My Top Anime for 2009

I said I would not do this list.  However, I made an about-face (for reasons I cannot say).  Unlike last year, my room is not such a mess today.  The weather’s still fine though.

Another thing for this year, I’ll be including shows that I haven’t finished yet but where I’m halfway through (or are ongoing shows).  The shows are Aoi Bungaku, Bakemonogatari, Cross Game, Kimi ni Todoke, Sasameki Koto.  I cannot include Kara no Kyoukai because I’m only into ep 2 and the show is still an unknown for me.  Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood doesn’t count also because I stopped watching and am saving everything for a later date.  Fairy Tail is probably gonna go on forever, and I’m still undecided on it overall.

Something Major has happened

Rants aside, this an anime blog.  So let’s talk about anime!

Looking for my Ristorante Paradiso

Should I say ‘Tadaima’?

For those who have cared to read my whinings here I have been in sort of a ‘crisis’.  Last year it was about self-improvement.  Now it’s worse:  I’m beginning to hate my job.  But where does Ristorante Paradiso fit in?

Lately, while watching episodes of this soothing series, I’ve become envious of the fact that the guys (and gal) at Casetta dell’Orso have this not so stressful working environment.  The lives they live are unhurried, something that contrasts to the deadline-infested place where I work.  I’m not saying they don’t have problems.  I’m just saying that I like the seemingly slower pace of the work.  Their working time starts and ends clearly.  I want the leisure time to do the other things that I like, or want to do.  When I started blogging, anime was the only major thing that interested me.  Three years later, I’ve found other interests (though some are still related to anime).  However, the demands of work and the things I want to do are clashing.  (I know I shouldn’t really be complaining because other people have lost their jobs in this global recession, but still I know the daily stress will have its effects later on.)

I’ve come to the point where I’m seriously considering the alternatives to my line of work.  As I am in the IT industry I know it will always be hectic;  it’s the nature of the industry to be fast-paced.  But Ristorante Paradiso shows me there’s another kind of life.

It’s just unfortunate though that there’s probably nothing like Ristorante Paradiso in the Philippines.

This post is brought to you by Insomnia Inc

It’s funny how too much overtime leads to a post.

So basically since I’ve been going home at 12 midnight and sleeping at 2 AM almost everyday for 2 weeks now, I’m finding it hard to go back to the usual sleeping time at 12.   But how is the anime-watching progress?  It’s suffering but of course there should be time for it no matter how small, right?

Hayate no Gotoku!!

Dropped.  It isn’t as funny as the first season.

Fullmetal Alchemist 2

Plodding on.  Not really on my priority list

Hanasakeru Seishounen

Dropped.  The fact that I didn’t like the drawing style added to the dislike of the show.

07-Ghost

Same as FMA 2.

Ristorante Paradiso

I haven’t progressed because of the lack of subs and the lack of time.

Eden of the East (Higashi no Eden)

I wrote a post about it yesterday (the first post born out of insomnia this month).  I’m not really positive about the direction the series is heading but as long as there are ‘scenic’ moments I’m happy.  🙂

Cross Game

Saved the spring season from being a total disappointment.  This is the no. 1 priority on my watchlist right now.  🙂  Meanwhile, usagijen is struggling pimping it.  With other shows, just adding the description ‘moe’ would immediately generate interest.  Cross Game, on the other hand, is wholesome.  I like the story better than Ookiku Furikabutte’s.

In other news…

Or not so new news.  psgels, unlike me, has a lot of time in his hands.   (I envy you!)  He has been watching shows like Maria-sama ga Miteru and Macross.  These are two of my most favorite shows and it’s good to read his comments about it.  He even writes about ‘Anime is dying‘ doom scenarios.  As for me, the biggest enemy of the studios are probably not the pirates.  It’s the dwindling number of kids who are their primary customers, the next generation of anime-watchers.  A lot of people outside of Japan will not pay (or are not capable of paying) for their pricey DVDs.

tj_han writes about American comics.  As for me, I got introduced to American comics way before I even learned about the existence of manga.  And I have very fond memories of it.  I was mainly into Marvel Comics.   Oops, not really me;  just that the boys around me were.  I really didn’t have the means to buy comics then;  now that I have a job I seem to have outgrown my fascination for American comic books, particularly those from Marvel.  And with staff rotation, I have to slightly disagree on that.  Sure it has its drawbacks, but if there was no staff rotation, I wouldn’t be able to admire the art of Joe Madureira.  I was just drooling over it back then.

Now to prevent me from drooling at work due to sleepiness, that’s it for this update.  Ja!  😀

A Brief Anime Progress Report on Spring 2009

2009 has the most boring spring line-up ever.  There’s no show that makes me want to see an episode ASAP.  It just added to my blogging lethargy.  So I probably won’t be posting anything about spring season 2009 after this.

Basquash!

The visuals are good but the characters don’t excite me.  To a casual basketball fan like me the idea of mecha playing basketball just isn’t that appealing–even though I do love mecha (mostly).  I’ll just quietly read the updates on it from fellow bloggers who will be following it.  (There must be somebody out there, right?)

Hayate no Gotoku!!

It didn’t feel as funny as the first season.  Maybe because the constant bleeping was gone.  Without it, HnG felt a little subdued.  Strange.

Valkyria Chronicles

Halfway through the first episode I decided the characters were boring.  Dropped.

Fullmetal Alchemist 2

A lot of fuss has been made about the voice actor for Mustang, but since it was many years ago (actually a few years ago) that I watched FMA that I couldn’t really notice the difference.  I’ll keep on watching this.

Hanasakeru Seishounen

The first episode was disappointing.  What was the purpose of showing us the high school if she was pulled out of there before the episode ends??  I still have to see the second episode so everything depends on it now.

Shangri-La

Even though on paper it sounds interesting, after what I saw my instincts are telling me it might be a waste of time.  My instincts are usually right (maybe 70-80% of the time), so it’s dropped.  (Not to mention I really don’t have the time or inclination to watch shows that are slightly interesting.

07-Ghost

I liked the first episode but I lost some interest halfway through the 2nd episode.  I need to finish that episode if I am to decide if I will go on watching this.

Ristorante Paradiso

Magnifico!!!!  The only true jewel among the new shows.  I’m watching this till the end.   😀

Eden of the East (Higashi no Eden)

Naked Morita was ok, I’m not so fond of the girl though.  But like Ristorante Paradiso, will watch till the end.

Spring beckons

It’s been a while since I wrote a post.  After not caring about the anime of winter 2009 (save for 3 shows), I think I’ll be looking at more spring anime.  (State of the Proxy March 2009)