Currently taking a break from the Internet, real life getting a bit busy.
Automated Anime/Manga list updates will continue via. MAL Updater. All messages will be responded to after I'm done with all my assignments and lab work...which probably will take a while.
NO RANDOM FRIEND REQUESTS!
Hello there, My name is ImperialX and I've been watching anime since 2006. This marks the seventh year I have followed anime season by season. Right now I'm temporarily sidelining my anime watching career to make time for studying Japanese. However, this doesn't mean anime culture isn't still a huge part of my life. In fact, the reason I'm reverently studying Japanese right now is because of my desire to further immerse myself in this culture. Many hobbies have come and gone, but anime has always had a special place in my life, and I don't think this will change any time soon.
I am a huge Slice of Life fan, and I think it's the very reason I still watch anime today. After all, if I wanted deep works of literature and storytelling, I'd dive into a good book (not that I don't do that). If it's the adrenaline that I want, I'd be watching a good movie (I don't do much of that). However, if you're looking for a sanctuary you can escape to after a tiring day at work or Uni, there's nothing like a well-done Slice of Life series.
Slice of Life provides an experience that no other medium can provide. It's the pinnacle of why I watch anime, and to this date I have only given 10/10 to Slice of Life works. It's not that I don't appreciate anime with action and plot. I watch anime of all genres and enjoy most of them, from mecha to drama. However, I think if anime consisted of merely that, I would have stopped watching a few years ago - just like why I stopped watching cartoons and TV shows.
Now that I have explained the reasons why I watch anime, it should be obvious that I will not hesitate to give high ratings to series that utilise clichéd tropes, as long as they are entertaining and tireless for me to escape into. I don't judge anime in the same way I judge books like Great Expectations. However, that does not mean I'm not a harsh critic. I have a very normalised distribution of ratings, with an average score of 5.26 and standard deviation of 1.65 as of February 2013.
You can start learning more about me by checking out my list of top 20 anime. I run a blog together with my friend Ryhzuo called Blickwinkel. We rarely post articles there, but we try our best to write quality content.
Other Places You Can Find Me:
I have a fairly spread-out presence on the Internet. You can find me at the following places:
This will be the ranking of how much I'm enjoying each series I will start following in the upcoming season. If you feel that there is a show that I should be following, feel free to tell me.
hey, i have seen your video "iPhone 5: Flawless 10-bit MKV Playback " and i am impressed. thanks for the informative video. :)
i have been thinking of getting an iphone 5 if the circumstances allow me to, and i might ask you a few questions or advice in the near future. i have sent you a friend request and i hope you don't mind. :P
Well, she's certainly my favourite character in OreImo. I liked the picture more than anything else. My recent method of procrastination has been making a bunch of profile picture for myself, so I have quite a few now that I haven't even used. They're all on my blog.
I'm not sure any anime has ever changed my life significantly, apart from Bleach which got me into anime in the first place. For me a 10 is a series that I thought was a masterpiece, but also that I just really really liked to begin with. There are just series you just like, and for me the combination of it being a masterpiece and it being a show I really really like is what I call a 10/10.
Are you watching any of the new season? Which are you liking if so?
Getting busy myself! About to start school again next semester and preparing for my leave and such. I will miss watching anime so often >_<. You still keeping up yourself?
I've managed 5 episodes thus far, and to be honest, I don't think "pretentious" is a word that describes this very well. It presents anti-classical themes that come to my liking, and, well, I took your advice and started reading up on Penguindrum episode-by-episode.
I've started to take notice of motifs on my own account, although I'm not exactly able to describe them, due to my lack of overall knowledge of the history of symbolism, and I do enjoy the constant references and allusions that the symbols make within themselves. My problem, however, is that thus far, the symbolism only seems to amplify what is going on within the story, and foreshadows quite often. It feels more like its discussing fate, however, never iterating the importance of it.
On another note, I find Ringo to be an utterly fascinating character. I found it heavily ironic, in episode 5, how she is quick to play off Shoma's claim as a joke, given two reasons. The first being a relatively minor reason, the fact being Shoma was instantaneously able to believe Ringo's claim. It's given he'd been following her around for a long time and knew that Ringo had a special item of sorts with her, however, Ringo didn't even blink at Shoma's immediate acceptance. Furthermore, the second reason being she lives in her own little fantasy world. She is so disconnected from reality that she has harmed others from her actions, which is why it is heavily ironic when she condemns Shoma and Himari for "playing around", when in reality, their situation is real. It seems like there's a play of Realism against Idealism here, which is ironic, considering the brothers are the former, who attempt to change fate, whereas Ringo is the latter, who is deeply attatched to fate.
Just some more observations I've made about the show thus far. If this bothers you, I can stop.
I looked into Penguin symbolism, and here's an interesting thing I found:
"Penguins symbolize both the important bond of family, especially between parent and child, and the belief that the impossible can be overcome."
Though I can't regard the credibility of this answer, as I found it on Yahoo answers, I found this answer multiple times as I studied what the Penguin symbolizes. Just an interesting thing to note. Considering the rebirth of their sister was basically impossible.
Alright. First and foremost, I'll admit that I was bothered by the first half of the episode. Or, rather, the fact that this bit of the episode felt extremely typical. This was mostly, however, due to light-hearted, lackadaisical tone it tried to keep within the first half of the episode. It just doesn't feel natural with this show.
Which is why, yes, a small bit of symbolism that will likely continue to go on has intrigued and redeemed this bit of the show for me. Namely, I'm referring to the fact that people walking in the street have no particular design, and, only the idiosyncratic, namely the characters of the story, have any design to begin with. I find this interesting because of the way it makes the people in the background feel more irrelevent and unimportant, to the point where they're actually nuisances. I believe this is how both of the brothers are viewing others around them. Until something is relevant to them, the people will not have a design of sorts. This is because the brothers are extremely focused on their sister and honestly don't care about their surroundings, in my interpretation. I feel that this might be an amplification of their flaws, and, I find that interesting.
On another note, the latter half of the episode was significantly more interesting, and I was glad to recieve an early hint as to what the Penguindrum is, and why it is so important for the Queen of the Penguins to have it. I'm guessing that there's going to be an interesting analysis on the concept of fate within the story.
I'm still unable to rate this. It's rather interesting, and, of course, unconventional, but I'm not quite sure what to think of it. My biggest problem is the inconsistency in its tone, and that rather bugs me.
I have got iDOLM@ASTER on my PTW, and I will watch it at some point, although like you I have a bunch of stuff I've planned to watch first, notably LoGH (which I've already started).
The way you seem to rate slice of life's confused me, but then I imagine it's something that I'll never truly understand. The way you describe them gets to me, I mentioned it on the blog, but rather than actually saying the show is really good, you instead say "it wasn't bad" or perhaps more accurately "It didn't have many bad elements". That's not really the way I'd describe a show I'm considering giving an 8 or higher. I'm not sure why you'd need to "recalibrate" because of one 10 though, unless you end up rating it a 9 and you then shunt everything down.... just give it a 10.
How exactly did Lucky Star change your life? I'm not even sure how Aria would, so having Lucky Star do it boggles my mind.
The first episode was bad concept wise, but since Pico was obviously leading him on, I didn't mind it so much. Those 3 boys disturbed me more than what was actually going on screen.
I cleared Chiru months ago. Forgot to rate it a 9.
My only gripe is how EP8 gets too close to the author's own personal views on how a reader should tackle the mystery genre, insulting "the cowards who are afraid of the challenge". To me, Umineko ends at EP7. EP8 was just a goodbye party of sorts.
No matter where you look, it's certain that you won'f find anything like Umineko in any other medium. I really really liked it, but I should read more stuff before going as far as calling it the greatest piece of story ever written.
