do away with those thoughts. It's such a strong, series movie, it will definitely rid those shallow ideas from those that haven't given anime a shot. Once they see the film and realize what they've been missing out on, you can introduce them to the world of anime that's out there. It sometimes takes very moving experiences to change minds, and I don't doubt that Grave of the Fireflies can do that.
Grave of the Fireflies - review
Grave of the Fireflies is the most moving film I've ever seen. Throughout my 29 years on this earth, I've come across a handful of films that really touched me. They were the cream of the crop, the movies that managed to stir something up in my soul and forever change thew way I feel about certain topics. After watching Grave of the Fireflies, I've been changed in a big way. I've never gotten this deep of a feeling from a film. It's absolutely, without a doubt, one of the best films ever created.
Grave of the Fireflies transcends the anime genre, and the film genre for that matter. It doesn't matter whether you call it a film or an anime. Labeling it with just that one term would be a huge insult. Grave of the Fireflies manages to reach out and grab the viewer, and it takes you on a journey you are not going to want to be a part of. The film makes you uncomfortable and sad, moreso than any other movie I've seen. It's for those reasons that you'll never, ever forget the message that Grave of the Fireflies sends.
What is that message? That's up to each viewer to decide. With that said, I don't see how anyone in this world could watch this anime and not come away with some sort of strong feelings. You'll most likely think about war or humanity in some very different ways. Grave of the Fireflies forces us to see the dark corners of the world...the kind of stuff that people want to forget about. You are going to see people do terrible things...you're going to see terrible things happen to good people. This film shows you just how sick the world can be, but the thing that really makes it stand out is that everything you see is believable.
There's no giant monster to fight here. There's no villain that the heroes have to take down. This is a tale of the world we live in right now. You'll see how everyday people can be pushed to their limits, which ends up changing their way of life. Honest, hard-working folks can be scared into becoming cold, bitter shells of their former selves. You'll see how people will turn their backs on one another when it comes down to protecting themselves and their families. The true monster in this film is realizing that the wonderful world we live in could be shattered in just a few minutes, leaving you with no where to go and without the basic necessities you need to live.
I've never cried so hard at a film before in my life. There have been plenty of movies that made me tear up, but Grave of the Fireflies really pulled out the emotion within me from deep down. It's a slow build as the movie rolls on, and you're just hit so hard one right after the other with bad situations that it's near impossible not to let loose with some of that emotion. I could easily imagine some viewers crying throughout the entire movie. It's definitely a tough film to watch, which goes to show just how amazing it is. Never have I seen a film convey emotions like this, and in some ways torture the viewer. It's an amazing triumph for cinema, and it comes from an animation, no less.
Grave of the Fireflies is going to be a very tough film for many of you to watch. Please know what you're getting into before you view. It's not going to be a happy film to watch. With that said, I believe it to be a film that everyone should see, especially those that appreciate cinema, anime and human interest stories. I can't tell you how deeply I appreciate Grave of the Fireflies. Everything it does exemplifies the best that cinema has to offer. To see an anime provide this kind of experience is quite a sight to behold. I know it's a rather cliche line, but I truly believe that Grave of the Fireflies is a movie that absolutely must be seen. You cannot go through life without experiencing this.
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