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Chancing The Market: Thoughts On The OELVNs Community (+Always Remember Me Review)
Published on 2011-06-22 18:02:43
When I told my friend I was going to buy a commercial OELVN to check it out, the response was “Why would you do that!?” Even western fans of Japanese visual novels often frown upon the OELVN (Original English Language Visual Novel) community. Pro
Anohana and the Drama of Information Asymmetry
Published on 2011-06-13 21:58:38
Menma, always there yet out of sight… [Ayazaka] Ever wondered what AnoHana would be like if we, the audience, couldn’t see Menma either? Would we believe Jinta from the start? Would we, like the rest of the gang, feel that he was hallucinating, s
Fate/Zero Light Novel Review: Surpassing Originals
Published on 2011-06-09 21:49:00
Because the anime comes out this fall~ ^o^ Fate/zero is the prequel to the popular visual-novel and anime Fate/stay night, taking place ten years prior with Emiya Kiritsugu, Shirou’s adoptive father, as the leading role in yet another holy grail wa
Most Unorthodox Shoujo I’ve Seen Yet
Published on 2011-06-06 22:48:56
We all know the generalization: that the shoujo genre is filled with sparkles, bubbles, and chapters of cute and fluffy romance. Being a big fan of shoujo with strong leads, I first picked up Crimson Empire, an Otome Game adaptation by Quinrose (prod
Visit to the Academy and the Great East-West Divide
Published on 2011-06-06 19:05:45
Finished trip and the moving paperwork, I am back from hiatus~! Still not quite caught back up on anime yet though :3 But first, I’d like to share something inspiring I learned this trip… I may not be a sociologist by even amateur means, but I’
On Temporary Hiatus
Published on 2011-04-26 20:23:46
Official, therefore clearly differentiating this from all those times I went on hiatus without warning… Anyhow, goes until June. First I’m taking a trip back to China to visit relatives— some of my earlier non-blogging busyness could be attribu
Madoka Thought Paradox: Release from Last Judgment
Published on 2011-04-22 18:02:38
Forewarning: this entire post is spoilerrific in regards to Madoka’s ending. [Pico] The ending of Madoka Magica was strangely satisfying. I had prepared myself for disembowelment and depression, and I received… peace. There’s much to be said of
Hanasaku Iroha and the Tiger Mother: Parenting in Anime
Published on 2011-04-19 21:43:30
This is like the anime season of bad parenting examples… One could claim that anime has a predominant stereotype of bad parenting, and in some ways it’s true. Ohana’s runaway, debt-evading mother is hardly the first, not to mention Kimimaro’s
Dog Days and the Immersion Fantasy Escapade
Published on 2011-04-14 17:47:51
[Takana] Protagonists summoned into a fantasy world to become a hero— Dog Days is yet another fantasy escapade adventure story written since The Chronicles of Narnia made the subgenre so famous. It’s a “fantasy escapade” because (whether one
2011 Spring Anime Preview Thoughts
Published on 2011-03-29 23:48:39
[Hanikura] Spring season is just around the corner! This is a very late post, and the aniblogosphere has probably seen enough preview posts, but we did a lot of research for presenting to our club (powerpoint here if interested) so might as well work
Hourou Musuko and A Modern Uncertainty: Romeo and Juliet
Published on 2011-03-13 14:54:22
I’m back! Sorry for vanishing for over a month without notice, but I first had too many real life problems that needed to be worked out and then got caught in some writer’s block, which probably still isn’t quite over me. But as I said at New Y
Japan Has Biggest Things To Worry About Right Now
Published on 2011-03-11 15:51:38
If you haven’t heard already, Japan’s east coast was hit by a massive, “once in a century” 8.9 magnitude Earthquake (nearing the 2004 9.1 Indian Ocean earthquake, 6th deadliest of all history). The official dead is still “only” numbering
Winter 2011 Quick Impressions and Second Episodes
Published on 2011-01-26 22:00:41
[miso] I’m honestly surprised by how many promising series we have for a winter season— three was a lot more than I’d normally expect, and both Madoka and Hourou Musuko are likely to revolutionize their respective genres. Anyhow, this came late
Hourou Musuko Episode 2: Saorin and Takatsuki
Published on 2011-01-22 13:41:20
It seems Hourou Musuko is continuing its nostalgic biography-like presentation style, dedicating each of its episodes to the relationship between one pair of characters while simultaneously developing the rest. After episode one opened the box on Nit
Fractale Impressions: ‘Reality’ Under The Fake God
Published on 2011-01-14 21:27:45
If I lived in this world, I’ll at least make sure to get an avatar doppel that doesn’t look like modern art— Fractale takes place in a world where you can live anywhere and project your existence where you wish, a world where you get paid witho
Hourou Musuko Impressions: Reflections Upon An Adolescent Mind
Published on 2011-01-13 19:19:41
It took but a few minutes before I fell in love with this series all over again~ Just what genre would you call Hourou Musuko (Wandering Son)? Girlish boy meets boyish girl— it might sound like a genderbender finally made its way into the famous No
The Revolution of Idealism: Watching Versailles to Utena
Published on 2011-01-12 19:01:15
[Karu] Revolutionary Girl Utena is undoubtedly one of the most ambitious anime I’ve ever seen. Stuffed with artistic symbolism and cinematic motifs in every scene, reflecting social and psychological themes in every character, it’s not surprising
Rebellion Against Authority In Anime and The Audience
Published on 2011-01-11 17:14:09
One of the predominant trends in modern anime/JRPGs is that the authorities tend to be either useless or evil. In the best case, they might lend support to our main characters after said cast clear up the State’s misunderstandings and backward beli
G-Senjou No Maou Visual Novel Review
Published on 2011-01-02 21:20:59
A story of unrelenting revenge, heartfelt redemption, and everlasting love after ten years of agony… G-Senjou no Maou [Lit: The Devil on G-string] is an Akabeisoft2 visual novel released in 2008. Made by the creators of Sharin no Kuni (my favorite)
Happy New Year, Blog Updates, And 2011 Resolutions
Published on 2011-01-01 13:06:24
Happy New Year everybody~! Hope everybody’s had a good year~! It’s not quite the year of the Rabbit yet, [toko] wait for Lunar New Year you westernized people XP 2010 was an interesting year here. In life, the first full year I’ve spent out of
2011 Winter Anime Preview Thoughts
Published on 2010-12-27 18:55:03
[Nagi] Seeing as the fall 2010 season fell seriously short of expectations (OreImo, KamiNomi, never speak of Yosuga again…), I think I need to clamp down my anime pass/drop margins again. Winter is a slow season and one for catching up on backlogs,
12 Days of Anime #1: Seven Years Of Hell For A Hug And A Greeting (Sharin no Kuni)
Published on 2010-12-25 13:05:52
Merry Christmas everybody~! ^o^ Hope your holiday has been going great~! In the meantime this’ll be the final of my holiday post spam (seriously, 13! I’m spent! I have no clue how those episodic bloggers keep all this up xD) It’s been preciousl