passa_p's Blog

Anime Relations: Dragon Ball Z, Shingeki no Kyojin, Shingeki no Kyojin Season 2

My nerdiness knows no bounds, people.
I had written this long love letter to AoT when I had watched it in 2013 and buried deep in my computer (where it should stay!) but alas I get a lil chuckle from it especially knowing now I have been able to find different anime of different qualities since my anime blackout of 2011 - 2013. Also, new AoT is coming out this year (!!)

Yes, the anime industry still feel a bit chilly with titles that really get me excited but I find enough to carry me on season to season now.

Read below for what my mind thought back in ol' 2013 about this gem.
Also be warned it is peppered with Jamaican slang.


WHY I ALMOST GAVE ON ANIME AND HOW ATTACK ON TITANS SAVED IT

I have been a fan of anime for a long time now, I remember trying to wake up early in the Saturday morning just to catch the ending credits of Dragon Ball Z (FOX Kids Line was wack y’all). I really logged my hours in High School, and with the help of the internet was able to track down all the anime shows that were coming on TV at the time and stream new ones (Crunchyroll mi seh!). I read reviews for DVD releases, read a few mangas and also went through the mandatory "try to learn Japanese and fail miserably" phase. Point being, I have watched A LOT of ANIME and I still can recall a few words in Japanese, ok maybe like one or two (University money well spent if you ask me).

But for the past couple of years, I haven't had any interest in anime or the anime community. It amazes me to no end that we have a Cosplay Party each year that I make sure skirt around because the last time I attended, I was bored out of my mind. I no longer go online to follow up on the anime that comes out each season. What Happened?

I still love anime but I fear anime doesn't love me as much anymore. There are still some well made and written anime being made which I have had the pleasure of enjoying but with absolutely no reliable statistics, the rate of shitty anime has grown exponentially in the past 5 years or more and it's killing my vibe. I can only subject myself to so much derivative story lines with ecchi (fanservice) and no more.
Don’t believe me? Well, now tell me if this sounds familiar;

Sasuke is an ordinary human boy who encounters a magical girl from another dimension. She moves into her house and for WHATEVER reason, bout 13 more girls with various degrees of magical ability move in, wacky shenanigans ensue...

Chitori is half demon, half human from another dimension who encounters an ordinary human girl. He has a chip on his shoulder and only she can brush it off. He moves in to her house and for WHATEVER reason, bout 13 more girls with various degrees of magical ability move in, wacky shenanigans ensue...

Then there’s the shounens that have been airing since the days of Astro Boy that spend more than two episodes (and my valuable time) powering up and “monologuing “ (Power up and done nuh bredda!)

Don’t forget the BEACH/SPA/STEAM BATH Episode, people!

Some of you now will be either shaking your head in agreement or will be saying "Hold on deh!" Now, I'm sure they are fun to watch but they are tiresome and have been done and done and DONE.

Even if I said to myself I can curb my anime cravings by watching some of these titles, I suffer (SUFFER!) through inexplicable female character designs and even worse character development. Big Ol' Titties in your FACE! Along with small, shrunken pieces of (not so) well placed fabric all while running around either saying Sumimasen or too busy being a fighting automaton with no other discernible human traits.

You now have to search for the proverbial needle in the proverbial haystack for an anime that is more than the sum of its parts. It's been around two years or more since I have gotten EXCITED about a new anime.



Enter Attack on Titan or Shingeki no Kyojin if you really real. This anime title has given me hope for my love for Japanese animation. AoT have some big ol’ giants that eat people and the last survivors of the earth coop up in a walled up city till a REALLY BIG OL’ giant comes in mash up the wall (*shrugs*). How in all these years of Japanese animation they did not have giants going around eating people in an alternate Medieval Europe universe before is beyond me. But AoT takes the elements of Shounen, we know and transports into a well-built world. The creators also use traditional 2D animation along with modern animation techniques gives AoT a fresh look. The choreography of the 3D maneuver gear makes the fangirl in me cry and ask for a pull up. The soundtrack is on point and though the pacing may be off at times it rivals the tension (and shock value) of any of the top TV shows out today.

Also, thanks be to flying nimbus! The females of the show seem like actual humans and their mammary glands are not out and defying gravity. On the contrary, the animators stick to the fact that they are in the military have the standard uniform used across the board. If this was another anime they would have probably have on booty shorts or some shit. With more than two female characters (incidentally not fighting over the main guy) there is now room for a whole range of different personalities. This also goes for the male characters as well, as we refreshingly see some of them being scared, uncertain and not all powerful. AoT simply creates a world in which the characters act human in this very supernatural world and isn’t this all we want from our anime?

Again without anything substantial facts to back up my claim, I know that there has not been a reaction to any anime title like AoT in a minute simply because of the internet fervor. I feel like the last time the internet lost its collective minds was when DEATHNOTE came on the scene (Deathnote, daaawg). Combine that with some of friends that are anime fans just looking me in the eye and saying "You NEED to watch it." All these facts my thoughts point to Attack on Titan being the breath of fresh air the Anime Community desperately needed.

I missed this, I did and AoT reminded me how excited I can get about anime.

Anime Relations: Major S6

I came in to add Honda Goro kun on my favourite character list as well as add his seiyuu on my favourite people list but alas there is only seven (7) slots available for your character list and I realized that I have not added any female seiyuus :/

Now me bringing this up as nothing to do with what people think of my list and more of the fact that I been so focused on my fav male seiyuus and the limited slots, I have no room for some of my fav female seiyuus such as HanaKana.

But another realization hit me, a few of those female seiyuus I really love voice boys like Park Romi and Ioue Marina...

Ahh well.

Anime Relations: Bakuman., Bakuman. 2nd Season, Bakuman. 3rd Season

Heard some sucky news the other day (nothing too serious mind you) and I was feeling down, decided to do what I normally do and take in some anime.

But I had no idea what I was in the mood for and I decided to pick something from my Plan to Watch list. That title was Bakuman, it was just what I needed!

It runs for 3 seasons (2 cour a piece) and it is funny and interesting. I used it as my pick me up for the weekend and I wondering why it took me so long to get to it.