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The Three Best Characters in March Comes in Like a Lion (Besides Rei)

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

Its been a while since I have had the motivation to spam the blog with “March Comes in Like a Lion” content, especially since college has pretty much drained all of it. I am hoping to start up my episode analyses of the series again soon, but until then, I thought it a good idea to do the thing I do best, and talk about the wonderful series. Today, I want to highlight the three best characters in the series outside of Rei.

For the purposes of this post, when I say the best, what I really mean is a combination of most dynamic, greatest addition to the story, and generally the most interesting. So, in no particular order, here are the three best characters aside from Rei.

Kyouko

It is always fun to keep things at least a little controversial, which is why I decided to start off with a pick that will likely get me a lot of weird looks from other fans of the show.

While Kyouko is to put it nicely, cruel and vindictive, she also suffered from her father’s mistreatment and neglect. Throughout the series she serves as a reminder to Rei of the unwelcoming environment of his adopted home, and why he started living on his own in the first place.

She constantly pushes him to his emotional limit, sometimes even blurring the lines between the Rei that we know, and one that is fueled by the same rage as Kyouko. Her presence within the series is exciting, melodramatic, and anger-inducing all at the same time, and for that she is easily one of the best.

Hayashida

They always ask “what you doing,” never “how you doing?”

In all seriousness though, it feels like the hype men never get as much love as those they hype up. Hayashida is there for Rei since pretty much the first episode. He consoles Rei when he is down, and cheers him on when he is doing well.

Though he does not go through much of a dramatic change himself, Hayashida does become an integral part of the series, and even starts his own journey to becoming better at shogi. His willingness to help others shines through in almost every moment he is on screen, and that alone makes him pretty amazing.

Shimada

I have already detailed Shimada as a character at length in a different post, so I will try and not make this too lengthy. The reason he is such a great character is actually pretty similar to Hayashida, but in a very different way.

Whereas Hayashida helps console Rei in a way that makes him feel better, Shimada is, ironically, much more of a teacher. After beating Rei at the Lion’s Cup, Shimada takes him on as a student, not only offering him advice but forcing him to become his own best advocate.

Seperate from Rei, Shimada is also pretty incredible. He trained for the majority of his life to get where he is, going to the shogi association every week to become a better player, not because he was set up to be a prodigy, but out of a genuine love for the game. Stories like these are always inspiring because they speak to a character’s true passion, and for that, Shimada is truly awesome.


Who do you think are the best characters in March Comes in Like a Lion? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are interested in reading more from me, check under blog to read my most recent stuff, or look below for some related posts. Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal, or pledging on Patreon. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

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If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

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30 Day Anime Challenge Two: Day 13

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

It is day 13 of the second 30 Day Anime Challenge.

#13: Shortest Anime I’ve Enjoyed

Well, If we are not counting OVA and shows with longer episodes like Hellsing, I would have to say the shortest anime Ive really enjoyed is “Net-Juu no Susume.” There are a couple of other 10 episode shows I could name, but this one definitely stood out the most to me while I was watching it. “Net-Juu no Susume” is one of the better looks at the gaming world in the medium of anime, and tells a great romance story as well.


What’s the shortest anime you all have enjoyed? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are interested in reading more from me, check under blog to read my most recent stuff, or look below for some related posts. Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal, or pledging on Patreon. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

30 Day Anime Challenge Two: Day 12

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

It is now day 12 of the second 30 Day Anime Challenge.

#12: Longest Anime I’ve Marathoned

The longest anime I’ve marathoned by episode count is probably Fairytail. The first time I sat down to watch it I finished 37 of the shows then 130 something episodes. Let’s just say I didn’t sleep much that night. Coming in at a close second though is Bleach, of which I marathoned about 30 episodes when I first watched it.


What’s the longest anime you all have ever watched? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are interested in reading more from me, check under blog to read my most recent stuff, or look below for some related posts. Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal, or pledging on Patreon. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

Top Three Favorite Anime Openings of 2019

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

The end of the year is fast approaching, and because of that, I thought it would be good to do a little bit more reflecting. Now, it is safe to say that overall it has been a great year for anime, but it has also been good amazing for anime openings. Time to talk about some of my favorite openings of 2019.

3. Promised Neverland – Touch Off by UVERworld

It did not take long after I started watching The Promised Neverland that its opening became one of my favorite parts about the show. This is not to say that the show is bad, it is actually phenomenal. However, the more energetic nature of the music, combined with the visuals that foreshadow the events to come, make it one of my personal favorites of the year.

2. Dr. Stone – Good Morning World! by BURNOUT SYNDROMES

Dr. Stone honestly has two very good OP’s, but for the purpose of this list I decided to go with the first one, because to me, Good Morning World not only looks more interesting visually, but musically has the same sort of fast paced, fun energy that is present in the series itself, at least for the first half anyway.

1. Carole and Tuesday – Kiss Me by Nai Br.XX and Celeina Ann

Carole and Tuesday was probably the best musical experience I have had all year with an anime, and no I do not just mean that because it was centered around music. It could have been very easily messed up or made haphazardly without any thought and come out terribly. Luckily, sitting at the helm of direction for the show was Shinichiro Watanabe, the man behind Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo, two other series known for their great musical scores. Kiss Me takes everything that the is great about the show’s music and combines into one animated sequence, perfectly demonstrating just why the show it is attached to is so great.


What were some of your favorite openings this year? Let me know in the comments below.

If you are interested in reading more from me, check under blog to read my most recent stuff, or look below for some related posts. Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal, or pledging on Patreon. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

Unus Annus: A Tale as Old as Death

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

The world of YouTube and has brought a lot of wonderful video projects, and among those one man stands out as a pinnacle of creativity and innovation. Ever since his departure from making solely gaming videos in recent years, Markiplier has been investing in a lot of his own content, most recently with the YouTube Original series “A Heist with Markiplier.” Together with Ethan Nestor of CrankGameplays, also created a new channel/vlogging project called Unus Annus.

The most intriguing part about Unus Annus is that not only is it a vlogging channel, but written into the existence of the channel itself is a narrative. As the first video of the channel titled “Unus Annus” explains, the phrase literally means one year. The reason for the title stems from their intention to delete the channel after one year of daily uploads. During the video, Markiplier and CrankGamePlays encourage everyone to subscribe, “Ask not for who the bell tolls, ring the bell to know…”

This also is not a gimmick limited to just the first video. Throughout many of the uploads on the channel, such as “Mark turns Ethan into a mummy to prepare him for the great beyond,” there is a continued emphasis on the mortality of humans and how limited time is for those still living. There are even times when the light-hearted antics the two are usually known for gets interrupted in favor of continued emphasis of this message.

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Another good example of this comes in one of the first videos on the channel, where the two attempt to create their own sensory deprivation chamber. Throughout the video, the two make reference to the fact that they are doing this so that they can imagine more what death feels like. Normally, this would be something the two would do anyway, but in the context of Unus Annus’ narrative, the emphasis on the feeling of death takes on a much different tone than it otherwise would have.

There is also now a different dimension to the characters that are Markiplier and CrankGameplays. The two have almost always been known for their funny, endearing personalities that make people want to come back and watch whatever it is they want to do. However, now there is a much more serious dimension to their personas. Markiplier, specifically, has grown as a mix of both his real-life personality and the many characters he portrays in his original works. YouTube has been like this for many creators, such are the properties of an interactive medium.

A lot of the time this can serve to make the video a bit awkward, juggling between more serious and jovial tones, but that seems to be the point. Unus Annus is about, among other things, getting people to understand what limited time they have left, and to use it wisely. However, this narrative also seems to be a bit of a self-fulfilling one, because Unus Annus is not just about understanding how much time people have left, but rather that people should spend that time with them because in one year it will all be gone.

Some of this is negated by the fact that, inevitably, someone will go against their wishes and archive these videos for future viewing. Whether or not the two would go after those who do this is unclear, but it does serve as a reminder that while time may be limited, the internet is forever.

Despite the noticeable departure in tone from their own videos, Unus Annus still has a lot to offer those who are fans Markiplier and CrankGameplays. The vlogs themselves still adhere to a similar format as many of the recent videos that the two have put out before, whether that being doing a challenge or exploring something that they otherwise have not. For example, Both “2 Truths and a Lie – Waxing Edition” and “Helium Therapy” seem like videos that Mark would have made on his own channel.

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The videos themselves, when not focusing on the channel’s overall narrative, are still funny enough to warrant watching. One that managed to strike a balance between serious and hilarious was “Purging Our Sins with a Neti Pot” in which Markiplier and CrankGameplays used Neti Pots for the first time.

It will be interesting to see where their channel goes from here, and whether or not the tone will get darker as the clock that counts down the channel’s eventual demise runs out of time. They certainly have an interesting project on their hands.


Have you all watched Unus Annus? What do you think of it? Let me know in the comments below. I know this is a bit different from what I usually write about, but the idea was really interesting, so I wanted to write about it.

If you are interested in reading more from me, check under blog to read my most recent stuff, or look below for some related posts. Also, if you would like to support Animated Observations, consider donating on Ko-fi or through paypal, or pledging on Patreon. You can even support by just liking and sharing this post.

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

No Game No Life Volume Five: Under the Sea and In the Sky

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations

It’s been a while since I last wrote about No Game No Life. The light novel has been a pleasure to read since page one of the first novel, but the series has only continued to impress as it has gone on. Volume five brings the story to a whole knew place, and brings a lot of excitement.

After beating the Eastern Union in a game the wear-beasts were almost guaranteed to win, Sora and Shiro are greeted by a Dhampir named Plum who asks for their help in waking up the queen of the Sirens, with whom the Dhampir’s have a symbiotic relationship. The queen has been asleep for over 800 years after casting a spell on herself, telling the other sirens that she wants to be woken up by her true love.

One of the main beats in No Game No Life that has made it such an enjoyable read is the relationship between Sora and Shiro. The series often times goes out of its way to show that, despite the antics and funny jokes, “ “ bond is most certainly an unbreakable one, and no more clearly is that on display than in book five.

One of the best demonstrations of their bond is during the game of tag with the Flugel on Avant Heim. The game involves Sora and Shiro relying on Plum’s magic to create wings so they can fly, but they decide to each take one wing, having Plum disguised as a scarf around their necks. To a normal person, and especially to plum, it seemed ridiculous to expect two people to be able to sync up so well that they could fly while each controlling one wing. But, sure enough, they did, and within the first ten minutes of the game they were out-maneuvering, with the help of the game’s magic of course, the Flugel.

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Volume five also has a lot in the way of good storytelling. It was interesting to read about the relationship that the Dhampirs and Sirens have. Due to the ten covenants, the sirens cannot just attack any person they see in order to reproduce. Similarly, the Dhampirs cannot simply drink the blood of anyone they want. This left Dhampirs and Sirens with really only one answer: to use each other.

This bit of lore is not only interesting, but is implemented well into the core of the game they have to play. The Dhampirs need to reproduce soon, but since the queen is asleep they can’t. Meanwhile, since the queen is asleep, the Sirens have not had a leader for 800 years. This increased urgency raises the stakes of the game and makes the twist all the more enjoyable.

Volume five has all of what makes No Game No Life an amazing series, and a lot more. It also does a good amount to move the plot forward, seeing as how Sora and Shiro now have control of five race pieces. It is indeed a pivotal point in the series, but one that is nonetheless incredibly fun.


Have you guys read No Game No Life? If so, what do you think of it? Let me know in the comments. If you would like to support Animated Observations or are just feeling generous, consider donating on Ko-Fi:

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

Release of Kingdom Hearts 3 Causes Massive, World Wide Sigh of Relief

Welcome, weebs, to Animated Observations


In an event that most people never thought possible, the popular game series Kingdom Hearts released its third main installment. Realizing that the game actually physically exists, many of its fans got together at multiple places around the world to sigh all at once.

Source: Nycgo.com

The events were not organized at all. In fact, most of them happened between groups of fans that just happened to be standing around in various places where they live. One such event happened in New York City, where thousands of Kingdom Hearts fans were seemingly drawn to Times Square in order to let a huge sigh of relief.

Elliot Smith was one such participant in the event in New York City, and when asked about the event, he said “It was weird. Everyone was just standing there, breathing in and out, but somehow it just felt right.” Jamie Stanford, who was at an event in Tampa, Florida, echoed a similar statement, saying “I really don’t know why any of us did it, but man did it feel good.”

Many of those same fans have happily abandoned all real-world responsibilities in order to play the game. One man, who wished not to be identified said. “I’ll play this game even if it kills me.”


Anyone else gonna be spending the next week or so on this game? Let me know in the comments down below. Also, if you want to support The Aniwriter or are just feeling generous, consider donating on ko-fi or using one of my affiliate links:

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

If you can’t, or just don’t feel like it, no worries. Thank you all for reading, and goodbye, for now, friends!

No Game No Life Volume 4: A Secret Horse Race Conquered(SPOILERS)

Its been a while since I managed to finish a volume of a light novel. Most of the time I get too distracted by scrolling through Twitter or Facebook to be bothered to open my Bookwalker app and read the things that I paid real human currency for, but yeah, that’s just me. Having said that, however, now that I have managed to sit down and finally finish the fourth volume of No Game No Life, it is time to continue with my review of the series and to let you all know whether or not it is worth continuing.


Both volume three and the last few episodes of the anime left the series in a bit of a weird place. Having just defeated the Eastern Union in a contest for their respective race pieces, Sora and Shiro now look onward to uniting all 16 races to challenge Tet. In fact, everything seems relatively calm. That is, until Plum, a member of the 12th most powerful race Dhampir, appears asking for help.

Screenshot 2018-07-03 18.22.36

Of course, Sora and Shiro are immediately distrustful. I mean, Why wouldn’t they be? They confirmed that the Wearbeasts were cheating in the last game they played, so why wouldn’t any of the other races use tricks to steal away Immanity’s piece. However, after determining that Plum was not lying, they accept her request: to help save both the Dhampirs and the Sirens.

Volume 4 is a definite departure from the series so far, at least in terms of subject matter. Both the Sirens and Dhampirs are races that had previously not been mentioned, but share a unique relationship that makes the plot of the fourth book so interesting. Because of the 10 Commandments rule that all violence be forbidden, the Dhampirs and Sirens were forced to make a contract so that both races could survive. Early on Plum describes the situation as less than ideal for both parties, which becomes important for understanding the plot later on.

The plot overall is definitely solid as well. The best parts of all three of the first books can be found in fourth: Sora and Shiro’s ridiculously convoluted ability to understand the world around them, the excellent world-building that makes our main protagonists conquest that much more interesting, and even Steph, who serves as a sort of representation to many people’s base reaction to many of Sora and Shiro’s insane ideas.

The only real complaint I have about the fourth volume and the series as a whole is that a lot of the show’s philosophical underpinnings have gone unexplored, but I imagine that will probably be resolved at the series’ climax when they finally get the right to challenge Tet to a game. Overall, the series has continued to be an extremely enjoyable read, and I will continue to recommend it even to people who are not fans of the anime.


How do you guys feel about the No Game No Life light novels? Are you excited to read the series? Let me know in the comments below. Also, if you want to support the Aniwriter through donations or are just feeling generous, consider buying me a coffee on Ko-Fi. Otherwise, thanks for reading and bye for now, Friendos!

Inuyashiki Manga Ch. 1 Reaction: So Far, So Good

After having seen the first episode of this season’s adaptation of Inuyashiki and thinking to myself “hey, that’s pretty good,” and also having seen Gigguk’s Video I decided to check out. I wasn’t really sure what to expect in terms of how different it would be to the anime, but it was not disappointing at all.

The first chapter covers about the first half, give or take, of the first episode of the anime, and for those who don’t know the story, here ya go:

Ichiro Inuyashiki is a fifty-eight-year-old salary man who is moving into a new home with his family. However, it would be false to say that his is good. His family, including his neice, nephew, and wife all pay little attention to him and often take him for granted. He discovers after a doctor’s visit that he has an incurable cancer, and gives up on life. One day, while in the park with his dog, he gets killed by an alien ship. He awakes the next day to find that he has become a machine.

And this is all just in the first chapter.

It is fascinating though to see the difference between the Manga and the anime. The anime alludes to the fact that his family doesn’t care about Ichiro on multiple occasions throughout the first episode, but the manga gives it that extra bit of kick that gets the point across that much more.

One example of this is in the pages below:

Screenshot 2017-11-13 22.24.13.2

This panel comes immediately after Ichiro and his son walk past a man getting robbed in the street. Ichiro tries to muster up the courage to call up the police, but his son tells him that he doesn’t expect Ichiro to be a hero and that they are a “family of hobits,” implying that they are always fearful of the world around him.

All in all, a good intro to what is likely going to be a good manga. The art in the manga, while not as detailed drawing wise as I have seen in others, still offers a sense of realism that ironically gets me more involved in the story, one about a man looking for a new lease on life and getting in a way he never thought possible. Check it out for yourself if you haven’t.


What do you guys think about Inuyashiki? Have you read the manga? Seen any of the anime? Let me know in the comments. Thanks for Reading, Friendos!

 

 

Birthday Post: Reflecting on My Time as a Blogger so Far

I’ll be honest, when I started this blog I didn’t really know what I was doing. Shocking, I know, but It wasn’t really something I was expecting to have fun with. I originally started this blog as a way to vent and to express myself creatively. Anime is something I enjoyed, so I wrote about it.

Now, roughly 6 months later, and as of today legally an adult in these here United States of America, I’ve been loving my time as a blogger. Making posts is something I find fun, and that’s why I do it. If that wasn’t the case, then you probably wouldn’t be seeing this post at all.

Not only have I had a great time with my own blog, It’s been a blast discovering and reading other bloggers as well.

Karandi has been a fun person to talk to ever since I started writing about anime, and I’ll also take the time to apologize for referring to her as a dude for a second time. Sorry, Karandi!

Scott from Mechanical Anime Reviews has been a joy to read as well. I remember the first post I read from him was a wonderful review of Your Lie in April.

Irina‘s blog I drink and watch anime has been a blast ever since I discovered her through her post helping smaller bloggers. Her posts are quite insightful if I do say so myself.

Shokamoka‘s Blog of Wonder has been a treat to read as well. Always stirring things up and keeping it interesting.

If by some chance you’ve stumbled across my blog, but not any of theirs I suggest you expose yourself to some, or all, of their wonderful content.

This year hasn’t exactly been one of my best. More and more I’ve been feeling sluggish and unable to motivate myself into being productive, and my grades have been suffering a bit because of it. This blog has given me an outlet to express myself and given me something to invest time and energy into that feels productive.

Thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in reading what I have to say. I appreciate knowing that this isn’t just an echo chamber for my thoughts and that my content is being challenged as well. Here’s to another 6 months, and hopefully a bit longer than that.


Happy Birthday to me! Thanks for reading, Friendos!