Welcome to my 5 favorite anime blog posts from 2021 week 51!
Every week I look for posts that celebrate amazing moments in anime or otherwise blow me away with their wit and charm. I check over 300 sites, and I can tell you that the ani-blogging community constantly produces a huge number of amazing posts. I hope this list helps you find some of them!
Here’s the list of the sites I check!
Full Frontal
Another Look At Heike Monogatari’s Incredible Final Act
My workload for the last couple of months doubled. That was on top of 2021 being an overall high intensity year. So, I was really looking forward to my vacation this week. I had planned to write a couple of hours a day, maybe play video games a couple hours a day, and otherwise, babysit my grandson and watch a movie or two with my wife. Seeing my plans, Real Life said, “Oh, my sweet summer child…” Over the course of my week of “vacation,” I got hit with not only a Work Real Life Event that walked all over the weekend, but multiple Real Life Family Events. I wrote precisely zero words (though I did cast a few characters and design a few sets). I managed to play about 30 minutes of Dying Light, which was barely enough to remind me that, oh, yeah, the parkour system takes a little getting used to.
That’s the mind set I brought to my Friday night exploration of the world of anime blogging. I really hoped I could find something to offset the week. And I’ll tell you what. This post by Jamal on the site Full Frontal was exactly what I needed. It’s about The Heike Story. More precisely, it’s a celebration of The Heike Story. It felt rejuvenating to read passages that described how the the series was “able to deliver a phenomenal experience from start to finish” and “I was completely unprepared for Ryouhei Takeshita’s episode.” As we write out anime reviews, it’s easy to forget how great an impact our words can have. So, for the sake of clarity, I want to thank Jamal for reminding me that there’s beauty still to be experienced. See if you get the same vibe from the article!
Geeknabe
Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut – Oh, it’s so romantic…
The theme this week seems to be Reviews that Crow Find Uplifting (and Thank God for Good Timing)! Because this review by nabe-chan on the site Geeknabe also gave my spirits a boost. Nabe-chan reviewed the series Irina: The Vampire Cosmonaut, and what struck me was the impact the series had on nabe-chan. Thanks to a YouTube video by Kate Pickford, I can actually articulate why!
What makes a story memorable? It’s how the story makes you feel. But to get to that point, a writer has to get the basics right. Continuity, reasonable world-building, and realistic characters are go into the effort to keep what Ms. Pickford calls the “Logic Monster” quiet. That’s the part of our brains that insists reality be real. If a writer can write a story that fools the Logic Monster, then the story has a chance feed the Id and emotionally affect us. That’s exactly what nabe-chan described! So not only did I get to read an uplifting post in and of itself. I got to read a post that reinforced the lessons I’d just internalized from the video! Entertainment and education in a single video — how cool is that?
Mechanical Anime Reviews
UROBUCHI DECEMBER: EXPELLED FROM PARADISE
One of the things I really enjoy about my Friday night excursions into the world of anime blogging is experiencing the wide variety of perspectives. I don’t mean just individual perspectives and opinions about shows. Of course, that’s critical. I mean, there’s nothing I like better than reading someone’s honest opinion, whether I agree with it or not. But what I mean by perspective in this context is the angle with which a blogger approaches a given topic.
To show what I mean, consider Scott’s recent post on Mechanical Anime Reviews. Throughout December, Scott is presenting his insights into the work of a specific writer, Gen Urobuchi. That whole series is informative and fun to read, but this review of Expelled from Paradise stood out. I won’t lie: The protagonist Angela Balzac is a part of the show’s draw, given how she’s almost iconic. Scott’s review, though, discusses more than the show’s main characters. In particular, I thought the discussions of the show’s themes were particularly interesting. Now that I’ve read this review, I’m going to move this movie up on my backlog. See what you think!
Side of Fiction
My 10 Favorite Anime Series
Just as a reminder, I’m very used to having tastes in anime (and most other art forms) seen as bordering on surreal from the perspective of most normal humans. And I’m cool with that. I don’t look for reviews or opinions that justify my position. So you don’t think I’m trying to be self-aggrandizing, let me be more specific: When it comes to likes and dislikes, the concept of right and wrong just don’t apply. I you like a series that I hate, neither of us has committed a moral transgression or anything like that. We just have different tastes.
But I will admit that there are times that I like to see that someone else liked some of the same series I liked. If for no other reason, I want the artists who created the series to see positive feedback. That’s why I liked this post by Jacob – Your Friendly Overlord on the site Side of Fiction. I liked every series on this top ten list! In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed all of them (except number four, because from what I’ve heard, my psyche isn’t ready for that). Too few people talk about number six. And I could gush about the top three for hours! So before I start doing that, better head over and see if your favorites are on this list!
TakaTempest Reviews
Anime Review 226 Tenchi Muyo War On Geminar
Another great thing about excursions into the anime blogging sphere is learning about series I have not experienced. I’m particularly interested in science fiction, so I really interested to see this post by TAKAMAKIJOKER ANIME REVIEWS on the site TakaTempest Reviews. This post reviewed the series Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar. I thought it sounded familiar, but it was only by reading this post that I realized I had heard of the original series, Tenchi Muyou!. Which I haven’t seen. Yet. However, after reading this post, I think I’ll start with Geminar. The post’s description of the well-crafted plot piqued my interest. The discussion of the characters, especially the members of the harem, pretty much made the decision for me. And when the post described the ecchi aspects? Well, let’s just say it’s moved up way above the mid point on my backlog! See if the series sounds interesting to 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!
Want to Read Favorite Posts from Other Sites?
- Anime Feminist: Weekly Round-Up, 8-14 December 2021: Nobumoto Keiko, Omegaverse Shoujo, and Anxiety in Komi-san
- Lesley’s Anime and Manga Corner: Anime and Manga Blog Posts That Caught My Eye This Week (December 17, 2021)
Thanks for sharing and your kind words. It means a lot 😀
You’re welcome! I really like both the idea and the execution of your series of posts!
Glad you’ve been enjoying them :). They haven’t been performing as well as I’ve wanted but that’s ok. The largest effects on the posts have been want I wanted they have been pretty solid over all.