Welcome to my favorite anime community posts, Other Posts to Crow About, for 2020 Week 39!
I look for posts that celebrate amazing moments in anime or otherwise blow me away with their wit and charm. Every week, I check hundreds of sites, and I can tell you that the ani-blogging community writes a ton of amazing posts. 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 Posts from 2020 Week 39
Anime Evo
Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2 – 12
Of course, there was no way we’d get though this edition of Other Posts to Crow About without celebrating a post about Re:ZERO Season 2 episode 37, “The Witches’ Tea Party.” The anime blogging community has written way so many good posts and that episode, in fact, that I had to change tactics. I had to go through all 395+ active anime sites before deciding which of the reviews was my favorite. I was tempted to do a special edition featuring all of the episode 37 (or episode 12, depending on how you’re counting them). In the end, I decided to direct your attention to Setsuken’s post on Anime Evo. It touched on almost everything I liked about the episode, and then some. See if it talked about your favorite parts!
Mechanical Anime Reviews
Princess Principal: “Not” British Spy Adventures
I know that my taste in anime is esoteric. Maybe unfathomable is a better word. I mean, on MAL, I gave Do You Love Your Mom and Her Two-Hit Multi-Target Attacks? an 8, and its overall score was 5.57. in my defense, Mamako. That’s it. That’s my defense. Oh, and Wise. But mostly Mamako. What you might not know is that I’m actually aware of how my taste differs, and I can usually guess when a show will be popular. Or even if I miss my guess, I can, in retrospect, look at the show and understand why. But, there are a handful of shows where I have no idea why they aren’t more popular. I think the standard bearer for this kind of show is Princess Principal. I hope it would be very, very popular. Why? Turns out I found a post that explains it in fantastic detail. That post is by Scott from Mechanical Anime Reviews. I mean, the post correctly identifies the best character in the series, so it has to be insightful. And that’s not the only thing it gets right!
The Otaku Author
Fruits Basket (Episode 50) – I’m Different Now
I’ve been watching Fruits Basket Season 2 (you can read my review of episode 50 here!), and the show’s rich character development and its ability to elicit genuine emotional responses continue to amaze me. I can’t believe that I’ve already watch 50 episodes. But I have, and each episodes remains distinct to me — because in each, something important happened to one or more characters. That was never more true than in the 50th episode. What do I mean? Well, Lynn Sheridan from The Otaku Author explained it better than I can. He not only expressed what was so strong in the last episode. He also mentioned that he also guessed a major secret about Akito — like, back in episode 7! I’m a witness! I remember reading his post, so you can rest assured that no creative editing was involved. If you have any interest in being a writer, you’ll also appreciate his insights about the episode.
Random Curiosity
Fall 2020 Preview!
I don’t want to jinx us. In terms of sheer destructive power, 2020 is pretty much up there. I mean, even the Borg got involved — and it’s only September! But so far, 2020 could only slow anime down. It hasn’t been able to stop it. You know what else 2020 hasn’t been able to stop? Pancakes’ publishing the Fall 2020 review on Random Curiosity! Once again, I’ve read a lot of previews. I enjoyed most of them! But yet again, my favorite was the one from Random Curiosity. It’s insanely well-researched and easy to read. It’s also really effective. I think I’m going to have to invent a time machine to watch all the series I want to. Either that or investigate cloning. And I’m not sure either would turn out well in 2020!
Season 1 Episode 1
Courting Controversy – A Look at “Interspecies Reviewers”
If there’s one thing I can say about the current political climate in the United States, it’s that it has left me absolutely starved for grown up conversation. For example, I’d like to be able to talk about the merits of various health care systems and not end up with someone screaming in my face. Some of that has bled over into anime. For example, the series Interspecies Reviewers generated polarizing conversations during its run. Some reviewers pointed out its sex-positive view, while others lamented some less than gracious behavior of some of its characters. After awhile, both sides just kind of hurled insults at each other. Like I said, I’m starved for grown up, complex conversations, so I was extremely happy to find Jessi Silver’s review on Season 1 Episode 1. This is the best review I’ve read for Interspecies Reviewers. It’s interesting, it’s nuanced, and it’s complex. She’s actually capable of holding two ideas like “sex-positive” and “some questionable behavior” in her mind simultaneously — and speak intelligently about both! That’s a breath of fresh air!
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!
I second that “starved for adult conversation”. I’m just sure I remember a time when you could discuss an issue and have it be a reasoned discussion that did not devolve immediately into name calling and insults. Since when was that even a discussion at all? If I want adult discourse, I come read anime blogs 😛
“’m just sure I remember a time when you could discuss an issue and have it be a reasoned discussion”
I think I remember it being that way in the early days of USENET/newsgroups. At least the ones I hung around in. You needed some technical ability to even get connected to the internet, much less get a newsgroup reader working.
This is going to sound elitist, but around the time AOL made it easy for anyone with a floppy diskette to get connected and use newsgroups, civility took a nosedive. I don’t blame non-technical users, because I don’t think it was all their fault. But the whole feeling changed.
As someone who tries hard to believe in Jeffersonian democracy, I am uneasy with this observation.
“If I want adult discourse, I come read anime blogs”
Are they breaths of fresh air? I’ve seen two commenters on the opposite side of a discussion actually talk and exchange ideas!
I’d almost forgotten how cool that was…
I know, right? I was a late comer to the Internet but I worked in bars for over 15 years and hung out before and after, not to mention ran gaming groups (tabletop) and the adult discussions were a big part of the fun up until…I’m going to say around …OMG I’d have to say it was the whole 9/11 thing. After that, it seems like, everyone took a side. So many people desperately wanted to smash and punish someone for that – ANYONE. And yeah, that seems like about the point when it become impossible to have a reasonable discussion with a whole lot of people.
As I said, I was late to the Internet, so by the time I was on and involved there were already trolls. I think I just avoided a lot of them because by then I was really seeking people of my own liberal, pagan, type to talk to (having just moved back to the Buckle of the Bible Belt and discovered I could hardly open my mouth in public without setting off the screamers). So I was on chatrooms and bulliten boards that were pretty dedicated pagan. All those have vanished now and we’re forced to a massive shared space like facebook where you just can’t get any peace from the screamers anywhere it seems. Animal people, holy crap, the screamers over there. Shudder. So yeah, it seems like the anime community and to some extent gaming community are the only refuges left for reasoning people. Yeesh.
It’s cute how some people think we still have a democracy. I’m not sure the USA wes ever really a democracy. But that’s a long discussion for another day. Nice to think we could actually have it though.
“OMG I’d have to say it was the whole 9/11 thing. After that, it seems like, everyone took a side. ”
You just reminded me of something I’d forgotten about that time. When it happened, just President Bush spoke amid the ruins of the two towers, I had a terrible vision. I saw two paths we could take — the path of maturity and restraint, and the path of revenge and xenophobia. I didn’t see how there could be any middle ground. Any step towards revenge would be catastrophic. It wouldn’t be a slippery slope. It would be stepping off a cliff.
I was relieved when President Bush did not condemn the Islamic faith in general.
That might have been the last positive development…
“So yeah, it seems like the anime community and to some extent gaming community are the only refuges left for reasoning people. Yeesh.”
I hope we can hold out. I don’t know what’s different or how we’ve made it this far, though. Maybe we’re a less obvious target?
But when “the screamers” (that’s a great way to describe them, BTW!) come for us, I wonder what I’ll do.
“It’s cute how some people think we still have a democracy. I’m not sure the USA wes ever really a democracy.”
I was about to say that it was from the very beginning. Then I remember the arguments in Congress about whether citizens should be land owners or not to even vote. I think the phrase “great experiment” applies, because we tried. We tried to grapple with the hard issues of self governance.
Somewhere between the likes of George Washington, who walked away willingly from power (and I’ve never known a human to do that) and now, we have certainly lost something.
“But that’s a long discussion for another day. Nice to think we could actually have it though.”
I haven’t given up. When I ask myself what I’m going to do about it, though, I don’t know. One of my high school friends blocked me on Facebook when I suggested science had something to say about COVID (which was after I suggested racism was a bad idea). He’s not alone. I grew up with those people. I thought I understood their world view. But now, they’re embracing the white supremacist nonsense that’s killing our democracy. I don’t get it.
And you’re right. That’s a discussion for another day.
I really really don’t get it. One of the things that puzzles me the most was…I was born in 1959. I grew up being just a little too young to say…go to Woodstock. I grew up believing the flower children would be our future – we would be kind, understanding, loving, accepting, open… where did all those people go? How did their kids, apparently, all turn out thinking no one was important but ME ME ME, but most of all – where the fuck did all the old hippies go? Did they all die already? Did nothing at all of their philosophy survive? And I did believe in Camelot aka Kennedy – and then I started listening to the podcast Conspiracy Theory. Fuck the conspiracy theorys, the things we KNOW ARE TRUE that our gov’t did, the Iran Contra deals, the Bay of pigs crap, paying Noreiga to work for the CIA and ignoring his crimes, you name it, anything I thought was remotely true about who “we” are is tarnished. And here we are now, thinking that The SHrub was practically the good old days (and I firmly believe that he knew something was going to happen 9/11 and LET IT so he could be popular). Oh and his speech on that day? He made it clear then that all the XTIANS would be in heaven… well, I’m not Xtian. Guess it’s okay if I get blown up. My husband is Cherokee – people in Tulsa (where we lived then) were driving around in gangs in cars with baseball bats, jumping out and beating up anyone BROWN. We ilved in fear for my husbands life for years because he is brown – and he is NATIVE AMERICAN but the …invaders…are so stupid they can’t tell the difference. Not that it’s acceptable to beat up ANY brown person. Okay, deep breath. No more politics in polite company. That’s how we’re gonna make it through. Let’s talk anime. Yeah, Attsuke is a bad ass girl 😀
” I grew up believing the flower children would be our future – we would be kind, understanding, loving, accepting, open… where did all those people go? ”
It reminds me of that Smash Mouth sound.
“And they folked out with guitars around a bonfire
Just singin’ and clappin’ man what the hell happened”
I was born in 1962, so my experience was similar to yours. I saw the civil rights movement fight its way through Washington DC, and for some reason, I thought the idea that “liberty and justice for all” might finally be coming into its own.
“the things we KNOW ARE TRUE that our gov’t did, the Iran Contra deals, the Bay of pigs crap, paying Noreiga to work for the CIA and ignoring his crimes”
You didn’t even mention that a ton of the Mideast turmoil is our fault. Working with British Intelligence, at the behest of British Petroleum (yes, the BP that still exists today), pushed the elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh out of power and installed the Shah. Iran — Persia — a people whose spirit is closer to the West than any other of the dictatorial governments in the Mideast, is our enemy, precisely and only because of oil.
Bit of a high social price for cheap gasoline.
“I firmly believe that he knew something was going to happen 9/11 and LET IT so he could be popular”
If you told me that Cheney knew, I think I’d buy it. I’m not so sure about Bush. He had his failings, but I think his father taught him better than that.
“He made it clear then that all the XTIANS would be in heaven… well, I’m not Xtian. Guess it’s okay if I get blown up. My husband is Cherokee ”
Thanks for sharing that. I should have given that perspective more attention and thought. The attempt to fuse religion and state power has never worked. It cannot work. We can’t allow any more attempts. The situation today proves none of us can take our eyes off those in power for even a second. There are too many people who will happily kill others in the name of their faith.
That’s a cycle that we’ve got to stop.
“We ilved in fear for my husbands life for years because he is brown – and he is NATIVE AMERICAN but the …invaders…are so stupid they can’t tell the difference. ”
I honestly don’t know how to stop it. Years ago, I gave up trying to effect change via my writing, but this year, I’ve tried to re-engage. The polarization is so profound… I knew direct confrontation would not work, so I tried being oblique. During the height of the BLM media coverage, I found some great stories where law enforcement was part of the solution. There was a Sheriff in Michigan who joined in a march. The BLM members welcomed him. He used zero force to keep the situation peaceful. Everyone won.
In part, I achieved my goal. No could call me a “leeeberal” or accuse me of not supporting law and order. But the only discussion I got back was that “Now, Crow, the police never use force if the suspect just follows instructions.”
Tell that to Philando Castile.
I don’t know how to stop it. I want to stop it. But I can’t figure out how.
“Okay, deep breath. No more politics in polite company. ”
I’m glad you shared what you think. I still think that people sharing what they think with one another, instead of shouting slogans _at_ one another, is one of the ways forward.
And there’s got to be a way forward…
Consider yourself hugged. I wish I knew what to do. Here’s one big problem we have. Since it’s inception one of the CIAs purposes has been to bring down the liberals in this country. Since even before that, back in the 1930s, yes the 1930s, a group led by an economist in the South who were appalled at the erosion of the idea THEY thought this country was built on – that is property owners, businessmen, WHITE men should be in power over the ignerant peons – set up a think tank and entire college wing for the purpose of keeping those white property owner men (Southern Gentlemen then but they’ve expanded) in power. Their group has gone by a dozen different names, but they are still here and still working away and gaining power every day. Read Democracy In Chains for a good deep expose’ of this. It’s one of those things that sounds like crazy conspiracy theory (when I first began hearing about this 20 years ago, that’s what I thought) but if you look there is proof. They’re quite open about their plans, really.
But even that still doesn’t explain to me where the hippies went. One old hippie I used to know once told me most of them were just there for the drugs and sex – not because of any convictions. When they graduated, they “went straight” and took their degree and went out to get corporate jobs and be just another drone (with some good memories). If that’s true, and I guess maybe it is, then even that “rock” basis of my own life and beliefs turns out to be quicksand.
Don’t even get me started on cops, brown people, religion, let alone the oil companies. I grew up in Oklahoma, a state bought lock stock and barrel by the oil companies, chewed up, and spit out and left in incredible disarray and poverty and desperation. I know exactly how oil companies work, too well, and yes, I know that’s what basically all our wars have been about for decades. Why did we invade Afghanistan? Not for the human rights, not for women’s rights (even though women were dying in droves because they were not allowed to leave the house – if all their male relatives were dead they had to simply sit and STARVE), no, we invaded because the Taliban refused to allow us to build a pipeline that we already had a treaty in place to build. Now THAT – that pissed us off. Sigh.
For a period while the Shrub was in power I had a blog about his crap. I ended up on an actual gov’t watch list. Of course, so was a friend of mine who was of Lebanese descent and an archaeology student specializing in the Middle East. He got detained and asked why he kept going back and forth to digs in Israel and Saudi Arabia… DUH. Shrub, after all, had his SS agents raid a 12 year old girls house because she posted on Live Journal she wished someone would kill him, and a bunch of people commented “yah, me too” and boom it was a PLOT! Bit paranoid, eh?
Nowadays I have a man with a chronic illness who is dependent on me. I can’t risk being stuck in jail or even house arrest for anything. So I keep it on the back burner. I try not to let it make me scream and rant out loud or online too often, and largely I often just avoid it all if I can. Right now I can’t do anything without risking him, and he’s my world. He is dependent on regular dialysis, paid for by Medicare and far out of our ability to pay without it.
This is what they have pushed us too – if the gov’t can keep us all too worried about where our next meal is coming from, or how to pay for our cancer treatments, then we don’t have time or energy to spend fighting the government, nor can we risk the possible consequences.
So yeah, I do keep it on the downlow these days. I no longer really believe there is anything we can do to reverse the landslide to the bottom, while the possible consequences of even just speaking out could be dire.
I have said for years I want to live to be 100 because I think it will be interesting. I’ve been saying for a few decades I think it will be interesting because I might get to see the next American Revolution. I still think that’s possible. But I’m not going to be leading the militia that does it. It’s possible you could find me in the medics tent though.
And still every now and then I lose it… 😛
Have you ever read David Brin? He’s my favorite science fiction writer. He also has some genius insights on the US. Take this essay, for example:
http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2014/09/phases-of-american-civil-war.html
Your comment about “Southern Gentlemen” is spot on. It’s part of the ongoing Civil War.
” One old hippie I used to know once told me most of them were just there for the drugs and sex – not because of any convictions.”
That explains a lot.
You also brought up something I hadn’t considered in my zeal to push towards universal health care. “He is dependent on regular dialysis, paid for by Medicare and far out of our ability to pay without it.” Medicare could easily be used to cow people.
“’I’ve been saying for a few decades I think it will be interesting because I might get to see the next American Revolution.”
That’s weighed heavily on me for years. I see the signs of social fracture. I’ve read a lot about the Civil War. It was terrible, but it had one benefit: both sides knew their “enemy.” It was North against the South, even though there were sympathizers on both sides. If armed conflicts break out now, how will anyone know the sides? It won’t be black versus white; I’ve seen too many signs that a growing number of whites have had it with the racism and are willing to stand with, for example, members of BLM as they advocate for their rights.
So where are the battle lines?
We’ve seen the white supremacists in action. What they lack in tactical awareness they make up for with enthusiasm. Will they just start firing on everyone indiscriminately? We know they’ve infiltrated the police and military; but even then, not _all_ the police and military will side with them. I’m friends with enough of both to know that.
“But I’m not going to be leading the militia that does it. It’s possible you could find me in the medics tent though.”
I don’t know what to do, but I know one thing. I cannot witness an act of cruelty and remain silent or inactive. I’m just dumb enough to do something that’ll end up getting me shot — or forcing me to take some drastic action.
I don’t want to end up in a medic’s tent. I don’t want to send anyone there. So I really, really hope things hold together.
I’d really just like to talk about anime…
I have read David Brinn, but was not aware of his blog. Thank you. I’ll check that out.
Trumps recent comment when the plot to kidnap the governor of Wisconsin came out and the AG had a bit to say about him encouraging these fringe right wing groups. He said, “Well, someone has to stand up to the anarchists.” DUDE, when you are plotting to kidnap and probably kill the elected governor of a State YOU ARE THE FREAKING ANARCHISTS. Ahem. But then he just throws words around. I hear he drives the Japanese translators at the U.N. around the bend because he is incapable of speaking in complete sentences. Given the grammer differences, I can imagine their hopeless dismay.
Oh, believe me, we have had my hubby’s dependence on assistance used to browbeat us. It’s very effective, since he will die within a week to ten days if denied dialysis. Which they can do here. Lovely country we live in.
The Civil War was horrific, and most civil wars are. If it comes to that, it’s going to be one hot mess. There are a lot of people who just want an excuse to go shooting people they don’t like. Each little fragmented militia and storefront Xtian church has their own philosophy and know they are the only ones who are right. There will be no Union and no Rebs, although I suspect the “rebels” would be more organized. What I think may happen is the country may break up along philosophical but also state lines. Already our governor here in Nevada is working with other Western governors to control COVID. We’ve been punished by Trump for having a democratic governor who gives him hell by Trump refusing to pay the National Guard, and stopping certain COVID benefits from reaching Nevada. I wonder if he thought about it, when he said the federal gov’t won’t pay our National Guard (currently activated to help with COVID measures) and Gov. Sisolak said FINE we’ll pay them through the State. Most of our National Guard are there for that nice part time money. They know who signs their paycheck. Trump just handed Sisolak his own little army. Just sayin. I got sidetracked. Anyway, I actually think the western states may secede as a group, the eastern states may also go with the southern states also forming their own group, leaving the Midwest to scramble around with little warlords of militias in each county. It will be a total clusterfuck spiced up with idiots who just want to play with their guns and play badass, and people who are very serious badasses due to serving overseas in urban wars for the last few decades – on all four or five sides or more. And the vast majority of us who are just “I might shoot someone to defend my own home or family” people, if that. If we even own a gun.
How did we get on this? How’s the new episode of Nobelesse?
“I hear he drives the Japanese translators at the U.N. around the bend because he is incapable of speaking in complete sentences. ”
My heart goes out to them. I feel their pain. Well, I fell the same pain — listening to him is physically painful.
My wife and I have been talking about how to approach the problem of a sitting president encouraging sedition. The only think I’ve come up with so far is not acting like this is normal. I’ll keep saying that encouraging kidnapping and, as you mentioned, likely murder is “bad.”
At the very least, if digital archeologists find any of our posts after the Time of Darkness, they’ll know that not everyone had gone insane.
Your thoughts on how the country might divide reminded me of this article:
https://www.pressherald.com/2020/07/05/how-the-geography-of-the-pandemic-is-determined-by-centuries-old-regional-differences/
It’s interesting that one of the groups it projects would stay together is just as you said: the Western states.
And before I give in to the temptation to discuss more politics…
“How did we get on this? How’s the new episode of Nobelesse?”
I haven’t watched it. I’ve seen a few reviews, like Irina’s, and they seem positive.
So far I like Nobelesse, and even more astonishing, hubby likes it. So I’ll have the great joy of sharing an anime with him.
It really is astounding that this president can literally tell his supporters to buy ammo because the election will be fixed. He clearly does not intend to step down, regardless of the results. He never ceases to amaze me – from the minute he was elected. I cannot listen to him AT ALL. He drives me insane – UNLESS it is one of the very few occassions when his erstwhile handlers have gotten him to actually read the speech they wrote – you can tell because he speaks in complete sentences and grammatically – but he always breaks down within a few minutes and goes off on his own rambling babble.
There is something really interesting going on here with the English, or really, American language. There are days I ride in on the bus listening to people around me chatting and hubby and I look at each other and whisper “Is that ENGLISH?” because we don’t understand a word of it. There’s some interesting developments that I can think of only as something like a Thieves Cant in DnD (which was of course based on real pidgin languages) which uses mostly english words but in ways I seriously cannot grok at all. I understand Japanese better. I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it, other than I wonder if people really are proud to identify with a culture that glorifies drugs, crime, and denigrating women. Including women, mind you.
Well, this is why I always wanted to live to be 100. Because of the amazing amount of change I would see.
I do hope digital archeologists of the future, as well as people of the world (hellooooo out there) do realize that we have not gone bug nutz as a nation.
Thanks for the mention. It’s greatly appreciated.
As for Fruits Basket, I just can’t get enough of the show and seeing what others think is definitely part of the process. So much happens it’s almost impossible to discuss everything otherwise each episode review would be a novel on its own.
Now, we just distill the magic that makes every character that much more relatable and every interaction so powerful.
You’re welcome! I really enjoyed reading your review.
“Now, we just distill the magic that makes every character that much more relatable and every interaction so powerful.”
I keep thinking it’s some high-end, almost magical formula. But I think it might be as simple as a combination of show, don’t tell, giving the characters time to breath, and providing an over-arching, existential threat as an impeller. At least, that’s the best I can come up with so far!
That’s a great start. I’m a huge fan of showing over telling and I think that played a big part into why I was overly enamoured with Deca-Dence. I like to experience everything with the characters and feel what they feel. Without that link it’s like watching a documentary.