They stand back to back, Jazz and Classical, fully pressed against one another. Although they face in different directions, a fundamental connecting line runs between the two. There’s an undeniable relationship between Jazz and Classical music that many musicians have the misfortune of never acknowledging, but that nonetheless is ever present in every note and beat. I was one such musician.
Anime advertisement on my person is a very new thing to me; I have never before owned any clothing with anime or kawaii designs. That was mostly because I just didn’t know where to purchase such items, but also had a good deal to do with my own embarrassment about revealing such out-of-character hobbies as a college student. It’s only recently that I’ve become a bit more comfortable with my hobbies–if people want to be my friend, they might as well get to know everything about me sooner rather than later!
This winter review includes thoughts and ratings on Ano Natsu de Matteru, Another, Bakuman 2, Black Rock Shooter, Brave 10, Chihayafuru, Danshi Koukousek no Nichijou, Inu x Boku SS, Last Exile: Fam, the Silver Wing, Mirai Nikki, Natsume Yuujinchou Shi, Persona 4 The Animation, Phi Brain: Kami no Puzzle, Rinne no Lagrange, Senki Zesshou Symphogear, and Zero no Tsukaima F. Spoilers are included for many of them, so tread carefully.
The truth is that I’m the last person you’d probably see shopping at a Hot Topic, a store I stopped buying clothing from way back in high school. I went through my punk/skater-ish phase and realized that I preferred more laid back, neutral clothing. I like to let the accessories shine! But, when shopping for a friend’s birthday, I couldn’t help but notice the Hatsune Miku t-shirt hanging on display in the store. I had to have it, and have it I did.
The scene flashed by, but if you were paying attention, you may have caught the nod towards Ernest Hemingway. The renowned author was also a dedicated angler who devoted quite a few of his writings to the art of fishing. You may have even read some of his works in school; the first one that came to my mind was The Old Man and The Sea. ajthefourth wrote a fascinating piece on the first episode over at Altair and Vega, complete with her own personal experience with fishing, and I would like to jump from that into my own views of this new anime and its aquatic theme.
Continue reading
I’ve been staring at my blog a lot recently and wondering if I could choose a better theme. I’ve tested a few out, and decided to compare my current “Twenty Eleven” theme to the potential “Forever” theme. Below are a few screenshots of each for side-by-side comparison.
For more information or previews on the themes, click below:
Twenty Eleven Info and Preview | Forever Info and Preview
I’m going to push these two out quickly so I can place together my next three spring shows into one post of awesome sauce. That’s how spectacular the schedule for Thursday really is. The following two anime, Natsuiro Kiseki and Phi Brain 2 aren’t bad per se, but when compared to many of the shows airing this season as well, the odds aren’t so much in their favor of staying on my already busy viewing schedule. Regardless, I’ll stick it through for a few more episodes each to really decide whether or not I want to keep them.
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Sankarea
Undecided
Like with Shirokuma Cafe, Sankarea wasn’t even close to being on my radar after my season preview. I’m just not feeling the whole anime zombie craze. I was good with Highschool of the Dead‘s rampant sexuality and gore, but dropped Kore wa Zombie Desu ka? after just one episode. Sankarea looks to be riding on their coattails with its generic pretty girl and cat-haired male lead. And yet, I read a few reviews, notably from The Cart Driver and Guardian Enzo, that tempted me to ignore the warning bells going off in my head.
Shirokuma Cafe
Watching
Thanks to the kind prodding of bloggers Riyoga and Foxy Lady Ayame, I picked up this show that I had previously dismissed. Shirokuma Cafe is an odd cross between slapstick humor and clever commentary. The main laughs stem from the oddity of seeing these exotic animals, including a polar bear, empire penguin, panda, sloth, and several others, acting like humans amongst humans. I’m not sure how long the novelty will remain entertaining through out the rest of the show, but I’m willing to give it a chance after the success of this first episode.
The Aniblog Tourney is just around the corner, starting April 15th, and I encourage every one of my readers to participate. Not only does voting urge the bloggers to up their ante, but it promotes communication between all parties involved. I greatly appreciate the chance to collaborate so closely with my readers and fellow bloggers and hope that the results, no matter if a “win” or a “loss,” will inspire me to become a better writer.
Update: Anime B&B will be up for Round 2 on May 6th, so I look forward to seeing you then!
Update: I luckily made it through the second round and will enter Round 3 on a date still to be announced!
Rules | Dates | Full Tourney Bracket
And for some interesting coverage on the Tourney, check out TRazor and TWWK’s previews.
