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.