Welcome to my 5 favorite anime blog posts from 2021 week 34!
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 Feminist
The Always Smiling Girl: How Tohru critiques toxic positivity
If you read my review of Fruits Basket season 1, season 2 cour 1, season 2 cour 2, or The Final, you know the high regard in which I hold this series. As an aspiring novelist, I’m in awe over the craftsmanship and love the writer, Natsuki Takaya, poured into the characters. The animation and music totally supported the effect, but it was the character writing in particular that impressed me.
You may remembered that I often jokingly refer to Tohru Honda as the non-combat form of Tanjirou Kamado from Demon Slayer. While I liked the comparison, in the back of my mind, I worried that it might take away from Tohru. I felt like maybe I was being disrespectful for comparing her to someone else. Her character was so much her own that I was afraid a comparison might detract from that. I hope not, because that’s not what I intended.
I found a post this week that celebrated Tohru as Tohru. That post, written by Olivia “Livi” Burke on the site Anime Feminist, does a fantastic job of saying what makes Tohru a distinct, compelling, and realistic character. I’d like to emphasize the “realistic” here, because as you can tell from her title, Tohru’s character avoided a pitfall that might have turned her into a distasteful cliche. Even better, the post gave me more reasons to love the show by framing the conversation in the context of how the other characters developed along with Tohru — and she with them. See if this post makes you want to watch the series again!
Atomsk Anime Reviews
Kobayashi-san Chi no Maidragon S Episode 7 Review
There are a lot of reasons I’m enjoying Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid S this season. Of course, I’m relieved that Kyoto Animation is back, better than ever. I’m also enjoying how these characters interact. There’s just such a warm feeling of… I want to say family, but that’s not quite right. Maybe what family should be? I’m not sure. But whatever it is, I like it. Quite a lot.
I came across this post by Atomsk on the site Atomsk Anime Reviews that talks about yet more reasons to love this show. Focusing on episode 7, this review presents the hilarious, dramatic, and sexy moments that have become hallmarks of the series. It also takes a look at Tohru’s bittersweet take on human sleep. I really enjoyed reading this review because of its unabashed celebration of a series that I think well deserves that kind of reaction! See if you agree!
Convoluted Situation
Why Kyoani’s Yamada Naoko is the greatest director of our time: Part 1 — K-On
The more I try to perfect the craft of writing, the more I appreciate any craftsmanship. I can happily watch hours of Holmes on Homes, both because he’s a professional who takes great pride in his work, and also because he wants to help protect people from unscrupulous contractors. Skill and heart make a great combination!
Creating an anime takes a tremendous amount of skill and heart. As a writer, I focus on script, but that’s only one small part. This week, I could this post by Edy on the site Convoluted Situation that takes a look at the contribution a director brings to a series. This post was a fascinating tour through the topic. I particularly loved the examples, especially the one about how the director used an extended shot of the characters’ legs to bring the feelings in the scene to life. Sounds like fanservice, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t! After reading this post, I have a better appreciation for how a talented director can bring a series to life. See if you have a similar experience!
I Drink and Watch Anime
The Flanderization of Catarina Claes
I’ve really enjoyed reviewing My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom! X this season with Irina and Karandi. The first season was a lot of fun, and for the most part, the second season has been, too. But a strong first season sets the bar high for subsequent seasons, and the anime landscape seems to be littered with examples of second seasons that stumbled.
Irina, on her site I Drink and Watch Anime, recently published a post about a concern she has with the second season. That concern is in the post’s title. In this post, she presents evidence that the lovable main character, Catarina, might have been Flanderized! Is that serious? Is there a cure? Will it ruin the series? You’ll have to read the post to find out. I’ll just say this: Irina’s post explains a lot about my reaction to this season. See what you think!
The Otaku Exhibition
Why I Still Love Fullmetal Alchemist (2003)
I celebrated a post about Fruits Basket above. It’s an example of a remake, in this case of Fruits Basket from 2001. The remake had a significantly longer run. It adapted more of the source material, whereas the original series only went through about a third of the story. The original show had a charm of its own, and I still think of it fondly. But the newer series was so powerful that I find myself thinking of the original series less and less often.
Fullmetal Alchemist is in a similar situation. Or is it? The original came out in 2003 before the source material had been completed, so it had an anime-specific ending. The remake (re-imagining?) came in the form of Fullmetal Alchemist – Brotherhood in 2009. Brotherhood nailed the characters, and its animation impressed me. Does that mean that like Fruits Basket before it, the memory of the original series would begin to fade?
This post by perseus54321 on the site The Otaku Exhibition presents a compelling case that the 2003 version can still capture our imaginations in a way that the remake cannot. What makes the series so interesting? Is it the portrayal of Ed’s struggle against his guilt for what he had tried to do — and what it cost? Was it the plight of other characters like Nina? This post did a stellar job of reminding me why I had enjoyed this show so much the first time I had watched it! I’ll bet it does the same for you.
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!
TCrow, what’d you think about Episode 8 of Kageki Shoujo!!? I did not expect Kaoru’s backstory to be so good.
It struck me the same way! When I saw the promo, I wasn’t excited because I really like the two leads, Sarasa and Ai. But the show impressed me — again! Emotionally subtle, thematically on point, and bittersweet, all at once.
I’m really glad you recommended this show. Thanks again!
Hi I would love to be added to your massive list of anime sites! I run a shoujo manga review site https://shoujohenshin.com I also have fun lists and I have a manga recommendations list as well.
Hi! Thanks for letting me know about your site. I’ve added it to the list — please let me know if there are any typos or anything!
Thanks again!