Welcome to my 5 favorite anime blog posts from 2021 week 33!
Every week I look for posts that celebrate amazing moments in anime or otherwise blow me away with their wit and charm. I check hundreds of sites, and I can tell you that the ani-blogging community constantly produces a ton of amazing posts. I hope this list helps you find some of them!
Here’s the list of the sites I check!
Anime Hajime
Anime Eiga Review: Youjo Senki Movie
In ages past, I earned a dual Bachelors in English and Theology. Kinda explains my view on the world, doesn’t it? It certainly explains why I so thoroughly enjoyed the series Saga of Tanya the Evil. I had an absolute blast reviewing it! That show had an astonishingly lucid and insightful critique of popularly held concepts about divinity. See, the problem of studying theology is that it helps you understand what theology has to offer. That means seeing how other people pervert it for mundane purposes like cash or power is really, really, really annoying. Seeing Tanya struggle against the capricious and petty Being X, and seeing that conflict as a representation of what I go through every freaking day as I behold what humans twist theology into, was cathartic.
I’m always on the lookout for review of this series or its movies. Especially reviews that understand the show and what it represents. So I was delighted when I came across Odyssey’s review on Anime Hajime of Saga of Tanya the Evil – the Movie –. The review’s a great exploration of how the movie continues the series, from the music to the themes to Tanya’s conflict with Being X. But in the movie, the conflict takes a different form — a form that remains so wonderfully on point. I had a lot of fun reading this review, and I bet you will, too!
BiblioNyan
Cowboy Bebop & Being Ahead of Its Time, Then and Now – Anime Review
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but it bears repeating: I have tremendous respect for bloggers who have the courage to review one of the great classic series. It’ no small feat. Series like Cowboy Bebop have earned so much praise and critical attention that the thought of trying to find something new to say, or a new way in which to say it, feels frankly daunting. That’s why you haven’t seen me try it! I have a background in critiquing fiction, so I have the basic toolset. But it’d be like me trying to give an opinion on the Mona Lisa. Not the anime versions. I’m talking about trying to critique the real Mona Lisa. I just don’t think I could add anything.
So, when I saw that Grand Fabulous Tofu King (BiblioNyan) had tackled reviewing Cowboy Bebop on their site BiblioNyan, I had to marvel at their sheer guts. Then I wondered, did they pull it off? Could they really bring to light an aspect or perspective of the show that I’d not read before? I need not have wondered. Of course, Grand Fabulous Tofu King (BiblioNyan) pulled it off! This site not only review anime, but other works of fiction and literature as well, and I think that broad perspective was the key to this post’s success. And succeed it did! It gave me even more reasons to celebrate this series. See if the article gives you a new appreciation for this classic series, too!
I Drink and Watch Anime
Ergo Proxy – Balancing Act
Speaking of classic series, I found another post that took on the substantial task of bringing to light a new perspective on a celebrated series. This time, the series was Ergo Proxy. It hasn’t garnered the lofty praise or accolades that Cowboy Bebop has earned. But the series is no slouch. It’s OP, Kiri by MONORAL, might well be my favorite anime OP of all time. It’s a great microcosm of the series, too.
So, who had the guts to take on a classic series this time? This time, Irina from I Drink and Watch Anime took on not only a classic series, but a classic series that is challenging on several levels. One of those levels is its intricate and difficult to extract plot. Frankly, it confused me during each of my three I watched the series. Though to be honest, by the third time, I decided to sit back and enjoy the spectacle. That was my mistake, because the plot was, in fact, understandable — and Irina laid it out in glorious simplicity. Now, I want to watch the series again. I’m pretty sure that knowing what was going on will help me enjoy the series even more! The post also talked about the show’s strengths and weaknesses, with the iconic Re-l Mayer figuring prominently. See if the review captures what you liked or didn’t like about the series!
Jonah’s Daily Rants
Endeavor: Falling Into and Emerging Out of Darkness
Confession time! Well, maybe not so much a confession as a statement of aspiration. But yelling “Aspiration!” doesn’t have quite the attention-grabbing value. Anyway, some of you may know that I’m writing novels (and I’m chronicling the effort on one of my other sites). I’ve finished Book One, which’ll go for a developmental edit in October. I’m about a third of the way into Book Two. As I’m writing, one of my hopes/aspirations is to create a character that is so amazing that it transcends my genre (political thriller/hard science fiction) and become iconic. Even better would be writing a best-seller, but I’ll settle for a character that thoroughly engages readers and that reviewers and critics can’t stop talking about. That would be cool.
It’s rare when an anime series can pull that off, and it’s a real treat to be watching such an anime as it airs. My Hero Academia Season 5 is in that category with its character Enji Todoroki/Endeavor. I’ve been amazed at that character’s depth. Not only that, I’ve been impressed at how courageous the show’s portrayal has been. This week, I came across a post by jernahblunt on the site Jonah’s Daily Rants that talks about Endeavor. I’ve always been a fan of jernahblunt’s character studies. They capture a character’s nuances and explore how those nuances affect the character and the story they’re part of. I always come away from jernahblunt’s posts with a deeper understanding of the character in question, and this time is no exception. See if it’s the same for you!
Never Argue with a Fish
Anime Corner: Vivy – Fluorite Eye’s Song Review
Another week has gone by, and I still haven’t finished watching Vivy -Fluorite Eye’s Song-. It’s like having a main career, a secondary career, a family, and an anime site to deal with takes up a lot of time or something! I suspect I’m just being lazy… Anyway, I still want to see if my initial fears were true. The series has generated many very, very positives reviews and several reviews that aren’t so positive. And most of both kinds are from bloggers whose opinions I respect! It’s quite a quandary.
This week, I came across another post about the series from neverarguewithafish on the site Never Argue with a Fish. First, I just want to say that the graphics are outstanding as usual. I’ve always enjoyed this site’s distinctive art. It both enhances the posts and makes the site instantly recognizable! Second, I want to say that this post went into great detail about the show’s qualities. Does it solve my dilemma? It’s likely I’ll only know when I actually force my lazy self to watch the series! But this post does make one thing very clear: I should do it sooner than later. Because the series seems to offer a lot to think about! See if the post mentions what you liked — or didn’t like! — about the series!
Want to Read More of My Favorite Anime Post Lists?
Want to explore more amazing anime blog posts? Check out the previous editions of My Favorite Anime Community Posts!
Want to Read Favorite Posts from Other Sites?
- Lesley’s Anime and Manga Corner: Anime and Manga Blog Posts That Caught My Eye This Week (August 13, 2020)
- IN SEARCH OF NUMBER NINE — AN ANIME BLOG: The Otakusphere: Blizzard, Taco Bell and Shows I’ve Actually Seen
Thanks so much Crow, and I’m sure you’ll get around to watching Vivy at some point!
You’re welcome!
I hope so. Real Life has been a real task master lately!