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Requests
I really want to do this art challenge that has been circulating on Instagram. However, my Instagram won't connect to my phone to upload =_= I tried re-dling the app and finally just messaged them.
Anyways, if anyone wants to suggest characters that would be awesome
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Latest Entry
Panic! at the Disco: High Hopes
So here we are, Panic! at the disco's High hopes MV. Lets get into it, shall we?
Okay, so the video starts off with Brendon stepping out of a car (0:07), well-dressed as usual. His exit from the car is timed perfectly with the music and is the perfect time for his reveal. When first the words "High, high hopes" are sung we can see the camera moves upward and focuses on the sky-scrapers; this makes us think of how high sky-scraper's are immediately and prepares us for the rest of the MV very well, a great start.
The on-screen text fades but not before we see it pass behind Brendon (0:23), this serves better for the camera angle chosen seeing as otherwise we would merely see the tree behind Brendon; simply, it is more aesthetically pleasing. While Brendon sings "High, high hopes" we can see that he is looking upward, again, its the small things that make all the difference, this was very well choreographed.
As Brendon sing the line "I was gonna be that one in a million" (0:32) the shot is just perfect, with the people passing him by right in front of him and the cars and numerous people in the background it really shows how many people their are, yet he is still the main focus of the shot standing precisely in the middle of the shot; perfect.
As Brendon walks down the side-walk we can see him getting shouldered by many people (0:37); we can attribute this to the many hard-ships he has faced (many of which we can see in "Hey look ma, I made it") such as losing his other band members and many more hardships. We can see he is distressed as he turns around because it is written all over his face yet as he continues walking he takes yet another shoulder, this time however he does not look back at all and yet continues walking forward confidently; this shows us that he has taken control, he doesn't care what people say or what hard-ships get in the way, he is doing this. As the lyrics state in "Emperor's new clothes", "I see it, I want it, I take it" and as Brendon said in an interview on said song: "I wanted a song that says, 'this is mine. I do what I do because I feel that its my right. I own this, and I've earned it, and I deserve every bit that I put into this work". This is the kind of transformation I feel like we are witnessing in the music video for High hopes.
At 1:03 when Brendon sings the words, "Momma said, don't give up" he looks upward at the towering building before him, obviously symbolizing the challenges he would have to face in his career; Brendon looks intimidated at first but immediately gets down to it and begins scaling the building just as the Chorus breaks in again, simply fantastic!
The entire scene of Brendon's walk up the building is fantastic, this MV fits perfectly with the Lyrics and is just really beautiful to watch. As Brendon nears the end of the climb he slips and nearly falls (2:13) just as he start's singing "They say its all been done but they haven't seen the best of me", he then conquers the climb and makes it to the top of the building, solidifying his victory and new beginning. Again, just wanted to point out how wonderfully choreographed and performed this MV was, Brendon could honestly be an actor.
After he has reached the top of the tall building till the end of the video (just as the whole video was) is perfect. We can see his logo stapled atop the building, I believe this tells us he was always destined to make it to the top, like his momma said "Fulfill the prophecy" he has done it and accomplished his destiny.
Okay guys, so that was a rather quick and to the point review, I hope you liked it! Feel free to comment below and be sure to appreciate the beauty around you so you will realize just how beautiful your day truly is! ~♥
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So I had an idea for my blog...
I was reading a blog post from a blog I like, The Drunken Anime Blog, when I had an idea. “I haven’t even started to watch some popular anime’s like Attack On Titan and Fruits Basket yet, what if I reviewed them like she does?” I usually just use a status update, but I think more people will see if I make blog posts.
Good idea, right? Right. Let’s do this. But then I realized a problem. Two, actually. Number one: “Thoughts from a sad, anime-loving lump” doesn’t exactly sound like a reviews blog. It sounds like a blog about my life. Which, it is. Number two: this is my complaints about life blog. So, I decided to start a new blog. Please comment what I should call it, because I have no ideas. Anyway,Love and UwUs,
OtakuKid.
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Latest Entry
Why I like Rock Lee so dang much.
Naruto is know for it's large cast of lovable characters but as of episode 112 of the original series I can definitively say that Rock Lee is easily my favourite character in the series.
Everything from his positive demeanor, to his underdog background is so very beautifully shounen, he's so very cheesy with his background of fighting back against those who didn't believe in him, finding comfort in Might Guy and rising to become a splendid ninja. But what I think makes him special is just how genuinely sympathetic, yet still endearingly passionate in the face of absolute failure and misfortune he can be.
An example of what I've expressed comes from his legendary fight against Gaara in the preliminaries before the finals of the Chunin Exams. When he is defeated by Gaara we learn that he will never be able to return to being a shinobi due to the severity of his injuries, this causes Lee to question his future and everything up until this point becuase of his ethos being to never give up and that with hard work even he can become a splendid ninja but in spite of it all he keeps a positive outlook and whole heartedly believes he will one day recover with perseverance.
Eventually Naruto finds the legendary healer Sanin Tsunade who is famous for her healing capabilities, however she urges Lee to quit being a shinobi due to his only option being life threatening surgery, at this point, desperate for an answer he asks Might Guy what to do, in a highly emotional climax both Lee and Might Guy decide that in order to coninue his dream he must never give up as that is his nindo, his ninja way.
In the end he displays something so beautifully simple, that passion and perseverance will always pay off and that even in the worst of times we can continue to be better for ourselves and for those we love. Rock Lee is my favourite because he's corny and goofy and simple and so emblematic of what I love about shounen anime.
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Latest Entry
Jataku’s Anime Recommendations
This is a little idea I came up with a while back.
I’ve always been able to find my own way as regards to what shows I watch. Sometimes I watch it for the aesthetic (Nisekoi, Anohana, and Lain, all I really enjoy) but sometimes I tend to delve into more unknown animes than the usual Naruto or Dragonball.
So, here’s how this is going to work.
I’m going to list off some well known anime titles and I will be recommending other titles for people who have seen them and liked them.#1: Death Note/Monster
Well, this one doesn’t need any kind of explanation.
Death Note, is by no means a favourite series of mine, but I can see why some people like it. However, there is another series that I have seen compared to Death Note all too often.Naoki Urasawa’s masterpiece, ‘Monster’.
The man you see pictured is probably my favourite villain ever, Johan Liebert.
‘Monster’ tells the story of Dr. Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese brain surgeon living in Germany. One day, two children are admitted to the hospital he works in after they discover their parents murdered, one of them manages to escape, grows up, and becomes a notorious serial killer. It centres around Tenma trying to catch the killer known as Johan Liebert.‘Monster’ and Johan are known throughout the anime community for being one of the best horror series and arguably one of the best villains anime has ever seen. Guillermo Del Toro, director of Hellboy and Pan’s Labyrinth, has shown interest in making it into a TV show or a movie. It has the same aesthetic and it’s a great gateway into deeper, darker anime.
#2: Clannad/Anohana
Ever get one of those shows that you thought you didn’t like but then, you re-watch it and you love it? That’s how I felt towards Clannad.
The animation style was the only thing I didn’t like, the rest of it was amazing, especially After Story!However, there is an anime that, it being my favourite, I can recommend for any Clannad fan, that’s because a Clannad fan recommended it to me.
Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.
“We found you.”
Well, this being my favourite anime ever, I can’t help but sing it’s praises.
Anohana tells the story of Jinta ‘Jintan’ Yadomi, a teenager who is a hikikomori (someone who does nothing but sit in the house, play video games, and watch anime). During Jintan’s childhood years, him and a group of friends (Poppo, Tsuruko, Yukiatsu, Anaru, and most importantly, Menma) formed a gang called the ‘Super Peace Busters!’. The gang was struck by tragedy when their friend Meiko ‘Menma’ Honma passed on.10 years later, the gang has grown apart, and Jintan is playing a video game when the ghost of Menma visits him and tells him that she has one final wish. The series centres around the group of friends trying to figure out what that wish is and trying to fulfil it. It is the only anime that has ever made me stop the episode because I had to finish crying. The character development is great (because the story is mostly character driven) and the animation style is beautiful. It’s definitely a 10/10 in my mind but it sadly hasn’t gotten an official release in the UK yet. You can view it on the US Crunchyroll. The similarities to Clannad include dealing with the death of a love one, and friendship. The last episode of Anohana is probably the saddest episode in any anime I’ve ever seen. I ain’t gonna spoil anything, but from episode 4 right up until the end, it’s the saddest anime I’ve ever seen.
Also, I made the entire character cast on Tomodatchi Life, THAT is how much I love it.
#4 Sword Art Online/Log Horizon
Data-base, data-base, just living in the data-base, woah-oh…
Everyone knows Sword Art Online, however, not everyone likes it, and I can see why. It is very poorly written and the MC is very unlikeable. Which is why I’m saddened to see that shows such as Log Horizon, No Game No Life, and Btooom! are in SAO’s big shadow. Whilst Btooom! and No Game No Life aren’t strictly speaking the same as SAO, Log Horizon is the same, but so much better.
The premise doesn’t need explaining but I’m going to do it anyway.
Teenagers and adults alike sign up to play ‘Elder Tale’, a new game. They get stuck in the game and essentially have to try and find their way out of it.I’m going to leave it there, because I don’t want to go into too much detail about other shows as Naruto, DBZ, One Piece and Bleach should be easy to find recommendations off.
Thanks for reading!
-Jack
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Latest Entry
Music, Part One.
Now, if you're not really interested about music, don't read this post. I'm not going to persuade you that music is brilliant, because you won't believe me and that's not what this post is about.
Also, I will warn you, in case you haven't scrolled down. This post is LONG. It has had countless hours pumped into it. (Actually, not countless, more like 3.)
If you aren't comfortable reading loads and loads about music, why I like it and what examples I can give of music I like, then this isn't the blog for you.
If you don't mind, or are instead smiling at the thought of reading Nectar's very detailed thoughts on music, then do please continue. I would love for you to hear what I have to say.
Nectar - Music
Part One
(of two)
I want to talk, in this post, very generally about Music. Notice the capital 'M'.
Just "Music".
It's a wonderful thing, and it also plays a massive role in my life.
I've estimated that I spend around 13 to 14 hours a day with Apple EarPods inside of my ears on a weekend.
That is a massive portion of my day. And yes, this does mean that there is music playing in my ears most of the time.
It is rare for me to not be listening to music. I'm not listening to anything right now, because I really wanna focus on this post.
However, I still have the earphones in my ears, though I'm not listening to anything. I mean, why remove them? I'll probably listen to something soon anyway.
What all this means, is that I listen to music a hell of a lot.
You may be wondering because of this, why does Nectar spend so much of his time listening to music? What does it mean to him? What does he listen to? Why that music? Is there anything he doesn't like?
These are all perfectly reasonable questions. I discovered halfway through a reply to a thread that my reply was too long for a forum post. This is my third attempt and rewrite to actually respond to that thread, and it has taken me 19 days to make any kind of response at all. But I'm free from the confines of a thread here, so I'll address all of these questions without feeling guilty.
Why does Nectar spend so much of his time listening to music?
It has become a sort of habit, recently. I've been having trouble being productive for the last few months, actually. Music has become one of the few driving factors that have actually improved my productivity, and I had may as well mention why. I spend so much time listening to music because... well... it interests me. I like listening to stories. Music is the ideal medium for storytelling in my opinion. A good musical story has very few dependencies. You don't even have to be able to play an instrument, be able to sing, or read musical notation to tell a story with music. You don't have to be able to read, write or be literate in any meaningful way. It's easy. Here are the simple requirements for composing music:
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You understand the concept of pitch. Some noises have a higher and lower frequency to other noises.
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You understand timings. You understand that if you make a few noises, it sounds better if you leave equal or divisible gaps between them.
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You have a story you want to tell. You might hate society, you might really really like the female anatomy, or you might just want to tell someone you love them.
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You have a thing that makes noises. There was that one song that got around this rule, but generally you're gonna need to either use your voice, whack a thing, or twang a string.
That's all you really need. There's nothing in there about what language, if any, you speak. You don't need me to tell you that it doesn't matter what background you're from. Practically everybody is capable of appreciating music and creating music. Not everybody can write a book, not everybody can paint a picture. There are more people in the world that fit the above requirements than there are people capable of producing any other art form.
That is why it is the ideal storytelling tool.
Let's get interactive for a moment. (holy shit)
Imagine grass. You know grass.
Imagine a 1m square lawn.
Try to imagine how many blades of grass there are in that lawn.
It's hard to imagine even 1m squared's worth of grass blades.
Now try to imagine how many blades of grass there are in the whole world.
You done it? No? Failed miserably? Same.
Well, here's a little secret for you.
There are more songs, written, unwritten, imagined, and unimaginable, than there are all of those blades of grass.
Now that's a fancily huge amount of music to listen to. Try fitting that on your iPod.
Good Lord I've strayed away from the topic. I like stories, and I find that music is the best way to access great stories. (anime is fun too)
You can express so much more in music than just your thoughts. Here in this post, it is difficult for me to convey much tone. I find myself putting slants on words, making some words have thicker letters, adding emoticons, and all just because there is only so much you can do with writing alone. Plain text bores me far faster than music does. I can read a book, but then that's it. I don't read it again unless it's fucking Harry Potter. If I watch a film, it is very rare that I'll ever watch it again, unless it's fucking Harry Potter. Music, on the other hand, can last me weeks, months of replaying. Now, my mileage varies with what I'm listening to, but I'll discuss why later on. The stories that music can tell you can be so complex that replays are actually necessary in order to get the full experience without it.
The first time I listened to The Dark Side Of The Moon, an album by Pink Floyd, my first impression was that it was hugely unremarkable. It wasn't catchy, it wasn't clever, the lyrics were boring, it just kind of droned on and finished. I went to sleep the night I heard it, thinking exactly that. It was the following few days that I actually went back and listened again, and it was on around the 3rd complete playthrough that I realised how great it is.
Good music often takes time to get into your head properly. And that's because it's sneaky. Music is a massive tease. It plays with your head and your heart, and it only gives you small amounts of the full story in each play. The reason you listen to songs more than once, and in rapid succession, is because you want to hear more. When you finish a book, you have the same feeling. You just want more. But do you read the book over and over, 10, 20, 30 times? No, of course you don't. But you'll listen to your favourite song again. Why? Because every time you hear it, you hear more of the song than you did last time.
If you listen to your favourite song on repeat for too long, you'll get bored and it won't be your favourite any more. No song that I've ever found is indestructible when faced with the replayability test. They never last forever. But they last longer than other mediums do.
So back to the question. Why indeed do I spend so much of my time listening to music?
The simple answer now is that I have the means to, there's plenty of it and it's damn interesting.
That answer isn't long enough. There are more reasons than that. Looks like I had better keep talking.
What does it mean to him?
Music is a very expressive medium. I think I've probably said that enough times now that you understand what I mean.
It is cheesy, but the music that I listen to is both the soundtrack, and content, of my life.
If you watch a movie that contains not a single second of musical score, it doesn't have nearly as much life as one that does. The Dark Knight is a good example of a movie made 10x better with it's soundtrack. TRON: Legacy, is another one.
Hans Zimmer and Daft Punk use music to symbolise every emotion in the movies that they composed the score for. Every thought can be made so much more apparent when paired with a musical sequence.
Imagine a bird's eye view over New York City. Straight away, if you imagine the camera moving slowly over the city, you can hear music. Of course, the pigeons that orbit the city don't have earphones in, listening to dramatic movie scores. And yet, it is natural for us as humans to imagine an orchestra scratching some strings with horse hair in a lot of different circumstances. This shows that music has very deeply established itself in our subconscious and our culture, that there is a soundtrack buried deep within everybody.
And there's a soundtrack buried deep within me also. Hans Zimmer doesn't compose it for me, I discover my own.
I am very aware that the music an individual listens to forms a soundtrack of their life. Something I have more recently realised, however, is that that soundtrack is a fairly accurate mirror of the content of that person's life also.
The music that I listen to represents me. I gravitate towards music that is relatable to my exact circumstances. Sort of like how humans tend to fall in love with people that are similar to themselves and their parents.
I know that I've listened to wowaka's UNHAPPY REFRAIN because I've had direct frightening experience with depression.
I know that I've listened to Wintergatan because I dream of life in a peaceful Eastern European style village full of bicycles and cobblestone roads.
I know that I've listened to Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here because I've had to deal with the loss of somebody I love very dearly.
I could point at every album in my iTunes library and tell you why it's really there. It has taken me a very long time to understand that, but I know now that there is something that subconsciously draws me to certain music. And it's probably because I recognise that that I spend so much of my time with EarPods in my ears.
Sometimes I go outside, late at night or early in the morning, with a coffee and an album/song. I'll sit and listen to it, and reflect on the parts of my life that it reminds me of. Music that is visually engaging really shows you a lot about who you have been, who you are, and what you want to be.
That's what it means to me. It's a tool I use to gain a deeper insight into my life that no person's words could possibly provide. It only takes a few minutes of my attention to learn about entire years of my life. If you've read this far, you're interested in what I'm saying. I encourage you to go look through your music library. Look at the album covers. Look at the titles, remember the lyrics and the music. Think about why it got into your library. Think about what it shows about you. When I did that, I woke up the following morning knowing more about myself than I ever had before.
I intend to post Part Two at some point. It could be soon, or it could be a while. I wanna cram as much content into it as possible. So yes, a part 'three' might end up coming to be
Regardless, I'm gonna talk about specific bands, their stories, and what they have shown me. I will talk in detail about the precise things that I look for in music. I'll talk about what I don't like. I'll talk about the music industry, and my thoughts on it's direction. And more.
Thank you a whole bunch for reading this so far.
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Latest Entry
Anime, More then Just... Part 6
We have seen that anime can take us on a journey through our imaginations. That our hearts and minds gets engaged as we live through the lives of the characters. Every once and a while we come across issues of morality (right and wrong). I was watching episode 8 of Saga of Tanya the Evil "Trial by Fire". In the episode the soldiers from the empire was ordered to fire upon and kill civilians. This brought up the issue of right and wrong and morality in warefare. Tanya's troops were ordered to kill the civilians that stayed behind in the city. However Tanya first anounced that anyone staying in the city would be considered enemy soldiers of the empire. I am reminded of a true story of Seargant Alvin York. He was drafted into the army during WWI. Also he was a conscientious objector becuase of his religion. He did not want to kill. In October 1918, as a newly-promoted corporal, York was one of a group of seventeen soldiers assigned to infiltrate German lines and silence a machine gun position. After the American patrol had captured a large group of enemy soldiers, German small arms fire killed six Americans and wounded three. York was the highest ranking of those still able to fight, so he took charge. While his men guarded the prisoners, York attacked the machine gun position, killing several German soldiers with his rifle before running out of ammunition. Six German soldiers charged him with bayonets, and York drew his pistol and killed all of them. The German officer responsible for the machine gun position had emptied his pistol while firing at York but failed to hit him. This officer then offered to surrender and York accepted. York and his men marched back to their unit's command post with more than 130 prisoners. York was immediately promoted to sergeant and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross; an investigation resulted in the upgrading of the award to the Medal of Honor. York's feat made him a national hero and international celebrity among allied nations. When asked why he killed, his response was, " I killed to save lives. I will continue later...
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Latest Entry
Serial Experiments Lain
Serial Experiments Lain
EpisodeLayer 01 Weird"And you don't seem to UNDERSTAAAAAAND!!!!!!" *cough cough* sorry. So this is my third viewing of Serial Experiments Lain and since I'm gonna be completely unemployed for the next two weeks I figured 'Hey what better way to spend my time then writing an episodic analysis on one of the most mind-fucky shows out there!' (yay) I almost made this blog entry about how terrible Fate Apocrypha is but given that I was complaining in my last entry, I've decided to change the mood a little. (Fate Apocrypha can wait)
oh and uh here's a quick Synopsis if you don't know the show for some reason.
Synopsis (from MAL)
Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introverted fourteen-year-old, is one of the many girls from her school to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda—the very same Chisa who recently committed suicide. Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle even basic technology; yet, when the technophobe opens the email, it leads her straight into the Wired, a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. Lain's life is turned upside down as she begins to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another. Strange men called the Men in Black begin to appear wherever she goes, asking her questions and somehow knowing more about her than even she herself knows. With the boundaries between reality and cyberspace rapidly blurring, Lain is plunged into more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings.
Honestly to understand this blog post I seriously recommend just watching this episode first. (edit: I have added a plot summary)
But James why are you doing this?
'Well I'm glad you asked hypothetical nobody.' You see Serial Experiments Lain is not quite as loved as most of it's fan-base would have you believe. No actually a lot of "
anime critics" Random ppl on the internet* Believe that this show is fucking garbage and I cant really blame them. I've given it a 9/10 on MAL but I'm not sure I could prove that Lain isn't an incoherent piece of shit if someone confronted me with that argument. So here I am. Does Lain actually make any sense at all? Well we're about to find out.So far I've re-watched the first episode and taken a shitload of notes categorizing them into three types of information. Stated Info, Implying info and interpretive Info. All my notes will be presented in italics below. Don't worry you don't actually have to read it. I'll be making my points below it so I can reference it every now and then. (so in order for this to make sense you are going to need to look at my notes whenever i reference them.) But shit you can probably just skip to my analysis summary at the end and still get it.
Anyhow... Let The Analysis Begin!
Notes (with time-stamps)
Stated infomation
[1A] (02:10) Spoken: “Why? Why won’t you come? I wish you could come here…” (by who?)
Text frames(TF): [2A] (03:03) “Why you should do that is something you should figure out for yourself.” TF
[2B] (03:53) “I don’t need to stay in a place like this.” TF (These are possibly Chisa’s words based on the fact that we see her lips moving without sound before the second text frame appears. It also makes sense as something she would say before she kills herself.)
[3] (05:00) “If you stay in a place like this you might not be able to connect.” TF
[4C] (06:52) “Everybody, hurry…” TF
[3.5] (05:46) Lain tells people on the train to shut up (uncharacteristic of her).
More text frames: [6] (09:28) “What’s it like when you die?” “It really hurts.”
Yomoda Chisa’s email to Lain:
Chisa: “Hello, how are you? Lain I walked home with you just once. Do you remember?”
Lain: "Yes"
Chisa: “I have only given up my body. By doing this I can explain to you that I am still alive. I wanted to let you know this, Lain, so I sent this email to you. Do you understand? It’s okay if you can’t right now. You will all understand soon. Everyone will.”
Lain: "Why did you die?"
Chisa: “Rumour at school has it that this is a prank email. But I want you to know that it isn’t, Lain.”
Lain: "Why? Why did you die?"
Chisa: “God is here.”
Lain: (only spoken)"Huh?"
[7A] (15:54) Lain’s Fathers Words: “You know Lain, in this world. Whether it’s here in the real world or in the Wired, people connect to each other, and that’s how societies function.” *looking at headless people on computer* Lain’s father goes on to reassure her that she can make friends easily and that there is nothing to be afraid of. We see Lain silently mouth something with one syllable. She then says. “I’m not scared” She also says that there is a friend she wants to see.
Implying infomation
[8A] (17:11) Lain is on a train when suddenly it stops and the train driver announces that there has been an accident.
[8B] (17:38) Lain looks out the train window to see blood dripping from the power-lines.
[9] (20:31) Again Lain’s vision goes blurry as she stares at the blackboard. However, this time the board’s words change into a message to Lain saying “Come to the wired as soon as you can.” The message although she views it on the blackboard appears to have come from her Navi.
Interpretive infomation
[1B] (02:55) Chisa is surrounded by black and red shadows before she goes to kill herself.
[4A] (06:30) Lain staring at her shadow (shadow is not black and red. Instead it is green and blue.)
[4B] (06:40) Lain looks at other students in the courtyard when her vision begins to blur and the students disappear as her vision fades to white.
[5A] (08:45) Once again while Lain is in class her vision goes blurry and the words on the board become illegible.
[5B] (09:18) This is the scene where steam seems to emerge from Lain’s fingers and trails throughout the class.
[7B] (16:55) Lain’s father makes weird laughing noise.
[8C] (18:03) Cut to a dream sequence where Lain is standing in the middle of the road, she then appears in a subway; then an empty school grounds; then what seems to be an empty classroom. Finally after a flash-cut of a red train-crossing light she appears on an empty road. Fog swoops in from outside the frame surrounding her as she finds herself on a train track. She then sees a girl walk in front of an incoming train and gets hit. Lain wakes up in her classroom afterward.
[10] (21:08) In the final scene Chisa appears before Lain in the street and Lain asks “Chisa? Where are you?” Chisa just stares at her weirdly and disappears in a green spiral.
Plot Summary
Okay fine I suppose I'll do a normal episode summary before I do my analysis and analysis summary. I can't expect people to watch the episode before reading this. Alright so the show begins with Chisa killing herself. After that we meet Lain and pretty much immediately we know something's not right. On her train ride to school Lain hears voices that aren't there and once she arrives she begins to have vision problems. Lain learns from her classmates that apparently Chisa has been emailing people from the dead. Once Lain arrives home she finds that she herself has received one of these emails and what she learns is that apparently Chisa has found God in the Wired. Intrigued, Lain asks her father for a new Navi(computer) so that she can better interact with the Wired. The next day Lain is on a train to school when the train grinds to a hold after an accident. Lain quiclky falls into a dream sequence where she witnesses a person getting hit by the train. Once Lain wakes up in her classroom at school she experiences more visual problems which twist the words on the blackboard into a message. The message instructs Lain to come to the Wired asap. Finally in the last scene we see Chisa confront Lain. To Be Continued.
Analysis
OKAY! I am fucking ready for this. So the first thing you hear in Serial Experiments Lain (aside from that godly op
) is a strange bit of dialog(see [1A]) and we have no idea who says it. Luckily though I have a theory. I actually think this voice is one of Lain's other personalities trying to convince Yomoda Chisa to kill herself. She want's Chisa to leave her body and come to the Wired. Now I'm no connoisseur of Japanese voice acting but I'm pretty sure that it was Lain's voice. Also Chisa's suicide scene is shown soon afterwards so I'm almost positive that these words are directed at her. This is supported by the next cut where we see Chisa out of breath and seemingly upset.([1B]) This is a little bit strange because when we see her leap from the building she appears to be at peace.
Real quick this is what I mean when I say text frame:
Given my last assumption we could interpret the next cut to a silent text frame([2A]) as Lain's words to Chisa telling her to figure out why she should come to the Wired, why she should kill herself. And the text frame right before Chisa jumps is obviously her Dialog “I don’t need to stay in a place like this.” ([2B]). In all honesty this theory is a little bit of a stretch, because if they wanted to represent Lain's Dialog again in [2A] surely they would just have her speak them like she did 53 seconds ago in [1A]. However, as it is, I cant imagine these words([2A])
being from anyone else.(these could totally be Eiri Masami's words) On a side note I am going to refer to this version of Lain as 'Lain 0' from now on so as to not get her confused with normal Lain. (If you have no idea what I'm talking about with this multiple personality shit then don't worry, all shall be explained in time.)The next thing I noted was a text frame that appears just before Lain leaves for school. “If you stay in a place like this you might not be able to connect.” ([3]) This can be interpreted as a message to Lain from Chisa. A likely assumption because if I'm not mistaken I'm sure Chisa tries to convince Lain to come to the Wired later in the series. Given these motives it is not hard to imagine these as Chisa's words. Even if this is not the case it is almost certain that these words are for Lain regardless of who they come from.
Lain is riding a train and she is sick of the people on the train talking so she tells them to shut up.([3.5]) However what's interesting about this is the way people look at her when she says this. They look as if they have been silent the whole time. This likely means the voices she is hearing are coming from the Wired.
Now I am still unsure what exactly is the significance of this scene, the different colored shadow([4A]) particularly eludes any explanation of mine.(I just thought I'd note it anyway) What I am sure of however is that it is somehow connected to Lain's partial loss of vision.([4B]) And the following text frame “Everybody, hurry…” ([4C]). Honestly I might have to just let this one sit until I start researching more episodes. This is actually pretty important because one of the biggest complaints I saw in negative reviews is that many scenes are pointless and don't go anywhere. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. But fuck I'll be surprised if I get through this whole show and everything connects to everything else with no plot holes.(But this tangent can wait)
Okay so this is the second time Lain begins to lose her vision([5A]) which means there is clearly some sort of meaning behind this. Then again I had vision problems all the time in school and there wasn't any meaning to that. What happens next however, happened to me slightly less often.([5B]) And I'm afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you again because I have no explanation for this. But to be fair like who the hell does? Even the most knowledgeable Lain fans will tell you 'Yeah we have no fucking idea what this is.' It's certainly cool don't get me wrong but I'm not sure we will get far narrative wise if we waste time randomly guessing at what this might be. Moving on.
Luckily these text frames([6]) are pretty straight forward since we know there's only one character who's died so far. Although we don't know who's asking the question. My first guess would be the next girl who kills herself. Perhaps she is asking what it is like to die before she goes and kills herself. Even though this makes sense there really is no evidence for this so far. Again I will have to come back to this part later.
Okay so now I'm going to talk about Chisa's email to Lain which is the blue writing in my notes. At first it was difficult to tell whether this was a conversation or just one email because Lain spoke all her replies. It is only when Chisa answers Lain(not even directly mind you) that it becomes evident that this is a conversation.(It's not hard to assume that Lain's Navi converts her words into messages because her Navi was shown to be voice operated to some extent earlier.) Most of what Chisa says is pretty self explanatory, not much to analyse there except for her reply to Lain's question. "God is here." Now I have a pretty good idea of who she is talking about. After all there really are only two people she could be talking about, Eiri Masami or Lain 0. Here is my current hypothesis: Chisa is referring to Lain 0 when she says God. First evidence for this is that it makes sense as a reply to Lain's question "Why? Why did you die?" If Lain 0 is the one who convinced Chisa to kill herself, saying that Lain 0 is here(God) makes perfect sense. There are other reasons as to why I think that Lain 0 is the God Chisa is speaking of but I'll cover this later when I analyse the relevant episodes.
So this is where Lain speaks to her father about getting a better Navi.([7A]) What can we learn from this interaction? Well most obviously Lain's dad is a big Navi(computer) enthusiast. However, I'm not sure how much significance any of his dialog actually holds. If nothing else I'd say it's a kind of foreshadowing for the themes the show will be exploring. Actually given Lain's father's true identity his words may have more weight than I'm giving them credit for. However, I think it's still a bit too early to discus this. As for Lain we can see that this scene shows a bit of a turning point for her, because up till now she has had no interest in technology. So finally her father asks her why she has taken a sudden interest in Navi's and Lain simply replies "There's a friend I want to see."(Obviously Chisa) But before she says that, we see her mouth move silently forming only one syllable. This could be anything from Lain wanting to say something else or a mystery word that the audience isn't supposed to know yet. Regardless there's really not much we can do to figure this out right now. So what happens next I honestly have no words for.([7B]) This crazy ass laugh is weird as fuck and out of nowhere. But it's actually not the strangest thing in this scene. If you look at Lain's father's computer while he is talking to her, you'll find that he is clicking through moving images of headless people. yeah... weird right. The scene doesn't seem to put much emphasis on this but it's just far too bizarre to just mean nothing. So I looked closely at what he was entering on his Navi and this is what I found. He types into a bar under 'application
cya_iiization(illegible word) system' and he types "Think Blue Count One To".(probably a password) I'm not really sure if this means anything but I'll record it just in case. There is also some writing in Japanese next to the headless people so I will see if I can get my friend to translate it. I'm not really confident that it means anything significant but better safe than sorry.Honestly ([8A]) and ([8B]) don't really need much analysis. The bleeding power-lines are cool visuals for sure but other than representing someones death I don't think its alluding to anything else. Speaking of this person I'm not sure we ever find out who it is that gets hit by the train. We find out in Lain's dream sequence([8C]) that it is a high school girl but other than that i don't remember the show ever bringing this up again. But I suppose we will have to wait and see.
So Lain wakes up in class after her dream to find herself having problems with her vision.([9]) With this I think we can understand the meaning behind its previous occurrences as well. Lain's loss of vision is likely a result of someone trying to bring her into the Wired. Although at this point in the story there's only one person we know to be contacting Lain from the Wired, in the grand scheme of things this could actually be quite a few different people. For now though I think it's still a question between Yomoda Chisa and Eiri Masami. That is one thing that has been bothering me actually. Both my main theories about Lain 0 contacting Chisa and Chisa contacting Lain could just be replaced by Masami and still make sense.
FINALLY WE MADE IT. In this last scene we see Chisa finally confront lain([10]) in person(sort of). This encounter is nothing if not weird and all we get from it is Lain asking questions and Chisa just staring at her weirdly. It doesn't help much.
Analysis Summary
So the only unique idea I really got out of this episode was my Lain 0 theory wherein Lain's Wired personality was the one who convinced Chisa to kill herself and is the one Chisa refers to as god. Other than that I think my interpretations were pretty standard. Lain's recurring loss of vision is likely Chisa's doing. To be honest there are far more lose ends then I would have liked there to be but It's really not surprising.
Loose ends:
- Lain's colorful shadow
- That "everybody hurry" text frame.([4C])
- Steam erupting from Lain's fingers.([5B])
- Who is asking Chisa what death is like?([6])
- Why Is Lain's dad interested in headless people and why does he laugh like a maniac.([7A]) and ([7B])
- Who gets hit by the train?([8C])
Alright I'm done. This is about all I can get from this first episode. Hopefully we can see this loose end list diminish as time goes on and I analyse more episodes. Or it will just go up in which case the haters are right. I think either way Serial Experiments Lain is predominantly an aesthetic show. It's not about what you know is true, it's about what you think you know is true. Regardless I've always wanted to know if SEL's Narrative actually holds up and you know what they always say, if you want something done right do it yourself.
Thanks for reading if you got this far and if you have anything to say you know what to do.
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Who will win?
Choose which one you think would win a fight against Goku!
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11/13/2017
Hey! Its been awhile! Good news, I passed my finals, and I got my acceptance letters to both colleges I Applied to!
So HappY!
Lets go crazy!
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Steins; Gate Review
There is always one anime that really stands out to you, that really makes a difference to you. There's always one show that you want everybody to watch and love just as much as you do (if not more). That show for me is Steins;Gate.
I remember a few years ago, a friend recommended this show for me to watch. I was still relatively new to watching anime and my taste in shows was, what i would consider now, rather lame. Even then, I was mesmerized by this show. It dragged me in and completely hooked me from episode 1.
Since then, I have watched this show countless and countless of times, it never losing its appeal. It still makes me cry, gives me goosebumps, and puts me on the edge of my seat. I catch new things I missed in previous watchings almost every time I rewatch it.
I feel that Steins;Gate is so underappreciated and not nearly as popular as it should be. There must've been so much thought and time put into creating such a complete masterpiece. It really delves deep into topics not usually presented in anime and takes it above and beyond what I would have expected.Steins;Gate is originally a visual novel game that was later adapted into an anime. I didn't play the actual visual novel till years later after I had already rewatched the show a few times. The visual novel, obviously, is much more complex and explains things in a much deeper way.
OKAY, so, you are all probably wondering.. "What is it even about Rini?" Well, don't worry! I will explain that now!!
Steins;Gate takes place in Akihabara, Japan following the story of main character Okabe Rintaro (whom likes to be called "Hououin Kyouma!"). Okabe is a self proclaimed 'mad scientist' who runs his own lab with two friends Mayuri and Daru. There he creates tons of mostly useless experiments. One day, however, he accidentally steps into territory that should not be stepped in. He accidentally creates a time machine. Given the opportunity to stop research or continue, he continues.
This glorious anime sheds light as to what the horrors of time travel would be and what it could lead to. It makes use of the Butterfly Effect, separate world lines, etc. As you follow Okabe through this intense story-line, you watch as he descends into TRUE madness (not his self proclaimed madness). I cannot stress enough how incredible of a show this is. It can be a tad slow at the start, but it really sets off around episode 12 or so and it's nonstop from that point on.I want more people to give this show the chance it deserves, as its just entirely underrated.
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New Year, New You?
As the new year begins, what do people tend to say as they strive to accomplish their resolutions?
"New year, new me!"
But in reality, does that ever happen?
Most people give up after a month or two. Or sometimes, people quit within a week. But who can blame them?
Besides, you have to work for the 'new you'. It doesn't happen as soon as the new year starts.
So really, why is there such a saying if no one ever accomplishes it?
People may accomplish their goals/resolutions, but it seems that no one ever actually becomes the way they want to.
Let's say this year you want to improve your attitude or personality. It will take some time, but it's not impossible.
Let's say you accomplish this. Congrats! But do you feel like a new you? Or do you just feel better about yourself?
Maybe it's just me, but the whole "new year, new me" thing is ridiculous.
Let me know what you guys think about the whole thing.
Do you guys believe in the "new year, new me" saying?
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Movies for anime fans!
I’ve noticed that there’s lots of anime fans who don’t know much about films outside of the anime.I’m sure and know for a fact that not all anime fans are like this but there’s some who do want to broaden their horizons but don’t know where to start.
So,I thought I’ll make a list of films and compare them to some anime to convince some people to watch.
FARGO/CASE CLOSED
Fargo is the first one I’ll talk about because it’s a bit more simplistic.
PLOT:a down on his luck car sales man hires two criminals to kidnap his wife for money because her father’s well off.then,things go horribly wrong for everyone.WHY SHOULD YOU WATCH:
It’s kind of funny that I compare it to cased closed but it’s the closes thing I could think of.there’s not much similarly between the two but I picked because if you love mystery then this is for you.Simply put it’s a really simple crime film.there’s not much “fancy” detective work going on but that only adds to it.since the plot is simple it gives more time to develop the characters and more time to spend learning about the environment the characters are in.the snowy hell and freezing cold weather just adds to the feeling of solidarity.
BLACK CEASER-GANGSTA/BACCANO
Black Cesar belongs to a genre of films called Blaxploitation.it’s a genre that started off somewhere around the 70s and with films like shaft,coffy,and foxy Brown,ect.THE PLOT:the plot is very simple it’s about a group of black gangsters rising from the underbelly of new York to become a vicious gang.then,our main lead slowly watches the very same things that gave him his wealth destroy and corrupt everything around him.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH:
Coffy and foxy Brown both starred the extremely talented Pam Grier and it launched her into superstardom along with other actors in this genre and one of them is FRED WILLIAMSON this movie has other really talented actors but for the sake of simplicity we’ll just talk about him for now.Fred Williamson gives a wonderful and powerful performance as a gangster along with the ferocity that comes with being one.I recommend this film because this along with other gangster films of it’s time inspired a look and feel that things like gangsta,baccano,ect have.
The big fancy Cadillac,clothes,and extravagant lifestyle are exemplified perfectly in this film.the violence subtle but leave impact that never leave your mind.
d’urville martin is amazing as he plays a corrupt preacher pushing a Mafioso agenda.DUEL TO THE DEATH- KENICHI THE MIGHTY DISCIPLE/AFRO-SAMURAI
if you’re looking for a badass non-stop action film then look no further.if love the old school style of kung fu that anime like afro samurai and mighty have then you’re in for a treat.PLOT:there’s a competition for the best samurai of two villages and they both send thier best warriors to fight.soon enough over the course of the film the two main characters become friends.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH:
This movie looks and feels like a fight is about to happen.I love kung fu anime but the main problem is it doesn’t look right sometimes because their is no sweating,heavy breathing,the clanging of swords doesn’t sounds or feel right.The dubbing is really damn good too but some might find it cheesy or dumb.I think it’s one of the things that add to the overall atmosphere of a kung fu film.
I’m not saying that mighty isn’t a great but at some points I thought it could have been better but comparing live action and animated movies on the feel and look isn’t easy.duel to the death along with the other films on this list Inspired me to write this list because it’s not an easy task to compare.Duel to Death gets so many things right in the fighting department but does something that’s really hard to do.what’s that you ask? It’s nailing the look.
Long wide shots before a battle.
Using environments to set a tone(feeling).
THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN/THE ZODIAC-HIGURASHI
Damn,choosing between the two was almost f****** impossible so why not both?PLOT OF THE TOWN THAT DREADED SUNDOWN: the year is 1946 and their is a serial killer on the loose in Texas.then,the police send one their best to catch this killer who seem to disappear into night.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH:
These two films the town that dreaded sundown and the zodiac have two separate elements that make higurashi great.one is suspense and the other is psychology in nature.The town that dreaded sundown is down some what like a old style cop show like drag net.if you’re not familiar with the show think of those cop shows that reenact the crime scenes.I choose to call this one suspenseful because it’s a fear of the unexplained and how the film uses narration,low lightning and other techniques to make you afraid.
The fear comes from the simple fact that the killer is from a small town and that he could be anyone.hell,he’s probably sitting down next door to anyone of us preparing dinner or simply going to bed.PLOT OF THE ZODIAC:
The zodiac is a movie basically on a real serial killer that called himself the zodiac.he’s still on the loose and has yet to be caught.WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH:
This film is a bit longer than most of the film’s here but I have faith that it’ll grip you and never let go.I’ve said that these two films each have separate elements that I believe made the show great and the other half I mentioned psychological horror.
While the things that made the film scary where fears of the unknown what makes this just FUCKIN SPOOPY! Is what we do know and facts not adding up.
The film is very factual in it’s presentation and let’s decided what is true and what isn’t.the film follows the zodiac killer and his unpredictable patterns from taunting the police with notes with riddles and clues to his identity.
The main draw of the film is the psychology and how it takes a toll on the main characters as they’re partially chasing a ghost.they’re restless pursuit for the truth leads to dead ends,clues that don’t make any factual sense.DEATH RIDES A HORSE-TRI-GUN/COYOTE RAG TIME SHOW
While the film isn’t a futuristic western like tri-gun and some what lean more on the anime coyote rag time their just so much too love.PLOT: a young boy watches his family get killed by outlaws and plans his revenge and waiting for the right time to strike!
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH:
One of the things most of the film’s on this list have is a very simple plot compared to the anime that I’m comparing them to.it’s quiet easy to forget the joys that come with a fairly simple plot structure.
This film is rather old but I hope that doesn’t scare some of you away because it has so much too offer.what made both tri-gun and coyote rag time show great was the vast landscapes and the bizarre and colorful characters.
The film feels familiar because every character has a gun and a checkered past or an axe to grind.a town full of deceit and crime with the only solution is to bring justice one shell at a time.FULL METAL JACKET/MECH-ANIME/GRAVE OF THE FIRE FILES
This movie is really dirty in every single way possible.and,yes that way too.PLOT:this film takes a looks at the daily lives of soldier’s in the Vietnam war from training to the actual battlefield as the war takes a it’s toll.
WHY YOU SHOULD WATCHC:
With lines like “This is my rifle. There are many like it but this one is mine.” I felt incredibly dirty and uneasy.I could sit and name numerous things and point out the geniuses of Stanley Kubrick but I won’t.
From the beginning of the film’s icon opening in a boot camp the soldiers quickly learn that it’s another cog in the war machine and just made to spit out military officers who clearly aren’t ready for the Vietnam war.
The trauma doesn’t stop there as our main lead finds out about lots of cover ups and fake news reports to lessen the work load and to keep us feeling safe in this losing battle.soon,the soldiers get use to this reality and it’s all they know.I hoped you enjoyed the reading I much as I enjoyed writting.also,tell me what you think?
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The way it was.
I remember the days when all you had to do was worry about going to school and watching cartoons. Your elementary teachers who gave out hugs as much as they gave out candy and good advice. Maybe you had some homework that you threw off for awhile or it was easy and you got it done right away. Your teen celebrities that you had a crush on growing up. That summer camp you went to as a kid. When the only real issues you had to deal with was offline bullies and chores that you didn't really want to do but you did anyway. Friends you'd make. Or didn't make. Authentic people who truly cared about you and you them.
Now everything has changed so much. The teen idols you grew with are either on drugs, considered obsolete, or dead. Rent and Bills are your indefinite companions. Bullies are now cyber as well as tangible. People seem either fake or unconcerned. Cartoons you grew up with as a child are considered old school. Music now sounds the same with no variety. Losing so much now than you ever have as a child. And now using nostalgia as a way of coping with a horrid future.
I miss the way it was.
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What is The Ruthisian Codex About?
The story is about a woman who discovers that she has supernatural abilities after kids in her city begin to go missing and must locate a book called The Ruthisian Codex to gain mastery over her powers and find the people responsible for the kidnappings.
The lead character's name is Phia and the first chapter explores her seemingly normal life as a budding caterer. Throughout the book, I will describe certain dishes that she makes in detail and include the recipes at the back of the book. I may also include pictures but I'm not 100% certain yet. I'm also considering starting a Discord & hosting monthly virtual brunches where people can create their favorite foods from the book & we can all show our creations & hang out for a few hours. Making recipe videos for YouTube or live streaming myself preparing the dishes is also another idea I have.
Phia's abilities and back story all center around Ancient Egyptian mythology and religion. Her love of cooking, her romantic interests, and some of her other hobbies are all tied into the Egyptian deities that she identifies with the most.
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The Anime and Manga Horror Genre
Since you are reading this article I will assume you are a horror lover like I am. The horror genre in anime and manga can be really good but we come into problems with the lack of content in the genre.
Anime Horror Recommendations
Here are some horror anime titles to check out:1. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni
If you are a horror lover this is the first show you need to watch. The show has great psychological elements and a mystery to keep you interested in the show until the end. THe show has a second season but only watch it if you enjoyed this one. However viewer be warned: The English Dub is absolute garbage. Do not watch the English Dub.
2. Parasyte
While this show focuses more on drama and action I do say that it definitely plays a lot with body horror. The way you see the parasites is absolutely bone shilling at times and is still a decent show all around.
3. Shiki
Vampires. This is a show about vampires. The show has a slow start but quickly turns into a gore torn show and it is absolutely awesome. The horror towards the end of the show is really good and with the drama it adds even more to the MANY deaths in the anime.
4. Tokyo Ghoul (First Season)
Again we focus on the theme of monsters but this show is more focused on plot and character at first. The horror is nearly there for effect at first but plays well into the show as it goes on. However two disclaimers for the show. Firstly the second season was absolute garbage and was a complete waste of time, don’t watch it. Secondly is that the show is currently censored on most legal streaming sites but an uncensored version is around and I definitely recommend tracking it down.
5. Corpse Party: Tortured Souls
If you are looking for straight up horror this is it. This show is the finest horror and gore I have seen in the anime medium to date with every scene played to excellent effect. However with great horror you get only an average plot and kind of bland characters. THe show is not perfect but if you are looking for straight up blood, guts, and scares this is the show for you. Plus it is only four episodes so you hav eno excuse.
Manga Horror Recommendations
A list of a few horror mangas if you prefer to read your frights:1. Uzumaki
This is considered a must see in the genre. Similar to Parasyte int he fact that it is body horror but Parasyte does not compare. The story is overall very good and the art is f****** scary. However during the later chapters I felt the manga got a little more on the ridiculous side and that may turn off some people so be warned.
2. Franken Fran
While focusing more on some comedic qualities this manga is absolutely still scary. It contains some of the best artwork in the genre I have seen and the characters are so much fun. WHile this is not straight up horror you will find moments where you gasp and amy stay up at night thinking about them.
3. Hideout
My personal favorite horror manga and it is for a reason. The manga is THE BEST because of its story and art. THe story is very well executed and the art it just adds so much to the story. I really can;t say how much I loved this manga but the only downside to some is that it is very short.
4. Ibitsu
This was my introduction to horror manga and if you were to start anywhere I would start here. THis manga plays a lot with talkers and the constant “I am going to get you” kind of plot. However Ibitsu makes the plot work withs some interesting character and an ending that will leave you wondering “Wha tthe f**** did I just read?”.
5. Doubt
This manga has the main focus on psychological scenes but the tense atmosphere it creates makes the manga even scarier. I recommend this to people who are scared of the unknown and don’t mind solving abut of a mystery.
Well those were my recommendations and I have not seen every single show or read every manga. If you felt that I missed something please feel free to comment them and I will be sure to include suggestions that I think should have been on the list.
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A Long Time in Coming
So, it seems for the past 2 years I have been trying to land my dream job (not just preparing for it but applying too). This has been a very very long and painful process, and at this point, I can confess... I have rewritten my resume likely over 150 times in two years...and my cover letters...I have around 120 or so. That's a lot of writing. I remember the Dean of my school once saying "Anyone who claims to enjoy writing is a liar" and I raised my hand and said, "I actually like writing....sir....." Haha! Didn't earn me any points with that guy but ah well. I do love writing stories. I'm still working on my short (the one I meant to be around 15 pages long that has turned into 120 pages and counting) story on the side but writing all of these resumes and cover letters has given me a different perspective to writing. I've even written resumes and cover letters for my friends (I tell all my friends they must expect to spend a minimum of 4-8 hours with me for a resume, and another 8-16 hours for a cover letter - the information you have to drag out of people to write these is insane) and darn....I make those things look great! One of my friends worked as a cleaning lady for around 8 years, and in fast food for another 4 years and I made her resume sound very professional and geared it towards her dream warehouse job with the terminology I used to describe her work responsibilities. Sometimes I wonder though, why it takes so long for me to comb through and improve my own work. I likely turn a blind eye towards my own resume's flaws.
In the past, I relegated updating my resume to a yearly task that I set for myself on my whiteboard in my office on New Years Day (along with all my other goals (you know, save X amount of money in savings, attain this or that certification, pay off that loan) things that I wanted to get done that year that I would mark off as I accomplished them). I'm now realizing that doing this yearly, I probably missed some major additions I could've added before that now are just out of my grasp....not to mention...if you don't use it, you lose it (the magic resume touch that is). Well, I've got the touch now. Maybe I should open up a resume/cover letter writing service, charge people by the hour to do it.
At least I'd make money from it. So far I've been just giving it away! I'm also a lot happier with my resume than I can say I was two years ago. It is full of interesting information, not just generic stuff, that exemplifies my abilities and leads to enhancing others. It's all building on itself. I seem to be getting better at displaying pertinent information. It isn't enough to just list the robots I've worked with. Now I'm listing what their functions were as well as the software components. Give the random HR representative a shred of information to understand what it means (HR rep must be the strangest job in the world - they get to pick people who get to see the hiring manager, and most of the time they have no understanding of what the person does or how they get the job done). I'm still at a disadvantage. Studies have shown ambitious men get three times the interviews that ambitious women do, but at least this resume is written proof of my abilities.
~sighs~ Well, back to applying for the dream. Some day I'll get there. Not sure when. If I keep trying though, my ticket's eventually got to be pulled. This cat's not giving up the hunt that easily!
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Why Continue?
When I watch curtain anime I start to question my life based off of what is going on, like in a anime an MC is portrayed to come out on top in Romance, Action or Fantasy.... But What about in the real world? In the real world everyone is the MC so who comes out on top.... When I think about it I feel to small to make a wave in the ocean of people.... But not being able to does not mean I don't want to but it does mean I think I can't... I wonder why do we continue with our lives when ultimately we don't have any real goals, for instance... You say your goal is to get a medal what do you do after you get your medal nothing changed from you getting it... You say your gonna start to workout to get in shape. Why, whats the point when if you didn't you can indulge yourself more with little affect... Why, is there a reason to continue when a goal you set leads to nothing more... When you feel like your life doesn't mean anything... Anyway just got done watching a bunch of sad anime and these where what came to mind afterwords nothing to serious, right?
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Dagashi Kashi: First Impressions
As the winter 2016 anime season is starting, multiple new animes are coming out that catch the attention of any type of anime genre viewer. Whether they deserve for you to anxiously wait until they are released in a week’s time is all up to you. This season I have choosen to anxiously wait for the premiere and run of the anime, Dagashi Kashi, literally translating to cheap sweets candy. The premise of this anime follows Shikada Kokonotsu and his father,owner of a rural sweets shop, and his plan for Kokonotsu to take it over one day. However, Kokonotsu drem is to pursue his manga career, to which his father believes is not the best path for his son. One day in the summer, a cute but weird girl Shidare Hotaru,the heir to a famous candy operation, comes to visit the Kokonotsus. Apparently, Kokonotsu’s father is famous and she wants him to join her company. The story of this anime begins to unfold with the contract of Kokonotsu’s father to Hotaru, the only way for him to join her is persuading her son to inherit the family shop.
So far, the anime has a very captivating plot that although it is masked behind the enormous amount of forced and genuine humor, still reminds you the main objective of this show and this story. The plot doesn’t seem to let go any hint of any romance between any of these characters, but it is possible as many jokes were made about relationships throughout the course of the show. Characters seem to have room for development throught the course of the series.The animations are pretty good and the opening song is cute. As a result I award the story with a 4/5, animation with a 3/5 , characters with a 3/5, sound with a 2/5, and my personal enjoyment 4/5.Giving this anime a 3.75 , rating of watch it and await its release.This is definitely going to follow and await its release. If you enjoy slice of life, and comedic animes check this one out. And even if you don’t still check it out. Tell me your feelings about this anime in the comments.
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Favorite Anime OP!
Hello wonderful users! Post your favorite anime OP. ❤
Favorite one will get a free doodle made.
Just to start -
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Latest Entry
A update on my future Blog content
Hello everyone, Ulas here with a new update. I told you in my first Blog post that i'll do music album reviews here, but the plans changed and i decided today that i'll do Song Reviews instead. The reason is I'm not motivated to do a full album review, since i have other hobbies as well in my free time, and i just don't have the time nor the motivation to do a full album review. I have the feel that it could get too stressful and i want to avoid that, because writing about a hobby should be fun.
That's why i'll stick to write about one song only because that might take time as well, but it definitely wouldn't get stressful like writing about a whole album. I will see when i do the first song review, because i still have to think about what song i'll pick first to start my new future song review journey on this Blog here. But to be immediately clear here, i won't review every song! Only songs which i personally want to review and write my opinion about them. Thank you for understanding guys, and i wish you a great day, or a great night, whenever you read this post from me. Until then, see you next time with my first song review.
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Latest Entry
Carnival in Greece
ETYMOLOGY
Over the years, I’ve heard one too many different opinions about the origins of the word ‘canival’. However, it appears to hail from the late latin words ‘carnem’ (meat) and levare (to remove/ take away) which actually sums up the purpose of the carnival period: to prepare yourself for the Easter fast. The greek word ‘απόκριες’ (apokries) also indicates an abstinence from meat.HISTORY
The celebrations that accompany carnival originate from ancient Greece and the Dionysian rites, that took place in late winter and symbolised the coming of spring. In Athens, specifically, a chariot would make its way to the city while being followed by dancers and singers, who were dressed up in costumes that resembled goats and sang satyrical songs. After the prevalence of Christianism, pagan elements were fused with the new traditions, thus indicating the beggining of the Lent.Modern carnival started appearing in Greece during the 19th century, after the Ionian islands were unified with the mainland. The Ionians, that were under heavy italian influence, contributed greatly in shaping contemporary celebrations.
DURATION
The duration of the carnival period can vary, depending on Easter. The opening ceremony always takes place on a Saturday night in mid January. The same doesn’t apply for the closing ceremony, though. The Burning of the Carnival King, that marks the end of celebrations, is exactly seven weeks before Easter. If Easter comes late, like this year, carvival can last up to two months!CELEBRATIONS
Different cities host different events and, honestly, there are too many of them to be written here. Therefore, I will only focus on those that take place in the city of Patras, where I live.Organisation:
In order to take part in the parades, you need to sign up in a crew. Crews can be found anywhere in the city and each of them has their own set of costumes for males and females (you can choose whichever you want). Sometimes, crews have more than one costumes to choose from (mostly for females, though :P). You need to pay for your costume (duh!) and price depends on quality as well as the number of members. (If you go with friends as group, you get discount, discount good! *said in russian accent* 😛 )Events:
Opening Ceremony
One would think that the opening ceremony of such a grand series of events would be rather extravagant and it would feature a variety of shows but, actually, it’s more of a warm-up. It lasts for a few hours only and usually features singing by local singers/bands as well as dancing by some of the cities dance schools. A fireworks display couldn’t be missing of course (this time they went a bit overboard with it, making it even more gorgeous!). This year, we also had an acrobatics show that was a really nice additionIt’s also the first day we can dress up, although most people go for a simple pair of animal ears or a mask rather than a full costume (at least I think it was, because I’m short and couldn’t see well ._.)
Smoky Thursday
After the start of the carvival period, no major events take place until the famous Smoky Thurday. Every meat lover lives for this day. Just like the name says, it’s a Thursday…. a barbequed one! Every store, wheather it is a hair saloon or a bookstore can set up their rotisserie (is this even a word? that’s what google gave me…) and roast dozens after dozens of souvlakia, selling them ridiculously cheap to passerbys, with loud music blasting out from the speakers.At schools, students and teachers can dress up however they want. In some elementaries, parents and teachers come and set up the rotisseries in the school yard and give children souvlakia for free, while they are having a party dressed up in their costumes. In middle schools, teachers usually order from a store and students have to pay a small price to get their souvlakia. In high schools…. well, they just let the students off much earlier without giving them any meat. It is a great chance to go out and eat with your friends, though.
In the city center, certain events are organised for this day. This year we had a comedy wrestling show, in which various weirdos engaged in fake fights to win food. Later in the day, we have the annual ‘Marriage of koulourou*’ (*erm…that can be translated as ‘a woman who sells buns’ or something…?). It’s an old custom that presents a marriage and it takes place in the old part of the city, near the Roman Conservatory. It is based on a local myth, of a naive old woman who fell victim to the pranks of her fellow citizens and was lead to believe that the president of America, Wilson (1913-1921), was going to marry her.
Hidden Treasure
It’s a game played by the crew members. They are given hints and visit different locations in the city until they find the treasure and win the prize. Unless you have a ride, don’t participate, it’s suicide.Chocolate Wars
People throwing chocolates. Just that… JUST THAT!!!!Children’s Parade
Also called the ‘little’ parade. Hundreds of children in their costumes join a parade along with their parents. They dance to the music or board one of the floats and lazily wave at the crowd…. (my parents never let me go when I was young…..). The little parade happens a week before the end of carnival.Float Parade
Floats designed by the city’s artistic workshop have their own time in the spotlight the last Friday night before the ending ceremony. They usually feature satyrical themes such as …..wait for it…… politicians! What else?Night Parade
The Saturday night parade is the biggest and most important of all (Note that Patras has the biggest parades in the country 😛 ). You see people flocking downtown in large masses, only stopping to take a selfie or two with their friends. The center gets closed down so cars won’t enter and everyone is able to roam the streets freely. Colorful and creepy costumes flood the place, as everyone is striving to look unique. It’s a great opportunity for otakus to cosplay without getting any odd stares (ok, I take that back, I got a lot of odd stares 😛 ). It’s also not strange if a person completely unknown to you comes to chat or ask for a picture with you because, clearly, your cosplay is so awesome (it’s not like I’m bragging about myself here….). Alcohol is abundant and so are whistles and all kinds of trinkets that make noise. If you’re an old man living downtown, don’t even consider sleeping. Partying lasts until morning 😉Big Parade
I don’t really get why they still call the Sunday parade ‘big’… It’s much smaller that that of the previous night for one simple reason: hangovers!
Even so, it’s still pleasant to watch or take part in, whatever you prefer.Ending Ceremony
The ending of the carnival period is signaled with the burning of a large gag-statue, the Carnival King. Every year, the artistic workshop makes a different King to be burnt, although it’s usually a famous (and hated) person…like……. wait for it….. a politician! What else? Once the King is on fire, there’s another fireworks display. And after that, it’s all over. See you next year!Others
In between the major events, lots of others are being held like plays, concerts etc.THE GOOD SIDE
Carnival, unlike the western Halloween, lasts for a long period of time, allowing people to live it to the fullest and take part in more events that they can count. You can look however you like and really be yourself without a care in the world. It’s also a huge financial relief to the city since tons of tourists come to visit.THE BAD SIDE
Obviously, all big events have their downsides. The night parade especially, can be quite dangerous. Lots of people means lots of perverts as well. Stick close to your group! And, for God’s sake, when will people realise you can have fun without getting drunk? The 2-3 months after carnival are the ones when the majority of abortions take place….. guess why…OVERALL
Carnival is something I both love and hate at the same time. I love the freedom it gives you but I hate noise and crowded streets. Still, if anyone asked me when is the best period to visit the country, I’d definately choose this (summer sucks). As long as you’re careful, it can be a most joyous experience.Stay safe and happy!
Evil Bunny, signing off~- Read more...
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Latest Entry
Aikatsu | Thank you for all my precious days
<spoilers ahead>
Ichigo was a normal middle-school girl that was rope into the world on idols after watching Mizuki’s performance. It was then when Ichigo’s passionate idol activities started. For 2 season + a movie, we saw Ichigo’s journey from rookie idol to the #1 idol in the country. Her passionate idol activities, captivated everyone, and in the end, Ichigo became part of everyone’s life. The emotion of sadness when she lost to Mizuki at the s1 finale, to her finally achieving her dream of becoming the #1 idol in the Movie. Ichigo’s journey was shared by many and in the end everyone from /ai/ (a community in 4chan that started because of Aikatsu) loved Ichigo.
In season 3, Ichigo was replace as the main character by Akari. Akari was obsessed with Ichigo, even using Ichigo’s named to introduce herself during her audition. Akari was different from Ichigo, Akari had very little talent, she sucked at dancing and was just horrible around. In season 3 she improved every step of the way to fulfill the promise she made to Ichigo during the Aikatsu movie, that she would meet Ichigo at the top of the Idol world. Was she able to fulfill this promise? In episode 177, the penultimate episode Aikatsu, Akari pulled off a Special A appeal, making her the only idol in history that was able to pull off that kind of appeal, thus winning the Starlight Queen competition. This scene said it all.
Then the final episode, I woke up at 5:30 am est, to watch the livestream of Aikatsu with my fellow /ai/. The final performance by Luminas x Soleil, playing Calendar Girls, it hurts so much. Not only because Calendar Girls was Aikatsu’s 1st ED but its the last time Ichigo and co will take the stage. In the end Ichigo stayed true to her playful self and never changed during the performance.
Now the show that officially started /ai/ and brought us all together is now over.It’s been a great 3 and a half years. Thanks to Mezashite for being the reason we could all get into a cartoon from Japan about middle school girls who sing and dance.
Next week, Ichigo won’t be part of /ai/ or my daily life. Next week, Aikatsu Stars starts a whole new journey for myself and everyone who enjoyed Aikatsu. In the end, Ichigo and Aikatsu taught me a lot of things during that 3 1/2 years.
So before I end this, lets do this one last time.
MY PASSIONATE IDOL ACTIVITIES
AIKATSU!
IS ABOUT TO START!
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Relationships are Rough
Hey, so as people may know, if they've read my last (and first post) I have a girlfriend. As such, we have problems that come up and to make it worse, we are a long distance couple and we can't see each other in person much because of transportation issues as of now. For a while, it has kind of been causing both of us stress... and i'm not to sure how to go about this. For me, I want to continue this relationship and all, but it just makes me... stressed. I just don't know how to go about this and such. For whoever reads this shit storm i just typed up, thanks for reading.
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Latest Entry
Smile Precure! – Episode 1 Review
Hey guys, and I was thinking about adding something, reviews!
It was an ok episode, but has the same beginning, a dorky, clumsy girl trying to go to school, how about something new?
The art and quality were fine, and the sound (especially the opening). The opening is beautiful, it’ll make you say: EVERYBODY JUMP, or something similar.
You can also tell that the villain in this episode is pretty badass. And wait, cure happy, holy light?? She doesn’t look holy to me..
Seriously tho, she doesn’t look holy.Miyuki personally isn’t my type of protagonist, but hey? She a cute, loveable character. And she’s pink, that’s like my favorite color!
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