Hi I'm Christopher I'm a high-school English teacher and I watch anime in my spare time. I find the genre to be imaginative and inspired, and it combines my passions for art, writing, music, storytelling and people. I haven't seen an awful lot, but I feel as though I have a pretty solid grasp on the genres and culture from what I have seen. If you have any recommendations though feel free to send them to me though be warned it may take me a while to get to them. My plan to watch is a wild beast that refuses to be tamed.
I'm also getting into manga more and more, and I can't seem to find any good manga list so I EAT UP manga recommendations. Please send those my way!
I'm planning on trying to start some sort of YouTube channel once I get the tech set up, so be on the lookout for that!
Reviews
When I review a show I pretty much just analyze it and explain my thoughts on it. My intention is to strike up conversations with similar interest to mine, not really to be helpful. Whoops.
Here's my list scale:
1 - I irrationally hate it.
2 - Either spectacularly dull or I irrationally hate it.
3 - Probably outsourced.
4 - American Cheese. I eat it when no one's looking but I've never felt good about it.
5 - Parmesan Cheese. Delicious in the right moment, but needs something to go with it,
6 - Mozzarella Cheese. Worth going out of your way to add it to your cheese platter.
7 - Extra Sharp Cheddar Cheese. Honestly why are you not eating it already?
8 - I have probably just like one actual gripe with it, and it's usually the fact that it's not literally cheese.
9 - A Dominoes Deep-Dish Eight-Cheese Pizza with Triple Cheese and Cheese Sauce Instead of Tomato Sauce.
10 - The only thing better than cheese.
My list is a pretty positive thing because hey, I just don't like watching bad stuff. If I'm pretty certain that a show is not going to change my mind about it or not really be a useful experience, I'll just drop it, and I don't really seek out stuff that I don't think I'll like.
How I Feel About Stuff
Q. Dub vs. Sub?
A. Subs honestly sound more natural to me at this point, so I usually prefer them in most situations. The only time I'll actively seek out a dub is with a comedy, because subs kinda ruin comedic timing. This implies that there are good anime comedies though, which there aren't, so yeah it's pretty much all subs. I don't really judge anyone for how they watch their shows though, it usually translates to more or less the same thing,.
Q. Your list scores don't perfectly reflect the scores in your reviews?
A. I just change numbers around a lot as I expand my list and put things into perspective. Don't stress the numbers, I wrote notes for pretty much everything and those are much more helpful for determining how I feel about stuff.
Q. Fanservice?
A. You know, I think I'm starting to become numb to it. It's much more so the way it's used that irks me at this point. If there's some unnecessary booty shot I just groan and forget about it, but if you have stuff that legitimately degrades and dehumanizes the (almost always female) characters, the show usually loses a point right there. Generally though, just get that shit out of my face. Doujins and hentai exist for a reason, if I wanna jack off I'll google that shit.
Don't shove your shitty stand-in for a plot hook into my fiction.
Q. What are your preferred genres?
A. I like fantasy. Not the weird shit with medieval high-schools and mechas and magic that works like math. Legit fantasy. High fantasy. People shit in a bucket and have a 40-year life expectancy fantasy. Spice & Wolf kinda stories. Mm yeah. That's my jam.
I also like romances. I can dig a good rom-com, but I especially love when romances become a major part of the plot in a show that is otherwise not a romance. And, if we're going to christmasland, I will buy the DVDs on the spot if the romance is both poignant and incidental and not milked for drama. So again, kinda... Spice & Wolf. Is Spice & Wolf actually my favorite show and I just don't know it yet? Maybe.
I don't like mechas. If I see a big robot in an opening I'll probably just turn it off. I legit can't stand them, they bore me to death.
I don't like cute girls doing cute things shows. I can appreciate their existence and I totally respect anyone who eats that up. The idea is great. But I can't do it. I get nothing from them.
I don't like shows where small cute things with half a personality die just to get you to cry. That, to me, is a quick and easy warning bell that I'm watching something dumb. Most people hate Shou Tucker for being a not-so-nice dude, I hate him for being the harbinger that signaled I was about to waste 30 hours of my life watching a bad show.
Most of all though I hate imbeciles who categorize their interests based on genre as though there weren't exceptions to every rule and execution was quintessential. Those people are narrow-minded human garbage.
That's about all, sorry for all the wordy pretentious text combined with the non-existent attempt at formatting, and thanks for stopping by!
Feel free to leave a comment about anything! I don't always respond in a timely fashion, but I assure you I will eventually. That's why I'm on here after all, to talk about these things that I like. Oh, and I do keep a blog on MAL and write anything from essays (like that HxH one geez that thing is frightening to look at) to blurbs with relative frequency, so feel free to check that out too! I always appreciate feedback on that stuff. It should be right below.
I really, really enjoyed your review of Evangelion. After watching it the first time, honestly, I had no idea what to make of what the show was giving me. Should I like it? Should I dislike it? Mostly I had no idea what to think, and I was little on the negative side, but your review of it made me think that I guess this is how I'm supposed to feel about it.
I really liked the points you made when it came to why it's considered overrated and how it is also considered a classic. Many of the things you said, I thought to myself as well, such as why they couldn't just find a 14-year-old who was more fit to pilot the EVA, or better yet, why 14-year-olds at all? It's kind of like how in Pokemon once you reach ten-years-old you are apparently allowed to roam the world by yourself catching pocket monsters. Then again, that's a Nintendo video game series; haha, we're not supposed to take that seriously at all, and it's honestly hilarious.
In short, I really liked how you organized your review of it, and maybe I'll rewatch it someday and I have a different opinion on it. I heard the Rebuilds are decent; maybe I'll give them a shot. :)
Hey, I loved your FMA:B review. It was really well-written. As a huge fan of FMA, I can agree with some of the points you made and I'm not offended at all by your review. I don't agree with your point that it gets too much praise (honestly, when you compare it to all of the garbage anime with the same recycled tropes that come out time and time again, it's not too much of a stretch to call it a 'masterpiece'. It's not the BEST, but it's one of the best) but I can see why you made that point. It's true that some fans can get very 'rabid' when it comes to anything remotely negative about FMA, after all. Also, the "I'll get your body back" point you made was so TRUE. It was a bit annoying having that repeated so often throughout the entire series.
But anyways, your review was very well-rounded and I enjoyed reading it!
I'm glad you were already considering some of them^^ Haha, well, Kuroko no Basket is overall pretty loved, but also has some semi-fair but harsh critics tearing it down, so I guess I was indirectly warning you about that.
I admit that Shiki, Penguindrum and Nana don't have much in common, but those were the ones that stood out the most in your list so I felt like mentioning them. Now I already read your Shiki blog, and I remember the same epic-feels through the last episodes, but I think I felt tricked for watching those characters ask such questions so late into the game. It could be though that my expectations were already too high for the sort of story they wanted to tell, so I might rewatch it someday.
And about Nana... I personally love Nana especially for those kind of moments, Hachiko's the kind of girl that's so unbelievably rare in anime shows to watch even though I think she's much more relevant in reality than say the tsunderes and yanderes, but I understand the feelings of being so pissed off at certain events it'll ruin the experience (something I struggled with during Haruhi) so I guess all I can say about that is don't force it if you don't feel like it or it might only get worse.
Also, something I was wondering on the sidelines, have you not watched Koyomimonogatari? Or have just not added it to your list?
In any case, thank you for listening and responding^^ I look forward to hearing your thoughts about those shows.
Hey there! I've come across your profile semi-regularly (bravo FMA:B review) and I noticed that you updated your blog recently. I respect how open you are about yourself and your thoughts and interpretations are an interesting read. It looks like our tastes are pretty similar in some regards. When I read that lately you prefer easy entertainment over KAMI-level thanks to your job a few series popped up in my mind so yeah, here I am.
First of all for action/shounen I think Mob Psycho 100 does a pretty good job even as it's fairly straightforward in its content. It's pretty much One Punch Man but then, in my opinion, more engaging. Secondly - and I'm surprised you don't even have this one in your list - Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou is a romcom with two solid leads (even if the art is cough cough at times). Easy to watch for it's energetic atmosphere but definitely one of the very very few good shoujo romcoms out there. Thirdly if you feel like action/gore/seinen Claymore is good in conveying tone and has a pretty interesting premise that develops over time. It's somewhat similar to Berserk, but personally Claymore managed to draw me in better.
Now I'm well-aware that my next two suggestions are rather risky but I'll betray myself if I don't mention them so here it goes. Zankyou no Terror has a great soundtrack and the art style works really well for what it wants to convey. There are complaints about some developments mid-story but I think that as long as you watch it with a what-I-see-is-what-I-get kind of mindset and don't expect any grandiose answers those things won't be a problem and it's worth an honest try.
Lastly, Kuroko no Basket. Did she just- yeah she just- Kuroko no Bask-?! YEAH I SAID IT. I mean, I could probably write essays about it just because I love it so much even as I know that it's not that 'goodcomplexdeep' etc but that's beyond the point. If you ever feel like watching shounen and sports in one then Kuroko no Basket is your next best bet (next to Haikyuu and Slam Dunk). The only reason I even mention it is because you're not looking for any 2deep4me tier right now and KnB is great at living in the moment. At the very least the story progression is consistent. And it's 100% objectively, scientifically and artistically better than Nanatsu no Taizai and Shokugemi so there is that as well ha haha hahaha hahahaha #justiceforKnB
Kidding, kidding. ish. :')
In any case, that's pretty much all I have to offer if easy watches are welcome every now and then. Of course those suggestions are colored by personal taste and all but you might feel like giving some of them a shot. I hope you'll find a way to make things less energy-draining at your job and if you ever feel like discussing why Shiki and Mawaru Penguindrum worked for you and Nana didn't, I'm never one to decline such an interesting conversation hehe.
Thoroughly agree with your FMA: Brotherhood review. I thought it was overall pretty good but it's mind-boggling to me how the vast majority of the anime community deems it the best thing ever. I personally found myself bored for a large portion of the second act due to pacing issues and don't even get me started on the tonal inconsistency. Anyways, love your writing style but that should be a given considering you're an English teacher and I look forward to reading more of your reviews.
Exactly, however I think in some scenarios there can be a universal "bad" and "good." I can't think of anything specifically (unless you include the universal hate towards the Emoji movie), but in most cases, yes, our perspectives shape the quality of something. It really just depends on what head-space we're in, what age we are, the amount of art we've watched, etc.
No problem! I try to take others opinions into consideration. It's rare these days to even find a constructive review since when most people "dislike" something, they just throw it completely under the bus without any substance to back up their points.
Despite my opinion and overall view on FMA;B, I agree with your review. Perhaps my own biases are my downfall for my score and impression of the anime, but your review is accurate for the most part. I guess it just comes down to how we view each plot device and character. Still, it's interesting to hear another more complex opinion on FMA;B than "wow this is great 10/10" kind of review.
Hello there! I just wanted to stop by and mention that I've been reading most of your blogs and stuff for solid minutes and I have to say that I really enjoy your style of writing and how you express yourself. Too many times I see people try to focus on being "objective" at all times when in reality i find that to be way less interesting than someone who embraces subjectivity and explains how they feel on a personal level with the things they love. You have really interesting tastes and i applaud you for taking the time to write about all the random tidbits that cross your mind. You somehow have inspired me to start writing my own blogs because too many times I've had very specific thoughs that I've been dying to get out there, only to immediately feel frustruation that i don't have some time of an outlet or internet presence that I can use to communicate them. Now that I've read your stuff I can see posting blogs here is am option and somehow someone will read them. Also, I find it cool that you're an English teacher and so dedicated to chinese cartoons. Guess that's not too out there, but I don't usually see teachers on mal for sone reason. Anyways, cheers from a rando that read most of your shit :)
All Comments (307) Comments
Your open-minded and comprehensive approach to writing that review was really wonderful.
Hope your review becomes the first one people read on there; it's probably the best review I've read on this site.
I really liked the points you made when it came to why it's considered overrated and how it is also considered a classic. Many of the things you said, I thought to myself as well, such as why they couldn't just find a 14-year-old who was more fit to pilot the EVA, or better yet, why 14-year-olds at all? It's kind of like how in Pokemon once you reach ten-years-old you are apparently allowed to roam the world by yourself catching pocket monsters. Then again, that's a Nintendo video game series; haha, we're not supposed to take that seriously at all, and it's honestly hilarious.
In short, I really liked how you organized your review of it, and maybe I'll rewatch it someday and I have a different opinion on it. I heard the Rebuilds are decent; maybe I'll give them a shot. :)
But anyways, your review was very well-rounded and I enjoyed reading it!
I admit that Shiki, Penguindrum and Nana don't have much in common, but those were the ones that stood out the most in your list so I felt like mentioning them. Now I already read your Shiki blog, and I remember the same epic-feels through the last episodes, but I think I felt tricked for watching those characters ask such questions so late into the game. It could be though that my expectations were already too high for the sort of story they wanted to tell, so I might rewatch it someday.
And about Nana... I personally love Nana especially for those kind of moments, Hachiko's the kind of girl that's so unbelievably rare in anime shows to watch even though I think she's much more relevant in reality than say the tsunderes and yanderes, but I understand the feelings of being so pissed off at certain events it'll ruin the experience (something I struggled with during Haruhi) so I guess all I can say about that is don't force it if you don't feel like it or it might only get worse.
Also, something I was wondering on the sidelines, have you not watched Koyomimonogatari? Or have just not added it to your list?
In any case, thank you for listening and responding^^ I look forward to hearing your thoughts about those shows.
First of all for action/shounen I think Mob Psycho 100 does a pretty good job even as it's fairly straightforward in its content. It's pretty much One Punch Man but then, in my opinion, more engaging. Secondly - and I'm surprised you don't even have this one in your list - Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou is a romcom with two solid leads (even if the art is cough cough at times). Easy to watch for it's energetic atmosphere but definitely one of the very very few good shoujo romcoms out there. Thirdly if you feel like action/gore/seinen Claymore is good in conveying tone and has a pretty interesting premise that develops over time. It's somewhat similar to Berserk, but personally Claymore managed to draw me in better.
Now I'm well-aware that my next two suggestions are rather risky but I'll betray myself if I don't mention them so here it goes. Zankyou no Terror has a great soundtrack and the art style works really well for what it wants to convey. There are complaints about some developments mid-story but I think that as long as you watch it with a what-I-see-is-what-I-get kind of mindset and don't expect any grandiose answers those things won't be a problem and it's worth an honest try.
Lastly, Kuroko no Basket. Did she just- yeah she just- Kuroko no Bask-?! YEAH I SAID IT. I mean, I could probably write essays about it just because I love it so much even as I know that it's not that 'goodcomplexdeep' etc but that's beyond the point. If you ever feel like watching shounen and sports in one then Kuroko no Basket is your next best bet (next to Haikyuu and Slam Dunk). The only reason I even mention it is because you're not looking for any 2deep4me tier right now and KnB is great at living in the moment. At the very least the story progression is consistent. And it's 100% objectively, scientifically and artistically better than Nanatsu no Taizai and Shokugemi so there is that as well ha haha hahaha hahahaha #justiceforKnB
Kidding, kidding. ish. :')
In any case, that's pretty much all I have to offer if easy watches are welcome every now and then. Of course those suggestions are colored by personal taste and all but you might feel like giving some of them a shot. I hope you'll find a way to make things less energy-draining at your job and if you ever feel like discussing why Shiki and Mawaru Penguindrum worked for you and Nana didn't, I'm never one to decline such an interesting conversation hehe.
Cheers!
No problem! I try to take others opinions into consideration. It's rare these days to even find a constructive review since when most people "dislike" something, they just throw it completely under the bus without any substance to back up their points.