November 10th, 2020
Higurashi-Gore Timestamps for wimps like me (spoilers)
Anime Relations: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Recently, I've finished Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni just in time for Halloween. And while I was starting on the venture to watch it for the first time, I was very nervous about the infamous "gore" scenes in this show. I'm a pretty squeamish person, and I scoured the internet for any kind of information about these scenes so could I know what I was getting myself into.
Unfortunately, there was nothing that could really "prepare" me for what I was about to watch. So while watching Season 1, I kept thinking "If only there was a source of information that told me when these "scenes" were going to happen. So I've made it my mission to provide exactly that for someone looking to start Higurashi with no knowledge of the scenes. In this blog post, I'll be timestamping and describing what happens in the scenes exactly so if you're new to the series, you'll know when the "thing" happens and it won't be bothering you the whole time!
This may seem pointless to some people, but if you're one of those people then just know that this just isn't for you. I'm making it for people who are like me, huge ass wimps.
This will only contain scenes one would probably find in those "10 ten Messed up scenes in Higurashi" videos on Youtube. And while I am technically "spoiling" what happens, I'll be leaving out the names and context for which these scenes take place. If I don't list the episode, that means it's clear and nothing all too bad happens in that particular episode. I won't be listing every time someone gets hurt in the series, only when someone gets hurt in a way that's just...damn uncomfortable or what most would consider "gorey". (I.E if it's just someone getting stabbed once or twice, it won't be listed. But if it's someone getting skinned or being dismembered it will be listed here.)
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT ABOUT HIGURASHI SEASON 1, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED
TIMESTAMPS START HERE
Episode 1- 0:00-0:47 (Lol yeah right at the beginning) A boy is animated in graphic detail beating the heads of two girls in with a metal bat for about 50 seconds.
Episode 4- 15:00-15:23 A boy is animated in graphic detail beating the heads of two girls in with a metal bat, this time for only 20 seconds.
Episode 5- 0:00-0:21 A girl is shown repeatedly stabbing herself in the head with a large kitchen knife by holding it against the wall, and slamming her head into it multiple times.
Episode 13-12:00-12:21 A girl is shown disemboweled and cut open while crows feed on her insides.
Episode 17-16:19-18:49 A girl is shown getting 3 of her fingernails ripped off using an archaic looking "Denailer" device.
Episode 20-19:17-20:14 A girl is shown repeatedly stabbing herself in the head by holding a knife against the wall and slamming into the blade multiple times.
Episode 21- 6:02-10:07 A girl is shown being pinned to a board by her hands and feet, and stabbed through the arms multiple times until she dies. (This part has dialogue that may be important to the story, skipping it may lead to some confusion about character motivation. Take your chances.)
Unfortunately, there was nothing that could really "prepare" me for what I was about to watch. So while watching Season 1, I kept thinking "If only there was a source of information that told me when these "scenes" were going to happen. So I've made it my mission to provide exactly that for someone looking to start Higurashi with no knowledge of the scenes. In this blog post, I'll be timestamping and describing what happens in the scenes exactly so if you're new to the series, you'll know when the "thing" happens and it won't be bothering you the whole time!
This may seem pointless to some people, but if you're one of those people then just know that this just isn't for you. I'm making it for people who are like me, huge ass wimps.
This will only contain scenes one would probably find in those "10 ten Messed up scenes in Higurashi" videos on Youtube. And while I am technically "spoiling" what happens, I'll be leaving out the names and context for which these scenes take place. If I don't list the episode, that means it's clear and nothing all too bad happens in that particular episode. I won't be listing every time someone gets hurt in the series, only when someone gets hurt in a way that's just...damn uncomfortable or what most would consider "gorey". (I.E if it's just someone getting stabbed once or twice, it won't be listed. But if it's someone getting skinned or being dismembered it will be listed here.)
SPOILERS FROM HERE ON OUT ABOUT HIGURASHI SEASON 1, YOU'VE BEEN WARNED
TIMESTAMPS START HERE
Episode 1- 0:00-0:47 (Lol yeah right at the beginning) A boy is animated in graphic detail beating the heads of two girls in with a metal bat for about 50 seconds.
Episode 4- 15:00-15:23 A boy is animated in graphic detail beating the heads of two girls in with a metal bat, this time for only 20 seconds.
Episode 5- 0:00-0:21 A girl is shown repeatedly stabbing herself in the head with a large kitchen knife by holding it against the wall, and slamming her head into it multiple times.
Episode 13-12:00-12:21 A girl is shown disemboweled and cut open while crows feed on her insides.
Episode 17-16:19-18:49 A girl is shown getting 3 of her fingernails ripped off using an archaic looking "Denailer" device.
Episode 20-19:17-20:14 A girl is shown repeatedly stabbing herself in the head by holding a knife against the wall and slamming into the blade multiple times.
Episode 21- 6:02-10:07 A girl is shown being pinned to a board by her hands and feet, and stabbed through the arms multiple times until she dies. (This part has dialogue that may be important to the story, skipping it may lead to some confusion about character motivation. Take your chances.)
Posted by LiseranThistle | Nov 10, 2020 7:25 PM | 0 comments
September 8th, 2019
3 Starter Shows for Newcomers!
I am big on welcoming people into this community, and I want to share anime with lots of people who may not be into it. I've always seen a few mistakes when people make lists for newcomers that can be easily fixed with some barebones communication, and I'm here to showcase what my Starter List is.
My idea for a great starter show is a show that seems familiar to whatever it is the newcomer has seen before. And when I say "newcomer" i really mean anyone whose trying to get into anime, be it someone at your school, a relative, or a friend! A repetitive mistake many lists tend to make is recommending shows that the Listmaker likes, and not shows they think the other person will like.
You gotta take into account what the other person likes, otherwise they may be turned off from the show idea of anime completely. You may like ecchi and Harem shows, but the newcomer may not like it, and if you show them KissXSis instead of Clannad, they'll definitely not want to watch anime after that.
So this list won't really have a whole lot of ecchi or harem anime on it, simply because this is a list catering to those who don't really like that side of anime.
........................................
#1 Karin
I'm not sure if a lot of people know what this anime is, but its one of my favorite romance animes aside from the really popular ones in the community like Ouran Highschool Host Club. Karin is an anime about a vampire girl who's not like other vampires at all. See, she has a condition where instead of drinking blood from humans, she spurts blood out from her nose in unfortunate situations. The show is basically about her getting a crush on a boy, who kind of likes her back (?) and also her trying to keep the whole vampire thing a secret from her classmates. It's silly, goofy, and a very light hearted series that I think is the perfect gateway for some of the more ridiculous sides to anime. While the animation is nothing to boast about, the characters are fun and make for really great episodes. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to slowly edge their way into the romance side of Anime.
#2 Inuyasha
This is a rather old recommendation, but it's one I make simply because its an anime that's a romance, but it's also a story driven show that focuses on both characters and world building. Inuyasha was one of the first anime I ever watched as a kid, and it definitely got me to want to watch more shows like it.
Inuyasha is a show about a girl named Kagome who ends up falling into a well that takes her into the past, where she discovers that there's a mysterious jewel inside of her somehow that a lot of demons in this time period want, and now that she's here they're after her! (un)Lucky for her, she meets Inuyasha, a half human half demon boy who's also been looking for said jewel in order to become a full demon. Shenanigans involving a giant centipede demon ensues, and the mysterious jewel is ripped out of Kagome's body VERY painfully, and shattered into a million pieces. The rest of the show revolves around Kagome and Inuyasha going on a long adventure to search for each of these pieces scattered around the world, fighting demons and possibly falling in love.
As you can tell from that synopsis, this show is a wild ride from episode 1, and I think that's what makes it a perfect starter show! It's filled with action, and its pacing is just good enough that it doesn't immediately give you whiplash when watching it. I recommend this to anyone looking to get into fantasy and adventure shows, as Inuyasha is a fun story driven show that's a little silly at times, but in all the right ways.
#3 91 Days
This entry is a lot different then the other two because it is completely serious in tone. This show isn't at all a comedy, it's a very gritty mafia drama that I think is a really great starter for people who want something a little more serious. The show has a great artstyle that I enjoy a lot, and both its dub and sub is great, so you'll enjoy either one. (Though personally, I recommend watching the dub, but that's only because it was the version I watched :3)
91 Days is an anime about a boy named Angelou Lagusa who witnesses his families murder on a cold, winter night. Years later, still depressed and angry about his family's death, he receives an anonymous letter that lists the names of the men who were there on the night his family was killed. The men on the list are all apart of the Vanetti family, who have powerful ties to the mafia. Angelou decides he'll get in close with the Vanetti's, join their ranks, and kill the men on the list one at a time.
This show is great if you like small character details, and another reason for why I recommend the dub over the sub is just because the dub had so many small instances where characters said things that really added to their depth, and also got a chuckle or two of me. This is the type of show you recommend to someone who really likes attention to detail in regards to dialogue. You like witty banter, and sly backhanded compliments than you'll love listening to this script.
These three shows are just some of the shows I think would be great for Newcomers. Don't take my word as law though, if you watch any of these and hate the show, well then that show just wasn't for you. I'm sure you'll find a show that is super awesome and perfect for you. Maybe you should follow whats popular, after all popular shows are only popular because lots of people are watching them. There's bound to be something you like, so don't just stop at one episode, give it a try!
My idea for a great starter show is a show that seems familiar to whatever it is the newcomer has seen before. And when I say "newcomer" i really mean anyone whose trying to get into anime, be it someone at your school, a relative, or a friend! A repetitive mistake many lists tend to make is recommending shows that the Listmaker likes, and not shows they think the other person will like.
You gotta take into account what the other person likes, otherwise they may be turned off from the show idea of anime completely. You may like ecchi and Harem shows, but the newcomer may not like it, and if you show them KissXSis instead of Clannad, they'll definitely not want to watch anime after that.
So this list won't really have a whole lot of ecchi or harem anime on it, simply because this is a list catering to those who don't really like that side of anime.
........................................
#1 Karin
I'm not sure if a lot of people know what this anime is, but its one of my favorite romance animes aside from the really popular ones in the community like Ouran Highschool Host Club. Karin is an anime about a vampire girl who's not like other vampires at all. See, she has a condition where instead of drinking blood from humans, she spurts blood out from her nose in unfortunate situations. The show is basically about her getting a crush on a boy, who kind of likes her back (?) and also her trying to keep the whole vampire thing a secret from her classmates. It's silly, goofy, and a very light hearted series that I think is the perfect gateway for some of the more ridiculous sides to anime. While the animation is nothing to boast about, the characters are fun and make for really great episodes. I'd recommend this to anyone wanting to slowly edge their way into the romance side of Anime.
#2 Inuyasha
This is a rather old recommendation, but it's one I make simply because its an anime that's a romance, but it's also a story driven show that focuses on both characters and world building. Inuyasha was one of the first anime I ever watched as a kid, and it definitely got me to want to watch more shows like it.
Inuyasha is a show about a girl named Kagome who ends up falling into a well that takes her into the past, where she discovers that there's a mysterious jewel inside of her somehow that a lot of demons in this time period want, and now that she's here they're after her! (un)Lucky for her, she meets Inuyasha, a half human half demon boy who's also been looking for said jewel in order to become a full demon. Shenanigans involving a giant centipede demon ensues, and the mysterious jewel is ripped out of Kagome's body VERY painfully, and shattered into a million pieces. The rest of the show revolves around Kagome and Inuyasha going on a long adventure to search for each of these pieces scattered around the world, fighting demons and possibly falling in love.
As you can tell from that synopsis, this show is a wild ride from episode 1, and I think that's what makes it a perfect starter show! It's filled with action, and its pacing is just good enough that it doesn't immediately give you whiplash when watching it. I recommend this to anyone looking to get into fantasy and adventure shows, as Inuyasha is a fun story driven show that's a little silly at times, but in all the right ways.
#3 91 Days
This entry is a lot different then the other two because it is completely serious in tone. This show isn't at all a comedy, it's a very gritty mafia drama that I think is a really great starter for people who want something a little more serious. The show has a great artstyle that I enjoy a lot, and both its dub and sub is great, so you'll enjoy either one. (Though personally, I recommend watching the dub, but that's only because it was the version I watched :3)
91 Days is an anime about a boy named Angelou Lagusa who witnesses his families murder on a cold, winter night. Years later, still depressed and angry about his family's death, he receives an anonymous letter that lists the names of the men who were there on the night his family was killed. The men on the list are all apart of the Vanetti family, who have powerful ties to the mafia. Angelou decides he'll get in close with the Vanetti's, join their ranks, and kill the men on the list one at a time.
This show is great if you like small character details, and another reason for why I recommend the dub over the sub is just because the dub had so many small instances where characters said things that really added to their depth, and also got a chuckle or two of me. This is the type of show you recommend to someone who really likes attention to detail in regards to dialogue. You like witty banter, and sly backhanded compliments than you'll love listening to this script.
These three shows are just some of the shows I think would be great for Newcomers. Don't take my word as law though, if you watch any of these and hate the show, well then that show just wasn't for you. I'm sure you'll find a show that is super awesome and perfect for you. Maybe you should follow whats popular, after all popular shows are only popular because lots of people are watching them. There's bound to be something you like, so don't just stop at one episode, give it a try!
Posted by LiseranThistle | Sep 8, 2019 3:30 PM | 0 comments
September 6th, 2019
Fanservice- Dealing with Newcomers in the community!
Anime Relations: Soul Eater
Fanservice is something that a lot of people in the anime community seem very split on, and this is something that is very apparent to newcomers in the community. Whenever I want to introduce someone to anime, I always have to start with a personalized list of shows I think they would like, purely based off of other things they like; which is just common sense when showing someone anything new.
However, anime is rife with fanservice, and the truth of the matter is most people who are trying to get into anime, probably won't actually like the fanservice that you find in these shows. I've had to stop myself from recommending titles like Soul Eater, which has an amazing art style, fight choreography, and animation purely because the very first episode of that show is just...awkward, to say the least.
Imagine hyping up this show to a friend or a relative, telling them it'll be a fun watch, and that it was one of the very first shows YOU watched when you were getting into anime, only to sit on the couch silently as this plays out on the screen immediately after a sick fight scene:
It doesn't make for a good look, especially if whoever is sitting on the couch with you is definitely not into pervy stuff. Now, I'm not advocating for getting rid of fanservice, oh no.
I also don't think fanservice enhances a show either. I think fanservice is totally unnecessary when trying to get a few laughs, only because there are just more efficient, and in my opinion, clever ways of inserting humour into an anime.
This is true for most fanservice shows, and it's very prevalent in the Ecchi and Harem genres. Now, before anyone says it, I'm not here to tell you your Fave's are problematic. You can keep you scantily clad waifus and catgirls, but I just think that when people complain about all the girls in these shows being objectified, they might feel a little more comfortable about the show if there really was fanservice to cater to more than just one audience.
Needless to say, whenever picking out a show for someone new, make sure that you at least know what kind of stuff they like. If they like pervy stuff, then have at it and show them ALL your waifus (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
If they're NOT into that, well its time to start thinking about shows that don't have a whole lot of Fanservice in it, and there are plenty of great shows out there that do just that!
However, anime is rife with fanservice, and the truth of the matter is most people who are trying to get into anime, probably won't actually like the fanservice that you find in these shows. I've had to stop myself from recommending titles like Soul Eater, which has an amazing art style, fight choreography, and animation purely because the very first episode of that show is just...awkward, to say the least.
Imagine hyping up this show to a friend or a relative, telling them it'll be a fun watch, and that it was one of the very first shows YOU watched when you were getting into anime, only to sit on the couch silently as this plays out on the screen immediately after a sick fight scene:
It doesn't make for a good look, especially if whoever is sitting on the couch with you is definitely not into pervy stuff. Now, I'm not advocating for getting rid of fanservice, oh no.
I also don't think fanservice enhances a show either. I think fanservice is totally unnecessary when trying to get a few laughs, only because there are just more efficient, and in my opinion, clever ways of inserting humour into an anime.
This is true for most fanservice shows, and it's very prevalent in the Ecchi and Harem genres. Now, before anyone says it, I'm not here to tell you your Fave's are problematic. You can keep you scantily clad waifus and catgirls, but I just think that when people complain about all the girls in these shows being objectified, they might feel a little more comfortable about the show if there really was fanservice to cater to more than just one audience.
Needless to say, whenever picking out a show for someone new, make sure that you at least know what kind of stuff they like. If they like pervy stuff, then have at it and show them ALL your waifus (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧
If they're NOT into that, well its time to start thinking about shows that don't have a whole lot of Fanservice in it, and there are plenty of great shows out there that do just that!
Posted by LiseranThistle | Sep 6, 2019 5:55 PM | 0 comments