02.07.10

The common themes of anime songs

Posted in Essays and Ramblings at 1:56 pm by Yumeka

One (of many) things about anime that’s always stood out to me since I became a fan is the songs. No matter what the nature of the anime in question is, with relatively few exceptions, the majority of anime opening and ending songs, more often than not, have common themes…

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01.30.10

How long will Pokemon overcome transience?

Posted in Essays and Ramblings, Pokemon, Video Games at 6:31 pm by Yumeka

The other day it was announced that new additions to the main series of Pokemon games are slated for a late 2010 release. These new games will feature the long-awaited 5th generation of new pokemon. Being the big fan that I am, I was very pleased with the news, but it also got me thinking – how many more new pokemon will the games, or the franchise in general, be able to handle? Will the Pokemon series be able to deliver “newness” at the rate it has been for the past 12+ years, or will the day ever come when it simply overloads?

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01.25.10

Why are characters in Japanese and American children’s cartoons so different?

Posted in Essays and Ramblings at 8:18 pm by Yumeka

In addition to watching niche anime marketed towards fans, I also enjoy a number of children/family series that are marketed for the general Japanese public, from the massive, long-running hits like One Piece, Pokemon, and Naruto, to shorter and newer shows like Tegami Bachi and Kobato. Since I started watching kids anime over a decade ago, it never ceases to amaze me how vastly different the characters are compared to American cartoons…

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01.23.10

Anime preferences divided within gender

Posted in Essays and Ramblings at 2:56 pm by Yumeka

The pretty boys or the cool mecha?

I’m sure many of us who have been anime fans for a while have noticed that male and female fans usually like different genres of anime for different reasons. But within each of the two genders, I’ve noticed two contrasting preferences in anime…

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01.20.10

My most favorite non-Japanese cartoon

Posted in Essays and Ramblings, Images, Videos, & Mp3s at 8:51 pm by Yumeka

Although anime makes up about 90% of the shows I’ve been watching since the early 2000s, I’m a big fan of animation in general. However, while I still follow and enjoy American animated movies, I’ve been disappointed with American TV cartoons in recent years. But there is at least one non-anime cartoon show that holds a special place in my heart. So today I’m gonna take a little break from anime and discuss my most favorite non-Japanese cartoon of all…

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01.18.10

The universality of Hanamaru Kindergarten

Posted in Anime Reviews, Essays and Ramblings at 12:25 pm by Yumeka

After producing many action/mecha/horror series like Gurren Lagann and Shikabane Hime, I was surprised that GAINAX was releasing a cute, light, slice-of-life series like Hanamaru Kindergarten. Two episodes into Hanamaru, and it got me thinking that this is a show with a wide range of appeal despite any initial impressions…

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01.17.10

Is being obsessed with anime good or bad?

Posted in Essays and Ramblings at 4:37 pm by Yumeka

The word “obsession” usually gets a negative connotation. Being obsessed with anything, at least in most societies, isn’t viewed favorably. But is being obsessed with something, anime or otherwise, a bad thing, or can it in fact, be a good thing?

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01.06.10

Do you ever reread your past blog posts?

Posted in Essays and Ramblings, Miscellaneous at 9:14 pm by Yumeka

I was wondering if I’m the only one who, from time to time, enjoys going back and reading my old blog posts, sometimes for hours at a time…

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12.28.09

Interpreting the ending of Darker than Black 2

Posted in Anime Reviews, Essays and Ramblings at 2:17 pm by Yumeka

So ends the anticipated second season of Darker than Black, at 12 episodes. The series was really good, though it wasn’t what I had initially thought it would be (early promotional art/summaries made it seem like Hei and Yin would be the main protagonists). And like the first season, I’m having some trouble figuring out the ending…

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12.13.09

“Light” shonen: Tegami Bachi and Fairy Tail

Posted in Anime Reviews, Essays and Ramblings at 9:11 pm by Yumeka

Compared to the many action-packed and drama-filled shonen anime I’ve seen, newcomers Tegami Bachi (Letter Bee) and Fairy Tail seem to be “lighter” shonen series…

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