Hello there, visitor! I'm LK1721, LK for short, and I'm glad you're here. Whether you were led here from someone else's page, a forum post, or just happened to stumble upon the page, I hope you enjoy your stay!
For the most part my list is graded on a hybrid of personal enjoyment and the specific show's ability to, basically just tell a story and tell it well. Various things factor into this, of course, like characterization, world building, visuals, and all of those other dandy little elements of storytelling. The personal part, of course, comes in due to my own tastes and views, so the ratings won't always be "technically" accurate.
Feel free to shoot me a message or two as I'm willing to discuss a series, video game, or life in general! Bear in mind I'm not always the best with words, but I will certainly do my best.
If you would like to know a little bit more about me or my other hobbies, feel free to check
this blog post.
All Comments (43) Comments
Happy birthday! ^o^
The lack of development towards the original cast of Chihayafuru is a bit disappointing, as the new guy and "what's her face always obsessed with Taichi and gotta look pretty 24/7" just aren't nearly as interesting. I'm hoping the second half will focus more on the original love triangle and Shinobu or else it might end up being a disappointment.
Oddly enough I actually felt Hidamari improved when Nazuna and Nori were introduced, not because I really liked their characters but for the improved group dynamics they brought. It could also be that I liked Hidamari better with linear, chronological storytelling and a MASSIVE budget... but eh.
As for Little Witch Academia, it was definitely an enjoyable watch if only for its colourful visuals and extremely fluid animation. While it's certainly not the most stylized short I've watched, on a technical level it was very impressive. Then yeah, the plot really wasn't anything special and the plausibility issues were just through the roof. Why would a magic academy keep a dragon underground if they had no regular means of defeating it, yet still allow their inexperienced students to encounter it? There was also the issue of how the main girl's mentality basically hadn't advanced an inch from when she was a kid if she was still reciting lines from that magic show. Though I suppose none of that really mattered much in the end, since the project was basically funded just for the purpose of training young animators.
Yeah, it's odd, I've actually been having the same feeling about Chihayafuru 2. While I don't feel this season is a significant departure from the first, I am starting to get a bit tired with the format of the show this time around. Perhaps it has to do with the fact that not a whole lot of character development has occurred with the old cast, or that the episodes focus more on the matches than the dynamics. There's also the possibility that the first season made the sport of karuta new and exciting, and introduced a lot of the rules and strategies which were previously unknown to us. With this season, I feel it's a lot of "been here, done that", though we're only up to the halfway point, so we shall see. I'm hoping we'll at least see Chihaya vs. Shinobu again or the characters getting another shot at the nationals/masters tournament.
Yeah, both games have definitely been on my radar for a while, it's more I just haven't had the time to play them. Journey seems pretty interesting from what I've heard, since it's rare to see a game in this day and age completely focused around the atmosphere and setting rather than story cut scenes. Okami's art style also speaks for itself, but I've read a lot of praise for its gameplay as well so that should be a good one too.
Finally, glad you also recognize Kirino as being the best anime character ever. She definitely deserves to be up there with the likes of other independent heroines such as Asuna and Kanade. In all honesty, I'll be glad to remove her from there once April Fools comes to an end. And yes, I'll definitely check out Little Witch Academia when I have the time since the animation looks incredible.
I'll be checking out Shingeki as well since it's basically the show everyone is talking about. Will probably pick up a few others and some sequels but I don't think I'll be watching any more than 7-8 shows.
I really tried my best throughout Ore Imo to find merits in Kirino's character, but as the series progressed, I found fewer and fewer. Her unreasonable personality aside, she just never really developed as a character despite the whole world basically conforming to meet her needs. She was still practically the same bitch she was back in episode 1, except now it's blatantly obvious she has a thing for her brother. No incest pandering obviously, since Kyousuke just went with Ruri in the end- oh wait.
Well, speak of the devil, the BDs for the A's movie came out this weekend. To be perfectly honest, the plot composition and pacing was a bit of a mess and moments such as the epilogue dragged on for far too long. But then again, who really watches Nanoha for the PLOT? The fights themselves were some beautiful pieces of eye candy and the updated battle choreography was pretty mind blowing. My personal favourite fight, the first Nanoha vs. Vita confrontation, was wonderful to watch in HD. So if you haven't already at the time of reading this message, you'll be in for a visual treat.
I'm hoping the BD touch ups will be fairly noticeable, though at the same time the first two seasons animation can only be improved by so much. I haven't really checked out the Tomb Raider series but I have heard a few good things about the latest installment so it's good to hear that the franchise is doing well again.
Finally, any shows you are planning to watch next season? There isn't a whole lot that catches my eye so I'll probably not watch as much as I normally do.
Well, I decided now would probably be the best time to subject myself to Oreimo with the second season rolling around. Somehow I managed to enjoy the show at times but Kirino was a pretty big bitch. I mean, I can understand her feeling some anger due to her isolation and the fact that her hobby is looked down upon (seriously though, I doubt very many girls out there would play imouto eroge of all things), but beyond that, she over reacted far too much and became a total drama queen. Her friend Ayase was probably worse though, as she basically went from "I'm not your friend anymore since you like otaku stuff" to "oh, it's okay I'm here for you" in two seconds. Talk about proper resolution and drama. But despite that, I still found some of the humour to be worth a chuckle, especially when Kuroneko and Kirino started bashing each other's tastes in anime. Somehow wish that Kuroneko got more screen time since she was definitely the most likable character in the show and at the very least, true to who she was.
Oh my body has been ready for the past year and a half for some serious befriending. That's going to be an automatic 10/10 for the first week, regardless of quality and any flaws in the storytelling because 1080p Starlight Breaker and overpowered fights. Just waiting on those BDs...
Speaking of BDs, did you know that Aria is finally getting them? It will be lovely to see Origination's rendition of Neo Venezia in 1080p (not sure if it will have much of an impact of the previous two seasons though). In a way, I kind of wish I had known about this before I purchased all the DVDs but I'll be downloading the BD rips in any event.
Hmm, introducing another set of characters in Gunslinger Girl could work out, since I always found the how each handler treats his cyborg one of the most interesting parts of the story. I started reading the manga and so far it's pretty good (though I still feel the first season of the anime greatly enhanced the source material), so I'll give it a shot.
Oh dear, Psycho-Pass. If you've seen even one of my posts on that show, it should be apparent I'm less than satisfied with the way things have been playing out. Some of the earlier episodes were absolutely painful to sit through due to the pretentious art motifs, philosophical ramblings which didn't connect at all to the topics at hand and blatant horror tropes. I mean really, a high school girl who seduces others, rapes them and then turns their bodies into disfigured statues is supposed to be a comment on gender equality and art in society? No thanks, Urobutcher. Thankfully, the direction of the story has been improving somewhat with these later episodes, as the show does give more background to the Sibyl System and Akane/Kogami's characters. It's still barely passable in my opinion, due to how poorly written the whole society is and the number of plot conveniences the show introduces to make things work later on (seriously, a wheat strain that magically accounts for 99% of all food production). Hoping it will at least give us a decent ending.
Yeah, there have been a few good skits with this season of Minami-ke such as the return of Hosaka's legendary curry song. It's still pretty enjoyable, though I miss the first more and more.
Also, are you EXCITED about a sequel to your favourite show of all time next season?
Well, Kino's Journey wasn't perfect, but it was certainly an insightful series detailing many different types of cultures. My biggest complaint against the series would have to be due to the over-simplification of some of the societies and the convenience that most of the residents would behave in the same manner. But as a form of social commentary, it was highly effective overall. Kino, in particular, did have that mysterious aura surrounding her. What I found most remarkable about her character was how much strength her inner persona had. Even after witnessing the horrors of human nature right before her eyes, she stayed composed and remained true to herself. This likely stemmed from the set of rules she constructed for her journey (ie. to only spend 3 nights in one place), preventing her from becoming too attached to one place. Honestly, Kino was a very different type of series from the norm, but it's easily one of the best of its kind.
As for Mononoke, it's an engrossing mystery series which uses a very unique and distinctive art direction to convey its themes and form its narrative. Nakamura may have completely missed home base with both [C] and Tsuritama, but he's managed to create a distinctive surreal and whimsical atmosphere that just envelops you instantly. Adding to the level of immersion are the soundtrack composed of traditional oriental tunes and more importantly, some excellent audio timing. The numerous characters, along with their diverse personalities and dialogue also really brings the entire show to life. Content-wise, the story-arcs succeeding greatly at giving a simple story form through the art direction. There's really little I can do to describe it if you haven't seen Mononoke, but it's somewhat comparable to Mushishi, just more artsy I guess.
I was honestly surprised by how incredible Gunslinger Girl's first season was since I was pretty much expecting it to be the standard girls with guns type of show. What really blew me away was how a lot of stuff was simply implied rather than outright stated, which made the whole moral conflict so much more believable. Both the girls and their handlers were just characterized so superbly, crafting an element of realism that you just don't see in many other anime (even those set in real-life). An my god, the cinematography, those attempts made to emulate live-action film and classical score...why is this show so amazing?
Yeah, but sadly Il Teatrino kind of killed all the magic the first season had. It was still good overall, focusing around Triela (who is hands down the best girl) and the politics surrounding the society, but yeah, the drop in animation quality, sound and the girl's characterization (Henrietta and Rico now perpetually happy) just made it an inferior experience. Speaking of which, noticed you've completed the manga now. How were the later volumes that the anime didn't cover?
Well, hopefully you enjoy FABULOUS bishounens with their long hair and unbuttoned shirts, cars coming out of FUCKING NOWHERE, surfing elephants, elevators and phallic imagery. But honestly, the use of symbolism and metaphors in Utena is brilliant for the most part (provided one doesn't take it at face value), giving form to all the cognitive chaos related to adolescence. Hopefully, you haven't tired of hearing this piece yet.
I'm also pleased to see some actual comedy in Minami-ke again, though Tadaima is nowhere near the level of hilarity that the first season was. Also, I'm a bit disappointed in the characterization this time around, mainly related to the greatest deadpan snarker ever. But it's still nice to see some sisterly dynamics and Hosaka again.
I've been fine for the most part, other than constant tests, projects and now job applications. I've been slowly clearing my anime backlog bit by bit since the last time we spoke, having completed some excellent titles such as YKK, Kino, Mononoke and Gunslinger Girl.
Well, that probably wasn't specific enough seeing as most shoujos are pretty damn fabulous. I was referring to one involving cars, roses, elevators, towers and whatever other over the top symbolism one could possibly think of, also more widely known as Revolutionary Girl Utena.
Hmm, springy eh? I guess Aria is a good bet as always, but pretty well any show that both of us liked would work well. Though when I think of spring and anime, I imagine cherry trees in full blossom (yes it's cliched). I'll leave it up to you, just send me any ideas you might have. Also, if you know anyone that watches anime and would be interested in writing for the blog, let me know. I'm hoping that we can get a consistent group of writers for the blog so that we can cover more shows (since Sunnie likely won't be a very consistent member despite it being his blog originally).
I guess it really does come down to what Chihaya wants and whether or not she sees either guy as a romantic option. I didn't realize it but she's actually denser that a lot of typical male shounen protagonists. If she values friendship above anything else, then Taichi might get friend-zoned eventually. Personally I think she'll choose Arata in the end just because of how much her overall goal reflects wanting to see him again.
Anyways, sorry that I haven't been on msn much as of late, I suddenly got swamped with tests and papers. I'll be back to normal by the weekend >:3