▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ Interview #168 - @bmoore07▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬  bmoore07 The True MAL's Advocate For Hidden Gems Interview conducted by: @TimeToRepent Tell us about yourself Hey there. The name’s Bishop. I’m a 20-year old African-American male, born and raised in Augusta, Georgia, a city I like referring to as the heart of the American South. Almost everyone has some sort of pride in their hometown - after all, it’s where they’re from - and I’m no exception. There’s a lot to love about good, ol’ Augusta. We have the Arts in the Heart festival, an annual event in the downtown area where local talents can showcase and sell their works. We have the Augusta Riverwalk, a city park where you can see the Savannah River. We have our own official sports team in the Augusta Greenjackets, a minor-league baseball team. And, of course, we have the Masters. More than anything else, the Masters was, is, and always will be my hometown’s claim to fame. In 2012, I was able to attend the Masters for a day - with a free ticket, no less - and it’s among the most incredible moments of my life. In 2012, I was a member of the 100 Black Men of America; it’s a mentorship organization dedicated to enriching the lives of the African-American youth and Augusta has its own chapter. My relationship with the 100 isn’t particularly noteworthy. I was a mentee there but I wasn’t exactly committed to “the cause” or anything. They doled out boxes of pizza at their weekly meetings and they hosted extravagant banquets once a year, which were the sole reasons why I remained with the organization… well after I discovered issues within it. What intrigued me about the 100 back then was their vast connections in high places; there were tons of high-scale events around the state of Georgia that the organization was able to attend solely because they were associated with good people. The 2012 Masters was one of those events. Granted, the 100 couldn’t afford to bring everybody to the event (I can only assume their connections didn’t extend far enough to warrant that) but they were able to scrape together three one-day tickets. Through the strangest coincidences, I happened to be one of the three who received a ticket, along with my younger brother. During my time at the Masters, I saw Tiger Woods. Honestly, the chance that I would catch a glimpse of the world’s most famous golfer was my main motivation for going to the Masters in the first place. There was a seating area with a perfect view of where Woods’ was golfing and it was a challenge for us to find spots there; eventually, we did and we waited for what felt like hours for him to walk towards his next hole. Finally, he began moving towards his next hole and (because that seating area was nearby that hole) us as well. As he was walking, Tiger briefly looked towards us and the thousands of people in that seating area, and waved in our general direction before resuming his stroll. It immediately became the highlight of our time at the Masters (not only did a world-famous celebrity (!) make eye contact with us (!!) but he also waved (!!!) as well), an unforgettable experience that my brother and I tried to re-tell to our friends… only to be met with skepticism. “You saw Tiger Woods in person?” they responded, “Yeah right”. The Tiger Woods incident is definitely a huge part of my youth but, special as it was, it was far from the only one. Augusta is what one would describe as a small, simple town but there’s quite a bit to explore, especially as a child with a bicycle, an imagination, and lots of spare time. Each day was its own adventure; as a result, I have tons of childhood memories that I love sharing. The various acts of lighthearted mischief I committed, the oddly fascinating people I encountered, the increasingly dangerous risks, dares, and challenges I accepted - they’re all important parts of my youth. My childhood memories and my love for my hometown define who I am; they always have and always will. This is exactly why I was so devastated when, in the fall of 2013, my family moved from Georgia, the place I adored like no other, to Maryland, a state I knew nothing about; it was as if my family was ripping me apart from everything I cared about. We briefly settled down in the city of Bowie for a few months before transitioning over to Silver Springs, Maryland, which is where I currently reside. If I had to describe myself, I would say I’m a pretty quiet guy. I’m not someone that avoids people - I think of myself as someone happy to provide assistance and advice anywhere I can - but I’m also not exactly a great conversationalist. An important part of who I am is that I’m extremely aware of my failings - oftentimes, painfully so - and, while I tend to brood over them, I make an effort to improve in areas where I falter. My educational background isn’t really worthy of attention. I never really applied myself when it involved my academics, at least not as much as I could have. Finishing 10-page essays at the last minute, studying the night before an exam, misplacing my classroom notes - all of this were things I did on a daily basis. I ended up completing my high school education with a 3.0 GPA and, while I’m mostly relieved to finally move on from that phase of my life, a part of me wishes that I pushed myself harder when it came to my studies. After getting my diploma, I went straight to college but ended up taking a year off because, well, my grades weren’t exactly encouraging at the time. As of right now, I am working for Amazon as a warehouse associate. To be honest, I’m doing this job mostly because I’d like to reduce my credit card debt. In terms of my future plans, I plan on pursuing a degree in Behavioral Science when I return to college in the fall (or when I end up in the military). Becoming an author is something I’ve always wanted to do but I need another job to sustain me while I’m pursuing that goal and hopefully that’s what the degree will provide. Sure, I’ve excluded quite a few details about my life but, all in all, I think I’ve done a good job at covering the essentials. How did you choose your username? I wish there was some sort of elaborate backstory behind my username that I could tell. I really do. Sadly, I’m too lazy for that. “Bmoore07” was created by me combining the first letter of my first name and the entirety of my last name. The “07” part is only there because it’s my favorite number. To be honest, I’ve had something of a love-hate relationship with my username. I tend to curse myself for not picking something creative and unique (like, for example, @Crystic or something of the sort); a while back, I temporarily changed my username to “JudoFlip7” (a reference to The Boondocks) because I wanted something more original. However, I reverted to “bmoore07” because I’m an idiot and I’ve stuck with it ever since. Plus, my good friend @PizzaonPineapple gave me the nickname “beanmoore” and I like that. Could you give us a brief history of your time on MAL? I’ll try my best to keep it short :) I was first acquainted with MyAnimeList (MAL) through a site people may have heard of; it’s known as “THEMAnime.org”. It’s a site with something of a presence involving anime reviewing and, on one of my late-night Google search expeditions, I happened to come across a critique by THEM Anime. I was almost immediately charmed by the passion and wit that the writing had, and (needless to say) I became addicted. While I was exposing myself to various critiques on THEM Anime, I was also introduced to MyAnimeList. This was in 2015, an entire year after I first encountered THEM Anime. By then, I was immersed in the site’s community by way of the forums and I got a chance to familiarize myself with writers I admired. While I was chatting with several THEM Anime members, they kept recommending MAL as a place to visit; “a sister site” is what THEM members referred to it as. Intrigued by the comments that they made about MAL, I decided to create an account on it. The first few months of my time on MAL weren’t exactly fruitful. Much of the initial problems I came across had a lot to do with me not being accustomed to how sites like this one work. For example, there were countless disputes that I started with random users over the most inane and inconsequential things, like the necessity of the five categories for reviews, because I wasn’t familiar with them. There were also various complaints that I received because I was constantly shilling my reviews and, at one point, I was temporarily banned because of it; in my defense, there was a certain friend of mine who told me early on that shilling was the only way I’d be noticed as a MAL reviewer and, ignorant as to how these things worked, I followed his advice. Back then, I’m sure that people didn’t exactly have the greatest impression of me; honestly, who could blame them? As I spent on time on MAL and started interacting with an assortment of unique individuals, I became more and more acclimated with the do’s and don'ts, with the rules and regulations, with the various quirks and customs of this site, and I adjusted to them accordingly. It was because of the friends in my life, the guys who doled out nuggets of wisdom and words of encouragement, that I not only developed an understanding of how MAL works but also matured as a writer in general and an anime reviewer in particular. I’ll always be grateful to those handful of users that were willing to serve as my unofficial guides to MAL when they really didn’t have to. During my three-ish years here, I’ve used this site in a variety of ways, from posting pro-Communist memes to showcasing my ironic support for the world’s first orange president (with creating the short-lived Donald Trump Fan Club during the 2016 Election campaign) to sharing random tidbits of my personal life (*cough* Aflac *cough*), but my main goal has always been to improve my writing skills. Outside of anime reviews, I don’t do very much on this site. I play the various forum games on a consistent basis and I make the occasional post in the official NBA discussion threads; from time to time, I stumble upon the more, um, unpleasant areas of the MAL forums, like AD (insert facepalm here) and Politics (it’s always been a nasty affair on this site, especially as of late) but that’s about it as far as the forums are concerned. Beyond that, I am a proud member of Mega Chaos Collaborative (MCC), a group of fellow MAL users that have been working on a visual novel project since last June; due to our numbers, we often play several roles at once (for example, I am among the script writers in MCC but I’m also a voice actor - albeit one that needs improvement - as well as someone that moonlights as an advisor) but we’ve made a ton of progress so far. I have quite a bit of things that I’d be willing to share about MCC, including an interesting story behind our group name, but I’ll save that for later. Any users you like/dislike? Like: Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time for shoutouts! Seeing that this interview is already pretty lengthy as is, I won’t extend it further by making a long list of people I like. Instead, I’ll take the time to dedicate a few words to a handful of users that I feel deserve special attention. That is to say, if you are a good friend of mine and are disappointed that your name isn’t on here, I just want you to know that I still respect you, your time, your opinions, your advice, and your friendship with me. With that, let’s get started with that list…. @MagnatedTyrant: It would be impossible for me to create any list of MAL users I like and not begin with this guy. You see, Magnated and I go way back. I met him in first grade when we were fighting over who should be first on the playground slide and we’ve been friends ever since. Magnated was always willing to tag along with whatever crazy idea I thought of…. and there were a few ideas of his that I got roped into along the way as well. He’s someone I can count on to link me to the most bizarre YouTube memes, to listen to my ramblings about nothing in particular, to put up with my awkward tendencies, and to give me constructive criticism when it’s necessary. To be honest, I’m terrible at keeping in contact with my IRL friends, especially the ones from my hometown, but thanks to private messaging on this site and the occasional phone call, MagnatedTyrant is an exception. Magnated, if you happen to be reading this, I want to thank you once again for being the one to introduce me to Prison School. @karlstein12: I met this guy on the same day I created an account on this site - in fact, he was not only the first user I encountered but he was also the first friend I ever made on MAL. We’ve been super close ever since. During my time on MAL, karlstein12 and I have gotten into some heated arguments over the most trivial things but, at the end of the day, I’ve always appreciated the conviction he has when stating his case. While we’re on the subject of things I appreciate about karlstein12, he was the one who recommended I watch Hunter x Hunter 2011 and I’ll always be grateful for that. @SummerMambo: He’s not just one of my all-time favorite MAL users; Mambo is also the most positive person I’ve ever had the fortune of encountering. There’s nothing SummerMambo loves more than brightening someone’s day, whether it’s through GIFs, through his writings, or through his heartfelt replies; I can guarantee you that, if you talk to people that know Mambo and ask about him, they’ll have something great to share about how he cheered them up. In a way, SummerMambo is a role model for me; there are very few things I want more than to impact people’s lives like he impacted mine. I’m not entirely sure of when or how I first met SummerMambo but, ever since we became friends, he’s played a strong role in my time on MAL. SummerMambo is someone who encouraged me to write more, who told me to never give up on my dreams even when I wanted to, who provided a proverbial shoulder to lean on in tough times, who cheered me on when hardly anybody did, who made me smile when I needed to, and who causes me to wish that he were still here. You see, SummerMambo left this site in February of last year, more than likely to spread his positivity across the globe; he informed me a few months before he left that he planned to pursue a career in voice acting, specifically with Disney, so that’s what he’s probably doing right now, if I had to guess. SummerMambo, if you happen to be reading this, I want you to know that the world needs more people like yourself. @Skittles: The greatest penguin lover ever! I first met mah B O I through one of MAL’s forum games and we’ve been friends ever since. Skittles is a user who I’ve always had great convos with, whether it’s about what we’re currently watching, the pains of having a career in journalism, the seasonals that look promising, the reviews we’re working on, or simply the random BS that pops up in the forums from time to time. Also, the fact that Skittles and I both have a keen interest in Dynasty Warriors (which IMO is the greatest videogame franchise ever) is really awesome. More than anything else, Skittles is an extraordinarily creative individual; his artistic talent has consistently taken my breath away and his reviews are among the best MAL has to offer. Skittles, if you happen to be reading this, I want you to know I’m really grateful that you helped me in trying to keep the Donald Trump Fan Club alive. Also, please change your name back to CheekyKunt. @MisterGibbon: It’s time for the turtle hermit to shine! Gibbon sort of came across my profile one day and we became good friends ever since. He and I have a shared obsession with shows that venture juuust beyond the public eye (like Tiger & Bunny) and with shows that are virtually unheard-of (like Licensed by Royalty), so that almost immediately struck a chord with me. I also appreciate just how willing Gibbon is in embracing unpopular viewpoints, like, for instance, his stance on the Crest of the Stars franchise, because it’s not something you see very often. Gibbon’s not online very often but, whenever he is, he almost always takes the time to have an insightful discussion with me about whatever he’s watching. MisterGibbon, if you happen to be reading this, I would like to thank you once again for introducing me to Abunai Sisters; it has accomplished so much in enhancing my outlook on life. @CodeBlazeFate: The first time I encountered CBF, I thought that we were complete opposites. However, the more time I spent with him, the more I found things we had in common. For one, we’re both passionate about our writings; another thing is that our sense of humor is pretty similar. I’ve always enjoyed the memes and shitposts he shares on Discord, and the threads on MAL that he linked me to were always top-tier. What also stuck out to me about CBF is how practical his advice was when I informed him about the Aflac opportunity and I would like to take the time here to thank him once again for that. Overall, CodeBlazeFate is not only a great friend to have but he’s also among the more interesting users I’ve had the pleasure of coming across (seriously; you guys really should check out his MAL reviewer hierarchy chart. It’s good stuff). And speaking of CBF… @Moelancholy: I first encountered this guy through a debate on the MfA Discord that he was having with CBF and we became friends ever since. Whenever I’m looking for a seasonal or two to watch, he’s willing to lend a hand. Every once in a while, we have the best music sessions on Discord, just one awesome song after another; while we’re on the subject of music, Pizza was also the one that furthered my love for the vaporwave genre by introducing me to Artzie Music, and I can’t thank him enough for that. Moelancholy, if you happen to be reading this, I want you to know that I haven’t forgotten about the challenge you gave me when we first met. One of these days, I’m going to save up enough money to buy a new DS (my current one has been broken for months now) and then I will destroy you in Mario Kart. @Busta_Rhymes: Also known as Nick. I’m not entirely sure when or how we first met but what I am certain of is that I don’t regret having Nick as a friend. There have tons of obscure anime that I’ve watched thanks to Nick and the soul music session that we had on the MfA Discord a while back was great stuff. Beyond that, I’m grateful for the insightful convos I’ve had with Nick; whether it involves the “dub vs sub” debate, the Dave Chappelle conspiracy theories, the existence of the Freemasons, the merits (or lack thereof) of Hellsing:Ultimate, or my MAL reviews, Nick provides more than a few angles to each topic that I never considered; although I don’t always agree with what he has to say, there’s still something new to take away from each discussion I’ve had with Nick. @MozillaFennekin: Ah, the king of trolls himself! I was first introduced to Mozilla through his god-tier review for Big Order and ever since he’s been a good friend of mine. Mozilla’s one of the main people I go to whenever I’m looking for seasonals to watch, and (more often than not) whatever seasonal he likes ends up being something I enjoy as well; for example, it was mostly because of Mozilla that I started watching Land of the Lustrous. Also, I appreciate just how willing he is to watch whatever weird video I happen to share with him. And that’s the list! Dislike: There are definitely users on here that I dislike. I just don’t feel as though they deserve to be mentioned. How did you get into anime/manga? I was first introduced to this medium through Dragon Ball Z. From there, I started to explore the ingenious, quirky, thought-provoking, heartwarming and just flat-out weird things that anime has to offer. Through my time watching anime, I’ve embraced genres that I had once looked down upon (like shoujos, mechas, and romances), genres that I was previously unfamiliar with (like historical epics and SOLs) and genres that I found interesting but never appreciated (like horrors and sci-fis). I’ve seen shows and films that enhanced my worldview, that fueled my creative juices, that influenced my interactions with others, and boosted my faith in humanity. Even with all of its problems (of which I won’t detail), anime is still something I advocate for due to its impact on my life. It all started with Dragon Ball Z, though. Like any other child of the late 90s and early 2000s, I loved watching the various shows that aired on Cartoon Network (and, by proxy, Toonami). Like any other child of the times, DBZ took precedence over all of the others. I loved Dragon Ball Z as a kid. No; “love” is an inaccurate word to use when describing my feelings for the show as a child. The correct word is “obsessed”; nothing could surpass my obsession with DBZ. I held it in the highest regard; to me, it was absolute perfection. The immortal theme song, the flamboyant techniques, the dramatic flair, the memorable characters, the classic Bruce Faulconer soundtrack, and the sheer manliness of it all were what transformed me into such a raving fanboy at the time. Dragon Ball Z was virtually the only thing I ever talked about, thought of, or exposed myself to. The DBZ videogames that I received for Christmas and on my birthdays were always the highlight of my day. The various songs from the show and the games were always blasting through my living room speakers at some point during the day. The DBZ DVDs were mandatory watching on road trips, at sleepovers, and at rides to the grocery store. It’s safe to say that, as a child, I was one of the biggest fans of the show. Naturally, as I matured, I began noticing DBZ’s murderer’s row of faults (just to name a few, the repetitive storytelling, the casual sexism, the excessive screaming, the low-budget animation, the bloated cast, the various cop-outs, the grating sense of humor, and especially the whole “Namek will explode in five minutes” charade) and I began to drift away from it. This isn’t to say that I completely abandoned my faith in the DBZ franchise (after all, I still enjoy re-watching the movies from time to time and I love receiving updates from @MagnatedTyrant on… whatever DB Super labels as a “plot line”) but my obsession with it is nowhere near as strong as it used to be. This may surprise people but, back when I first started watching Dragon Ball Z, Piccolo wasn’t my favorite character. In fact, he didn’t even come close to holding my interest; at the time, Piccolo was a solid character but hardly someone that stood out from the crowd. Vegeta was who I first swore my loyalty to. He was someone with an awesome voice, a violent streak, a sweet moveset (in the videogames), and a killer theme song; for me, that was enough to view Vegeta as the best DBZ had to offer. However, when I turned eight, I began seeing Piccolo in a new light. It all started with the original Broly film that I saw for the first time a few days after my 8th birthday, where Vegeta devolved into a spineless, blubbering mess and only returned to his usual self when Piccolo told him to grow a pair. After that, I began re-examining Piccolo’s character and my opinion of him, scouring through the various episodes for appearances he made that I neglected in previous viewings. What I found was something that forever altered my opinion of him; not only did his personality, values, and worldview reflect my own in a lot of ways but he was also an infinitely more complex, unique and likable character than I ever credited him for. Compared to Vegeta, Piccolo was someone who I related to and sympathized with far more than the former; more than that, Piccolo not only possessed the same qualities that I admired about Vegeta (the awesome voice, the violent streak, the sweet moveset, and the killer theme song) but he far exceeded them. There’s much more that I could discuss about mah B O I but I’ll leave it at that. What other hobbies do you have outside of anime/manga and MAL? I have quite a few, including some that I’ve completely given up on, like playing the piano, cooking, and collecting sports trading cards. However, there are three hobbies of mine that I’d like to briefly discuss here. Basketball: I’ve had an interest in a few sports, like boxing, fencing, American football, and long-distance running, but basketball has always held my attention the most. I really love playing and watching basketball, the former more so than the latter. I’m absolutely devoted to polishing my jumpshot (and practicing techniques that I pick up from various highlight reels). I’ve always been super competitive, at least when it involves things I really care about, and I think I’m at my most intense when it comes to playing basketball. When it comes to watching basketball, I’m not as serious about it as opposed to being on the court myself but I still care about it quite a bit. For example, I devotedly follow the NBA and the various shenanigans that occur around the league… even if I don’t consistently watch the games until the playoffs roll around. I have a favorite team in the Boston Celtics that I fawn over but I don’t consider myself a diehard or anything. My obsession with the Celtics (and basketball as a whole) started when I happened to see my boy Paul Pierce trading clutch shots with Amar’e Stoudemire at a game during the 2011 season. I fell in love with the sport ever since, although my interest in the NBA started to wane after Pierce retired :( Music: This is a hobby of mine that I’ve cared about for as long as I can remember. I think my love for music started off as a child when my family pressured me into taking piano lessons. It was through those Saturday morning classes that I was exposed to the compositions of Chopin and, although I have long since abandoned the piano (I’ll save the reason why for a later time), his pieces resonated with me. However, my love for music really began to take off a few years later. While rummaging through my parents’ boxes of discs for some PS2 games to play, I happened to find a CD of Tupac’s Better Dayz along with a CD player and, curious as to if it’ll be worth my time, I listened to it all the way through. Needless to say, I became obsessed rather quickly with music in general and hip-hop in particular. There was the (rather embarrassing) stretch of time where I was an Eminem diehard. There was a month or two in my middle school years where I fancied myself a “rapper” (middle school was undoubtedly the lowest point of my life). There was, of course, the cringy phase where I constantly preached about how much better 90s rap is to modern-day rap (nowadays, I still devote myself to that era of music but, at the same time, I’m far more willing to expose myself to what up-and-coming artists have to offer). Dynasty Warriors: If Dragon Ball Z was the biggest influence of my childhood, then Dynasty Warriors (DW) was a distant second. My love for this franchise cannot be done justice by words alone but I will try my best. It was through a cousin of mine that I was introduced to DW and I was almost immediately absorbed into what it had to offer. The games were never terribly complex nor did they demand all that much from you; they were, and are, the ultimate turn-your-brain-off experience. Dynasty Warriors is essentially a series of battles that the character of your choosing not only participates in but dominates. The object of each battle is to defeat as many enemies as possible and DW allows you to have a blast while doing so. As you slaughter legions of faceless foes, you’re not only listening to a collection of excellent songs(DW has, by far, my all-time favorite soundtrackssome of the greatest songs ever ?) but you’re also learning quite a bit about ancient China as well. You see, DW is a hack-and-slash franchise that uses historical figures as their characters and historical events as their battles; while there are naturally aspects of history that DW exaggerates and fictionalizes, overall it’s an excellent presentation of China’s Three Kingdoms period (184 AD - 280 AD); it’s rather beneficial for someone like myself with an interest in world history. The Three Kingdoms is a truly fascinating time period to study and DW serves as an excellent gateway into what the era has to offer. Over the years, I have had issues with the Dynasty Warriors franchise, specifically the Xiahouji debacle (which is easily one of the worst decisions in all of gaming), but through it all, my loyalty has remained intact. I would like to share with you my collection of Dynasty Warriors mini figures; they are my most prized possessions. How do you feel about how this site is run? Especially in regards to the moderators and admins? Based on what I’ve seen, there’s definitely room for improvement. Also, I think this site’s shutdown and re-opening could’ve been better handled. What about anime keeps you coming back for more? Or, what are some aspects about anime that you like, and feel like aren't in other mediums? (from @Taz) I’ve always appreciated how this medium attempts to combine the overactive imagination of Western animation and the realism of live-action television. Also, I feel that anime has far fewer creative restrictions than that of other visual mediums. With Western animation, specifically with shows aimed at younger audiences, there are boundaries to how much you can express your ideas; in comparison, anime doesn’t suffer the same fate, due to its demographic being older (physically, if not mentally) than that of Western animation. With live-action content, there’s usually an insistence from execs and fans to follow the direction of their original sources; in comparison, anime has a handful of diehards that demand their Chinese cartoons stay loyal to the manga but no rational person pays them any mind. This isn’t to say that this medium doesn’t suffer from executive meddling but the incidents are less frequent and less pronounced than that of the others. On an unrelated note, a big part of why I’m here is because of the background art. Anime has the best scenery porn. How do you like your butts? (from @Taz) I like them big. When I say “big”, I don’t mean what’s commonly referred to as “big”. No; I prefer them to have so much size that it’s overwhelming to take in. Matter of fact, I want you to envision the biggest thing you can think of. Now, double its size. When you’re finished, I want you to double its size again. Finally, you are to triple its size. Now, you have a clear picture of what an eighth of my ideal size looks like. Interviewer's note: *insert lenny here* Who would you choose to listen to if you only had a few minutes to live? Desiigner, Lil’ Pump, or XXXTentacion? (from @Skittles) I’m picking XXXTentacion. I really enjoyed his 17 album. Sucks that he’s gone, though. What’s the sickest hip-hop track of all time in your opinion? (from @Skittles) Immortal Technique’s “Creation and Destruction”. Easily. It was the very first song on his rookie album. This was his chance to show the world what he was made of and he really took advantage of it. Sure, the part about alien women makes me cringe everytime I listen to it but, excluding that, I don’t think there’s another rap song that can compete with “Creation and Destruction” in terms of lyrics. Also, the entire 2nd verse is nothing short of phenomenal. (My favorite line: “You don’t want beef with people like me so don’t pretend/ I’ll resurrect your aborted baby/ And kill it again”) Any specific reasons for choosing your Piccolo profile pic? (from @Skittles) I recall using a Piccolo profile pic on THEM Anime but it was different from the one I have on MAL; it was rather generic. When I created an account on this site back in 2015, I wanted to use a profile picture that not only had my favorite character on it but also had some sort of uniqueness to it. When I started scrolling through images, I found one with Piccolo wearing a snapback and, right then and there, I knew it was perfect. The picture is not only a reference to my all-time favorite DBZ filler episode but it also portrays my boy in a more lighthearted way than what he normally receives. Plus, I’ve always appreciated the subtle grin that Piccolo has on his face. It’s been my profile pic since the day I created this account and I think it’s impossible that I’ll ever change it. When did you discover that Piccolo was the best boy ever? (from @CodeBlazeFate) The short answer is I reached this conclusion in the summer of 2012. Before then, I admired the guy mostly because of surface-level details (his cape, his voice, his demeanor, and whatnot) but it was during this time that I became a lifelong fan of his. You see, my younger brother and I, both obsessed with Dragon Ball Z, convinced my father to get involved with the series we loved so much (really, it was my brother that did most of the convincing; he’s far more persuasive than I am). As a result, the three of us basically spent the entire summer binge-watching the franchise from the very beginning. For my father, this was a way to familiarize himself with what DBZ had to offer. For me, however, it was a chance to rewatch the series I once loved as a child and look out for little details that I missed all those years ago. During that re-watch, I ended up seeing a treasure trove of nuances involving Piccolo’s character and that allowed me to look at him in a new light. To me, Piccolo, before that rewatch, was a favorite character from my favorite childhood cartoon and nothing more. However, after that re-watch, he ended up towering far above the standards I set for him. That was when I knew Piccolo was “the best boy ever” and I began to worship him. I still do. The long answer is a little more detailed, as this will explain exactly what it is I found out about Piccolo during that rewatch and why I deify him. How does it feel to be the Metacritic for Anime certified advocate for hidden gems? (from @CodeBlazeFate) I think it would be a good idea to begin by explaining the whole “advocate for hidden gems” thing because I feel as though it might be open to misinterpretation. It was pretty early in my time as a MAL reviewer that I gave myself that nickname. At the time, I was only focused on dissecting and discussing shows that either received critical acclaim or a ton of attention… until I started questioning what I was doing. I began to ask myself, “What exactly separates my reviews on anime like FMAB and Haruhi from everyone else’s?” I wondered what purpose there was in analyzing a series that legions of people have already done; sure, there was a chance that I would be presenting an idea or two about a certain anime that few people had considered… but those odds were slim. Then, I started coming across more and more titles that were unnoticed, ignored and (in some cases) unfairly shunned by the majority of anime viewers. There were hundreds upon hundreds of shows that deserved to attract an audience that would appreciate what they have to offer, and I was determined to try persuading others to watch them. I had finally discovered a purpose to my reviews and I wanted a nickname that reflected my newfound approach: MAL’s advocate for hidden gems. Being a part of Metacritic for Anime gives me an opportunity to share my reviews on obscure shows with other people. It not only helps in improving my writing but it also allows me to use my reviews to rec/ommend hidden gems to more people. About your dream of becoming a writer: how is it going? What kind of stories do you like and would want to write? What are your influences? During my middle school years, I became attracted to the murder mystery genre thanks to a variety of writers, the biggest of them being James Patterson. At the time, I didn’t concern myself with straying from the genre’s cliches or building an overarching theme. I basically wrote like every mystery novelist, inserting the dark alleyways, the stormy nights, the good cop - bad cop dynamics, and the dramatic confessions into every one of my stories while adding nothing that hadn’t already been used before. As I matured, I began realizing how narrow this pursuit was. Why settle for murder mysteries when I could be creating stories with far bigger goals in mind? It was during this phase when I started planning my next project: a fantasy/ psychological drama with real world parallels and political undertones that’s developed over 3 books. I’ve found that I’m more likely to enjoy a story if there’s a real-life connection to it (for example, very few things pique my interest quite like the phrase “based on a true story”) and I plan on working that connection into my project. Currently, the project is still undergoing development. I’ve already established the message I want to convey through this work and I have several fully-formed characters to insert into the story but there are plenty of aspects that I have yet to finish (for one, worldbuilding has never been my strong suit). As far as influences are concerned, my preferences have changed considerably. While my writings were once inspired by a novelist’s content, they are now inspired (to a certain extent) by things like presentation and style. Do you like any other music genres besides hip-hop? Sure do. R&B, soul, and contemporary jazz have always been favorites of mine. The vaporwave/ future funk genre is something I’ve been exposed to within the last year and I’ve loved it ever since. The same can be said for indie pop. Also, I used to be really into cinematic metal (Luca Turilli, The Murder of My Sweet, etc.) but, as of late, I’ve turned away from the genre in favor of prog metal. That’s pretty much it for me in terms of musical interests. How do you think fellow reviewers receive your reviews? If I had to guess, I’d say they generally view them positively. This may be going off-topic but I want to take the time to announce that I’m extremely open towards feedback, advice and criticism about my reviews. If anyone’s down to offering insight on where I can improve, I’m all ears. How do you think the MAL community perceives you as a user? Within this site’s reviewing section, I’m somewhat confident that I’m a familiar face. Within this site’s community as a whole, that confidence is completely gone. Outside of my writings, the only way I interact with most MAL users is through silly forum games. I’m willing to bet the majority of this site’s community don’t even know I exist. Any anecdotes of your time on MAL that you’d like to share with us? I’d like to talk about the time one of my reviews appeared in a Pewdiepie video. It happened in September of last year. He posted a commentary on the most recent Blame! film and, while discussing how people have reacted to the film’s other incarnations, he shared my review on the 2003 ONA. Not only that but Pewdiepie also read the opening line from that review. Granted, this lasted about a few seconds but, for me, it was an amazing experience. As for the review itself, I’m surprised it, out of all of my writings, is the one that gets widespread attention. The first paragraph rambles on and on about topics that have very little to do with the work at hand. When this review discusses the ONA’s animation, it basically amounts to a catalogue of various audiovisual mishaps. Also, the quote near the end is pretty much worthless. Overall, it’s far from my best critique but nonetheless I’ll always be grateful for the 15 seconds of fame it brought me. The video I mentioned is titled “Netflix Is Ruining EVERYTHING I LOVE”. If anyone wants to see the part where my review appears, it’s at the 1:05 mark. Do you see yourself leaving MAL in the future? Definitely not. I don’t think this site is perfect but MAL’s community is far larger than any other alternative. The amount of people that there is to talk to is reason enough for me to stay. Plus, I’m a creature of habit. Constantly using the same site for three to four years straight isn’t an easy thing to break away from. Any feedback on the interview format? I’ve got nothing. I feel as though it’s fine the way it is. Could you recommend us three users from which we can choose to interview in the future? And why? @karlstein12: Surprising pick, I know. I think he’d make a good interview mainly for the anecdotes he’d share about being banned from Facebook twice(?) for excessive shitposting. Also, I’m totally not recommending him because he asked me to. @3xTripple: He’s in charge of Mega Chaos Collaborative (the visual novel group I mentioned earlier). I feel as though he’d be able to share far more about the project, how it started, and the progress we’ve made than I ever could. Besides that, the things 3x has to share about being the son of a silverware magnate is pretty engaging stuff. @Karhu: The man needs no introduction. Whether you love him or hate him (I’m mostly neutral on this topic), there’s no denying Karhu would be an excellent interview. I’m amazed he hasn’t had one done already. Is there something unasked you’d like to talk about? I love reading HeroKenzan’s insults. I absolutely love them. You see, there are certain threads on MAL that are titled “Harshly judge the above user based on _____” and, while the idea behind them is interesting, most of the posts in these threads aren’t enjoyable to read. Consider this: here’s a golden opportunity to create a witty put-down without any boundaries or repercussions whatsoever… and the best you can come up with is “haha your waifu is trash” or “those favorites are soo mainstream”. It’s depressing. Here’s where HeroKenzan differs. He doesn’t settle for isolating and criticizing a certain aspect of a user’s favorites. He also uses that certain aspect to build a larger picture of his target’s identity, which (of course) adds another layer to the insult. And the staggering level of detail he applies to these posts make them that much more entertaining to read. HeroKenzan doesn’t post very often in these threads but it’s almost always worth it when he does. You can find some of them here, here and here. @_HeroKenzan_, I’m a huge fan of your work. End of the interview. Thank you for your time! |
TimeToRepentOct 10, 2018 7:45 AM
 This is how it all begins.  My RYM|My Last.Fm|My Steam |
| Thanks for interviewing me, Time! I'm really grateful to have this opportunity and, even though this took ages to make, I'm glad everything worked out. |
| So, here it is, I'm sorry for the long hold-up. Things happened in the going, to both @bmoore07 and me, yet we managed to make the interview worth the time it took to be complete. Thank you @bmoore07 for sharing your time with us. Such an interesting fella we've got here. As for me, I'd like to announce that this is the last pending work I had for the club, since my run here was over, I wanted to bring you all the pending assignment I had got for you all. This being said, I am officially no longer a member of the MAL Interviews staff. I wanted to thank @Daconator and the rest of the team, especially @Manaban, @_Ako_ and @Golden_Scarlett, for the effort that they put to set the club afloat, at least for a good while. This may also be one of my last actions on this website as well as this being one of my last messages, since I have choosen to step aside and continuing with my projects outside this place. So if anything, all the more reason for me to try to end things the best way possible. Thank you for your attention. Enjoy the interview. |
This is how it all begins. My RYM|My Last.Fm|My Steam |
| Yaaassss finally. Thanks for the mention :) I'd always pictured you to be the type of guy who grew up in a small town, but being a member of a youth program? That's awesome! Would honestly love to be in your shoes and meet Tiger Woods... that is, before he went completely bonkers lol. Aye XXXTentacion. Sad that he's now, you know... :'( At least our lord and savior 6ix9ine is still preaching his gospel I had no idea you were involved in @3xTripple's project. I was interested in becoming part of it back then before my workload got the better of me. If you guys ever finish your project, I'd love to see it! This was a damn good read overall. Your usual meticulous writing style for your reviews really shows in this piece. Hope you continue writing stuff like your wacky Aho Girl review xD Thank you @TimetoRepent for this interview. Wish you all the best with your future endeavors! |
 |
| Ayyyyy, you finally got that interview. That was a juggernaut of an interview. A lot of stuff I didn’t k is about. Damn, I didn’t think we were ever polar opposites lol but man, glad to have been mentioned here. You’re welcome for that advice that one time, man. lol that review hierarchy badly needs an update if I ever decide to do it. Glad to know I’m interesting, at least, and that both of us are still passionate as ever on our writings. lol Pizza, the Metacritic arguments never end. That’s...quite an analysis on Piccolo. As someone who hasn’t exactly seen Dragon Ball, I only know of what he did in there through clips and word of mouth. From that perspective, this is a bit of an eye-opener. Man, oh man, you should find a way to share that analysis more publicly. WOOT NICK QT BUI |
CodeBlazeFateOct 10, 2018 7:53 PM
| Being wrong is just an occupational hazard. Follow me on twitter. I have an anitube channel so feel free to check it out and subscribe if you like what you see. |
Skittles said: Yaaassss finally. Thanks for the mention :) I'd always pictured you to be the type of guy who grew up in a small town, but being a member of a youth program? That's awesome! Would honestly love to be in your shoes and meet Tiger Woods... that is, before he went completely bonkers lol. Aye XXXTentacion. Sad that he's now, you know... :'( At least our lord and savior 6ix9ine is still preaching his gospel I had no idea you were involved in @3xTripple's project. I was interested in becoming part of it back then before my workload got the better of me. If you guys ever finish your project, I'd love to see it! This was a damn good read overall. Your usual meticulous writing style for your reviews really shows in this piece. Hope you continue writing stuff like your wacky Aho Girl review xD Thank you @TimetoRepent for this interview. Wish you all the best with your future endeavors! As of right now, the finishing touches are being put in place on the project. I don't think we've made a release date yet. CodeBlazeFate said: Ayyyyy, you finally got that interview. That was a juggernaut of an interview. A lot of stuff I didn’t k is about. Damn, I didn’t think we were ever polar opposites lol but man, glad to have been mentioned here. You’re welcome for that advice that one time, man. lol that review hierarchy badly needs an update if I ever decide to do it. Glad to know I’m interesting, at least, and that both of us are still passionate as ever on our writings. lol Pizza, the Metacritic arguments never end. That’s...quite an analysis on Piccolo. As someone who hasn’t exactly seen Dragon Ball, I only know of what he did in there through clips and word of mouth. From that perspective, this is a bit of an eye-opener. Man, oh man, you should find a way to share that analysis more publicly. WOOT NICK QT BUI About Piccolo, I really appreciate the suggestion. I'll probably share that analysis through a blog post or something. |
bmoore07 said: Nice! I can imagine a two-parter, one being a copy-paste of what you mentioned here, and the other being the DBZ side of things.Skittles said: Yaaassss finally. Thanks for the mention :) I'd always pictured you to be the type of guy who grew up in a small town, but being a member of a youth program? That's awesome! Would honestly love to be in your shoes and meet Tiger Woods... that is, before he went completely bonkers lol. Aye XXXTentacion. Sad that he's now, you know... :'( At least our lord and savior 6ix9ine is still preaching his gospel I had no idea you were involved in @3xTripple's project. I was interested in becoming part of it back then before my workload got the better of me. If you guys ever finish your project, I'd love to see it! This was a damn good read overall. Your usual meticulous writing style for your reviews really shows in this piece. Hope you continue writing stuff like your wacky Aho Girl review xD Thank you @TimetoRepent for this interview. Wish you all the best with your future endeavors! As of right now, the finishing touches are being put in place on the project. I don't think we've made a release date yet. CodeBlazeFate said: Ayyyyy, you finally got that interview. That was a juggernaut of an interview. A lot of stuff I didn’t k is about. Damn, I didn’t think we were ever polar opposites lol but man, glad to have been mentioned here. You’re welcome for that advice that one time, man. lol that review hierarchy badly needs an update if I ever decide to do it. Glad to know I’m interesting, at least, and that both of us are still passionate as ever on our writings. lol Pizza, the Metacritic arguments never end. That’s...quite an analysis on Piccolo. As someone who hasn’t exactly seen Dragon Ball, I only know of what he did in there through clips and word of mouth. From that perspective, this is a bit of an eye-opener. Man, oh man, you should find a way to share that analysis more publicly. WOOT NICK QT BUI About Piccolo, I really appreciate the suggestion. I'll probably share that analysis through a blog post or something. |
| Being wrong is just an occupational hazard. Follow me on twitter. I have an anitube channel so feel free to check it out and subscribe if you like what you see. |
Skittles said: Yaaassss finally. Thanks for the mention :) I'd always pictured you to be the type of guy who grew up in a small town, but being a member of a youth program? That's awesome! Would honestly love to be in your shoes and meet Tiger Woods... that is, before he went completely bonkers lol. I had no idea you were involved in @3xTripple's project. I was interested in becoming part of it back then before my workload got the better of me. If you guys ever finish your project, I'd love to see it! This was a damn good read overall. Your usual meticulous writing style for your reviews really shows in this piece. Hope you continue writing stuff like your wacky Aho Girl review xD! Yeah, I didn't even know this group existed either 😲 was interesting reading through bmoore's interview and I'd be open to doing one in the future |
| Congrats on the interview |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| Aye, thanks for stopping by, Ando! (After re-reading this interview, I noticed I slipped up with one of the mentions. I'll take the time here to fix that) @Taz_ I confused your name with another user. My bad. I answered the questions you gave me, my man. Here's to hoping you enjoy my responses. |
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