Thirty-sixth week of 2019 edition!
This is a Crow’s eye view of the posts that caught my attention this week. I especially 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’m humbled by the quality and volume of work that the ani-blogging community creates! I hope this article helps you find some of them!
What sites do I check every week? You can see the list of the sites here!
Review Order
This week, I reviewed the sites in reverse alphabetical order (Z to A).
OGIUE MANIAX
Girls und Panzer and the Potential for Propaganda
One of the joys of reading so many anime blog posts is that I come across unexpected perspectives and ideas. I especially like posts that make me sit back and think. That’s exactly what sdshamshel’s post on OGIUE MANIAX did. Ever wonder if a series that you enjoyed might be engaged in some subversive propaganda? Especially propaganda that you might now agree with, if you knew it was there? As someone who adores the series Gate, I have to admit I’ve wondered about that. In this article, sdshamshel examines the question in the context of Girls und Panzer. Is the show engaged in subversive propaganda? You’ll need to read the article to find out!
Never Argue with a Fish
Anime Corner: The Promised Neverland Review
Another joy I get to experience every week is finding a post that convinces me that something I thought was absolutely impossible is, in fact, possible. That happened this week with neverarguewithafish’s post on the site Never Argue with a Fish. Before I read this post, if you had asked me if it were possible to write anything substantial — let alone interesting and engaging — about The Promised Neverland without giving away major spoilers, I would have shaken my head at the sheer impossibility of it. And yet, here’s this post — interesting, fun, and all about the series, without giving away a single spoiler! I mean seriously, that’s amazingly cool! I should also note that this site’s graphics are fantastic. They’re fun, whimsical, and they’re so distinctive that you know exactly what site you’re reading at a glance!
Mechanical Anime Reviews
Martian Successor Nadesico: Of Conspiracies, Wrong Genres, and Media Literacy Problems
If I mention the series Martian Successor Nadesico and ask you about its genre, what would you say? I’ll bet a lot of you might say comedy, especially if you haven’t watched the whole series. You know what? It’s not a comedy. Some of the characters are outlandish, sure. Some of them even have comedic elements, like the captain, Yurika Misumaru, But the series is not a comedy. But don’t take my word for it! Instead, go read the case that Scott from Mechanical Anime Reviews makes for its true genre. You might be surprised; I was relieved. I was beginning to think I was waaaaaay out in left field!
Matt Doyle Media
Fire Force Episode 8
In my review of Fire Force episode 8, I tried to make the case that the ending was fantastic — and not just because I liked it. I’m sure I didn’t do the episode justice, so I was really happy to see this post from Matt Doyle from Matt Doyle Media. This post took a different tact than I did. Specifically, it delved more into the characters’ motivations. I particularly liked the more robust insights about Shinra’s character. I came away from the post with a renewed sense that I was glad I chose that series to review. If you felt uneasy about the ending of episode 8, please check out this article. I think it might give you a different perspective.
Lumi Reviews Things
The Immaturity of Romance Anime
Do you like romance anime? My manliness requires that I answer with an emphatic “Of course not!” But among us friends, I think I can admit that I’m partial to a well-written romance. I love good characters regardless of the genre. Add in the idea that two (or with harems, more than 2!) characters can care enough about each other to explore long term partnerships, and you have the recipe for something interesting. Except… most anime romance series don’t quite deliver, do they? They leave you feeling a little dissatisfied, don’t they? Lumi from Lumi Reviews Things explores that idea in great detail. And, may I add, with some charts and infographics that are as beautiful as they are clear and interesting? See if Lumi’s experience watching anime romances matches yours.
Floating into Bliss
Flip Flappers: The End of Psychosexuality
I loved Flip Flappers the first time I saw it. For whatever reason, one of my favorite moments was when we learned that Papika had been around for longer than we suspected, and her original name was Papikana. Did you know that his show actually showcases the historical battle between Freudian and Jungian psychology? Or that it offers a competing — and I might say — correcting view of human development compared to Neon Genesis Evangelion? This post by Zeria on Floating into Bliss explores the idea in great detail. I won’t lie — it’s a long article. But given the ground it covers, and given the breadth of its treatment of the subject, I can say this: It’s well worth the effort!
I didn’t say this earlier, but thank you so much for sharing. I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of Nadesico as a very human drama story.
“I didn’t say this earlier, but thank you so much for sharing.”
You’re welcome!
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought of Nadesico as a very human drama story.”
I thought you captured some great examples of why it wasn’t a comedy. It has come moments of comedy; probably less than Demon Slayer, and it’s certainly not a comedy!
Thank you kindly for the share! I was really happy with the Fire Force post, so that made me smile.
You’re most welcome! I really enjoyed reading your post!