Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts
Showing posts with label social media. Show all posts

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Kuroko's Basketball 2: "I Believe"

I doubt that people will get more excited about the Super Bowl today than I got about Kuroko's Basketball last night. The title of the episode, "I Believe," turned out to be fitting as I struggled to believe my favorite basketball team would win. 

Most of the time, Twitter is sufficient for my reactions to singe episodes of anime. Last night, after I watched Kuroko's Basketball, Twitter wasn't enough for me. I had too much to say. I thought about posting my thoughts here, but chose Tumblr instead, since I thought an episodic post would be out of sync with recent posts. 

But since when am I worried about continuity in writing style? I've posted rambles, Naruto Shippuden fangirling, reviews, poems, and deeper editorials, all on this same blog. I like the mix, and I shouldn't restrain myself now.

So here. Here's what I wrote on Tumblr last night. I think it's proof of how good Kuroko's Basketball is. It's amazing - a basketball game can get me more worked up than a life-and-death battle.


Spoiler Warning for Kuroko's Basketball 2, episode 17.

I admit it: I lost hope during the second half of this week's Kuroko's Basketball. Aomine entered the Zone, and as much as I wanted to believe in Seirin, my heart was already dropping.

I tucked my knees up against my chest and wrapped my arms around them. Maybe by hanging onto my knees, I was telling the Seirin team to hang on, too. Maybe the suspense was simply making me tense. Maybe I was comforting myself in advance, preparing for the loss I didn't want to believe would come.

This is the kind of tension I had when Naruto fought Pain two years ago, or when a certain character's life hung by a thread in Clannad After Story.

It's just a game, though, isn't it? I mean, yeah, if Kuroko and the gang lose, they'll be disappointed, but they'll be okay, right?

But it's not just a game. It's Kiyoshi's last chance to play in a high school tournament. It's the first time Aomine has been truly challenged in... forever, probably. And I get the sense that if they can't beat Aomine and his team now, then maybe they never will. My heart is tangled with this game. I know their hearts are in it even more.

So I didn't want to give up.

When Kagami asked to go one-on-one with Aomine, I began to have a spark of hope. Maybe Kagami can break a wall within him in these last few minutes. Maybe.

I hugged my knees and watched.

Stop thinking so much! I thought. Just play. Just get into the game!

Could he do it?

Maybe he wasn't ready after all.

Then, something snapped into place. It wasn't an audible snap, but it was there. Kagami's thoughts accumulated, not to a distracting mess, but to a point of action that broke beyond the thoughts.

I felt it. Then he moved.

The lightning flashed in his eyes.

My breath caught. I didn't breath normally for at least a full minute, I'm sure. I let go of my knees, then hugged them close again.

He's joined Aomine in the Zone.

They might actually have a chance in these last few minutes.

They might.

The episode ended like that. Of course it did. The person in charge of episode pacing just cut it off there, leaving us hanging. I can imagine them as a dark figure laughing manically in some dimly lit studio.
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Friday, January 31, 2014

Rewind: Clannad After Story


Last week on Rewind, I wrote about Clannad. This week, I move onto the sequel series, Clannad After Story. Before I continue, I must warn you of a major SPOILER ahead. I knew about it before I watched, and I still enjoyed the show, but I think some of the impact was lessened. 


Don't get me wrong: After Story's ending theme is great, but "Dango Daikazoku" is perhaps the most memorable ED I've ever heard. At first, it doesn't seem like a very meaningful song. English speakers might get away with thinking it's a profound commentary on life - until we look at the subtitles. It's about a great big family of dumplings. The make a big circle and found a village. Rabbits wave from the moon. It's a nonsense song. But it's Nagisa's favorite song. She draws the dango family, she collects plushie dango, and she sings the song throughout the two series. Whoever's in charge of music wove the melody into the background during key moments, too. It's a key part of Nagisa and Clannad in general, so merely hearing "Dango Daikazoku" makes me sentimental. The last line especially gets to me: "Roll up all the happy and sad things." Okay, it doesn't look so important when I just quote the translation like that, but in context, the impact is huge.


Obviously, I didn't have a lot to say during the first several episodes of Clannad After Story. There didn't appear to be any important developments. Looking back, I realize how sneaky the creators were. Tomoya and Nagisa's relationship continued to grow at a slow pace. I appreciate that, because it's realistic. While they both had elements of maturity and wisdom, they still needed a little more time before they were ready for the next step. In these episodes, even as they often focused on their friends' problems, Tomoya and Nagisa practiced a partnership in life. They've always been partners in helping others and maneuvering through parent and personal problems, but as the story went on, they became increasingly comfortable in that partnership and love. Their relationship went beyond themselves. It's not about some sort of fiery passion or obsession, unlike in so many other romance anime. Instead, deep care is fostered between the two of them and toward others. There was passion, but it came from a love that's steady and selfless, love that endures in the less passionate moments. That's the best way I can describe it. Maybe, in a later stage of my life, I'll have more insight and better words, but for now, this is all I can say.


Of course, their relationship isn't perfect. Gentlemen, do not use Tomoya as an example when it comes time to propose to your love. I'm not sure about the other single ladies out there, but I've thought on occasion about the kind of scenarios that make for a good marriage proposal. Here are some great ways to set the ambience: a walk in the park, a hike, a rowboat in a lake, a trip to the beach, a stroll in some castle-turned museum, a treat at the best ice cream shop in town.

Here are some bad ways to set the ambience: don't prepare, visit your dad in prison, lose your temper, punch a concrete wall.

Tomoya chose the wrong list. I don't care what culture you're from or how important the proposal tradition is in your mind, you should at least avoid losing your temper in the moments before you ask your beloved to marry you. Nagisa, bless her heart, accepted Tomoya's proposal without hesitation.  I still think she should have at least raised an eyebrow.







Even though Tomoya and Nagisa didn't have a lot of money, part of me expected their wedding to be an outward expression of their beautiful relationship. They'd become so precious in my mind, I thought that beauty would be reflected in wedding clothes and ceremony. But their relationship has never been about showing off to the world and, really, they have no need for a church wedding. The simplicity of their marriage fit them well.

Of course, I do think Tomoya could have done a little bit more to make Nagisa feel special.


Even in the small details of appearance,  After Story's realism delighted me.






 As you may recall, until recently, I had no intention of watching Clannad, so I didn't bother avoiding spoilers. Thus, I knew what was coming. I tried to forget, but I knew. Remember those falling cherry blossoms that I originally thought were cliche? Sure enough, they foreshadowed a big change of seasons, a change I wasn't particularly ready for, and that Tomoya definitely wasn't ready for. I wasn't surprised when Nagisa died, and I managed to avoid crying, but the scene of her death and Ushio's birth goes down as one of the more touching scenes I've seen.

Of course, that was just a warm up for what they hit us with later.


Tomoya fell apart when Nagisa died, and that was hard to watch, especially since he wasn't the only one hurting. But his reunion with his daughter, sweet five-year-old Ushio, marked the beginning of another precious relationship, this time between father and daughter. It warmed my heart to watch him finally begin healing, not only in regards to his wife, but in his relationship with his own father as well.

Tomoya and Ushio in the eighteenth episode. Such a beautiful
frame from a wonderful scene.
I smiled. I chuckled. I was happy, and so were Tomoya and Ushio. There were several bittersweet moments, like when Tomoya sang "Dango Daikazoku," Nagisa's song, to their daughter. That's another one of those moments that grabbed my heart. Still, things were a little happier. We even got to see Tomoya's old friends again. One of them, Kyou, was Ushio's teacher, and Fuko became a prominent character once more. Fuko-chan always brightens things up.

The people behind Clannad After Story love happy feelings. It makes it that much more dramatic when it's time to crush our hearts.

When Ushio fell sick, I knew in my heart what was going to happen. The next part was emotion, preciousness and fear and sadness and love and dread. And then...





I felt robbed when the anime moved back to Ushio's birth and gave us a reality where mother and daughter both lived. It was like all they stole my heart and trampled all over it. Then they put some ointment and a Band-Aid on it, gave it back, and said, "Just kidding! They actually lived happily ever after!"

Of course, I'd feel robbed if they just took Ushio away like that, too. Really, there was no win-win situation.

I should probably re-watch those last few episodes. Maybe it would make more sense the second time around. But this emotional rollercoaster must be ridden from start to finish. It just wouldn't do to restart at the 20th episode of After Story. So I'll wait a while before I see it again.

Despite my mixed feeling about those last few episodes, Clannad After Story was wonderful. The mystery behind that other world with the girl and the scrap-metal-doll-person was revealed and intertwined with Tomoya's world. It tied a lot of the story together, in ways I'd rather not go into in this post.

I finished the two Clannad series, but my experience with it is not over. I can't shake it off, and honestly, I'm not trying. Instead, I watch similar shows or make a note of anime made by the same people. I'm learning the "Dango Daikazoku" so I can sing all the words instead of just hum the tune, and I draw the Big Dango Family in my sketchbook and on my binder's cover. I watch anime couples, and I think, They're sweet, but not even close to the level of Tomoya and Nagisa.

It's amazing to think that, if it weren't for the posts I read at Beneath the Tangles, I might not have watched this. Let this be a lesson to all of us, that we step out of our genre boxes, try new things, and listen to the recommendations of others. Clannad and Clannad After Story might not make my short list of top favorite anime, but their story and characters will be close to my heart for time to come.
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Friday, January 24, 2014

Rewind: Clannad

This week, I've decided to tag team with my [recent] past self to write about Clannad. Thus, I'm doing two new things with this Rewind post. First, I'm writing about something that I watched relatively recently, instead of something from over a year ago. Second, I'm embedding my tweets, so if you missed my journey through Clannad on Twitter the first time around, you can see it now - this time, with commentary and screenshots.

*Edit: Spoiler Warning! I'd say one big spoiler, but if you've managed to avoid that spoiler and still hang out around fans, you have amazing luck. There's one medium spoiler, I think, and several tiny ones.*

For those of you who don't know, fluffy pink cherry trees and their falling petals are a common part of drama and slice-of-life type anime. I read somewhere that they symbolize change, as in the changing seasons of life. They can be a powerful foreshadowing tool... or they can be a trope. I tried to keep an open mind, but my first assumption in this Clannad scene was "trope," especially with the brooding student on his way to begin a new school year. I had no idea that this time, the cherry blossoms really did mean something.


This wasn't the first time I'd tried Clannad. In the past, I judged the show within the first episode, dismissing it as cliche and boring. But Charles at Beneath the Tangles praised Clannad and its sequel series in multiple posts (this one was probably the final straw), Anime-Planet users rated it generously, and Silvachief and other gamers had positive things to say about the visual novels the anime was based on. Plus, as you may remember from last week's Rewind post, I'm a changed woman since Natsume Yuujinchou. I've learned to be patient and accept anime of almost all shapes and sizes. So, this time around, I persevered through the first couple episodes. At first, the only redeeming quality I could find was the ending theme, a cute song called "Dango Daikazoku." I liked it even before I heard the words to it, when I listened to Japesland's saxophone cover on YouTube.



But seriously, those girls' eyes... they're huge and unnaturally shaped. It took several episodes to get used to them.





When I look back on Clannad, I immediately think of it as precious. I already forgot how long it took before I no longer had to tell myself to keep an open mind. At first, it was just the comedic moments that caught my interest. Nothing important seemed to be happening story-wise. I didn't realize that I'd sprung the director's trap, and he was pulling in my heart, tying it to the characters one smile and chuckle at a time.






Fuko-chan is the most blatant of the subdued supernatural elements in Clannad. In fact, she's one of the elements that reminds me Clannad was a visual novel before it was an anime. What romantic visual novel or dating sim is complete without a supernatural and/or moe character?  Not, of course, that I'm an expert on the topic. I've only played a few free otome games, read related blogs, and watched a couple anime based on visual novels. But that's beside the point.

Tomoya, Fuko, and Nagisa in the touching ninth episode. A
warning: if this episode makes you cry, like it has many others,
you'll want to make sure you're stocked up on Kleenex before you
get to the sequel series.
For that matter, Fuko is almost beside the point, too. After all, the anime follows the Nagisa route - that is, the story visual novel players enjoy as they make choices (as the main character, Tomoya) leading to a relationship with Nagisa instead of one of the other girls. However, the Fuko arc of the anime does turn out to be important for Tomoya and Nagisa. The two slowly grow closer as they help Fuko pass out starfish. She's the same age as Tomoya, but she serves the same kind of purpose that many young characters do: both her insight into their relationship and her childlike neediness propel the two toward one another. In fact, she's the reason Tomoya began calling Nagisa by her first name.



 Kotomi-chan fulfills the genius and childhood friend quota in this harem anime. I didn't know she took care of the childhood friend quota until partially through the anime (so I apologize for the spoiler if you haven't seen this). Still, I assumed she was just a stock character. Granted, she didn't turn out to be incredibly unique, but her story was told rather well, further destroying my original assumption that Clannad was just another harem anime. [Just in case you think I'm slamming the harem genre, I want to remind you that I once considered The Wallflower to be a favorite anime, and I actively sought out reverse harem shows. I'm pretty much out of that phase, but I'm still very much in a glass house, and I'm not going throw stones at the harem genre... just the mediocre anime in the genre.]


I didn't tweet about Clannad again for weeks, partially because other anime and homework consumed my time. My next prolonged Clannad viewing session came while I was making Christmas cookies, so my hands were too covered in flour, dough, and frosting to Tweet. I'm glad I didn't finish the show all at once. Often, watching a show over the space of several days, weeks, or even months gives me a chance to marinate in it as the story and art imprints a precious memory in my mind. Such was the case with Clannad. I've seen many an animated teenager confess his love, but never has the moment been as moving and important to me as in this show.



Clannad built the setting and characters that allowed it and its sequel, Clannad After Story, to stand tall. By the heartwarming end, I was emotionally invested in Tomoya and Nagisa's relationship, and I cared for the other characters as well. The last couple episodes warmed my heart, but left me with questions about Tomoya's father, the characters' futures, and, of course, that otherworldly side story with the girl and scrap-heap-metal-doll-thing. Clannad was just the foundation. As I'd been promised, its sequel surpassed it almost every way. But more on that next week.
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Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Liebster Awards/Questions from Another Blogger



Rules:
1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you.
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers I'm too shy.
4. Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of your nomination.
5. Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.

Silvachielf of The Geek Clinic nominated me for this well over a week ago. I can't believe it's already been that long... but Christmas break has been busier than planned, and rule #3 made me hesitate until I crossed it out. Sometimes, being shy means I become a rebel and break the rules. This is one of the times.

11 Questions from Silvachief

1. If you were no longer able to blog about what you do now, what would you blog about?

I'd blog about books and movies, I suspect. I'd post poems and bits of stories. I'd probably write a lot more about my faith (yeah, I know I already write about that, but I'd probably have a different target audience, so what I include would be slightly different). Oh, and I'd love to write to Christians about how we live out our faith online.

2. What is your favorite quote from an anime/visual novel/other?

Um... that's hard. I looked through a list of quotes I have on my desktop, and none of them stuck out to me. There are probably some buried in my blog posts that I'm forgetting. The only quote that really comes to mind isn't from an anime or anything like that, but from a show from the 80's: The A-Team.

"No means the same thing in over three quarters of the civilized world. For the life of me, I can't figure out why you have such a terrible time getting a grip on it."
- Minor character, whose name I didn't catch. The A-Team, Season 2, Ep 10


3. If you could gather everyone on your blogroll in one place, where would it be and why?

An anime convention. I've never been to one before, and several people on my blogroll would be able to show me the ropes. Plus, there would be plenty to do, so it would be easy to avoid awkward standing around and such. Our shared interests would probably help us skip the scary pleasantries and go straight to talking about the fun stuff. But still, a group of people... and if I'm the one doing the gathering... I don't do that. I don't initiate get-togethers very often. When other people initiate it, it's less stressful to me. So, really, I'd be happy with gathering anywhere, so long as it was safe and I wasn't responsible for it.

4. A 2-way dimensional rift has opened outside your house. Which fictional universe would you want it to connect to? 

Middle-Earth. Specifically, to the Shire in peaceful days long before or after Frodo had the Ring. It seems like a lovely place to relax.

Now, if I were to pick an anime universe, it would have to be Naruto's. Why? It's the first place on my mind, of course. Also, I could get all sorts of juicy insider pieces to share on my blog. Maybe even write a book about it.

Wait a second... it's a 2-way dimensional rift. Meaning people from Naruto's side could come over here. Nuh-uh. What if someone from the crazy Uchiha clan decided to cross? Or someone of Orochimaru's ilk? Even Granny Tsunade could be a catastrophic guest if she had too much to drink. I do not want to be responsible for that.

So, actually, I'd prefer it if the rift opened to Kuroko's universe, or maybe a universe that included all the sports anime I've watched. I think I'd actually keep an eye on professional sports in such a world. And, since it's not fantasy or sci-fi, I wouldn't have to worry about some evil villain (or drunk Hokage) messing things up here.

5. What is the story behind your avatar name?

A while back, I was playing with names for a story idea (one of many story ideas that flopped after the first scene). I liked "Annalyn" for one of my characters. It sounded pretty, it fit the mood, "Anna" means grace, and "Lyn" means beautiful. I thought I was being somewhat original, too, by combining the two names. By the time I thought to Google "Annalyn" to see how popular the name was, I was already stuck with it on multiple platforms. First, it was my name on the game Realm of Empires, and I held onto it after that. I sometimes wish that I had a less realistic username, because people might assume my real name is Annalyn, and it's not. But this is part of who I am now, and I won't replace it.

6. Do you have any phobias, fictional or otherwise?

I hate making phone calls, especially to people I don't know well, especially if I'm asking for something. I often map out exactly what I'll say if they answer, and what I'll say if it goes to voice mail. I don't break down in tears before calling anymore - actually, I think I only did that once. But it can still be traumatic if the circumstances aren't right.

7. If you could conquer any one country, which one would it be?

Sealand! It's small, and I would not be responsible for many subjects. I'd probably ignore the handful of citizens, unless they wanted to help me convert the place to an introvert's haven. Alternatively, I'd conquer some oppressed country that I believed I could truly help. I'd enjoy kicking a tyrant out.

8. Which super power would you like to have?

I'd like to fly. Then I wouldn't have to drive to school when I start commuting. I dislike driving almost as much as I dislike calling people. I think I could get over my discomfort with heights if it meant I didn't have to drive. Of course, I'd really need to fly at a decent speed for it to be worthwhile. Otherwise, I'd like to turn invisible.

9. If you could be any other fictional race, which would you be?

I'd be a hobbit. No, an elf of Rivendell, with access to books and history and pleasant waterfalls.
This is Ridgy. He's 3/4 Bichon Frise, 1/4 Yorkie, 100%
spoiled prince.

10. Which 3 animals would you most like as pets?

A dog. I have one already (my family has three total).

A cat (if someone else took care of the litter box).

A ninja dog. Those don't count as pets.

Nyanko-sensei Actually, I think he's above being called a pet, too.

A tame polar bear. Of course, I'd need a proper place and food for him. But ignoring all the practical details, I think a polar bear would be really nice to snuggle with. Plus, I'd never have to worry about crooks. Polar bear would protect me.

11. You find yourself in the waiting room at The Geek Clinic. Why are you there?

I've clearly gone nuts. The Geek Clinic is a blog. If there is a secret waiting room that I don't know about, it is virtual. So either I'm crazy, or I'm stuck in the internet. Help! Get me out!

--

Well, that was fun. Some of these questions got my imagination going. Thanks for the nomination, Silvachief!

Moving on now...

Questions for YOU

 There might be a few blogs that I'd link to here, but the ones I'm not too shy to nominate either (a) have lots of followers already, (b) have already done this at least once, (c) haven't been updated in a while, (d) would look lonely here because I wouldn't come up with more than one or two links, or (e) multiple of the above. So, I'm going to list questions below, and if you want to answer them on your blog, I hereby nominate you! Just make sure you let us know in a comment, so the other readers and I can see your answers. I'll then edit this post to link to your blog. Or you can answer some of the questions in the comments below. Or in Facebook comments. Or anywhere.

1. What's one thing you've learned from blogging? Maybe it's something you learned about yourself, or anime, or blogging, or humanity. I'd love to hear!

2. If you've seen (or read) Attack on Titan, which branch of the army would you be in: Survey corps, Garrison, or Military Police? Why? If you haven't seen Attack on Titan, what rock were you living under this summer? Or do you just avoid violent shows?

3. What anime/manga/etc. character would you like to have as a roommate?

4. Do you promote your blog across multiple social media platforms? Which ones do you prefer? (Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Google+....)

5. Is there an anime that you always find yourself recommending to your friends? A title that you practically command people to try?

6. Anime-Planet, My Anime List, neither, or both?

7. Are there any terms used by otaku that you still aren't sure you understand well enough to use? Can you easily incorporate words like "yandere" into conversation?

8. What do you like most about your current blogging platform?

9. What do you not like? Do you every wish you'd chosen a different platform?

10. If you're on Twitter, how do you feel about the appearance of pictures in the home feed? Do you miss the days when you had to click on a Tweet in order to see the picture? If you're not on Twitter, why not?

11. All the anime you are currently watching (or will watch during the next season) are in danger of suddenly ending. There will be no episodes after the one you just watched, and even that will soon be wiped from the internet. You have the power to save one show, and only one. Which do you choose?

--

Consider yourself nominated for the Liebster Awards. Or, if you don't want to answer all the questions, you can answer one or two in the comments. I'm really curious to read some answers!
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Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Hi. I'm a Christian Aniblogger.

"Yeah, I use Twitter, but I don't tweet as myself. I have a different name."

The others in my dorm lobby give me a confused look. "Say what?" someone asks.

I quickly explain, "I originally got Twitter to promote my blog. I don't use my real name, because I blog anonymously. You know, internet safety and all that."

"Oh." My new friends and neighbors nod and smile, then go back to their conversation about social networks. Part of me wishes I hadn't drawn attention to myself.

This conversation happens frequently, and sometimes, it goes longer:

"So, what do you blog about?" asks a new acquaintance.

"Anime and my faith. Sometimes both at the same time. I include other stuff from life in general, but it's mostly anime lately."

"That's cool." From here, the conversation can (a) take a sharp turn as they try to find common ground elsewhere, (b) proceed to "How does that work?" or "Anime, huh? Why is that?" or, my favorite, (c), "Really? I watch some anime, too. What shows do you like?" 

I really wish someone would surprise me with a fourth route: (d) "Me too!" Unfortunately, I have yet to physically meet anyone involved in the online anime community or the blogosphere like I am, let alone the aniblogosphere. 

There are many precious people, great listeners, who smile and nod as I light up in conversation about my hobbies. I try to gauge their interest level as I explain what it means to be a Christian anibloggger/Twitter user. No matter how interested they are, and no matter how well I explain, they're not going to understand it very well unless they are involved in the online, non-location-based community. 

I've made some great friends since coming to college. There are people here with the same basic worldview as me, peers I can relate to and counsel with. My parents are just a phone call away if I need to talk, and I know several professors here who would be happy to discuss school and life. Yet there's something missing, a piece of my life that they don't relate to as well. 

Most of the people on campus understand two of my realms: earthly and spiritual. If I talk about dual citizenship in the U.S. and God's kingdom, they'll know what I mean. I doubt that many understand my life in a third realm: the internet. I wish they did. Even though I've scaled back on my time online, it's important to me.

I wonder if there are any other anibloggers on campus. Or at least someone else with an Anime-Planet account. I wonder if there's anyone I can talk with, face-to-face, about the interaction of faith and online communities. 
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Friday, May 13, 2011

Gotta Share The Musical

I love Improv Everywhere. I might not find all their pranks as funny as they do, but they pull some pretty fun stunts. One example is their latest spontaneous musical. Considering the theme of the song, I simply had to share it on Twitter. And Facebook. And my blog. It seemed fitting.

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Sunday, November 23, 2008

I Got a Facebook

I got a facebook.
It is confusing. Very confusing.
I don't understand.
But I guess I will soon.
I don't want to spend all my time on it.
I don't want to be obsessed.
I don't know that I want this facebook.
Yet I have it.
So that's that.
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