The Chuuni Corner

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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May 21, 2015

Review/discussion about: Nanatsu no Taizai

Sinning never felt so good

Everybody sins. You and me, friends and family, neighbors and strangers; nobody is averse to acting sinful. The severity, though, changes depending on the circumstance: a rogue thought doesn’t do much harm nor does a little bit of desire. But other, more malicious movements can harbor emotions with greater intent to maim. This is where atonement comes into play. For while sinning is bad, it’s the good we do to make up for our grievances that truly matters. Nanatsu no Taizai takes this idea to heart, crafting an anime that needs no forgiveness.

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May 19, 2015

Review/discussion about: Juuou Mujin no Fafnir

Unlimited in terribleness only

Juuou Mujin no Fafnir is an anime that places some emphasis on the ethereal entity known as memories. Memories aren’t facts learned or knowledge acquired; they’re events, precious happenings that we remember and look back on with glee. At least, the good ones. Because everyone has a couple of memories that really aren’t worth bringing back up. Imagine, then, if you had the capability to trade your memories for more power than you could ever dream of. Would you knowingly lose random memories to gain newfound strength? Or are they an invaluable part of your life that made you into the kind of person you are today? Fafnir doesn’t ask itself these questions. In fact, it should be forgotten as quickly as is humanly possible.

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May 17, 2015

Review/discussion about: Junketsu no Maria

Magic, virgins, and thinking

Something that’s hard to do, no matter who you are, is change your way of thinking. It sounds simple enough, though, especially given the context. If you were raised to learn that one plus one equals three, it’s mathematically possible to prove you incorrectly and move your thinking from wrong to right. But what if it was something more esoteric? Perhaps you’ve always known that after dinner you should have three cookies, but somebody comes along and says no; that you should have four, not three, to whet your appetite. Are you right, or is the other person? But even more important, is there a different way to think? While Junketsu no Maria doesn’t deal with numbers or desserts, it’s this idea of changing one’s beliefs that makes it quite the interesting anime to see.

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May 15, 2015

Review/discussion about: Seiken Tsukai no World Break

Truly broken

Poetry is an interesting form of writing when you take a step back and appreciate what it does. It can be a beautiful piece about a long lost lover or a depressing description of the death of a family member. It can be anything it wants to be because it’s, well, poetry. Some do it for fun while others do it as a hobby. Others still base their entire careers on crafting words together in intricate ways – most music is composed of lyrics that are themselves poetry. But what if it was instead used for something a bit more avant-garde? Maybe, instead of just fighting with swords and spells, people fought with words, too? Seiken Tsukai no World Break does exactly this, and it is as ridiculous as it sounds.

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May 13, 2015

Review/discussion about: Yoru no Yatterman

No dawn in sight

I love my mom. She’s the woman who not only raised me from child to adult but also provided me with the guidance necessary to look at life in a good way. “Something nice always follows something bad,” “what goes around, comes around,” and “karma works in mysterious ways” are some of the phrases she normally uses. Goodness is something that is always around no matter how bad something might be. It’s a simple idea that makes living life that much more enjoyable. Knowing that doing good deeds brings about good, and even if a bump in the road is encountered, said good is just around the corner. Yoru no Yatterman tries to focus on this motif, but is largely distracted by other venues, generating an anime that isn’t good but instead contains lots of wasted potential.

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May 12, 2015

Review/discussion about: Shinmai Maou no Testament

“Ecchi” to the extreme

The Testament of Sister New Devil seems like a rather generic anime. And for the most part, it is: there is no shortage of magic, nakedness, and harems within it. But it at least attempts to play with the theme of protection. Which is funny when you think about it; in an anime whose strongest aspect is the very “ecchi” it thrives on, you’d think that “protection” would be the furthest idea from its mind. Regardless, this is what the show hones in on. Protecting the things you love, especially those people dearest to you, is something that we all do whether we know it or not. And while this one tries its best to flaunt this motif, the majority is mediocrity that suppresses any sense of worth it may have.

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