Welcome to my 5 favorite anime blog posts from 2021 week 36!
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!
100 Word Anime
A Certain Scientific Railgun Series Review
Long running series and series with many spin-offs have a chance to do special things. For example, they can create a deep, wide, and engrossing world. They can also create more interesting characters with greater depth than is generally possible in a shorter series. A Certain Scientific Railgun is one of those series, and I hold it in high esteem, because I think it accomplished both. The world of Academy City is so wide that it supported not only two spin-offs centered on the scientific ESPers, but also a spin-off centered around theological themes (A Certain Magical Index). Because of that, I find that I can rewatch certain episodes within this world many times.
Given how much I enjoyed the series, I’m always on the looking for articles that can give me a deeper appreciation for the show. I was happy to find one such post this week from Karandi on her site 100 Word Anime. Karandi demonstrated her trademark thoroughness by not only talking about what made the series so much fun to watch. She also addressed, head on, the one aspect of the show that makes even me cringe. I know that even though I try to celebrate anime, even I recognize that ignoring less enjoyable aspects is a bad way to go. See if you agree with her analysis!
AniRecs
Ultra “Violet”
When is a bug really a feature? Put in the context of anime, when does something that looks like a stumbling plot actually become a technique to increase immersion? That was one of the ideas that this post by The Droid explored on the site AniRecs. The post talked about the series Violet Evergarden, which I’m sure almost all of you have recognize as a Kyoto Animation title. They set a new high bar with their animation in this series, but as is typical of a KyoAni title, it was more than just pretty. That’s why I chose this post to celebrate! The Droid expertly talked about aspects other than the animation that made the show so attractive. See if The Droid talked about what you liked about the series!
GETMOREXP
ANALYSIS: BOFURI IS SO CHARMING BECAUSE IT SHOWS THE BEST OF THE GAMING COMMUNITY
BOFURI: I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense reminded me of when I used to play Unreal that came out in 1998 (and Unreal Tournament, too). It was the first game I had played on line. Despite it having absolutely terrible network code, it was a blast to play on line. I was in a clan called Co30, whose website is still up. My on-line name had been Kel-Estor (which meant “strength of the East” in a language I made up for a book back in high school). What made it so much fun is that we just enjoyed playing. No trash talk, no bullying, no misogyny. I don’t play online anymore because those things make it not enjoyable. Even Fallout 76, an online version of the Fallout series that I love, couldn’t get me back on line.
BOFURI reminded me of those more fun times. And it seems that that kind of experience might not be as dead as I thought. GETMOREXP on the site GETMOREXP just published a great piece that details how BOFURI embodies, as the title says, “the best of the gaming community.” Is BOFURI realistic? Are there examples of its spirit in real life? The answer might surprise you, just as it surprised me! Better go read the post to see!
Honey’s Anime
What’s Different in The Honor Student At Magic High School? – Changing Perspectives At Magic High School
I’m glad I’m a fan of the series The Irregular at Magic High School, because otherwise, I’m not sure The Honor at Magic High School would not make a lot of sense. That’s intentional, I think: The latter is a re-telling of the former. However, instead of being from the perspective of Tatsuya Shiba and his group of friends and peers, it’s told from the perspective of his sister, Miyuki Shiba. So naturally it focuses on her and her friends. I’ve been reviewing the series this season, and generally speaking, I enjoy it.
The Honor at Magic High is more than just a simple re-telling of the same events. Unless you have a really good memory of the original series, you might not spot the differences. But they’re there. That’s one of the reasons I like this post by Hoshi-kun on the site Honey’s Anime. The post talks in depth about some of the differences. It also does a great job of talking about how this series fits in with the original. I liked how this post described both perspectives! See if you agree.
PyraXadon’s Anime Archive
The Aria Anime Series: A Retrospective
I can’t remember exactly when I first watched Aria: The ANIMATION. I only remember that it was a long time ago. I remember three things about it: The world was endlessly fascinating. Every episode kept my attention. But in most of the episodes, it seemed like absolutely nothing happened! I wondered how that could be. How could a show where nothing happens keep my attention? Well, it turns out “nothing” was an exaggeration. Or a simple deception. But there was more to it than that.
Talking about the “more” is why I wanted to celebrate this post by PYRAXADON on the site PyraXadon’s Anime Archive. If I just say “engaging characters,” I might have given you an idea of what I meant, but I’d be leaving it up to you to fill in the blanks. What I liked about this post is that it provided insights into what “engaging” meant! PYRAXADON also talked about what “fascinating” meant in context of the world. I’ve always loved the Aria series. After reading this post, I like it even more. See if you have a similar reaction!
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!
