Author: bateszi
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Opinions on current anime
Read More →: Opinions on current animeAlthough the vast majority of my recent scribblings concern mostly older series, I am (and have been) keeping up with some newer anime, too. Densetsu no Yuusha no Densetsu is a name that suggests parody, but this new fantasy series is surprisingly serious, with magic, monsters and adventure. 4 episodes in, it’s difficult to see…
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How the Cowboy Bebop ending explains the meaning of “You’re gonna carry that weight”
Read More →: How the Cowboy Bebop ending explains the meaning of “You’re gonna carry that weight”What is the Cowboy Bebop ending trying to say? It feels like such a waste! Spike doesn’t have to face Vicious, he could just stay with Faye and Jet, leave Mars and fly away, but he doesn’t. No matter how many times it’s replayed, there will always be that choice hanging over Spike in the…
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The future of anime (is bleak?)
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Read More →: The future of anime (is bleak?)Will the people inspired to create the anime of tomorrow want to create another K-ON? Or another Cowboy Bebop?
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Naruto & child soldiers / The thrilling tragedy of Kakashi Gaiden
Read More →: Naruto & child soldiers / The thrilling tragedy of Kakashi GaidenDoes Masashi Kishimoto think about how children are depicted in Naruto? Ninja are tools of war, after all, and Konoha trains its children to become ninja; isn’t that wrong? On a base, moral level? Of course, Naruto is intended as entertainment and, as such, there’s a certain amount of distance one feels between it and…
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Get back to watching One Piece
Read More →: Get back to watching One PieceOne Piece. Oh, man. Where do I start.
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In which I contemplate One Piece (and nothing less than the meaning of life)
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Read More →: In which I contemplate One Piece (and nothing less than the meaning of life)One Piece begins with the execution of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger. His death was intended to symbolize the power of the World Government, but had the opposite effect instead, conceiving the Golden Age of Pirates! One Piece is full of mythology. What happened in the Void Century, anyway? What about the meaning behind…
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The curious case of Kannagi
Read More →: The curious case of KannagiWatching anime for a long time (I’m talking years, really,) one can fall into certain patterns of viewing. I’ve grown accustomed to knowing what I like, and what I don’t, and picking the anime I watch according to my own tastes. There’s nothing wrong with this, it fundamentally makes sense, but it also leads one…
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Horrible fun / Exhuming Ga-Rei -Zero-
Read More →: Horrible fun / Exhuming Ga-Rei -Zero-If just because there’s something exciting about proving yourself wrong every now and then, I’m trying to watch a bunch of recent series that I’ve snubbed or otherwise ignored in past. This all started when, on a whim, I began watching the kendo anime Bamboo Blade and felt stupid for ignoring it for so long.…
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Shoujo fantasy Gurren Lagann: Sense of Wonder by Akemi Hayashi
Read More →: Shoujo fantasy Gurren Lagann: Sense of Wonder by Akemi HayashiReality is rarely as poetic, but then, a dream is not supposed to be real.
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Anime directors, please don't change your depressing endings. I love them.
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Read More →: Anime directors, please don't change your depressing endings. I love them.Quite frankly, good intentions or not, I’m sick of being lied to. That’s why I loved the original conclusion to Zeta Gundam. It felt like someone had finally snapped and decided to tell the truth, and at first, I was shocked, but, also, inspired to consider what it was trying to say, which brings me…
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Gren's eternal smile
Read More →: Gren's eternal smileIf I had to condense my love for anime into one single moment, I’d choose the scene when `Space Lion` begins playing in the 13th episode of Cowboy Bebop (Jupiter Jazz.) It is one of the first times I can remember feeling a pang of bitter-sweetness whilst watching anime: the sadness of Gren’s passing tempered…
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Eden in name only
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/ MangaRead More →: Eden in name onlyHiroki Endo calling his manga ‘Eden‘ is a hint. Eden is supposed to be a paradise on Earth, but Endo‘s version is more like Hell. It’s sarcasm on his part, I think, because this is a contrary and brutal series, where anything that’s good is crushed and anything that’s innocent is (often literally) raped. For…
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The Transience of Anime
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Read More →: The Transience of AnimeI often analyze myself in terms of what I’m watching and why I’m more attracted to certain anime over others. I find it easy to forget just how niche a lot of what I’m watching really is, only to then realise I don’t know what’s popular any more, or understand why, or even care. I’m…
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Fast dialogue is fast for a reason
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Read More →: Fast dialogue is fast for a reasonI’m a follower of people in the anime industry, but mostly, it’s just the (good) directors I like to keep tabs on. I delve into their works and the more I find, the more I trust in those same people to deliver yet more good anime. Hayao Miyazaki is a popular example, and Masaaki Yuasa…
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Why you should care about The Tatami Galaxy
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Read More →: Why you should care about The Tatami GalaxyI’m totally hyped about seeing the first episode of The Tatami Galaxy (Yojohan Shinwa Taikei). It finally aired this evening in the beloved noitaminA block and is already streaming on Funimation‘s video site, but… I’m region blocked! It’s been a while since I’ve been excited enough about a series to feel as frustrated as this,…
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Ugly anime is not bad anime
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Read More →: Ugly anime is not bad animePretentious has long since become a word within fandom used by a person to express aghast that another could ever truly enjoy something that he/she doesn’t. It’s no longer a matter of taste, but of pretention, we’re all merely deluding ourselves by enjoying such ugly, complicated and confusing stories.
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People with cold hands have warm hearts (Air Doll review)
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Read More →: People with cold hands have warm hearts (Air Doll review)Two years is a long time. Just two years ago, I’d seen very few Japanese live-action films, only to eventually realise that my interest in anime was linked to a broader fascination with the whole spectrum of Japanese art; what I get from anime, I hear in Japanese music and see in Japanese film, too.…
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Statement of intent: Spring 2010
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Read More →: Statement of intent: Spring 2010I can at least promise you this. I won’t suddenly just up and leave; I won’t go out at the top of my game; the end won’t be glorious, no, it will be a long, drawn-out and disappointing affair.
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Sora no Woto: apocalypse moé
Read More →: Sora no Woto: apocalypse moéI’m not an admirer of the moé aesthetic, so my initial response to Sora no Woto was one of indifference; just more moé, I thought; not interested. That’s always my default reaction to a series like this, but the thing is, life’s not that simple. Genre is a superficial excuse; no single story is the…
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The weight of time in anime and manga
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Read More →: The weight of time in anime and mangaI consume a lot of anime in a purely superficial way; I watch it and enjoy it, but then forget about it. My favourites are those that burrow deeply into the subconscious, with certain moments and images able to rise back into mind at any given time; often, years after I’ve seen them, but why?…
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The tide of violence
Read More →: The tide of violenceI’ve read only 26 chapters of Vinland Saga so far but its quality is such that I have to admit it’s already one of my favourites. Thorfinn is the main character, an Icelandic warrior joined with a band of Viking mercenaries sailing the seas of Europe and sacking the villages and cities of Norman France…
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Azure paler than the sky
Read More →: Azure paler than the skyRevolutionary Girl Utena is one of the most inscrutable anime I’ve seen. It’s like half of me is struggling to keep up with what I’m seeing, while the other, at some base level, just instinctively feels it and understands. I suppose you could call this confusion. Or schizophrenia. Whatever. Episode 29 is my favourite of…
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See You Chinese Electric Batman
Read More →: See You Chinese Electric BatmanIt’s interesting how Darker than Black never explained what has ‘sealed’ the Earth’s sky, caused Hell and Heaven’s Gate to appear and triggered the world’s first generation of contractors; and quite frankly, if it turns out to be aliens from the Moon, I’d rather not know, but my point is, ambiguity is exciting, and yet…
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The harsh beauty of Tsutomu Nihei's Biomega
Read More →: The harsh beauty of Tsutomu Nihei's BiomegaHappy new year, everyone! Time sure flies and it’s now looking likely that this blog will live to see it’s fourth anniversary on the 4th of March, which is just… surreal! This time of year also provides me with the rare opportunity to immerse in some new worlds of fiction. Last year I fell under…
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Injections of fun / Trapeze and episodic anime
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Read More →: Injections of fun / Trapeze and episodic animeAt the moment, I’m probably more satisfied with the anime I’m following than I have been for a long time. Whenever a new season begins there’s always the temptation to try to see as much as possible, particularly as an anime blogger with the self-inflicted responsibility to talk about this stuff ad nauseum, but for…
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Trying to get back into anime movies / Sword of the Stranger
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Read More →: Trying to get back into anime movies / Sword of the StrangerWriting this now is probably a bit old hat, but I finally got around to watching Sword of the Stranger at the weekend! Why the delay? I’ve developed a strained relationship with anime movies; having become so used to watching anime in the 20-min TV format, the mere suggestion of watching anything even slightly longer…
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Timelessness and anime / Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIG
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Read More →: Timelessness and anime / Stand Alone Complex 2nd GIGIn the four weeks since this blog was last updated, I’ve seen at least 80 episodes of anime! Not bad, eh? But to write anything of decent length, more than ever, I need to feel like what I’m writing about is really worth your time. That isn’t to say everything airing right now is poor,…
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When all that's left is dust
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Read More →: When all that's left is dustWhen I think about Boogiepop Phantom, I’m also reminded of other recent Madhouse anime, like Shigurui and Casshern Sins. Each has a strange aesthetic; seductive yet tinged by an under-lying sense of sadness and desolation. It would be easy to categorise them as dark and depressing, but they are more complex than that. It’s not…
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Why Boogiepop? You wouldn't willingly escape into a nightmare, right?
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Why Boogiepop? You wouldn't willingly escape into a nightmare, right?The coolest thing about Boogiepop Phantom is that it’s just really messed up. Too often in anime are teenagers romanticised. Everything’s so sweet, so melodramatic; no permanent damage. It’s just easier to watch something like Toradora, where everyone’s so cheerful, ready to communicate and fix their problems.
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Naruto Shippuuden episode 82 is a masterpiece
Read More →: Naruto Shippuuden episode 82 is a masterpieceAfter all these years, I still love watching Naruto. I’ll place it on hiatus every now and then, but it still is, and always will be, one of my biggest favourites. This past weekend marked the end of my latest break from Shippuuden, but already, here I am again; writing away. I couldn’t let this…
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Bee Train's bullet ballet Phantom is really good
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/ AnimeRead More →: Bee Train's bullet ballet Phantom is really goodBee Train doesn’t exactly have the best of reputations, be it their bias for girls with guns or their notoriously poor production values, fact is their work polarises opinion and attracts its fair share of detractors. I’ve seen neither Noir nor Madlax, was horrified by the low budget vibe I got from Blade of the…
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The quietness of Cross Game
Read More →: The quietness of Cross GameWhen writing about Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I noted that I think it’s great because it has moments of exciting, fluid animation. I realise that’s a fairly superficial thing to say, but I think it’s true, too, and now, as if to immediately contradict myself, I’m going to write about Cross Game. This doesn’t have great…
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Island manga: an isolated town enclosed by huge, unscalable walls…
Read More →: Island manga: an isolated town enclosed by huge, unscalable walls…The island is an isolated town enclosed by huge, unscalable walls, where the outside world is a mystery that no-one even has laid eyes on for 400 years. As its culture dies a slow death, the town’s people have forgotten how to read and write, but the children still dream of escaping, wondering what they…
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Cross Game and Touch, and feminism in Japan
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Read More →: Cross Game and Touch, and feminism in JapanI wasn’t aware Mitsuru Adachi (mangaka) even existed until the spring season of this very year, but all that changed after I’d seen the first two episodes of Cross Game. I realised I’d missed out on a lot of great anime of his and, to fill the gap in-between episodes of Cross Game, I started…
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The scent of flames: Armored Trooper Votoms
Read More →: The scent of flames: Armored Trooper VotomsTo be honest, I doubt there is much I can say that will convince you to take a look at Armored Trooper Votoms. It’s an old series, with a heavy emphasis on war. Chirico is no Kamina. The characters are gritty and unrefined. When it can be hard to sit through just the 1 episode,…
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Slice of life
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Read More →: Slice of lifeI know it has been a long time since I published anything, but I hope you haven’t given up on me just yet. There is warmth in these embers still, I can feel it. I just need stoke them up is all, with a bit of hard work and guts.
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Embracing the end of the world
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Embracing the end of the worldI’ve seen Ghost in the Shell many times; the most recent happened to be Friday night. It is a beautiful film, both beautifully animated and beautifully directed, only 80 minutes long too, and just as importantly, every time I watch it, I feel like I’m interpreting it in a slightly different way. I first stumbled…
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For your consideration, Blue Comet SPT Layzner
Read More →: For your consideration, Blue Comet SPT LayznerMecha anime has always been a bit hit or miss for me. I’ll often find that I’m not as attracted to the mecha as I am to the science fiction stories they inhabit. That is to say, I enjoy a lot of good mecha anime because I enjoy a lot of good science fiction. I…
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Soul and style: Toradora and Michiko e Hatchin
Read More →: Soul and style: Toradora and Michiko e HatchinIt’s the eve of the latest spring season, but I’m still playing catch up with a lot of last year’s finest. Last week it was Xam’d, and this week it’s Michiko e Hatchin and Toradora. I’m only too aware that the anime community is driven by an insatiable desire for ‘newness’, and I’m really excited…
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Free skies, and endless land
Read More →: Free skies, and endless landThe problem with writing an anime blog for any length of time is that I’m prone to repeating myself. I’ve had this ache to write about something, anything, over the last month or so, but there are only so many times I can say “this is good, that is bad” without feeling as though I’m…
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Casshern Sins: I wanted to leave my color on my city
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Casshern Sins: I wanted to leave my color on my cityKnowing that some day you will die is not a prospect that one’s thoughts tend to dwell on, but in Casshern Sins, when death is everywhere and the land is ravaged with decay, that your life will some day end is impossible to ignore. It’s a feeling that I often get from this show, but…
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Until I kill you, I'll even eat mud to survive! Hokuto no Ken
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/ ReviewsRead More →: Until I kill you, I'll even eat mud to survive! Hokuto no KenWhen I finished watching Legend of the Galactic Heroes late last year, I felt like I’d had my fill of sprawling eighties anime series for a fair old time to come, but fate, it seems, has long been conspiring against me. My destiny had seven scars on his chest. A mere swipe of his hand…
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When eternal love goes wrong [Kurozuka]
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/ ReviewsRead More →: When eternal love goes wrong [Kurozuka]I had high hopes for Kurozuka, because it is a genre of anime I tend to enjoy, that being stylish, far-fetched, visually-intoxicating science fiction. It is a beautifully drawn journey, in-which 1,000 years of vampiric romance sweeps across the Heian period of Japan to the bombing of Japanese cities during World War 2 to a…
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In support of sports drama and Hajime no Ippo
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Read More →: In support of sports drama and Hajime no IppoYou may scoff at the formulaic concept of sports drama, may think that you can ignore anime like this because you’re not into boxing, but I’ll retort by suggesting that that is a lazy way of thinking. Like every great sports anime, Hajime no Ippo is fuelled by great characters. It is overflowing with feeling.…
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[One Piece] Through hard times, and fun times… Yohohoho…
Read More →: [One Piece] Through hard times, and fun times… Yohohoho…Some anime are dark and depressing, others are romantic and heart-wrenching. One Piece is a story of friendship, chasing dreams, and smiling; honestly, it is a joy to behold, to listen as Brook plays his favourite song; the music has a feeling of nostalgia. The Straw-Hats’ celebrations are always moments of sublime happiness, which is…