Do you plan on reading Punpun when it's out in a few days?
I don't know. Do I? *stares directly at camera*
Liked by:
ShadowZael
Eelz
Kittykatstar
Ask @B0bduh
Previous
Are you reading the parts of HxH that go past the anime? I was wondering if you felt that it was worth it.
I've read a decent bit of it, but it's really all prologue to a major arc that doesn't exist yet, so it's kind of frustrating. I'm probably gonna hold off on reading more until there's a substantial amount out.
Bob help they're making more Deadpool
Eh, w/e. The film was successful, it's gonna inspire sequels. Doesn't really affect my life either way.
Related users
Sent a donation with write-up request — love all of your writing and am looking forward to mine and the rest to come. Keep it up, senpai!
Thank you very much! I'll keep 'em coming!
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
Kittykatstar
Hey Bob, I'm catching up on stuff I missed last season and keep hearing about Concrete Revolutio. I watched the first episode and a half when it aired and had a similar reaction to you, a pretty wild show covered in pop-art aesthetic that really doesn't draw me in at all yet. When does that change?
The third episode is probably a bit more representative of the show to come ideas-wise, but I actually enjoyed it a lot more when I started over again from the first episode, since my first attempt gave me more context on what was going on.
Is there any merit in the argument that Oregairu is melodramatic?
I feel the way "melodramatic" is colloquially used basically defines it as "drama that didn't work for me," by which definition Oregairu will certainly come across as melodramatic for many people. Personally I think the show's drama is about as "heightened" as any character drama, and certainly doesn't adhere to classic forms of melodrama in the way something like Blast of Tempest or Utena does (which isn't a good or bad thing, just a stylistic choice).
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
Who do you hope the Republicans nominate?
It's a choice between the guy whose platform is "purge the minorities" and the guy whose platform is "dismantle the government, establish a Christian theocracy." With choices that stark, it really just comes down to who is less likely to win the general election.
did you like howl's castle ?
Yeah, it's fine. Certainly not one of my favorite Ghibli films, but still an enjoyable and very beautiful movie.
Reading your TiD review and Shelf Life's comments I saw a lot of people who were so angry that someone DARED to like something they don't. Why does this even happen?
Terror in Resonance is a show that's basically guaranteed to be unpopular with most anime fans, and people always complain when critics don't echo their own feelings. Many people, particularly those who get very vocal in comment sections, tend to go to reviews more for validation/justification of their existing feelings than for alternate perspectives. Just how it goes!
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
Rm
Senpai, i know you're hyped about A Silent Voice, but what if it somehow, ends up beeing a trainwreck?
That'd be pretty unfortunate! But it's a great manga being adapted by quite likely the best director working in anime, so I'm not too worried.
Almost a quarter into the year and we've got one great show. If last year got five, we're not too far behind schedule, are we?
Yeah, we're fine. Especially if you include films - Kizu already falls into this category, and we've got A Silent Voice coming up.
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
jumbo mumbo
Eelz
Do you know what effect a low-angle shot has. Online guides say its used to make a character look dominant, but in anime I usually see it in a character's moment of weakness. For example in Shirobako when Zuka fails her audition: https://youtu.be/-UcHj58fjJ0?t=7m21s
Depends on the situation. More close-up and angled ones can often emphasize a character's power (ERASED does this all the time), but ones like that Zuka one create the sensation of a small person lost in a big world. Different shots can do all sorts of things depending on the context.
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
I imagine if you were covering Rakugo Shinjuu on ANN this season then every episode would either be A or A+, right?
Pretty close to that, certainly. Rakugo is just miles better than what you can generally hope for from anime. Prestige shows of this quality are pretty rare.
In a given year, I hope for about half a dozen shows that I'd consider legitimately "great." Last year we had Shirobako, Oregairu S2, Sound! Euphonium, Gatchaman Insight, Owarimonogatari, and possibly Conrevo or Death Parade (though those two are likely a bit too inconsistent to hit this category). At least those first five would get fairly consistent As from me, and out of a pool of well over a hundred shows a year, I think that's a pretty reasonable ratio. So far this year, Rakugo is the only show that'd fall into that company.
In a given year, I hope for about half a dozen shows that I'd consider legitimately "great." Last year we had Shirobako, Oregairu S2, Sound! Euphonium, Gatchaman Insight, Owarimonogatari, and possibly Conrevo or Death Parade (though those two are likely a bit too inconsistent to hit this category). At least those first five would get fairly consistent As from me, and out of a pool of well over a hundred shows a year, I think that's a pretty reasonable ratio. So far this year, Rakugo is the only show that'd fall into that company.
Liked by:
Derp Jeep
Sunshine Marmot
Eelz
You would probably enjoy the Erased manga more
From what I've heard, the manga leans far more into the story's janky thriller elements, so I'm not sure that's true.
Are you planning on reading Lone Wolf & Cub?
I kept planning to for a long time, but at this point I've realized it's almost certainly not my kind of thing at all.
I used to basically seek out anything that had a "prestigious" reputation, but eventually I got more comfortable with/aware of what kinds of media I personally find compelling and emotionally effective. It's an ongoing process!
I used to basically seek out anything that had a "prestigious" reputation, but eventually I got more comfortable with/aware of what kinds of media I personally find compelling and emotionally effective. It's an ongoing process!
When you write your articles, do you often plan ahead on the topics to discuss and the order in which to write them, or do you just think about it as you go?
If you mean the theme or direction-focused editorials, I plan those in advance, generally by first laying out all the points I want to cover, then creating an outline of the overall piece, then writing the first draft. Reviews follow a similar structure to that. For episodic writeups, I'll decide as I'm watching if a show better favors a writeup that follows the progression of the episode or one that tackles its main points in a more general way.
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
Should ERASED have gone anime-original and revealed the killer as the Zodiac Killer, Ted Cruz?
Definitely. This was a huge missed opportunity, and at least partly responsible for my disappointment with the latest episode.
I know ERASED's recent episode has gotten you down, but are there shows you're really enjoying this season? Rakugo? Grimgar?
Yep, those two. Rakugo has been basically flawless from start to finish, and Grimgar has been a bit more shaky, but still both consistently compelling and very unique.
Hey. I just popped in to say thanks in a format longer than a tweet. i'm going through something of a rough patch right now - arguably the roughest its ever been - but your writeups still manage to strike something in me, still help me a lot. Keep going, okay? You're doing great.
Thank you for saying so! Good luck with your troubles, and I'll keep on keeping on over here.
Liked by:
Jake Shiraki
Another Bystander
Eelz
Ignisalge
Shahzeb Mangi
I'm surprised you associated the train bombing in Zankyou no Terror with the Subway Sarin incident and not the 7/7 London Tube Bombings, considering the latter is much more relevant to the 9/11 imagery in the first episode which you mentioned. Was this something you considered or just an oversight?
I hadn't considered it, but I'd still go with the Sarin incident as the reference point; it seems more likely to me that the show was echoing an admittedly less recent, but actually domestic act of terrorism.
Liked by:
Sunshine Marmot
Suppose you loved one of the random 1st episodes on your current projects list and felt you had a lot to write about. Would you cap it to the standard length of your other articles or would you write to your hearts content?
I wouldn't cap it, but it's somewhat unlikely I'll have as much to say about a first episode of a show I haven't seen before. If you look at that Madoka writeup, a whole lot of that text is dedicated to the context of the show, as well as reflections on how early events relate to later ones. If I'm writing about the first episode of a show I haven't seen before, it won't be possible to have as much of that stuff. On the other hand, you will be getting my full first impressions, so if something really inspires me, things could get rambly.
Liked by:
Another Bystander
Aluido
Sunshine Marmot
Do you have any plans on writing about FLCL? I noticed you haven't actually written anything about it specifically, despite seeming like a big fan.
Not at the moment, though I'm sure it'll happen eventually!
How has the reaction to your Terror in Resonance review been?
Some positive, mostly negative. Which honestly isn't that surprising to me - TiR's weaknesses all fall in the one area most viewers tend to focus on (plot beats), and its strengths are all in stuff like aesthetics and themes. It is an extremely Me show, and my tastes don't really line up with a lot of anime fans.
Do you still think ERASED can be saved?
I think it's pretty firmly moved from "a good show" to "a show with some very good episodes."
Have you listened to the album Tallahassee?
Yep! I have listened to it many, many, many times. It is a fantastic album.
Next