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, in particular strong characters, intricate plots, or amazing worlds.
There are only two rules:
- I have to find the site to read it. So, if you never see your site mentioned, it might be that I don’t know it’s there! Please feel free to mention your site in the comments.
- The post had to have been published during the last seven days (or so)
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 post helps you find some of them!
100 Word Anime
Friday’s Feature: What a Waste
Ordinarily, I favor articles that celebrate or are otherwise positive about anime in general or a series in particular. Bit I’m not blind to interesting and insightful critique! After watching something like Re:ZERO, I’ve had a hard time taking something like Knight’s & Magic seriously. In addition to calling out the title’s improper punctuation (calling it “Knights Of The Incorrectly Used Apostrophe” — seriously, grammar humor never gets old!), 100 Word Anime points out a lot of the things that bothered me about the show — and then some!
AngryAnimeBitches
DARLING in the FRANKXX Episode 5
AngryAnimeBitches has another solid review of DARLING in the FRANXX, a show that continues to make me feel uneasy. I’m still trying to decide if that’s good or bad, and this review captures a lot of the reasons why. Just how does Zero Two feel about Hiro? Is she as callous as she seems?
AnimePrinceBlog
Don’t Accept That Your Favorite Anime is Trash
As someone who has lived through the aftermath of publicly admitting that I enjoyed Sword Art Online and have seen others go through much worse for their tastes, this post from AnimePrinceBlog caught my attention. Seriously: Why should you accept someone else’s opinion of a show? Like what you like! The post says why eloquently.
ATELIER EMILY for me, in full bloom
Prunus cerasus and self-pollenization — more flower names in Darling in the Franxx
This post from ATELIER EMILY clearly articulates part of the dilemma I have with this DARLING in the FRANXX: The world is so well crafted, with so many levels of meaning, that it’s hard not to be enthralled. On the other hand, the show dances to the edge of exploitation — but that might become an important thematic rallying point! Argh! Until I can make a final decision, I’ll continue to enjoy posts like this one.
KAWAIIPAPERPANDAS
Violet Evergarden Episode 5: A Moonlit Garden
I’ve learned to be cautious when reading reviews of Violet Evergarden. It was so anticipated, its artwork is so profound, and it’s story so engaging that I think some folks don’t like it because it’s so good. Fortunately, this review of episode 5 (my favorite episode — so far!) from KAWAIIPAPERPANDAS doesn’t have that problem! The review touches on a lot of the things I so enjoyed in this episode.
Lethargic Ramblings
An attempt to explain my preference for “dark” themes in Anime and Manga
It may seem counter intuitive for a site that celebrates anime and tries to maintain a positive outlook would endorse a post about liking dark anime and manga. But to be honest, I think the two things go hand in hand — if darker themes appeal to you, celebrate them! As I said earlier, like what you like — unapologetically. This post from Lethargic Ramblings lays out a good case for why dark themes can be interesting and important.
I wonder if DARLING in the FRANXX will end up in this category?
Yuki the Snowman
Why Friends and Loved Ones Won’t Support You
Building on the theme of “Like what you like,” I’d be remiss if I didn’t remember that sometimes, the people around you won’t be supportive. I guess that’s why it’s important to be reminded that we should like anime, or manga, of whatever in spite of the pressures to conform. This post from Yuki the Snowman talks about why people might not want to accept your tastes. It’s a sobering but good reminder of why empathy matters.
