Anime-esque dreams

I just woke up around thirty minutes ago. And, I had a dream that I can’t exactly describe. It was apparently real life, but it felt like a visual novel/anime. I was a bum student (the ones that are considered delinquents in Japan, like Tomoya Okazaki) and I had a teacher that believed in me (like Hiratsuka-<i>sensei</i> is to Hachiman). One thing lead to another, and I ended up interacting and falling in love with a very sweet innocent girl that brought out the good in me. I talked to her a lot and it made me happy.

All the while Key BGM (mostly from Air, Kanon, and Clannad, but I’m not sure if any were from Little Busters!) was playing in my head. The dream ended in me running in the rain to give her dango presents. I woke up, and for some reason, heard Philosophyz in my head even though I haven’t read Rewrite yet… I feel nonchalant for some reason, my stress is all gone. But for some reason (and I admit, it’s weird to say), I feel that I’d like to meet that girl again. 😦

(This is also the first time in a long while that I slept at a normal time and woke up at a reasonable time like a normal human being.)

Have you guys ever had anime-esque dreams? Did they make you happy, sad, etc.?

Wahfuu Review! Full Review of Rewrite.

Gardening Team Alpha Squad Redux.

I always hate finishing a VN I really like. It kind of feels like a friend is going away and you’ll never know when you’ll see them next. In this case, however, I do know when I’ll see them next, which is Harvest Festa, but I’m not sure if that totally counts. Either way, Rewrite is something I’ll probably remember for a pretty long time. Flawed in quite a few ways but enjoyable in far, far more. From it’s incredibly creative way of showing it’s message, it’s incredibly dark shift in tone, its great sound-track and one of my favorite common routes I’ve ever experienced, mostly due to the hilariously bright cast of characters. Speaking of which, I think Key is going to have to find a way to mix a straight-up foreigner in there next VN. Kud was half and even she has been eclipsed by the ever so absurd Kotori as far as butchering the english language goes. I don’t know how Key plans on topping themselves after this one. Maybe the next setting could be in boston. That’d work.

Rewrite: Akane (Cynical Succubus)

I love you too, don’t worry.

I always like giving credit where credit is due, and nobody deserves more credit then Akane’s voice actress, Eri Kitamura. I could never shake off that feeling that she’d make a killing working in phone-sex service. Even the most banal conversations gave off a sultry and very dirty feeling to them. I really have to wonder long for question what an H scene would be like with Akane in question. There would probably be a lot of whips. And handcuffs. Possibly rope depending on how frisky Kotarou is feeling at the time.

Releasing my inner masochism aside, I feel like I want to know where the.. inspiration for Akane came from. Did someone have a really hot and dirty sounding sadist for a girlfriend one time? How did they bring it up when they were discussing characters? “So! This girl here. Yes. Make sure her route is really sad. With a lot of thought provoking messages and character development for Kotarou. And don’t forget the sexy voice and attitude, too! If we’re going to get all serious and gritty we might as well give a stiffy at the same time.” The bastards.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rewrites leading cause of awkward erections, Senri Akane!

Criticism vs. Hate

Image Credit: a-ka

“I found the romance somewhat lacking”, “the animation in this scene was horrible”, “good god what were they thinking while making this”, etc.

Sometimes, when you’re listening to a person’s opinion on a particular subject (say, a certain anime or maybe manga/VN), this person seems to go on long tangents about how a certain aspect of the story didn’t meet their expectations and continue by picking apart other qualities that the writers did wrong in their eyes, and seem to have more to say about the negative aspects than the positive aspects of the story. Jesus, this person must FRIGGIN’. HATE. THIS ANIME.

And then you realize: “No, wait… what? This person likes this anime? Not just like, it’s their favorite? Well hell, how the heck was I suppose to know that when they kept on talking down on it!”

Characters of 2012 (Happy New Years!)

Now that 2013 has begun, it’s time for me to talk about my favorite aspect of anime: the characters, specifically ones from 2012.

I can’t stress this enough. The quality of storytelling in an anime and its originality are crucial aspects in making an anime memorable, but I always believed that whether or not a series had good characterization and likable characters is what makes or breaks an anime, in terms of deciding it it’s watchable to you. At the very least, that’s how an anime really leaves an impression on me. No matter how well-built the story is or how original it is, if it has boring characters, it won’t leave much of a lasting effect on me. Or, you know, it can have characters that I absolutely loathe and it’ll also leave an effect on me, albeit a bad one. It works conversely!

I suppose a good example would be just from looking at a dozen of classic anime out there, the ones that aren’t too old but are considered retro in the present times. Those gems from the 80’s to 90’s probably don’t have stories that we’d consider to be unique concepts today, but the characterization and character dynamics were so good that they were able to hold the show/story up enough for people to remember them decades later. And obviously, characters are crucial in deciding whether a slice-of-life anime with no overarching plot is enjoyable.

This is a list of my personal favorite characters from 2012.

Anime of 2012

Image Credit: wamochi

It’s time to get down to business in picking some needles out of a haystack. Overall, I’d say that this was a pretty weak year in terms of anime, but that isn’t to say there weren’t a handful of series that managed to stick out, in both a good and a bad way. This post will chronicles some of the series that managed to make some sort of impression on me this year – the good and the bad.

Based on categories ranging from most endearing to most loathed, the funniest to the unfunny, the best writing to the most obnoxious wish-fulfillment, etc. Obviously the selection’s only from the series I’ve bothered to watch, so feel free to suggest any gems that impressed you and I’ll gladly marathon them along with the rest of my backlog. I might even update this list, maybe.

Key’s Rewrite! First Thoughts and Feelings Thus Far

I DO THIS TO MYSELF. I REGRET NOTHING.

PROCRASTINATION HO!

We interrupt your broadcasting of Duel Savior and Da Capo III for another visual novel to once again delay everything else I’m doing! Yes, everyone, it’s that time of the year. Where some really cool guys translate the latest Key visual novel (in record time!) and everyone is forced to go through bitch-tears and reduced masculinity for awhile. Yep, it’s that old song and dance. Rewrite has been translated. And unfortunately, everything else I’ve been doing has taken a small trip into the back-burner, because there is no way at all I can bring myself to read anything else when I have something so hyped in front of me.

So, curious? Of course you are. So this, friends and enemies alike, is the beginning of my journey into Key’s latest monstrosity! Let’s get ready to count the scars, alrighty? Okay, so, on with the show!

12 Days of Anime, Day 10: Baseball Tears

Image Credit: imo mushi from Pixiv

Couldn’t get this post up yesterday because I was at a family Christmas Party (which doubled as a birthday party for my little sister, which is why I went). Strange seeing my cousins/nieces unwrapping their presents on the 23rd. 😛

Gonna get Day 11 up later today because today is technically Day 11… and I’d be bothered if I broke the flow of these and decide to end it on the 26th.

On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…

Imouto birthday! Favorite little sisters in anime

Image Credit: namori from Pixiv

Hold it. Stop. Forget the holidays for a second. It’s my sister’s seventh birthday today. Because of this, I was sort of inspired to make a top-best list of cutest little sister characters, before my family decides to get all festive in celebration of the birth of the most adorkable first grader I know. Of course, I don’t know that many first graders to begin with, but… whatever!

She may be a pain in the ass sometimes, but it’s nice to have her around to brighten up the mood. Which is what little sisters are for in fiction, most of the time. At least in Japanese fiction, where the presence of a little sister character is supposed to be soothing – and these just happened to be my favorite little sister characters in recent times.

Wahfuu Rant: The Nukige Effect

How’s it feel knowing that people look at this and Bible Black as the same thing?

SINCE THIS RANDOMLY GOT A SURGE IN VIEWS, I FEEL LIKE I SHOULD ADD THIS POST IS REALLY OLD AND I HAVE CHANGED MY OPINION QUITE A DEAL. SO TAKE THIS WITH A GRAIN OF SALT. – WAHFUU

Oh boy, have I wanted to do this one.

I’m probably going to offend someone here, and if I do, I at least slightly apologize. I just can’t much take this anymore. I really get more and more annoyed every time this seemingly stupid subject comes up whenever the topic of VNs comes up. It’s driven me to the point of madness here, and this is at least a slight release for something I’ve wanted to say for awhile.