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Anarcho capitalist

My entire list is at anidb, my recommended list is this
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1f1CLZxXadIHycg-IXsrnEPfzOYxV_UGAACalUoGb1AM/edit?usp=sharing

What's up mah dude. I haven't updated my list in some time.

Thank you for enjoying my profile description. I did put a bit of time into it one day.

No don't worry there's no such offense. My viewpoints are more based on aesthetic than any political alignment. There can be many different approaches to the same subject matter and it's the light that the matter is cast in that determines what they're really saying. I'm not really taking many of the ideas of Arjuna literally, as a lot of them are unfeasible or oversimplifications of things. But I like where they're coming from.

Besides, my family comes from communist China, so while I wouldn't refrain from looking at history through dialectic materialism, I would very much be opposed to the far left.

I'm glad you're enjoying Arjuna! Though I don't think there's a corporate effort to bash it. It's more like most people won't look at series with respect to its spirit more than its superficialities.

" Bro... Are you a communist too?!

...I can almost feel the dialectical materialism coming off your posts..."

Huh?? Please elaborate.

I can totally understand the appeal of the series too. After all, I picked it out because it looked and felt very interesting. It's certainly unique in anime. I should clarify that it's not like I don't like coming of age/coming out of your shell themes. It's just that I've rarely seen it done well. It takes a certain authenticity to pull it off. Just curious, what is your interpretation of the themes?

For Arjuna, like you I'd point your attention to a preexisting review--- syncrogazer's. And windmage's review on anidb also gives a similar perspective. The thing about Arjuna is that it's similar to Zettai Shounen in that it's kind of a deliberate aesthetic choice on the part of the viewer to like it. Short of saying it has a lot of problems, it's got a lot of quirks and is very rough around the edges. The major issue for a lot of people would be its environmental preachiness. It's also episodic in favor of exploring the day of day life of the protagonist in her new role instead of being action based. However, despite the preachiness, I think the series has enough authenticity, earnestness, and sheer artistic imagination to be appreciated as more than the sum of its parts. It's kind of like how Ghibli movies are preachy anti-war/pro-environment movies for kids but you can't help but love them. Besides the unique visuals and one of Yoko Kanno's more underrated soundtracks, it has unique aesthetic choices like the title cards using real life photos and the real life segments. Despite its overt preachiness, there are hints that the series is self-aware of its treehugging stance and how hard it is to implement in today's age. It also has an earnest portrayal of the relationship between Juna and her boyfriend, which was rendered with more authenticity than most other anime relationships. Unlike most other anime, they come across as real people and the drama is not there for the sake of melodrama but for the sake of promoting wholesome understanding between people. It's NOT the will-they-or-won't-they BS but rather two people already in a relationship facing legitimate problems. It also tries to tackle other relationships, which may make it messier and more unfocused considering the environmental theme, as well as more preachy, but for me it somehow all made sense with respect to the whole artistic package.

Despite its flaws I think this is a much better attempt at environmentalism than something like Parasyte, which came off as ultra-edgy and had none of the beauty that would be fitting of a work that aligns itself with nature. Because don't get me wrong, in any other case I'd slam a series for promoting tree-hugging in a one-dimensional way (and I have) but in this case the execution made the difference.

But anyway, yeah, I've probably hyped it up too much. There's a good chance you'll be turned off by the preachiness and messiness anyway, which is very understandable.

Thank you for your detailed response.

First off, I actually like the music, even if it's repetitive. And I don't mind slow pace coupled with thick atmospheres; it can work if done with the right touch. The reason this is done is to hint at something beneath the surface and engage the viewer in trying to figure out what that is. However, after 13 episodes I really couldn't read anything from it. The most I can surmise is that it's a coming of age tale of sorts where people learn to communicate with each other and come out of their shells. And Ayumu learns to not be stuck in childhood or something along those lines. However, love triangles are a sore spot for me and it seemed like, character-wise, it was your basic anime high school/teenage stuff.

Maybe I just didn't catch whiff of the clues and/or the second half is better, so feel free to illuminate that for me, but if I'm right then I'll just say that I'm not fond of most anime high school/teenage stuff because I disagree heavily with their view of youth and school life. On the other hand, if you think I've got the wrong impression, then I will check out the second half.

What's your opinion on Zettai Shounen? I dropped it midway through.

Hey! I'm glad someone appreciated my Patapata review. It seems we do hold pretty similar opinions for the most part among our shared anime. I have reviews for some but not most, so feel free to discuss any rating. It seems you also added some anime from my list to your PTW, which I very much appreciate. The ones you added are IMO very underappreciated. Feel free to ask me why I think so.