[12 Days of Anime] Day 2: BIRDIE WING’s Bullet to the Brain

While there were a number of entertaining series starting off the year in the winter, very few at the time jumped off the screen in a manner unique from the other. When you considered sports-focused shows specifically, the field narrowed even further–Tribe Nine certainly proved itself creative with its handling of futuristic baseball. However, it wasn’t until the spring with the unveiling of anime-original BIRDIE WING -Golf Girls’ Story- that I felt something truly special. Where else could I imagine something as ridiculous as a shot through a moving train and off a rake to the green, or an underground, transformable, full-size golf course?

[12 Days of Anime] Day 1: Live and Let Live with DIY

The 14th of December marks the beginning of the 12 Days of Anime, an event I’ve had a smattering of experience with over the years, sometimes participating, sometimes completely forgetting about it, and even more commonly losing steam part way through. Hopefully this year will be an example of the first, though I’ll likely keep the posts a bit short to accommodate my procrastinating nature.

Fall anime Do It Yourself!! leads with Day 1 and its live and let live lesson featured prominently in episode nine, “Does ‘DIY’ Mean a Shocking Surprise? How Unexpected! It’s Really Unexpected!” This is when Serufu invites the club to her home to demonstrate her improved skills by building a pig house. Her continued struggles reveal her insecurity that results in her friends banding together to remind her of her worth.

7th Day of Anime: Sarazanmai

I still have a hard time believing I actually sat down and watched this show, much less finished it given my initial impressions. You can backtrack to the two podcast episodes Draggle and I recorded on it: in one, I lambast the series‘ not-so-subtle rape, and in the other I marvel at the character development and metaphors of online versus offline connectivity. That 180 in attitude towards the show occurred through much of the season while it aired, and I would not in good conscience recommend the anime to someone without fully knowing their tastes. Regardless, Sarazanmai was one of the most memorable shows of the year and with high rewatchability.

6th Day of Anime: Kono Oto Tomare

I can feel the flames of the 12 Days of Anime licking at my heels as I write this from the east coast and it’s already past midnight. I tell myself were I back home in Seattle, I’d still be a few hours within the safety lines. The holiday activities are ramping up!

Today I bring you Kono Oto Tomare! Sounds of Life, a series that started airing in the spring and already is on a second season as we enter into the winter. The first episode had me teetering on the edge of dropping this show despite my interest in the subject, and I have my stubbornness to thank for sticking with it and finding one of my favorite stories of 2019.

5th Day of Anime: Dororo

It was with great surprise and pleasure that I learned about the anime adaptation of Dororo, an Osamu Tezuka’s late 1960s manga which I encountered first in its 2007 live action format. Back then, I didn’t have the understanding yet that many Japanese live action films and series were adaptations of manga and anime, and so didn’t try to pursue beyond the movie I loved. Now that I have seen the 2019 anime, I’d like to go back and read the manga as well as watch the 1969 anime to find out for myself just how much material was changed. That isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy what we received; on the contrary, I thought the story one of the most interesting of the year due to its style and and characters.

4th Day of Anime: ASTRA LOST IN SPACE

Book like Ender’s Game and anime series like Stellvia of the Universe had a younger me dreaming of an alternate reality where I, too, could enroll in a student space program and head out into the stars. Unfortunately, the settings in those two specific works were products of alien invasions threatening the very existence of humanity. Then I was exposed to works like Star Trek and Cowboy Bebop, where exploration for the sake of exploration drove the directions of their stories. I loved both styles, and continued to dream of a future where travel between planets was as normal as a flight to another country. ASTRA fills that craving with its colorful cast and varied environments, mixing an exhilarating sense of adventure with a persistent feeling of danger.

3rd Day of Anime: Fire Force

Fire Force made it to my 12 Days of Anime for a number of reasons, and not all positive. While it certainly presents itself well on a visual front, other areas like timing and characters are memorable for more distasteful aspects. Regardless, I do consider the show among some of the most artistic presentations of the year with its cinematography and use of sound effects.

1st Day of Anime: After School Dice Club

It’s that time of year again where we look back at the previous year of anime and reflect on 12 powerful moments–great or terrible, that’s up to the rememberer.

This year, I start with After School Dice Club, a choice I’m sure will surprise many of you. It is neither extraordinary nor ill-written. Some might even describe it as forgettable fluff. Yet the moment this show was announced and the first game made its appearance, I knew I had to watch it.

[12 Days of Anime] Day 1: Sakura Quest and Looking into the Future

Merry Christmas, and Day 1 of the Twelve Days of Anime!

We’ve finally arrived at the end of the series, and I’ve chosen Sakura Quest to lead us into the next year—not because it was the best of 2017, or even necessarily my favorite. Sakura Quest had its ups and downs. There was a time where I was worried the plot wasn’t going anywhere. With enough failures, and never ending communication, Yoshino grew along with Manoyama and found a new purpose in life. That’s the message I want to take to heart and relay to you now: learn from the mistakes of this past year, speak openly with the people around you, and strive to improve in the future. Whatever your belief, I wish you a wonderful holiday season and new year.

[12 Days of Anime] Day 2: Space and the Loneliness It Brings in Land of the Lustrous

You didn’t think I was going to write 12 Days without referencing one of the best series of the year, did you? There is no participating in the event without Land of the Lustrous (Houseki no Kuni), which from the opening scenes established itself as a classic in the making. Everything from writing to visuals somehow improves with each episode, building upon the canvas in a steady and masterful manner. There are countless ways to discuss Land of the Lustrous, but one that has stood out to me from the beginning is the massive space occupying the frames of this show.