Back to the anime life, for now

Hello there! I’m back!

…for a while at least.

Unbelievable, it’s been 2 years since I posted anything! So what have I been up to? Mostly real life activities, delving into other hobbies. Though what I mostly have to show for it are a backlog of kits, undisplayed figures, scarcely used drawing materials, and loads of books.

But why did I stop blogging?

Mostly because a lot of the anime showing in 2016 was uninteresting to me. Macross Delta was a bit of a letdown. On the the other hand, Yuri!!! on Ice and March Comes in like a Lion were both good, but not enough for me to blog about it. I think I finished only 8 shows from 2016 and there really was nothing for me to write about…(The indicator that it was a really bad year–as I used to watch more than 10 shows a year). So I forgot about catching up with the new anime. With my interests turning toward physical/RL things I was also very close to shutting down this blog.

Fortunately in the 2nd half of 2018 I started exploring new anime again. I think this was due to a stressful stretch in RL (which started in June). I noticed Piano no Mori had gotten a series, so I decided to give it a watch. I liked the movie so the TV series must be good, right? However the CG of the anime was such a disappointment, and over-all the execution felt average. I had to wash the bad taste off with a rewatch of the live-action Nodame Cantabile–still very good after all these years. Along the way I researched on what anime was popular, which led me to Boku no Hero Academia and Golden Kamuy. I also tried looking for ‘light’ anime fare, and finding Hinamatsuri opened the floodgates to more anime.

So will this mean more blogging? I don’t think so, I’m trying to develop skills that can enrich my life (if it adds to my income the better). But this ‘anime-watching’ revival proves that stress drives me back to anime lol. I will probably be able to post some more before the year ends, or early next year. For now, I’m back to the anime life! 😀

And the advance of the light novels continue

I actually just read about the licensing of Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei light novel by Yen Press.  I was mentally exclaiming ‘Good news!’ and ‘Whew!’ at the same time.  Good news in that should I have sufficient extra cash I would be able to buy it.  ‘Whew!’ in the sense that I just had finished marathon-reading all the online translations (including summaries) just a few days ago.  I went crazy and read whatever and whenever I could.  I spent a good part of a day just figuring out how to install the stuff that would automatically generate a PDF (not knowing there were already ready-made files available somewhere else.)  So I got to know what happens after the anime ended.  Reading the light novel also introduced me to details that were not shown in the anime.  That explained a lot of things and was quite helpful.  On an additional note, the manga Mahouka Koukou no Yuutosei also got licensed.  It also has some details especially from Miyuki’s point of view.  However I think the novels are a better buy because the artwork in the manga lacks quality.

On the extreme end, it was too late with me for No Game No Life.  I was late to the anime party and imagine my disappointment when I found out the translations were no more.  Not that I’m against licensing but well, I just wanted to know how the original novel went.

I think that Yen Press needs to be commended on these licenses they’ve acquired.  Looking at the press releases, aside from the 2 shows above they also licensed Log Horizon, Sword Art Online, Accel World.  There are other titles too but these 3 are notable in that I’ve also read some translations and they’re quite decent titles.  Of the 3 quality-wise Log Horizon is on the upper level, but as entertainment both SAO and Accel World are still worth the money.  If money and space were not an issue I’d be looking at buying these 5 titles.

Of course I have my own ‘wants’ that I would really buy and the foremost title in mind is Maria-sama ga Miteru.  The anime already has the English-subbed DVDs but I actually prefer to have the light novels.  Another title on my mind is Seikai no Senki.  It’s also quite old and currently the chances of both titles being licensed are almost nil.  Of course the problem could have been solved long ago if I just continued on with my Japanese studies and became fluent enough to read the novels.  Alas, my skills are only up to reading manga with furigana–I could get the gist but not the details.  So for me reading light novels is still light-years away from being a possibility.  I can only dream until either of these scenarios come true.  🙂

Cute Proxy’s 2014 Favorites

Hi folks!  It’s been a long time since I posted and I’m taking advantage of a vacation leave to write this up.  I won’t be boring you with my excuses and life updates today.  So here we go!

An early spring feel

So I just recently finished reading the translation for volume 9 of Maria-sama ga Miteru, titled Cherry Blossoms.

It’s funny because a year ago I had thought of translating it myself.  I had bought some Marimite volumes from Bookoff during the time I was in Japan.  So I thought, why not do some translations?  But then I was faced with the unbearable number of kanji (without furigana). I turned tail at the challenge–I gave up.  And after reading the translated version I am now sure it would have taken me months (if not years) to translate it myself.  So for now I’ll stick to my raw manga with furigana for my dose of Japanese reading practice.

There’s always something that gets left out in adaptations, so it was not a surprise that some details from the light novel were missed out.  Indeed, reading the light novel would really be a good choice for that reason, even after you’ve watched the anime (or rewatched it countless times like me).  Some things I can remember that stand out:

1.  First off was that Touko did other stuff to Noriko, aside from taking the juzu from her school bag.  Poor Noriko also went through other stuff that was not shown in the anime.
2.  Naughty Mami, who was the one who assisted Shimako, already had a suspicion something was going to happen and had asked Tsutako to take some pictures.  And yes Yumi’s narration that she was taking notes as the inquisition unfolded really made me laugh.
3.  Rosa Foetida and Rosa Chinensis visiting Noriko was a planned diversion with a *script*, but it’s not so readily obvious in the anime.
4.  In the anime it looked like Noriko randomly saw Shimako standing under the cherry tree, but there was a reason why Noriko went there.
5.  Yumi and Yoshino did their part for the ‘inquisition’ but it was too minor to include in the anime.  Though I wished there were also details in the novel on how Yoshino desperately stalled Shimako 😛

Anyway, I really have no complaints about the adaptation.  It stayed true to the source material (with some acceptable deviations), but it is recommended to read the source material as it shows the whole story.

[2013 Year-End] My anime viewing habit is still in one piece

What can I say?  It was a boring year for new anime.  Not much stood out for me, except for Chihayafuru 2 and Zetsuen no Tempest.  So this year, I’m not writing the year-end usual stuff like the “My Top Anime for 2013” post.

The bored and the impatient

I thought I could keep up the one-post-a-month momentum.  Alas, it was not to be.  The stress from work is ramping up, though it’s nowhere near the level when I first started blogging.  Still, stress is stress.

Anyway, once Chihayafuru 2 finished, my interest in the spring season anime waned.  I then went on a time-wasting, mind-numbing anime marathon:

Honey & Clover
Honey & Clover II
Ergo Proxy
Claymore

My excuse?  I thought it was good to get better versions of old series.  And what better way to do quality assurance than to watch ’em all episodes?  Let this post be proof of where my time went lol.

I also started rewatching Monster and Moshidora.  Unfortunately these two depress me so I couldn’t get past 5 episodes.  I’m sure I’ll finish the rewatch.  Someday.

I have also been on a manga-reading binge lately.  Aside from Chihayafuru, I have read several chapters of Silver Spoon, Space Brothers , ahead of the anime.  I also read ahead of Claymore back then, but now I have caught up.  It’s an even more excruciating wait than Chihayafuru.  ^_^;

I think that’s it for now with the updates.  There’s actually more I want to say, especially about the summer anime but it will be bedtime soon.  Till next, ja!  🙂

Brief thoughts on my recent raw manga adventure

I have been wondering why I was able to go through the Chihayafuru raws in a matter of days, whereas I had always been struggling to finish a volume of my beloved Maria-sama ga miteru series.  Actually, the Marimite manga is more friendly to those who are challenged in Kanji.  Chihayafuru, on the other hand (basing on the first volume), had at first not been so beginner-friendly.  In my observation it only manages to add more furigana in the later volumes.  Was it because the audience has widened?

Lately I have been trying to read more Japanese text, and my experience with Chihayafuru raws just goes to show that motivation really plays a big part in learning a language.  I had downloaded a lot of stories from Aozora Bunko into my Kindle, and not one of them was finished.  I read the first few pages and then after a while I give up.  Maybe the fact that manga has pictures helps.  Of course the raws are now also in my Kindle.

But the number one reason has got to be the engrossing story in Chihayafuru.  Who’s gonna win?  What’s gonna happen next?  When will we get to see Chihaya as queen?  That’s the kind of curiousity that drove me to read the raws (and will continue to drive me in the future).

I guess we’ll still have a few more volumes of exciting karuta action in the future to look forward to!  And in the process the manga will also be a good exercise in Nihongo reading comprehension skills.  😀

Re-watch galore

Amidst the pressure at work, I am drawn to blogging rambling again.  What a turn-around!

It seems that this early part of the year has been more about rewatches than new anime.  Of the currently airing anime, only Chihayafuru, Space Brothers, and Zetsuen no Tempest have been able to really capture my interest.  No wonder I’ve been on a rewatching spree lately.

So for the past two days I have been rewatching choice episodes from the 1st season of Chihayafuru.  I’ve already forgotten parts of it–at the Queen match I thought Yuumin (Yamamoto Yumi) had won.  My memory of that match’s outcome was wrong!  So even with the reigning Queen’s handicap (the fact that she became fat it was the biggest surprise of all), she still had enough skill/stamina to defeat Yuumin.  That’s how good she was.

The other anime that I have been rewatching recently is Aria.  I started off with Aria The Animation.  Now I’m currently stuck in the first few episodes of Aria The Natural.  This reflects the fact I don’t like The Natural that much.  But I don’t want to start with Origination just yet–I dread the part where Alicia retires.  Just thinking about it makes my eyes cloudy with tears.  ^_^;

I’ve also been on and off with my rewatch of Glass Mask, I’ve stopped in the middle.  I also rewatched Thermae Romae and Hatarakiman.  On the live-action side I’ve rewatched Nodame Cantabile (yeah all of it), and the first few episodes of Zettai Kareshi and Orange Days.  I also rewatched the first few episodes of Yondemasu Yo! Azazel-san.  And the series was both revolting and funny as I remembered it.

Aside from all the rewatches, I’m trying to restart my Nihongo studies again.  It’s been years since I took a JLPT exam, and my neglect has caused me to forget a lot of what I had learned back then.  Of course the basics are still there, but it will take some time to relearn the kanji I’ve forgotten.  Wish me luck.

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In other news, it seems that there will be a new Banner of the Stars novel.  Unfortunately I cannot read the source material even if I wanted to (if I hadn’t stopped my Nihongo studies who knows).  But I hope they make another anime.

Vampire Knight is also ending, though I stopped caring about that manga a long time ago.  But I’m still interested in how it ends.

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I guess that ends this week’s ramblings.  Till next, ja!

SAO, Moonriver, and backlogs

Sword Art Online got me thinking about year-end rankings this early.  And it’s only September!!

After seeing SAO episode 11, I thought that Kirito and Asuna were really cute together.  I haven’t been this engrossed in a pairing since, well, Alto-hime x Sheryl in Macross Frontier.  And that was 4 years ago.  Wow, it’s been that long.

So aside from having both of them as fave characters in the year-end favorites, I thought about having 2 new categories:

Favorite episode
Favorite couple

The 1st category, favorite episode, would probably be hard to fill as I don’t really pay attention to episode numbers.

The 2nd category, favorite couple, is not that hard but would still take some time.  It would make me go over the other series again if there were any couples that I liked.  Although it might be made easier if more pairings stood out more.

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The trivia news today is that the voice behind Moon River, Andy Williams, has died.  I never really thought much about that song.  But after Honey & Clover, aside from being identified as an oldies song, it would remind me of a certain stalker’s guy’s ringtone.  Funny how something so American would remind me of something Japanese.  The power of globalization hahaha.

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Meanwhile, my backlog is still formidable:

Fate/Zero
Tasogare Otome x Amnesia
Tsuritama
Lupin III Mine Fujiko to Iu Onna
Persona 4 The Animation

Somehow I just find excuses not to watch.  Maybe it’s just me feeling like watching some episodes becoming a chore.  Grrr.  I hope I finish at least one more show this weekend.

State of Transition

So I thought I’d post something again, before this blog turns into a one-post-a-month blog.

First off, the time of posting a lot seems to be over.  That era of staying up well over 12 AM just finishing a post is long gone.  In short, my mindset has changed considerably since the year I started this blog.  However, I’m still enamored with anime, and as long as that feeling stays this blog will endure.