Teenage girls are a tricky thing to do well in anime. Anime about (and often aimed at) teenage girls is a continually saturated market, making it hard to improve upon. That said, I liked Hanasaku Iroha. In particular, the portrayal of Ohana was intriguing.
Tag: slice of life
Where Everybody Knows Your Name
The older I get, the more I start to wonder if the messages in anime are still relevant to my life. I’ve even started getting self conscious about what I watch. After all, what long term artistic value is there in something like To aru no Index Season 2? Don’t get me wrong, Index is… Continue reading Where Everybody Knows Your Name
The secret life of the otaku
As I grow up, I don’t want to lose the things that were important to me as a kid. But I also want to address my shortcomings, have relationships, get a job, and (eventually) be an adult. I may not accomplish everything I want, but I won’t let the fear of failure deter me from trying in the first place.
“Next time, let me see a Matsuri Special.”
Something about the transience of adolescence never fails to inspire. More often than not we wake up, 20, fully grown, and confused as to how we got there. For this reason, mangaka like Kamio Youko are a particularly rare breed. Time and time again, she manages to lushly recreate both the frame of mind and… Continue reading “Next time, let me see a Matsuri Special.”
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.… Continue reading People with cold hands have warm hearts (Air Doll review)
Bitter sweet school days; All About Lily Chou-Chou
Back in June, I reviewed a Japanese live action film called Linda Linda Linda. It was a great movie, so great, in fact, that it encouraged me to dig deeply into the depths of Japanese cinema. Since then, I’ve been working my way through the recommendations in the comments of that post. It has been… Continue reading Bitter sweet school days; All About Lily Chou-Chou
Linda Linda Linda; slice of life done good
While I’m fairly confident that I’ve built up some decent knowledge of anime over the past few years, I can’t say the same for Japanese live action. Sure, I’ve watched many of the cult classics; Audition, Azumi, Battle Royale, Ringu, to name but a few, and there’s no denying that they are cool movies (albeit… Continue reading Linda Linda Linda; slice of life done good
Don't cry… it was Only Yesterday
In a very profound way, our memories define who we are; their sudden recollection can be empowering or haunting, yet we can’t control what we remember or the sudden feelings they conjure inside. The emotions we feel at these times, the memories we recall; they are often so insignificant, not our greatest successes or even… Continue reading Don't cry… it was Only Yesterday
"If I told you that I came from the future, would you laugh?" Review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
If a good movie is hard to come by, surely a good anime movie is like one in a million; what a relief then, because for now, my long search is over – The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is that one in a million. Dubbed in some quarters as the anti-Ghibli, it offers a… Continue reading "If I told you that I came from the future, would you laugh?" Review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
Hataraki Man – Entering the hard boiled wonderland
While the spring season blossoms with new anime, I’m still frozen in winter wonderland with Hataraki Man. This is another show that, for whatever superficial reasoning, I had managed to avoid until this past weekend. Fate conspired to bring us together. These are my thoughts so far, but be warned, Hataraki Man is a (rather… Continue reading Hataraki Man – Entering the hard boiled wonderland