Summer Reading: Pause for Script-reading, Writing, and Work

I've mentioned that my summer reading list includes my classmates' plays and screenplays. As of today, I've finally finished... one. I was introduced to these characters in class, so I'm glad I finally found out what happened to them. And the screenwriter/classmate did not to take the cruelest course, so I only got a little teary (if you're reading this, friend, thank you for having mercy). She put the main character through some rough stuff.

My friends and I have decided that our creative writing education teaches us to kill and cause emotional trauma. We can be kind of mean to each other. There's another screenplay waiting in my inbox that I know will make me pout, because we already read a death scene in class.

I think I can read one more script tonight, or at least get a good start...

My other excuses for not reading an actual book this week:

• I started my summer job last Thursday. I still have my volunteering, too.
• I've spent time writing. I'm brainstorming my next big writing project. I have to hurry. I only have a couple weeks of freedom in which to solidify a new idea. Then, I start revising the draft I finished last week. I need to prioritize that, so I can make serious progress before school resumes.
• Monday's blog post took several hours... okay, so it always takes a fair amount of time. But this one was different. Instead of writing about a single anime, I addressed why critical thinking is vital for anime fans. It took longer than I expected.

Oh, but I did crack open a book about the Oxford English Dictionary's first editor and one of the key contributing writers. Apparently, this key writer did his work from an insane asylum. So that's interesting. Also, the epigraph to the first chapter was the OED entry for "murder" (or at least part of the entry—some of those entries are really, really long). This is going to be a fun read.

For those of you who aren't English majors: the OED is an extremely comprehensive dictionary that takes up several volumes (thankfully, there's an online version that I have access to during the school year). Definitions include the words' origins, how they've evolved, and more. If I remember right, the entry for "if" spanned more than a page.

Yes, I'm a nerd. But you knew that already.

Thank you for taking the time to read my rambles. My posts on this blog are increasingly low priority. Sorry about that. I might read the OED book and more Harry Potter by next week. Or I might choose to focus on these scripts. Either way, I'll check in.

Ramblings about Manga, Magical Love, and Crazy Akashi

Wow. It's Friday night again already? I know I don't have time for Rewind posts anymore, but I'm just not ready to let go. So I won't. Instead, let's talk... manga.

I don't read manga very often, because it's not easy to get ahold of freely and legally. But Crunchyroll recently made their manga collection accessible to all premium members, including us just-anime members. Previously, most of the manga was only available for the all-access folk. So I downloaded the app on my phone and browsed the inventory.

I'm now on the 15th chapter of Kiss Him, Not Me. I probably should be embarrassed admitting that, but it makes me laugh... a lot. At first, half the reason I laughed was its cheesier elements. I mean, it's a reverse harem manga, and that genre is hit-and-miss, but often miss. Plus, the main character, Serinuma, lost a lot of weight within a week while she mourned the death of her favorite anime character. There was never a chance I'd take this seriously... which is partly why I'm reading it.

The heroine is a fujoshi who has four guys (and, it appears, one girl?!) fall in love with her. She fantasizes a lot about BL, something I usually avoid, but oh well. I identify with the rest of her otaku habits to at least some extent. And some of the guys are really cool. They don't just tolerate her otakudom—they start to learn more about the anime and manga she likes. One of them has been particularly great in recent chapters, borrowing manga after manga. Dream guy, right there. He's won me over. I still wouldn't call this an amazing manga, but I don't think I'll drop it anytime soon.

Eventually, I'd like to read Attack on Titan and Space Brothers, as well as some of the other serious and decent-looking manga available on Crunchyroll. But for now, I need humor. I have a lot on my plate, so I favor lighthearted anime and manga.

Speaking of lighthearted, cheesy anime... I decided to keep watching Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!. It's still fun. Some of its elements imply inappropriate humor, though. Like a lot of magical characters, the Defense Club boys use English words to describe their magical deeds. I'm 99.99% sure that the resulting puns are intentional and understood by most Japanese fans. For example, when the boys transform into their magical selves, Yumoto yells "Love Making!" —meaning, of course, that they're made into Magical Boys who defeat evil with the power of Love. Perfectly innocent love. Yeah. And I'm pretty sure that when the innocent, childish Yumoto cuddles Wombat (the alien who gave them their powers), it's supposed to look a bit like molestation—especially in episode 6. That, I'm not okay with. But obviously I'm not bothered enough to quit watching.

What else is going on in my anime world... Last Saturday, when I deluded myself into believing I didn't need to do homework, I watched several shows, both anime and not. Kuroko's Basketball continues to enthrall me. I know the new episode comes out in less than twelve hours, but let's return to episode 6 for a minute to talk about Akashi.

Dude, you are not God. You're rich and talented, and you're doing a fine job of subjugating some of the greatest young basketball players in Japan, but you are not absolute. And I think Kuroko and Kagami will prove it to you. Somehow. Within the next 16 episodes, anime logic will humble you... I hope.

Also, you should never promise to gouge your eyeballs out if you lose. What if something unexpected happened, like half your teammates twisted their ankles and had to be taken out? Or all of your opponents got into The Zone? Besides, that's just a nasty image. So chill, your majesty. You can inspire your subjects without getting gory.

I like to imagine meeting Akashi in real life. He'd be a short sixteen-year-old... though he might just appear short compared to his teammates, it which he could be my height (about average for a woman). He has muscles, but he's still not a grown man. He'd look rather ridiculous in his pink hair, trying to bend me and my friends to his will. I might offer him a cookie, and if he stuck around, my big-sister-urges might eventually take over, and I'd start to meddle about how he treats Midorima and the rest.

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Aaaannnd I rambled too long. I should have stopped after talking manga. I'd best scramble to do something responsible before bed.

Anyway, do you read manga on Crunchyroll? Are there any titles on there you recommend?

Also, if you watch Kurobas, do you have any thoughts now that we've finally watched Akashi play a game?