Warrants a couple of claps
Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul turns the phrase “a helping hand” into a reality with Rita and the literal one she keeps at her side. Granted, it’s technically Kaizer’s, but he’s a happy, helpful little guy regardless. As for Virgin Soul itself, it could have also used a helping hand. For, while certain parts receive a thumbs up, earning two (let alone three) thumbs up is sadly not in its palm reading.
Still right
I’m not much of a driver myself.
I have a license, and I know how to drive, but I much prefer using my own two legs for some nice exercise or Uber for a new-age taxi. As such, whether my destination is the grocery store or the nearby local mall, a car rarely enters the equation for me.
Sooner or later, self-driving cars will take over the road, and I will not have to even think about driving whatsoever (since the vehicle will do everything anyway). Owarimonogatari 2nd Season also drives itself, too. Neither towards groceries nor knickknacks but rather towards storied anime success.
No escape
Being trapped in some form is almost never a fun experience.
It doesn’t have to be tangible like locked inside of a room because of a misplaced key. It could also be a mental cage of sorts like anxiety or depression. Whether from a physical or a psychological standpoint, the trap is set, and the feeling of helplessness consumes.
One other way to reach this same feeling is through watching Netsuzou TRap, an anime which “traps” the audience with boredom, uselessness, and irritation aplenty.
Ruby slippers included
I no longer live with my parents; it’s been that way for quite a while now.
Having grown up in their home for so long, though, I can still picture it clearly to this day. The layout of the kitchen. Which floorboards creek. That cool sensation of the basement on a hot summer day. While nothing too extraordinary ever happened in or around the area, its own charm bursts forth all the same.
This sentiment could very well be nostalgia talking. But I’m pretty sure that Sakura Quest would agree with me to some extent: that such a beloved home will be there waiting for my return with open arms.
The odds are in its favor
The inexplicable parts of life have plagued the minds of people for a millennium. Otherwise known as oddities, strange phenomena have a certain allure to their presence. They invite imagination; they drum up curiosity.
From the logically possible to the truly bizarre, odd occurrences will not disappear anytime soon – so long as there are those willing to question the world around them.
Koyomimonogatari tackles this subject in the span of less than three hours. Simultaneously, it also promises a ton of content that fans of the overall series will most likely approve and appreciate.
A triumph in fantasy
(As supplementary material for this review, please refer to my essay on this anime and its world-building techniques, “Made in Abyss and Building a World”.)
This past month, I have sunk a ton of time (perhaps too much time) into a video game that fans and critics alike hailed as GOTY last year: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Its sprawling map. Its sense of freedom. Its myriad of opportunities. Having now experienced (pretty much) the entirety of the game myself, it’s now easy to see why it captured the attention and the hearts of gamers from across the globe. And, while I do not consider this iteration the best in the franchise (my vote goes to either Link’s Awakening or Majora’s Mask), I likewise give the game the praise it undoubtedly earned.
Also last year, an anime by the title of Made in Abyss became the talk of the town, receiving those coveted AOTY awards from relevant outlets. It also strikes many other similarities with Breath of the Wild. Focus on a huge world, perilous obstacles, getting to the girl at the very end. Minus shield surfing and Great Fairies, the two pieces of media are practically the same.
All right, not quite. But at least this following statement is true: Made in Abyss also earned its praise without a shadow of a doubt.
What does “world-building” mean and do for a story?
I’ve had the great fortune of visiting Walt Disney World multiple times over.
True to the name, it’s a world all its own. A place where I seriously lose myself and leave my worries behind me. It achieves this effect by meticulously building itself up piece by piece, brick by brick. The mythical kingdoms. The delicious foodstuffs. The silly characters. These aspects and more combine into a park-away-from-home, a special experience unlike any other.
Stories enjoy building their worlds, too. We cannot visit them in person, of course, for they are stuck behind a computer screen or printed onto paper. But they build their worlds just the same, hoping to achieve a similar, captivating outcome.
Last year, during the Summer 2017 season, a “little-known” anime by the title of Made in Abyss arrived with splendor in tow. To put it lightly, this show swept the community off their chairs with its grand adventure and intense direction. However, almost none of the praise it received would have been possible without the story building the world in which it was contained. So, the anime got me thinking two major questions.
What does building a world mean, and how is Made in Abyss so effective at it?
This essay will attempt to convey the idea of world-building. First through a general description, then with its specific functions derived from other mediums, and finally leveraging the anime Made in Abyss to bring everything together. Along the way, the presented research should hopefully address what world-building is, how it is used, and why it is important for a story.
Without further ado, let’s get started!
The truth hurts
Koi to Uso is an anime that asks an age-old question: “This or that?”
Such a question has been asked by people, of people for a millennium. Presented with two choices, someone must select either-or to proceed. It may be as simple as choosing which piece of clothing to purchase at the mall. It may cause more thinking when it involves which vacation spot to go to over the summer. And it may be completely life altering as a specific college is selected to attend.
No matter the chosen option, the outcome changes. For Koi to Uso, that question pertains not to jackets, beaches, or reputations but rather marriage. And the answer it comes to is ultimately disappointing.
Plus Ultra x 2
While my parents are my greatest heroes, I wouldn’t be where I am today without a couple of other heroes in my life: my younger brother and my older sister.
My parents taught me how to be a good person and looked out for me as I grew up, but my siblings have been the ones that I could rely on and confide in indefinitely. My brother and I have shared the same interests, played the same games, and supported one another in our endeavors. As for my sister, she has been my role model my whole life, her hard work and her stalwart determination inspiring me to achieve my own dreams.
To me, they’re heroes, too. Heroes in their own way. And, much like its first season, Boku no Hero Academia 2nd Season would back me up in this claim once more.
Spies of a feather….
When I first started learning about cybersecurity, we talked about notable cases and the importance of hashes. We also discussed one of the earliest forms of encryption: Caesar’s Cipher.
Named after Julius Caesar, he would take his writing, apply his secret code, and jumble up his words. Simple yet effective (for that age at least). To crack it? Just shift the alphabet over three times to the right.
Within Princess Principal, the leading ladies likely encrypt their own correspondences. So, I will do the same here to describe this project: mofkzbpp mofkzfmxi fp x sbov dlla xkfjb.
