Thirty-sixth week of 2018 edition!
This is a Crow’s eye view of the posts that caught my attention this week. Typically, they’ll be posts that celebrate some aspect of anime, like strong characters, intricate plots, or amazing worlds.
There are only two rules:
- I have to find the site to read it. I publish a list of the sites I review every week, so please do look for your site! If you don’t see it, I’d love for you to mention your site in the comments.
- Your post had to have been published during the last seven days (or so)
Remember, you can find a list of the sites I check every week here.
There’re a lot of good posts in the anime space. I hope this article helps you find some of them!
100 Word Anime
Friday’s Feature: Why We Need To Stop Mocking Stories For Trying
Here at Crow’s World of Anime, I try to celebrate anime with a focus on character and moments of beauty. When I visit other sites, articles that fit that theme jump out at me, so I was really happy to come across this article from 100 Word Anime. The article tackles an all too common complaint I see in series discussions: that a writer or director or an animator is “trying too hard.” The article does a great job of taking apart the assumptions under that assertion. Don’t forget to check out the comments — they’re very interesting, too!
The Aniwriter
In Defense of Slice of Life
It’s not only artists working on a single series that get flak. Sometimes, an entire genre comes under fire. In some corners of anime fandom, genres like Slice of Life have a bad reputation, and this post from The Aniwriter takes issue with that! In the first of two parts, the site examines the major objections to Slice of Life in a clear and fun to read way. I liked the article’s theme, and I liked the examples it used to prove its point.
I Drink and Watch Anime
Gosick – So Many Doppelgängers
I loved the show when it first came out in 2011, but because of various licensing issues that are lightly touched on in the Wikipedia article, Gosick (link takes you to Right Stuff Anime) was hard to find. It’s recently been released on Blu Ray, so this article from I Drink and Watch Anime is not only timely, it’s a delight to read! The post does such a fantastic job of describing the series that even though I’ve watched it a dozen times, I want to watch it again! And, as usual, don’t forget to check out the comments — this site drives some of the best discussions I’ve seen!
Jon Spencer Reviews
Planetarian: Hoshi no Hito – There Was a Sequel Film the Whole Time?!?
Did you watch Planetarian: Chiisana Hoshi no Yume when it first aired in in 2016? It was only five episodes, but I thought it carried a powerful emotional punch. Well, this post from Jon Spencer Reviews just let me know that there was a movie sequel. Did you know about that? I didn’t! Not only that, but the movie was notcompletely a recap! Instead, it uses scenes from the series as flashbacks but presents new material! Is the movie worth watching? What’s it cover? Is it as emotionally powerful as the original? Guess what you’ll have to do to find out!
Lost in Anime
Boku no Hero Academia Season 3 – 22
I fancy myself a writer — and I’ve done so for the last forty years or so (I’ll leave it to your imagination how many of those years offer objective proof that I can write!). I’m not sure I’ve come across a series, anime or otherwise, that have given us the complexity of character, depth of theme, and effectiveness of action as much as My Hero Academia. That might come off as hyperbolic, but I honestly think that’s the case. This post from Lost in Anime doesn’t make such a broad claim, but it has some spot-on insights that support it. Two points in particular stood out for me — one about Izuku Midoriya and another about Katsuki Bakugou. If you wonder why you’re enjoying this show so much, check out this article! If you’re not enjoying it, this article just might change your mind!
Unweaving Anime
Finding Role Models in Anime
Anime’s an art form, and like many art forms, it can inspire and comfort — sometimes both at the same time. This post from Unweaving Anime gives us some poignant, personal examples of how the characters from several series helped the author make some difficult yet freeing decisions. The article’s a testament to the kind of support the creative community can offer to any one of us — and goodness knows, we all need support from time to time. What I found particularly inspirational about this article was the idea that these role models offered not only comfort, but the strength to become a role model as well!
It’s always such a thrill to be featured in your round ups. You do just a lovely job with the synopsis, I am so flattered every time
Thanks for your kind words! I always stress over those, because I honestly want to highlight the content to entice readers to click through — so I’m worried I’ll either say too little or too much! I’m glad its comes across well to you!
Oh, and as always, thanks for producing such great content!