Review | The Chuuni Corner

June 28, 2015

Review/discussion about: Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic

Say hello to cuteness

In elementary school, my four closest buddies and I would call ourselves “The Five Musketeers.” That’s because we did pretty much everything together while at school: sports, group activities, hanging out, making jokes, etc. We always had a blast and created memories that will last a lifetime. While we slowly drifted apart to the point that we no longer see each other, I’ll always remember them as the best friends that I ever had. Hello!! Kiniro Mosaic follows a similar troupe, showcasing impossibly cute moments while demonstrating the bonds of friendship in a familiar way.

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June 25, 2015

Review/discussion about: Show By Rock!!

Music that needed less rock and more substance

There’s this game series that is pretty popular, or at least, it was during its heyday. This video game is called “Guitar Hero.” I was never a music guy myself – I couldn’t play brass instruments, the “cool” drums, or jam out on an acoustic. But I had “Guitar Hero,” where playing was simpler, screw-ups were okay, and I got to have fun with a whammy bar. I got so good at the game that I managed to beat “Through the Fire and Flames,” considered one of the best “boss battles” in gaming history. I was capable of making music, albeit dumbed down, but it was music nonetheless. With it brought happiness and plentiful memories that I’ll never forget. Show By Rock!! looks at “the power of music,” but unfortunately becomes tone-deaf along the way.

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June 24, 2015

Review/discussion about: Owari no Seraph

In need of a guardian angel

When my brother and I were growing up at home, we always did everything together. We hung out with our neighbor friends, rode bikes, played video games; the normal, sibling stuff. But I’m the older brother, and as the older brother, I was “in charge.” There’s a distinct memory my brother always likes to bring up to sort of torment me for my immaturity. Basically, whenever my little brother wouldn’t listen to me, I’d warn him, “If you don’t do as I say, I won’t be your friend anymore.” And he would always listen. Eventually, he realized that my words were moot, but today I still feel bad about treating my brother meanly. He’s my family first and foremost, and I would do everything I could to protect him. Owari no Seraph is about brothers, family, and protecting the ones you love, but it turns out, it’s the one that needs the saving.

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June 21, 2015

Review/discussion about: Assassination Classroom

Assassination is the least of its worries

As I made my way through my early education, I always considered myself a pretty good student. I read my books, did my homework, and played nicely during recess. There was a big flaw that took a while for me to shake off, though: talking way too much. I would talk while the teachers were speaking, I would talk over my friends, and I would talk during assemblies when I wasn’t supposed to. No matter how many reprimands or punishments I got, I couldn’t seem to get it into my noggin that there are times when you get to speak your mind and times when you just have to shut up. I eventually learned this lesson – it took a little too long by my family’s account – but my teachers never gave up on me. They stuck through my incessant ramblings, allowing me to realize the error of my ways, making me into a better person because of their hard work. Assassination Classroom performs similarly, offering an anime that still has lessons to be learned.

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June 14, 2015

Review/discussion about: Triage X

Get this one an IV drip, stat

When I was in the third grade, I came down with something pretty awful. My eyes burned, head ached, and I was sweating profusely. Plus, I had this terrible cough. I’ll never forget the x-ray I saw that day, with the huge blotch over my lung. The diagnosis came back pneumonia. Now, as a youngling, I had pretty much no idea the gravity of the situation I was in. All I knew was that I had to take this gross liquid because the pill was ginormous. I missed Halloween, too, which was completely unfair. Luckily (as me typing this should be evidence enough) I made it through this ordeal, and I owe it all to the medicine and care I received from both the doctors and my family. Triage X is “similar” in that “doctors” aim to eliminate “sickness,” but this anime is itself a disease in every sense of the word.

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June 8, 2015

Review/discussion about: Samurai Warriors

Samurai, warriors, but no heart

My younger brother is a pretty cool guy. Funny, too. But obviously not as awesome or hilarious as I am – it’s the “Law of Older Brothers” or something like that. Being brothers, we understand each other pretty well due to the unique relationship that we share. We agree on subjects, but we also bicker and quarrel whenever we see fit. Yet, at the end of the day, despite the arguments that we might have, I know that we are always looking out for one another. Because he’s not just my family but my baby bro. Samurai Warriors sets its sights on a tale of two brothers that ultimately fails at nearly everything that it tries.

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June 5, 2015

Review/discussion about: Kamisama Kiss 2nd Season

No more loneliness

I’m thankful to have both of my grandmothers still alive. One, though, lives in a nursing home. She has bad ankles, memory loss, and internal issues that prevent her from living a normal, “everyday” life in the home she’s always known. My wonderful mother always visits her, not just because that’s her own mom, but because it helps to defeat something that is an unfortunate byproduct. And that’s loneliness. We all experience it at some point; it’s a strange feeling that causes a longing for companionship of any kind, be it a close friend, a dear lover, or a thoughtful family member. Yet it’s really easy to cure. You can visit them personally like my mom, or you can call to talk, send a text, or even mail a letter to show that somebody out there is looking out for them. No matter the size of the gesture itself, simply “being” there for another person in there time of need has a profoundly, positive impact on his or her life. This is the idea that Kamisama Hajimemashita 2nd Season works with, presenting an anime that at least doesn’t make you feel lonely.

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June 3, 2015

Review/discussion about: Cute High Earth Defense Club LOVE!

No love for these “magical girls”

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Bouei-bu LOVE!, contrary to its name, showcases a lot of hate, or at the minimum, dislike. Be it those around you or a pair of chopsticks, the show demonstrates that people often have those aspects of life that somehow seem to rub us the wrong way. Personally speaking, I’m not too fond of the Beatles’ music. Their style just doesn’t do anything for me. But where negative emotions are found, there is always positive thinking just around the corner. That is, if nothing else, the show provides us with the message that “all you need is love.”

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June 1, 2015

Review/discussion about: Rolling☆Girls

Needed more to get rolling

Growing up, kids always have dreams of what they want to become. A fire fighter, a police man, an astronaut; we all aspire to be something more. For me, it was a professional hockey goalie. In my mind, they’re the last line of defense who get all of the flak when a goal is let in but also all of the glory when that huge save is made. And while that dream of mine never came true, even as an adult, I still maintain that underlying principle: to be someone greater than who I am right now. For while you or I may be content with our current selves, as they say, “there is always room for improvement.” Rolling☆Girls uses this idea as its base, but the pretty visuals and varying soundtrack cannot make up for the plentiful errors elsewhere.

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May 29, 2015

Review/discussion about: Durarara!!x2 Shou

Multiplication won’t and doesn’t help here

When I was a teenager, one of the things I got to do through the good graces of my education was “shadow” a doctor at a local hospital. “Shadowing” derives its name from the act of following someone around everywhere, like a shadow, looking on as he or she does what needs doing for learning purposes. In this case, it was a series of medical professionals in the emergency center. There, I got to see quite a few things: a broken baby’s arm, a cranial injury, and other sick patients. But the most important experience I had from all this? I discovered what I didn’t want to do. I wasn’t fit to be someone in the field of medicine, because it wasn’t “for” me. In other words, I didn’t belong in this area, and finding this out as early as I did is something I always look back fondly on. Durarara!!x2 Shou plays with the idea of “finding where you belong,” with a small twist, presenting the audience with an alright offering and nothing more.

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