The Chuuni Corner

November 10, 2018

Review/discussion about: Ballroom e Youkoso

Ballroom e Youkoso / Episode 24 / Tatara smiling wide at all that he has accomplished in his dancing career thus far

Dances towards victory

For as long as I have known my older sister, she has been a dancer through and through.

Everywhere has counted: at the school talent show, at her local studio, at numerous recitals, at different states. Everything has counted as well: tap, ballet, hip-hop, Latin. Across her entire leg-driven journey, she has claimed enough awards and cheers and experience to last a lifetime.

Basically, she has seen and partaken in nearly all that dance has to offer. Despite her dancing expertise, though, I have yet to hear any mention of ballrooms. And after watching the entirety of Ballroom e Youkoso, I can confidently say, as someone with zero dance moves whatsoever, she is seriously missing out.

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November 8, 2018

Review/discussion about: Konohana Kitan

Konohana Kitan / Episode 9 / The caretakers of Konohanatei standing outside, waiting to greet their next guest

Rest and iyashikei-tion

Circles, triangles, and rectangles begone. In Konohana Kitan, rhombuses rule as queen.

A peculiar shape, that. Some people refer to it as a diamond (hence the royalty). Others, with technical knowledge of Euclidean geometry, are quick to point out that squares are special exceptions (to said rule).

No matter which side jousts first, this anime makes two ideas clear. One, a rhombus for a mouth makes for a darn cute reaction. And two, our lives have many sides and corners to hold dear.

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November 5, 2018

Review/discussion about: Blend S

Blend S / Episode 9 / Maika with a warm smile on her face

Order up and opposite

I like to think that I’m an okay kind of dude. So, my opposite alter ego, if I were ever to have one, would be someone downright dastardly. He would perform misdeeds like wearing mismatched socks and inserting a silent “m” at the beginning of every word he spoke out loud.

Such super-evil antics would befit his own motives and contrast my own personality. If I could control this hypothetical alternate self of mine, I could then potentially earn a job at Stile, the fictional maid café of Blend S where the employees’ own personas balance out into a straightforward experience.

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October 31, 2018

Review/discussion about: Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara

Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara / Episode 1 / Erina getting mad at Souma (per usual)

More treat than trick

Onions taste delectable.

I didn’t always believe so, though. For a long time, I avoided their presence, viewing them as a white blight upon the meals they complemented. But now? I try to get them on everything (where it makes sense). Burgers. Pizza. Tacos. Onions no longer go unwelcome but instead have won me over, earning a seat at my table any day of the week.

Just as taste buds change, anime can do the same. For Shokugeki no Souma: San no Sara, some of its own changes both help and hurt what once was.

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September 2, 2018

Review/discussion about: Net-juu no Susume

Net-juu no Susume / Episode 3 / Hayashi and Lily promising each other to be partners forevermore

To game is to grow

I’ve written about my World of Warcraft days in the past. How I would obsessively get lost within its continents as I raided dungeons, finished quests, and earned achievements. I remember it vividly. I hailed from Ironforge, taking on the guise of an old, gentlemanly dwarf with a formidable white beard.

Believe it or not, I’m neither short in stature (but instead slightly over six-feet tall) nor at such a wizened age (but instead as spry as ever). But that was part of the fun of playing the game: being somebody else within a fantastical land. I would venture a guess that Net-juu no Susume concurs. That it would even go so far as to advocate that games can – and do – lead to even greater happiness.

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August 21, 2018

Banjo’s Top 7 Summer 2017 Anime

Sakura Quest / Episode 20 / Sanae, Maki, Yoshino, Shiori, and Ririko standing together

And the best from Summer 2017 include….

Thinking about these past few months, a lot has happened for and around me.

Some of it was good, like indulging in other hobbies and being recognized at my day job. Some of it wasn’t so good, like a recent medical scare (which thankfully turned out to be nothing) and the passing of a close family member. In the end, life’s responsibilities shift and sway in importance and priority, and so anime cannot always be the foremost thing on my mind.

Despite the above detours and difficulties on both sides, though, an apparent truth has surfaced: Anime itself isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. A tale about a mysterious interdimensional restaurant or a story about a psychotic gambler are here to stay no matter how late I myself happen to be in posting these various threads.

As such, it makes perfect sense for me to finally reveal my favorite anime from this interesting season. Fourteen separate shows had the opportunity for glory. While seven spots were available, only one has claimed the title of Best Anime of Summer 2017.

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August 18, 2018

Review/discussion about: Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul

Shingeki no Bahamut: Virgin Soul / Episode 24 / Nina looking up and onward after all is said and done

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.

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August 13, 2018

Review/discussion about: Owarimonogatari 2nd Season

Owarimonogatari 2nd Season / Episode 3 / Araragi looking back

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.

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July 10, 2018

Review/discussion about: Netsuzou TRap

Netsuzou TRap / Episode 2 / Yuma and Hotaru laughing together

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.

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July 5, 2018

Review/discussion about: Sakura Quest

Sakura Quest / Episode 25 / Yoshino, Sanae, Shiori, Maki, and Riri exhausted after a fun celebration

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.

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