I love this donghua very much. It respects Chinese culture and portrays it accurately - providing famous Chinese mythology into a modern world. It's a slice of life that honestly put me off guard at first, but then I got used to seeing traditional figures such as Ao Lie and Nezha in Fei Ren Zai.
The animation style is a bit lacking, but I can't blame them - they probably had a budget for this show. Each character was fun and enjoyable. It's really not something to take seriously.
Only unfortunate aspect is that some westerners may not understand the full context/backstory of these characters.
...
Apr 11, 2023
Kimetsu no Yaiba
(Anime)
add
A generic anime. I really tried to get into it. But with the amount of shounen anime I've seen - Demon Slayer has honestly have to be one of my bottom choices. To clarify, it isn't absolutely atrocious in terms of quality. Realistically, it'd serve around a 5. But with my personal taste...I'd say a 3.
I really love the traditional Japan era we get, along with the general aesthetics and arts of the anime. But the story itself is loosely built around the structure of the antagonists primarily, instead of it being an equal spread across each point in the story. The writing is ... 
Apr 11, 2023
Oyasumi Punpun
(Manga)
add
Gut-wretching, dark humour, and the nonsensical ramblings of the caricature called 'Punpun,' Asano takes a seemingly innocent character and turns him into the egoist mirage of 'god.' For me, I throughly enjoyed this series - though I understand why some people might hate it.
Punpun is definitely not for everyone, but if you enjoy cryptic media, or those really old books written in the Great Depression, its an absolute rollercoaster to read. Punpun talks about the idea of growing up, as well as the subject of both physical and mental abuse. Punpun, in this case, is supposed to represent a more masculine consensus, personified into ... 
Apr 11, 2023
The Stories of Those Around Me
(Manga)
add
A classic slice-of-life that is extremely overlooked. I miss seeing realistic depictions of romance - it has become so rare now in anime and manga to actually dedicate themselves into the seriousness of the different types of adversaries people face. Of course I enjoy the tooth-rotting shoujo romance from time to time, but most romance animes are just rom-coms. With The Stories of Those Around Me, it felt refreshing. The characters did not feel 2D - they felt very authentic, and real.
I could read this over and over again, and always get emotional at the right points. Plus, the story itself isn't continuously depressing. ... 
Apr 11, 2023
Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
(Anime)
add
Underrated gem. I have not seen a lot of Arabic/Southasian representation in anime, so this was great...aside from the fact they whitewashed all the characters. However, the worldbuilding was stunning, and incredibly creative - I can't compare it to any other anime I've seen before. The philosophy tidbits of the show are a somewhat lacking, but it's understandably so, when it's aimed towards a younger audience. Magi also thinks tit jokes are hilarious for some reason, so I was a bit taken aback whenever those jokes were mentioned.
The manga itself was definitely more detailed, but its ending dragged out for far too long. |
