Welcome to My 5 Favorite Anime Blog Posts from 2022 Week 19!
Every week I look for posts that celebrate amazing moments in anime or otherwise blow me away with their wit and charm. I check around 335 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!
You can check all of those sites, too! Here’s the Massive List of Sites!
Anime Evo
Spy x Family – 04
Is there such a thing as an anime series that’s too popular? Some series like Sword Art Online seem to attract a disproportionate amount of negativity as their popularity increased. A lot of that negativity just didn’t make sense to me. Criticizing Kirito for being a Marty Stu vanilla harem protagonist frankly perplexed me. Did those people not watch Red Nosed Reindeer? Or notice that Kirito was utterly dedicated to Asuna? I wish both of those points were me just setting up straw men arguments. Unfortunately, they are both suggestions I saw from multiple sources.
I’m beginning to see signs that a show this season might be headed for that same territory. I’ll bet you can guess what show it is, too! It’s SPY x FAMILY. As you can probably tell from my reviews (like this one of episode 4), the show has enthralled me (in no small part because of Yor). But to be honest, there are times when I wonder if I’m too easy on shows. Then I read posts like this one by FlareKnight on Anime Evo. FlareKnight calls ’em like he sees them. And what he sees about SPY x FAMILY is the kind of celebration of anime that inspires me to write this post! Head on over and see what you think!
Jonah’s Daily Rants
Good People Aren’t Bad Characters, Y’all Are Just Cynical
Do you know what’s hard? Writing realistic, compelling characters. Do you know what’s even harder? Writing realistic, compelling characters who are decent human beings. No, seriously, it’s tough! You may or may not know this, but I’m writing a series of novels. I’d love for you to check out my writing site! But I speak from experience when I say it’s tough.
But it’s more than just technically tough, from the perspective of story engineering. There are other factors that make it challenging to write that kind of character. So imagine my excitement when I saw the title of jernahblunt’s post on his site Jonah’s Daily Rants! I’ve always enjoyed his posts about character, because he has both a keen eye for that sort of thing. What’s more, he has a strong ability to describe it. And, in my not so humble opinion, he absolutely nailed this article! See if you agree!
The Magic Planet
Let’s Watch HEALER GIRL Episode 5 – Blue Skies, Green Mountains, River Battles and the Galactic Station
Before I say what I’m about to say, keep these two things in mind: My favorite science fiction book is probably Dune, and one of my favorite movies is Aliens. Those two titles tell you a lot about the kind of fiction I enjoy, and that in many ways spills into anime. That’s what makes it so remarkable that one of my favorite anime series this season is Healer Girl. The series contains nothing like the Bene Gesserit. There’s no equivalent to Ellen Ripley. Not even Ria can match Ripley for sheer badassery.
So why do I like the show? One reason is for its beautiful moments, like the one I described in my review of episode 5. But there’s more to it than that. That’s why I so enjoyed reading this post by Jane the Anime Witch on her site The Magic Planet. Jane the Anime Witch has a talent for picking just the right details out of the narrative, mixing them with her own experiences, and giving us a glimpse into what feels like the beating heart of an episode. She did it with takt op.Destiny, and now she’s doing it with Healer Girl. It makes me look forward to reading her review almost as much as I look forward to watching the next episode! See if you come away with the same impression!
The Otaku Exhibition
Horimiya is STILL the Best Rom Com
Not everything has to be an argument. I need to remind myself of that constantly. Case in point: the title of this post by perseus54321 on the site The Otaku Exhibition. When I read the title, I thought that there was no way Horimiya was the best rom com. Everyone knows that it’s really Toradora! But then I read the post. First, it reminded me: Even if I assert that Toradora is the best rom com, I can really only make the case of why it’s the best to me. Second, it reminded me that no, I don’t need to argue when I should try to understand instead. And understanding is the whole point.
The thing is, I’ve never watched Horimiya. But after reading perseus54321’s post, I want to! The review speaks glowingly of the series. I would be wrong to call this post a love letter to Horimiya. Certainly, affection permeates this review. But it’s much more than that. The description of the characters and what they bring to the story convinced me this was a show I wanted to see. See if you get the same sense when you read this review!
TakaTempest Reviews
Anime Review 239 Date A Live
It’s been nine years since Data a Live debuted. It’s an ecchi comedy — something that should be forgettable, right? Well, it’s not. I could joke that the reason is characters like Tooka Yatogami, and certainly, she’ve beautiful enough to make a lasting impression. But the joke turns in on itself when you consider she’s actually an intriguing character. I could go on about the reasons we’re still talking about this show in 2022, but you know what? There’s no need for me to subject you to that boredom! Instead, let me direct your attention to TakaTempest Reviews’ on the site TakaTempest Reviews. I already liked the show prior to reading this. Now I like it even more! See if that’s your 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!
Want to Read Favorite Posts from Other Sites?
- Anime Feminist: Weekly Round-Up, 27 April – 3 May 2022: Billy Kametz Fundraiser, Tsuda Umeko Biography, and Poe Clan Reprint
- Lesley’s Anime and Manga Corner: Anime and Manga Blog Posts That Caught My Eye This Week (May 6, 2022)
Find it interesting how you brought up Kirito and his “Marty Stu” complex LOL (not too far off from the truth, actually :D) To be fair, he does get better as SAO progresses – SAO II being the most recent example I’m familiar with where they actually flesh him out and make him somewhat into a character, which for SAO is quite the achievement hehe.
That interesting, because from the first three episodes, I saw some really interesting development, so I never did see him that way. And certainly not over-powered. Though with my comparison points being Anos Voldigoad and Hajime Nagumo as my points of reference…
Well from what I recall with SAO, I tend to agree that they just focused more on his gaming prowess (like that time he doesn’t lose a drop of health when being assaulted by a mob) and less on his character. Apart from him building friendships with Sachi, Lizbeth and the rest, eventually with Asuna, I didn’t really find anything appealing about him. In the second season he shows a more vulnerable side with Sinon as how despite him being this hotshot player, he has his own doubts that he tries to shade away. Not to mention, the second half sees Konno Yuuki virtually dethrone him as the game’s best player in a one-on-one. That made him more relatable, and was a huge step to his character IMO 🤗
I still think Toradora is the best. But that doesn’t mean I can’t like Horimiya too.