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anime

Tropes of Anime: How Anime Can Transcend From Entertainment To Art

In this second part of a series on anime as an art form, the other side of the coin is examined. Whereas the first part focused on criticisms by Western viewers of anime that were either invalid or unsound, the second part focuses on the criticisms of anime tropes. While tropes themselves are not inherently bad, they can often lead to lazy writing or storyboarding; if anime is to be considered a true art form, it must transcend past entertainment tropes to become artworks.

Many anime tropes are products of an entertainment industry interested in churning out content for the bottom barrel. Tropes such as bland and overpowered protagonists or wish fulfillment are aimed at younger audiences, while tropes such as bad pacing or empty monologues exist due to the stipulations by production and television companies. Care is given not to examine tropes that are cultural in nature (such as Japanese characterization), but facial expressions and their lack of subtlety does hinder the ability for art to resist rationalization, and therefore is included. While the list is not comprehensive, it does help point new viewers in a direction as to what makes good anime and what makes bad anime, and therefore how to discern what shows to watch if they wish to watch anime that are artworks rather than art objects.

  • Always fun to see these sorts of tropes pointed out. However by this point in anime's lifespan, I find it difficult to place whether or not the creators really are just lacking in creativity, or if these tropes are just cultural. I would like to see a Japanese person who is a fan of Western animation, point out common tropes in our shows. – Dominick White 9 years ago
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  • As mentioned above, it's always great to get a little explanation of these tropes. We do not see enough articles attempting to explain them to the viewer. They would be certainly helpful to new viewers to the medium. – CheesyJ 9 years ago
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Anime Review: Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works

Fate Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works is the fifth anime adaptation of the Fate series and third adaptation from the Fate Stay Night visual novel. It's the sequel to the Fate/Stay Night prequel Fate/Zero and, with Heaven's Feel in the wing, the second in a soon to be three-part Ufotable Fate Stay Night collection.

Its plot follows the Unlimited Blade Works story-line of the Fate Stay Night visual novel, branching off halfway through the story of Emiya Shirou's Holy Grail war (a battle royal between ancient magical heroes) to focus more on the heroine Rin Tosaka and her Servant, Archer. Archer has ulterior motives for participating in the Holy Grail war that involves Shirou in more ways than one. Together with his Servant Saber, Shirou and Rin must find a way of stopping not only the other masters and servants, but stopping the complete destruction of their home city.

So far this anime possesses not just the highest quality of animation and best sound track for a Fate series but it also contain's much more character development, better pacing and a twist that completely changes the way you will look at the series. A must watch for any fans of Fate, my only caveat is that you watch Fate/Zero before it as its context bring into perspective the cause of the main characters' deep seeded ideologies.

Rating: 8.5/10

  • Unlimited Blade Works is the first show from the Fate series I was able to follow and enjoy. I tried to watch Fate/Stay Night when it came out in 2005 and there were many parts of it I thought were awful, mostly just the execution. There was too much information dumping. Trying to watch Fate Zero also made it difficult to figure out who the characters were and follow the story. – Jordan 9 years ago
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  • Great review, always thought that UBW deserved a little more love than it was given. – CheesyJ 9 years ago
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Anime Review: Parasyte - The Maxim

With the English dub of Parasyte -The Maxim about to be aired on the Adult Swim block of Toonami on the 3rd of October, I thought a spoiler free review would be in order for those of you curious enough to want to know what you're going to be in for.

Does Parasyte -The Maxim have aspects of horror and gore? Yes, but even if you don't find that appealing it shouldn't put you off because alongside the horror elements comes one of most thrilling atmospheres in an anime since Death Note. With subtle drama, great action scenes and character development that actually makes sense in the context of the story, Parasyte -The Maxim is the best adult action anime I have watched since Attack on Titan.

Parasyte -The Maxim shares many similar traits in common with the classic Spiderman origins story. Geek gains powers, loses loved ones and his character changes until he's a badass fighting other badasses. However, what this anime does is give us a deeper look into the inner-conflict that this change creates between the main character and the ones he cares for.

We are also given view into the alien minds of the Parasites, their goals and how, through their relationships with humans, they come to understand them and our world.

Rating: 8.5/10

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    anime

    Who Is Your Current Anime Crush

    I'm sure at one time or another you've found yourself crushing on an anime character. Yes I know it sounds so strange to those that didn't know it was possible, but yes it is.

    So who are they? Are you only crushing on one or are there multiple? Are the character(s) from an anime your currently watching or is it a character(s) that you've always obsessed over? Do you have a specific type of character(s) that you go for or is the range limitless. Is it hard for you to choose just one? Well then go ahead and choose a minimum of 4 but no more than 10.

    Yes I know that can be difficult if you have a lot and it's like trying to choose your favorite child. But believe me it can be done. This author likes 2 characters from Kuroko's Basketball, a certain character from Death Parade, and a certain demon from Inuyasha. So don't hesitate and start thinking. If you've never thought about it then here's your chance. So start that thinking and generate a list! I'm sure that inquiring minds want to know. Also please no fighting over characters. There are plenty to go around.

    • Nagisa Furukawa, Mio Akiyama, Hana Isuzu and Miho Nishizumi – infinitezenith 9 years ago
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    • Asuna & Birdy. – claytonpitcher 9 years ago
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    • Nanjou Sachi – StefanKeys 9 years ago
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    • I had a list once upon a time. I have major anime crushes on Levi and Eren from Attack on Titan. I'm a big fan of Van from Vision of Escaflowne, too. Those are the main ones from the top of my head. – Jordan 9 years ago
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    • I used to like Inuyasha when I was young... now I'm into dark haired shoujo boys. – YsabelGo 9 years ago
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    • I remember I used to have the hugest crush on Hinagiku from "Hayate the Combat Butler" when I was younger. She was just so adorable. – Kmo 9 years ago
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    anime

    Anime Music Video Review: Daoko's "Girl" Significant Sex In Storytelling

    Daoko`s "Girl" is an animation from the Japan Animator Expo 2015. The same team who worked on the controversial piece: "Me!Me!Me!". ("Me!Me!Me!" steps into the ocean of pornography and neet lifestyle.) The holders of both "Me!Me!Me!" and Daoko`s "Girl" take it upon themselves to speak about the negative sides of certain aspects of Japan. Some which are glorified or seen as positive things in anime format. The best idea they found themselves in were to actually use "anime" instead of any other way of telling it. Which is a solid idea.

    Daoko`s "Girl" takes a dive into sexual storytelling. This is the standing point within the whole project. Within first moments of the experience, you are bombarded with tons of symbolism. On completion you may still be confused. However, there are great writers out there that have been so kind on analyzing the piece. Which is in the link. From some information studied about. Daoko`s "Girl" it takes on the subculture known as "enkou" (The exchange of gifts for sexual activities, Usually between 'working men' Salary Men and Highschool Girls). It seems that the protagonist of Daoko`s "Girl" takes part in such things.

    The overall quality and presentation of Daoko`s "Girl" is magnificent. Through the animation studio at Studio Khara, directors, writers, storyboards and the complete crew who helped deliver such a thing.

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      The Problem with Sword Art Online

      After discussing Sword Art Online with many other fans and anime bloggers, here is a list of the many issues with the anime.

      These include, but are not limited to:

      -The pervasive fan service used throughout the series.
      -Character's willpower overcoming the video game mechanics.
      -Every girl being in love with the main character for no reason.
      -Turning the heroine into a damsel in distress.
      -Multiple rapey-scenes including one with tentacles.
      -A bad guy that puts his research lab in a place which the goal of the game was to access.
      -The main character does not put his foot down and tell other women he’s already taken.
      -Headset that can fry a human brain made it through the hazard and safety line in a -production company.
      -The lack of realistic overweight gamer or even parents in the series.
      -Randomly generated avatars used as an excuse to make the main character look like a girl.
      -Overly long exposition dumps in cafe’s and restaurants.
      -Not explaining things like why the main character’s illusions are solid.
      -How he can used duel wielding ability without abilities.
      -Why the bad guy isn’t afraid to be found out and why they run when in a hurry at times that they could fly.
      -The forgotten and over convoluted schemes of the villains.

      • This is quite interesting as SAO seems to have been quite polarizing for people. Certainly those I know either loved it or didn't particularly care. Personally, I thought it looked like a dot Hack knockoff and so have avoided it (I love dot Hack as a franchise). Good piece. – mattdoylemedia 9 years ago
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      • It might be best to pick 1 or 2 specific problems and focus on those, rather than listing every problem you have with the anime. Especially since some, like the lack of stereotypical gamers, or Kurito's appearance, matter a lot less than the series' treatment of women. Just talking about the misogyny, the rapey scenes, the lack of agency that Asuna has, etc, should be enough for a good article. – Winter 9 years ago
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      anime

      Anime Review: Nisekoi - Season 1

      Shaft, Inc. are famed for some pretty dark anime. Among their series are Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Dance in the Vampire Bund and the Monogatari series, none of which really fall into the light and happy side of Japanese animation. That’s not say that they aren’t capable of creating carefree shows though, they did after all work on Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling back in the 1980’s. Perhaps a better example of their more light-hearted work is Nisekoi: False Love, an adaption of Naoshi Komi’s Weekly Shōnen Jump romantic comedy.

      The story is based on the set-up that two teens, Raku Ichijo and Chitoge Kirisaki, must spend the next three years pretending to be madly in love. The reason for this is that if they don’t, their father’s rival Yakuza gangs are likely to start an all-out turf war. The problem is, the two would-be lovebirds aren’t overly fond of each other.

      As harem comedies go, Nisekoi isn’t going to win any prizes for originality. From the character types to the standard issue beach and bath house episodes, it pretty much follows the pattern that you would expect. Rather than letting this drag the show down into ‘nothing new’ territory however, Nisekoi does something to give it an edge: it makes sure that it’s consistently good at what it does. The characters, while not exactly original, are not only likeable but are given space to grow as the series progresses. On top of that, both the humour and the heart-warming moments hit the mark almost every time.

      The only place that the anime lets itself down is, oddly enough given the studio, the animation quality. It runs as smoothly as you’d expect for the most part, but walking seems to cause the animators some intermittent issues. When the characters personalities are put across in their movements, such as when Chitoge is in a happy mood, the animation easily is on par with the rest of the show. When the characters are simply moving from point A to point B however, things can get a little jerky, leaving it looking like the animators may have used less frames for these particular movements. Thankfully though, such moments are short-lived and don’t really detract from an otherwise decent show.

      Rating: 4/5

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        anime

        The Objections to Anime as an Art Form

        Japanese animation gets a lot of flak from traditional Western culture. Words like "immature," "titillating," and "weird" get thrown around a lot by pundits. To be fair, like most art forms there is Japanese animation that is remarkably good and Japanese animation that is remarkably bad-and there is a lot more bad out there than good. However, if anime exists as an art form, then it should follow that anime artworks could potentially exist. If that is the case, then anime should be taken seriously as a school of art, even if not all that it produces is truly serious.

        Heidegger states that an artwork must resist rationalization; that is, the impression that the artistic piece gives must requiring a mental or emotional unpacking. It cannot be two-dimensional. If it does not do these things, it moves from being an artwork to an art piece.

        Using this definition of art, this article is the first of a series that attempts to pinpoint what makes anime an art form, how anime can achieve artistic purpose, and current animated television shows that can be classified as artwork. In this first part, objections to anime as an art form are defined and explored. In particular, the objections that anime is immature, weird, titillating, shallow, or just plain off are all examined. As these arguments are based in traditional Western beliefs, all of them fall suspect to cultural bias. Furthermore, all of them lack a nuanced understanding of what makes anime-and to a larger extent, all animation-a medium of art. While specific counters are not made to these objections, the article sets the stage for later counter-arguments in the form of specific anime television shows.

        • Whilst I personally really cannot stand Anime at all, I think it's a little immature (as you say) and escapist, I do agree that it is an art form like any other. It has it's strengths and weaknesses but so do the cubist, surrealist etc pieces. – Matteo Veglia 9 years ago
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        • Matteo, I would be interested to know if you have read the articles on The Artifice about this particular topic. There's one I wrote called "Anime for Mature Audiences" and someone else recently published one about "Perceptions of Maturity in Anime"? – Jordan 9 years ago
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        anime

        The Influence of Anime in Pop Culture

        We cannot deny that anime, as a medium and art form, has played a role in changing pop culture over the years. Anime's biggest influence, however, seems to be on the film industry. Films, such as The Matrix, have credited anime as one of their main influences.

        Akira, one of the most critically acclaimed anime in the world, has made the biggest impact not only in the film industry, but in the anime industry as well. Its rich storytelling aesthetics as well as cell-shaded graphics at the time made it a cult classic. Akira also destroyed the stereotype that anime was only for children, showing that it can also be used as an alternative medium in which to tell mature and compelling stories.

        Ghost in the Shell was one of the main influences on The Matrix. Both dealt with the themes of man and machine as well as what constitutes as reality. Ghost in the Shell's influence on The Matrix can be seen in its action sequences, cinematography and dialogue.

        So what is the future of anime in Hollywood and the world? Will anime be soon seen as a normal aesthetic in filmmaking? With the ever increasing dependency on digital technology, this may one day seem to be the case.

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          Vandread: Mecha Harem = Profits??

          It took a while to finally get this review out and on the site. Not because it was exceptionally terrible and thereby a pain to write about. Nor was it the greatest thing ever created by human hands. Instead this first season of the series is in the middle in terms of the content that it delivers that picking out the exceptional parts of it was challenging.

          Vandread was one of the many Harem animes that came out before the genre had such a negative connotation with many anime fans. It had a different approach though from others. "What if when the guy picks one of the girls, their vehicles fuse together into a more powerful weapon?" A pretty decent idea but unfortunately there isn't enough love given to the mecha side of the story to make someone care which of the robots is used as long as there is space combat.

          The characters do help to save the show a bit. They are entertaining enough to watch and the fact that men and women come from separate planets does help to set up why they would be so awkward around each other. Just enough character development for fan's to ship characters together and route for ones they personally relate to.

          Overall, not a bad show in the first half but it just needs some polishing here and there. Maybe in its second half it will be able to turn things around.

          Rating: 3/5

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            The Legend of Korra isn't about Equalism

            A lot of people like to focus on the Equalist aspect of Avatar: The Legend of Korra, and how it depicts privilege and birthright. However, the show itself presents these themes as background to the real story of the characters and their interactions. If the political themes present in Legend of Korra were intended to be something of significant importance, we should expect them to be reflected in the main characters, as they are the ones closest to the audience and most capable of delivering any message. But when we examine Legend of Korra's main cast, the opposite message is sent.

            By having characters disconnected from the equality themes like this, Legend of Korra takes us, the audience, away from those themes. They become a distant, though interesting, element of the world, even when they are driving the plot. Meanwhile, almost all of the characters' growth occurs separate from the show's more political themes.

            The majority of the most engaging moments in Legend of Korra have nothing to do with the immediate plot events that surround the Equalist movement and Amon, or the Order of the Red Lotus, or militarism and Earth Nation nationalism of Kuvira, but are when the show moves away from those things.

            • Interesting! It's definitely true that many character growth segments for Korra occur outside of the political intrigue narratives, such as in Book 2 when she has a vision of Wan and in Book 4 with the entirety of "Korra Alone." – Emily Deibler 9 years ago
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            • I have just started getting into Legend of Korra. I will keep your comments in mind as I explore. Munjeera – Munjeera 9 years ago
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            Attack on Titan Live Action Ditches off Levi! (..and more)

            For an anime as popular as Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyoujin), it's easy to see how a live adaptation is on the way.

            Even months before it was officially aired in and out of Japan, the hype in various media platforms as regards to its live adaptation is superb. Avid anime fans start to search for its initial character list. Who will play our main guy, Eren? How about the badass Mikasa? Can someone carry out her role well?

            But if there's one important question about the film, it would have to be: Who is playing Levi ?- the one who is tagged by the manga and anime version as 'humanity's strongest'.

            Yes, Eren is our main guy. He's that person where this whole story seems to revolve around. His struggles, determination to fight, and willpower to survive is admirable – worthy of emulation at its best. But let's face it. The few minutes when LEVI-HEICHOU first showed up was among the most unforgettable and thrilling scenes we've ever witnessed.

            Thus, it's only appropriate to expect something out of how the film creators would portray our corporal's distinct role in the series. It's something to get excited about.

            Yet, we're left wondering: Where did Levi-heichou go?

            • The film seems to have divided people so much online. I thought the trailer looked pretty impressive to be far, but I'm not sure how I'd get on with the changes made. – mattdoylemedia 9 years ago
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            • Right. The trailer's undeniably impressive. Well, it was the directors prerogative. Perhaps bringing to life the actual stuff that took place on the anime was that difficult. .. – SayameYuna 9 years ago
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            • Levi's one of my favorite characters! I hope they didn't really get rid of him. – Jordan 9 years ago
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            Musings on Fate Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works (TV series): Emiya Shirou's Idealism

            A huge fan favourite, the Fate Stay Night series of visual novels originally penned by Kinoko Nasu, who also founded Type Moon, coupled with Fate/Zero written by Gen Urobuchi, slowly gained traction in the anime community with the first famed adaptation of Fate Stay Night (TV Series). Spawning many movies, TV series in the form of Fate Zero and the Unlimited Blade Works route, this is surely not just another generic tale of dark fantasy steeped in life-changing consequences.

            Part of the Fate series' attraction lies in the how different character motivations can be despite harbouring arguable 'good' intentions. One prime example comes in the form of Emiya Shirou, the protagonist in Fate Stay Night and Unlimited Blade Works whose ideals detract largely from his adopted father, Kiritsugu. Both intended to benefit the world and, to save as many people as possible, yet the way they set about carrying out this mission which is of utter importance to them reveals a fundamental difference in their moral beliefs and value judgments.

            This is especially seen in Unlimited Blade Works, where the dialogue-heavy exposition and verbal sparring between Shirou and characters like Archer, Rin Tohsaka and Gilgamesh exposes the weaknesses in Shirou's beliefs and how impractical and fruitless his blind pursuit in those ideals are. Yet, Shirou's beliefs – by argument of how the series ends – seem to be promoted as the main takeaway and portrayed in a positive light.

            Are the arguments put forth by Archer and Gilgamesh not valid? Are Rin's concerns for Shirou's well-being unfounded? Can Shirou's values stand on their own? This article attempts an exposition of the various arguments propounded by the above-mentioned characters based on the material covered in Unlimited Blade Works, and seeks to examine whether Shirou's principles are really as admirable as they seem to be.

            • The Fate/stay night visual novels were written by Nasu, not Urobuchi. Urobuchi only penned Fate/Zero. – ZeroReq011 9 years ago
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            • @ZeroReq011 Ah yes, I missed that out & edited the above. Thanks for pointing it out! – shiroyuni 9 years ago
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            • Very Interesting! – scattaharris 9 years ago
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            Monster without a name

            Naoki Urasawa's work, Monster, is published between the years 1994 – 2001, in Big Comic Original magazine, having overall 18 volumes. It is later on adapted into anime series by studio Madhouse, aired in 2004 – 2005. The genre is mystery, psychological horror.

            Monster tells the story of a Japanese brain surgeon, Doctor Kenzo Tenma, living in Germany since university. Tenma is respected and loved by people around him because he is extremely skilled and has a cheerful, kind personality. One day, getting tired of the political bias of the hospital he works for in treating its patients, he decides to save a 10-year-old boy rather than the mayor; only to find 9 years later that the boy, Johan, is a psychopath, involved in numerous murders. Fighting with the burning question inside and feeling responsible, he leaves everything behind and sets off on a journey to kill Johan. Imagine you are the doctor and you know the person lying before you, whose life is depending on you, is the reason of mass murders. Would you kill the person or would you save him, thinking it's not your decision to make no matter what?

            Looking at Tenma, his story can only be categorized as a tragedy because what he learned, cannot be forgotten. Furthermore, trying to uncover the truth and desiring to know more only brings distress, depression and unhappiness to Tenma. "All lives are equal." motto is still important to him and in the end Tenma cannot bring himself to kill Johan when he confronts him the second time.

            • I liked that quote about tragic characters from the article by Berliz Gucbilmez; I think it exemplifies Tenma's motivation and philosophy that fueled him throughout that tiring cat-and-mouse expedition that took a lot of his years and life. Tenma's guilt and moral ideals were his driving force, and I daresay that's what so likable about him. :) – shiroyuni 9 years ago
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            • A long time ago, I bought books 1 and 2 of this, then discovered that book 3 was only available for £50 up. They've just started releasing the bumper version in my local book shop so I may finally get to read more of it :) – mattdoylemedia 9 years ago
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            • @shiroyuni Thank you, I hope there would be an English translation of the article because it has many other great ideas on tragedy and tragic character. I think what strikes me most is that at one point his actions seems like they are in vain but at the same time Tenma seems so heroic and we approve of his choices by heart. I agree with you on that point. : ) ------------- @mattdoylemedia Oh sorry that I kind of gave a huge spoiler in the summary : /. I feel your pain, you either have to wait for a reprint or pay so much, or take the longest road: learn Japanese. : ) It's great to hear that you get to read it, though, the story is perfect. If you have the chance you can also watch its anime, it is faithful to the manga. – Allthefujoshiunite 9 years ago
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            • I'm not sure Tenma's life can be seen as a tragedy. Sure he doesn't kill Johan at the end, but he also seems to be in recovery, and in a better place than when he first found out about Johan. – Winter 9 years ago
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            • @Winter. Hello and thank you for the comment. I think I didn't quite understand what you mean by "being in a better state" because to me, everytime he uncovers something new he gets deeper in the situation and harsh reality behind Kinderheim and the twins, the conditions he has to fight and defy the most important thought in his life drifts him apart. Actually not killing Johan puts him in the right track in my opinion. Another point I should be clear about is that being a tragic character does not necessarily equate to being crushed and devastated at the end of the story. The point I argued with a reference article puts Tenma in tragic category because of his lateness; he much later learns about Johan and when he gets to know, there is nothing more he can do to return the things as they were, 'being in vain' is the main theme of the tragedy. Maybe I wasn't able to convey the idea in a good way. Thanks so much for stepping by, I hope I was clear enough. – Allthefujoshiunite 9 years ago
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            School-Live!: A Tale of Living Off of Moe Slice of Life

            Imagine a Japanese man turning the key to his apartment door. It's the end of a work day. It's late. He's tired. If he was a salaryman, the stress of his dawn to dusk position could be getting to him. If he was a part-timer or contract worker, the numerous jobs, irregular shifts, and insecure pay is its own stressful beast. As he enters through his door and walks to his kitchen looking for something to stuff his mouth with, he stares in the direction of his bed. He's tempted to turn in before he collapses from exhaustion immediately after. An exhausting thought creeps into his mind. How long will he suffer this routine, this exhausting monotony of exhausting labor, exhausting day exhausting out exhausting exhausting exhausting…

            …and then he realizes his show is on. With whatever food is still hanging from his lips, he flips the channel on his TV to a late-night anime program, full of slice of life, full of moe. Exhaust emptying from his mind, he thinks of cute girls instead of crushing obligations.

            While it would be of an overgeneralization to claim that all otaku watch moe slice of life for the above purpose, these shows are undeniably relaxing for many otaku to watch. In a society where otaku resent the notion of living to work, School-Live!, or Gakkou Gurashi!, explores, through the epic metaphor of a zombie apocalypse, who the escapism of moe slice of life speaks to: those who simply want to live.

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              The music of Kenji Kawai

              The Japanese score composer Kenji Kawai has a both long and wide career behind his back. Having been active in the film score industry for nearly three decades, he has worked on a lot of different stuff over the years both inside and outside of Japan, including his longtime collaborations with cult directors Mamoru Oshii and Hideo Nakata, as well as Wilson Yip's Ip Man film series, anime series such as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and the first Fate/Stay Night adaptation, and many more.

              Despite his wide variety of projects stretching between both mediums and genres, there exists a highly recognizable style, a flavor, within almost all of his works from the 90s and onwards. It's a style characterized by its calming yet captivating atmosphere, and which is highly prominent in but at the same time strangely applicable to his different musical approaches.

              But what is it that makes this "style" what it is? What elements does Kawai apply to his music in order to achieve this unique atmosphere? Well there are essentially three factors involved in the equation; the first one being the instrumentations. Kawai uses a very unique form of arrangements consisting of a blend between classical orchestra and 80s pop music, something that arguably has its roots in his early days. His score for the landmark film Ghost in the Shell from 1995 also served as a notable instrumental influence, as he for this project incorporated a lot of elements from eastern folk music which he then came to reuse for his later works.

              The second ingredient has to do with the mixing. Specifically reverb is something that Kawai uses quite heavily in order to achieve the atmospheric ambience of his music. This is most notable in his more laid back, minimalistic scores, although most distinguishable when comparing his straight-up classically orchestrated pieces to a more traditional classical performance, as you then hear where exactly the mixing differences lie.

              The third and arguably most essential ingredient is that of the writing, in which there are two major factors involved. The first one is Kawai's frequent use of add9 chords. The second has to do with the chord progressions, and how he incorporates chords in which one single note doesn't belong to the song's scale, thus making these chords fall into a suspenseful middle-ground between in and out of key.

              So as we can see, the music of Kenji Kawai is certainly a wide and interesting subject to dive into.

              • Really enjoyed reading this tide and the full article. Kawai's music really defines the role of music for films, in summarizing the aesthetic of the on-screen content without taking away from it. I hope his music continues to live on in the anime community. – washo 9 years ago
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              • Kenji Kawai's music is best example how traditional and modern music in synergy create a greater impact for anyone who listen to it. – manifest 9 years ago
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              Revisiting Tari Tari: The architecture that talks back

              Within Tari Tari, P.A. Work's decision to incorporate highly detailed architectural concepts serves to help the anime's setting in acting as a visual metaphor for its characters. There are some misconceptions online that claim the architecture in Tari Tari follows the Zen aesthetic, owing to the extensive use of glass at Shirahamazaka High School. However, glass is a fairly commonplace material for building facades, and for Tari Tari, glass is used to allow natural light to illuminate the building’s interiors. This mirrors the characterisation: glass is transparent, and therefore, using it as a facade would allow for light and warmth from the outside to enter the building.

              Similarly, each of Wakana, Konatsu, Sawa, Taichi and Wien face their own individual struggles. By opening up to their friends, they allow themselves to be helped, experiencing the benefits of having this support and finding their lives to become enriched in this fashion. Besides strengthening one of the main themes in Tari Tari, the attention to detail with respect to architecture creates a sense of realism that provides a setting that the characters fit well into, ultimately making it easier for viewers to relate to the characters.

              Taken together, Tari Tari's beautiful artwork serves more than just as a visual treat for the eyes: it also augments the story.

              • Very interesting read. I think set design in general is something far too unappreciated within anime. It does so much to the overall experience if a show's setting isn't just some plain background for the characters to be put onto (which is sadly often the case), but actually a well designed and well animated environment that feels like a real place. The shows I can think of off the top of my head where I feel like this is most prominent is K-On, Tekkonkinkreet and Texhnolyze. Also, after reading this post I feel like I've greatly underestimated P.A. Works. I haven't heard anything about Tari Tari beforehand, but from this read alone (as well as those astonishing screenshots) it'll definitely be added to my watch list. – MindMischief 9 years ago
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              • Woah, some of those scenes looked very real. And the architecture looked very diverse. – Tatijana 9 years ago
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              Anime Review: Little Witch Academia

              Little Witch Academia: The Enchanted Parade is the much-anticipated sequel from Studio Trigger's, previous movie Little Witch Academia. Both entries in the series have been highly regarded as being standards for enjoyable stories and an undeniable visual style associated with Trigger. The story focuses on an all girls magic academy as the students study and explores the world that surrounds them.

              Akko and her friends Lotte and Sucy continue their bickering and trouble making in this movie. Their punishment is to organize this year, "Witch Parade". The negative aspects of Akko personality present, as she becomes dismissive of he friends ideas. She manages to come up with poorly thought out plans and is surprised when they fail. With her friends awol, she and her new cohorts are tasked with pulling off the parade of without them.

              Akko's more pleasant personality traits are shown at this point. Her determination helps her form a plan that actually works until she is rudely sabotaged by the boys of the town. This leads to an even greater conflict between the young witches and a giant. The town's people remain ignorant of the danger they are thank's to some quick thinking from Akko's teacher Ursula. Akko's friends return just in time to aid her.

              Little Witch Academia excels in many aspects, but it fails for an original story. Magic schools are a common idea, and the creators failed to set their school apart from other series. They neglected to expand even further into the magical world at large. It would have been helpful to know who the witch was that sealed the giant in the first place. The characters are for the most part tradition anime troupes. Akko is the argumentative, aspirational main character, Lotte is the brainy nerd with Sucy being the somber, emo type. Despite its failings, LWA remains an enjoyable series, which should explain how outstanding it is.

              Rating: 4.9/5

              • LWA sounds like a fun series, but I've thus far avoided it...partially because my watch-pile is still pretty crowded. As a series, does it descend very far into fan service? While not adverse to it, I tend to find that fan service heavy series bore me. – mattdoylemedia 9 years ago
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              • I've seen part of this while a cousin of mine was watching it. I kept meaning to go back and watch it, but kept forgetting!! But will add this to my growing long list since I've been reading these tides.. – Tatijana 9 years ago
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              Gurren Lagann: Just plain fun

              Gurren Lagann is an essential anime for not only fans of the Mecha genre but people who enjoy over the top story telling in general. The show takes a stale trope like the "hero with a heart burning for justice" and is able to interject life into it. The hero has a burning heart? Then make it be the power source that he can use to become stronger and energize his giant robot!

              The show has a a great mixture of these over the top bits of action and real human emotion. The highs of this show will get your heart pounding and shouting at the screen in joy. The lows will have you crying your eyes out as you feel the pain that the rest of the cast has to endure.

              The show's only real downfall is its ending. Thought it does have a lot of great moments as it wraps up, it still leaves you with a wanting the ending of a certain character to be different. No spoilers though.

              Other than this minor detail with the ending, the series is still an incredible entry to the Giant Robot genre. Anyone who says they are a fan of Mecha needs to see this show to be able to back up the claim.

              Rating: 4.5/5

              • Would you still recommend this title for someone who doesn't generally watch Mecha stuff? – Tatijana 9 years ago
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              anime

              On Love, Reality and Fiction

              In an age where we are continually redefining our sexual identity, genders and relationships with one another an interesting notion for love of the fictional has arisen over the past decades. The flag bearers for this relationship have long since been the otaku fandom. A sub-culture which enables any particular individual to outwardly exclaim their affection for fictional characters has provided a space in which one can essentially ‘practice’ their love for what is considered fictional or ‘unreal’. While this notion may seem absurd to many, it has been prevalent enough to attract serious academic attention. And why would it not? The questions this issue engenders provide us with a significant opportunity to re-examine our relationship with media in the 21st century. Furthermore, the issue forces us to take a look at how we internalize fiction and the impact it has on the perception of our daily lives.

              In order to enable a discussion on this issue, we need to rethink a number of ideas, including our relationships with both fiction and media. Firstly, what kind of impact does fiction have on our psyche and imagination? Can fiction colour our perceptions of reality? And if so, what are the implications for the idea of a division between what is real and fictive, if we all perceive the world through different perceptions, or in other words, our personal fictions? There are also the examples provided to us by the practice and belief in collective fictions (i.e. religions) which also provide important questions. What significance does it mean to act upon one’s personal fiction and practice it in the realm of reality? What if this practice is wide spread and collectively acted upon? Are fiction and reality not only existing within one realm, but also being accepted as such? Furthermore, what role does the media have to play in all of this, especially in regards to anime and manga? Both mediums have a long documented history of actively constructing characters in order in order to engender an emotional response from the viewer. The best example of this would be the moé phenomenon which has been prevalent in both mediums in the past decade. Can ‘real’ emotions which originate from a fictional space be considered any less valid? And if not, does this not confirm a possibility of affection for a characters within a fictional realm?

              • I appreciate that you decided to write your content summary like a research abstract. If I may though, and this is based on the advice I got from the administrators, I suggest you revise your second paragraph so it focuses on "what the article is about" versus "what the article is going to say." – ZeroReq011 9 years ago
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              • Other than that advice and my complaint about the lack of Oxford comments, great article on otaku sexuality and the relationship between love, reality, and the fictional in general. – ZeroReq011 9 years ago
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              • Very interesting insights, I haven't seen these sorts of topics engaged with in relation to anime and mange before! – IsabelleMilton 9 years ago
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              • Although I can agree with the argument that these feelings of love are real, I can not give these types of relationships legitimacy. The reason for this has nothing to do with prejudice. All relationships are based on mutual consent. I cannot force someone to marry me. I could not declare us in a relationship without the others consent. Since a fictional character cannot grant this consent, I don't believe these relationships should be legitimately recognized. If these relationships were considered legitimate, then we would also have to agree that all relationships based on internal realities should be recognized publicly. What if I decided I was in love with an actor or a rockstar? In my mind, I played out a relationship and then decided we are married. But this person does actually exist in real life... soo? On the otherhand, if we are able to create computer programs that can interact with people whether visually or through robotic means, and the program is programmed to give consent to the relationship... then I think that's when you could reopen this discussion. – Tatijana 9 years ago
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