editorials – Page 4

Watching anime alone vs watching it with others

June 22, 2013 by Yumeka 29 Comments

The most common way the anime fans I know watch anime, myself included, is by themselves. But there are certain occasions where fans watch anime in groups, whether with just one or a few other people at a weekend get-together with friends or family, or with tons of other people at a big gathering like a convention or an anime club. Though I usually watch anime by myself, I’ve of course watched it with others many times over the years as well, and it’s interesting to think about how the viewing experience is different for each…

Liking “bad” anime

June 1, 2013 by Yumeka 37 Comments

Even though my tastes in anime tend to gravitate to the popular and mostly well received titles, there are still quite a few I like that the majority of the fandom thinks are bad, in other words, their flaws far outweigh anything good about them. Froggykun on Fantastic Memes wrote a great post on this issue that inspired me to offer my opinion – why flawed anime are worthwhile and why we shouldn’t feel ashamed to like them…

When attachment to anime characters goes too far

May 24, 2013 by Yumeka 25 Comments

It’s no secret that one of anime’s biggest appeals is how it can make viewers very attached to its characters, thanks to a great emphasis on character development, attractive character designs, and employing beloved character archetypes that fans enjoy seeing. But is it possible for fans to take their love of a character too far, so far that it blinds them to the overall quality of the anime the character hails from? I’m not talking about the stereotypical otaku who’s so obsessed with a particular character that he carries around dakimakuras of her or even acts like he’s married her. I’m talking about fans who are more in touch with reality, but still may be going a bit overboard…

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Posted in Editorials and Ramblings
Tagged anime fandom, editorials

Mixing slice-of-life with plot in anime

April 27, 2013 by Yumeka 13 Comments

A few posts ago I wrote about anime that mix comedy into their otherwise dramatic stories. Today I’ll be writing about a similar concept of anime that have a number of stand-alone “slice-of-life” stories despite having an established plot they could be progressing instead…

Mixing drama and comedy in anime

March 22, 2013 by Yumeka 20 Comments

A common element of anime – or any TV show or movie for that matter – is the mixing of comedy in an otherwise dramatic story. Usually the overall story and themes are serious, but the show also has its share of comic relief and slapsticks to break up the tension. For me, the mixing of drama and comedy can either greatly hinder my enjoyment of a show if done poorly, or can greatly raise my enjoyment if done well…

How to keep the hobby going

March 15, 2013 by Yumeka 22 Comments

In numerous past posts I’ve discussed topics about keeping our anime hobby going even when the social pressures and time constraints of real life kick in. I’ve talked about what things could determine how long our fandom lasts, citing examples of friends of mine who once loved anime but eventually lost interest in favor of other things. I’ve talked about what it could be like when we become the first large wave of senior citizen anime fans and whether we could even remain fans for that long. I’ve even talked about how I budget my time to make room for anime activities like watching and blogging among real life obligations. But one related thing that’s been on my mind recently is, when we become full-time workers, parents, or gain other kinds of real-world responsibilities, how do we still find time to partake in all of our favorite anime and other “nerd” activities, like blogging, video games, reading manga or novels, going to conventions or other fan meetups, and of course, just plain old watching a lot of anime…

Celebrating 50 years of anime – how the medium has changed me

March 8, 2013 by Yumeka 15 Comments

Most of you are probably not aware, but 2013 marks the 50-year anniversary of modern style anime (thanks to chii for bringing this up). Fifty years ago in 1963, Astro Boy began airing, the series credited with being the very first television anime that inspired the style of anime we see today. Anime has come a long, long way since then and has certainly changed in more ways than I can write about. But I wanted to do something to celebrate this milestone for the medium that has been such a big part of my life for roughly 14 of those 50 years. I thought, should I do something generic, like write about what I think are the best anime, characters, scenes., etc., to come out in those fifty years? But in the end, I opted to do something more personal and discuss a few ways anime has affected me personally – how it’s affected my life, my thoughts, my relationships, and other things…

What makes an anime memorable?

February 22, 2013 by Yumeka 20 Comments

Last month, hoshiko wrote a post discussing certain qualities of anime she feels make them memorable. While I’m sure we can all think of things that make an anime “good,” I think the traits that make an anime “memorable” are different…

A plunge into My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

February 15, 2013 by Yumeka 19 Comments

If someone told me thirteen years ago (when my anime fandom was just taking off) that down the line I’d get into My Little Pony again, I probably wouldn’t believe them. Actually, I was never really into it before; I remember having a few toys and watching the old cartoon a bit when I was very young, but that’s it. So how did it come about that a few years ago this somewhat forgotten franchise suddenly burst into new-found popularity among an audience much older that its creators intended?…

The “true” otaku

February 1, 2013 by Yumeka 15 Comments

A recent Ask John article on AnimeNation brought up a very interesting idea of what some people believe defines a so-called “true” otaku. The thought is that such a person is one who revels in great anime series that have narrative depth, notably good writing, and are all in all good shows with a good story and cast of characters. While that sounds like a perfectly reasonable definition, the article brings up the possibility that this is in fact not the fundamental meaning of what an otaku is…