Welcome to my favorite anime community posts, Other Posts to Crow About for 2020 Week 29!
What kind of posts do I look for? They have to celebrate amazing moments in anime or otherwise blow me away with their wit and charm. I check hundreds of sites every week, and I can tell you that the ani-blogging community’s post quality and quantity are amazing. I hope this list helps you find some of them!
Here’s the list of the sites I check!
Review Order
This week, I reviewed the sites in alphabetical order (A to Z).
My Favorite Anime Community Posts from The Week
Anime Evo
Deca-Dence – 02
Do you remember the first time you saw The Matrix? I was on a business trip and watched it on Pay Per View. When we got to the twist, I literally stood up and stared at the screen. I remember being bummed I couldn’t share the moment with my wife! But it blew me away. Deca-Dence just pulled something similar, and I thought it was both surprising and clever. I’ve been ruminating on the implications, but I’m not sure I’ve connected all of the dots yet. Fortunately for me (and for you!), I came across this post by Flareknight on Anime Evo. The post not only cleared up some points I wasn’t sure about. It also raises some fascinating questions — questions that bode well for the show’s future! My favorite reviews are the ones that either make me want to watch the show again, or that broaden my understanding of the show. This post does both! See what you think.
Confessions of an Overage Otaku
THE PERFORMANCE OF POWER: THE SAGA OF TANYA THE EVIL
Saga of Tanya the Evil was a powerful series. I’m not saying that just because I reviewed it. I’m saying it because the show was the most subtle and complex treatment of the Trilemma that I’ve ever seen in anime. Or at least the second question, “If God is not willing to prevent evil, then he is not all-good.” Because in the series, it’s not Tanya who’s evil… But beyond the theological insights, the show had a ton of other things to say. For example, its treatment of how humans interacted fascinated me. Well, I just came across this post by The Overage Otaku on Confessions of an Overage Otaku. It talks about the different sources of power and how they affected Tanya’s world. It’s one of those world-building/analysis posts that I enjoy so much because it helps me appreciate Tanya’s series in particular and anime in general. Oh, and there’s a great real-world WWII story at the end of the post. Be sure to read it — it’s great!
Floating into Bliss
What Penguindrum Means to Me
Earlier this week, Takuto’s Anime Cafe published a post called Projects, Projects, Projects || Quarterly Update (Summer 2020). The post seemed apologetic that Penguindrum, while being a well-crafted series, was not exactly enjoyable. At least not in the sense of being “fun.” In fact, though I found the first 12 episode or so to be wildly entertaining, it was with a feeling of relief that I finished the 24th episode. Why did I feel that way? Everything I know about crafting fiction told me the series was not only solid, it was exemplary! So what’s with my reaction? Well, I think I found the answer in Zeria’s post on Floating into Bliss. The short answer is that the show was too much for where I was when I watched it. Or maybe it was just right? The longer answer? Well, you know what to do to find out!
RAILGUNFAN75’S GEEK BLOG
Returning to Academy City for the Daihassei Festival Arc- My Thoughts on Railgun T’s 1st Arc
We all have a series that we look back on with fondness. Maybe because of when we watched it, it fills us with a nostalgia-infused fondness. A Certain Scientific Railgun was one of those series for me. The characters hit me just right. Mikoto Misaka’s humility and loyalty anchored the series. Kuroko Shirai had a ridiculous crush on Misaka, but at the same time, she was resourceful and relentless in battle. Plus, her way of talking gave me endless hours of entertainment! When I saw that A Certain Scientific Railgun T was coming out, I have to admit I felt a bit of apprehension. Could it possibly live up to the idealized memory I had of the original? Would the characters still speak to me? I have good news: railgunfan75’s post on RAILGUNFAN75’S GEEK BLOG has the answer. You can probably guess what it is, can’t you? Ah, but you don’t know the details! There’s only one way to find them.
THE VISUALIST’S VERANDA
HOW BEASTARS REMINDED ME OF WHAT I ALREADY KNEW
It’s embarrassing to admit given the show’s reputation and the quality of the posts still coming out about it, but I haven’t seen BEASTARS. What the heck is the matter with me, you might ask? The answer far exceeds the space I have available in this post! But it’s on my backlog. Even though I haven’t watched the show, I’ve read enough about it that I think that the themes it deals with are exceptional. It’s not only the themes themselves, but how the show deals with them seems to be part of the appeal. Now, after reading this post by KAPODACO on THE VISUALIST’S VERANDA, I’m even more excited to watch the show. Not only because it sounds like it’ll be a great viewing experience, but also because it sounds like it was so well crafted that it’ll be a learning experience for me as a writer! That’s a pretty potent combination!
Posts like this is what makes me so proud to be a part of the anime community.
Thank you so much for covering your favourite sites you discovered this week. I dove into two of them, the others I was satisfied just reading your highlights.
I live in a place where the internet is limited, and if you go over, the charges are astronomical.
Although I love anime, it doesn’t rank above music, classes and connecting with family (or the occasional splurge on a Zumba party…. If you have ever walked into one with Madelle and Prince Paltu-ob, you would understand, honest!).
So, I rely on posts like these to keep me updated on what I am missing, or should add to my list once I splurge on more anime.
Thank you so much for keeping me in the loop, and for introducing me to some incredible sites!
I love what you said about the Matrix. There are some moments in life that I want to share with others because it reminds me of them. Then there are others that are so mind-blowingly epic, it needs more than one person to share it if only to confirm that this is not a figment of imagination that will disappear into nothingness- one mind alone couldn’t fathom it.
One year for a friend’s birthday celebration I bought 3-5 cakes (or boxes) of fireworks. The last one was the biggest sized box I have ever bought called “FistBump”. The seller had warned me that it was pretty loud and that it might be best to lie down to watch it. I am so glad I listened. The fireworks were so massive, even lying down to view it, I couldn’t see the full extent of each explosion. With each burst, the gravel around me seemed to rattle in reply. By the end of it, our voices were so hoarse from yelling in admiration (or slightly repressed fear… heheheh), but we could barely hear each other during the fireworks, they were so loud.
These were only fireworks- nothing else had changed, but the moment was so magical, so tinged with an atmosphere of all-out wonder and awe, that I don’t think I will ever forget those seconds where we all forgot where we were, and had to steal glimpses of each other to make sure that we were all awake and this moment was actually unfolding in reality.
Speaking of reality and figments of imagination, have you ever watched the film “Harvey”? Yeah, I know, this is totally random…..
I just rewatched it yesterday for the first time since I was a kid. XD
For me, the search of anime is kind of like stumbling upon something like “Harvey” again. I know there are so many unexpected, wondrous and whimsical moments out there- when that moment hits though, it demands full attention and time to just soak in that moment. Almost every time, although the moment is new, it is like a time portal- one that reminds me of the dreams and expectations I had as a child. Things I never want to loose, things forgotten. I love moments like these.
Ah, really rambled today. 😛 Although I didn’t get the same reaction with the Matrix when I watched it (I saw it in bits and pieces before watching it entirely- kind of ruins a film when watched that way), your description made me remember- so many beautiful things! Thanks. 🙂
“Posts like this is what makes me so proud to be a part of the anime community.”
Thank you! I really appreciate that!
“that I don’t think I will ever forget those seconds where we all forgot where we were, and had to steal glimpses of each other to make sure that we were all awake and this moment was actually unfolding in reality.”
That sounds like a beautiful experience! Poetry expressed, too.
“Things I never want to loose, things forgotten. I love moments like these.”
I think you just summed up the reason for this site better than I ever did!
“your description made me remember- so many beautiful things! Thanks.”
I’m glad — thanks for sharing!