Editorials and Ramblings

“How” do you watch anime?

February 28, 2010 by Yumeka 30 Comments

I put “how” in quotations because I’m not discussing how you watch anime in terms of subs vs dubs, bittorent or streaming, etc,. Rather, I’m curious as to how my fellow fans watch anime in terms of two things in particular – one, your ideal setting for watching anime, i.e., by yourself or with friends, on the computer or TV, at night or during the day, etc., and two, do you prefer to watch currently airing shows once a week, marathon older shows a bunch of episodes at a time, or some combination of both…

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Posted in Editorials and Ramblings
Tagged anime fandom, me, rambling

Is frequently changing anime OPs and EDs a new trend?

February 19, 2010 by Yumeka 14 Comments

I’ve noticed that, for a handful of recent anime, a trend has been going on in which the openings and/or the endings are changed more frequently than usual. I’m curious if this is just a coincidence or if it’s pointing to something more…

Animism and “non-human” characters in anime

February 17, 2010 by Yumeka 13 Comments

There’s a certain trope that’s quite popular in anime, though not so common in Western TV shows and movies – the abundance of characters who embody animism, with human traits and often human form, but are not human…

The end of “The Melancholy” of Haruhi Suzumiya

February 12, 2010 by Yumeka 34 Comments

Now that the 2009 rebroadcast/second season is over and the much anticipated “Disappearance” movie has proven to be quite successful, it seems that Haruhi’s popularity continues despite the three year wait for new episodes and the “Endless Eight” fiasco. However, an interesting discussion came up on this AnimeSuki forum post – the fact that “The Disappearance” movie may be the final installment of the title known as “The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya”…

The common themes of anime songs

February 7, 2010 by Yumeka 14 Comments

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…

How long will Pokemon overcome transience?

January 30, 2010 by Yumeka 19 Comments

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?

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

January 25, 2010 by Yumeka 10 Comments

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…

Anime preferences divided within gender

January 23, 2010 by Yumeka 4 Comments

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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Posted in Editorials and Ramblings
Tagged anime fandom, rambling

My most favorite non-Japanese cartoon

January 20, 2010 by Yumeka 13 Comments

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…

The universality of Hanamaru Kindergarten

January 18, 2010 by Yumeka 2 Comments

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…