The Chuuni Corner

Anime reviews, Chuunibyou, and other writings

Tag: Fall 2016

August 20, 2017

Review/discussion about: Yuri!!! on ICE

Yuri!!! on ICE / Episode 4 / Yuri and Victor shaking hands

Melted away

On a hot summer day like today, almost nothing beats a cold, refreshing drink.

I have ice to thank for this coldness. Tiny cubes of solidified water turn down the temperature of my Coca-Cola and turn up the smile on my face. Of course, ice does a lot more than cool down my beverages. It preserves other items. It creates entire continents. It heals wounds.

I don’t always think about it, but ice does a lot out there. Ice also happens to give figure skaters the “stage” where they wear “armor” and cross “blades” on their way to gold medals and more.

Yuri!!! on ICE has a lot of skating and, perhaps obviously, a lot of ice.

But there’s no gold in sight.

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August 15, 2017

Review/discussion about: Gi(a)rlish Number

Gi(a)rlish Number / Episode 4 / Kazuha, Momoka, Chitose, Koto, and Yae after singing their song and saving their first-episode screening

(Insert cynical comment here)

Parenthetical asides (or those statements that are enclosed by parentheses) are awesome. They invite extra information within a sentence without impeding on the purpose of said sentence.

It’s not recommended to us them all the time since they can clutter a paragraph or even distract the reader from its meat. But, when a side comment or a small explanation for something written is required, the use of a parenthetical makes for a wise decision (or at least that’s what I believe).

Gi(a)rlish Number contains a parenthetical right in the middle of its title. And it’s less a phrase and more a single letter. My guess (and it’s really just a guess) is that it’s a metaphor for the show itself. That is, like anime, there are certain things that, while not always said or deemed “important,” are around and related all the same.

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August 10, 2017

Review/discussion about: Fune wo Amu

Fune wo Amu / Episode 8 / The Ferris wheel and the ship

Definition: A really good anime

I believe I have written this anecdote before, but it’s entirely too relevant to not bring up again.

In the fourth grade, I “read” the entire dictionary. “Read” is in quotes there because, while I technically read through it, I didn’t read all the definitions. I simply read each word. In order. From A to Z.

In my mind, doing so would make me “smarter.” I have always been prideful of my intelligence, of wanting to prove my brains to the world. Doubly so when I was a young kid who had everyone telling him I was overly smart for my age.

I don’t remember too much of my little adventure, for I was “reading” it so fast. I hadn’t realized there were so manywords, but, once I started, I knew I couldn’t stop.

At the minimum, when I finished the dictionary, I had a greater appreciation for words. Not just the amount but the variety, weirdness, and importance of them.

Fune wo Amu isn’t something one reads through quickly. Rather, it’s something that rewards patience with a wholly satisfying experience.

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August 6, 2017

Fune wo Amu and the Words of Dialogue

Fune wo Amu / Episode 2 / The Daitokai dictionary in figurative form

What does dialogue do for a story?

“To be or not to be, that is the question.”

That’s the start to one of Shakespeare’s most famous soliloquies, and it’s arguably his most well-known line. It comes from Hamlet, a play about the titular prince as he attempts to uncover the unjust death against his father (the king) while he contemplates life and semi-devolves into madness.

It’s been on my mind because I recently finished 1948’s Hamlet [1], starring Sir Laurence Olivier as the prince himself. (He also directed and produced the film; he could do it all.) The acting was great, and the specter was spooky, but it was really Shakespeare’s words that drove the entire story. Puns, memorable quotes. More specifically, the dialogues — be that with a group, one other person, or with themselves — created the drama and breathed life into the characters.

Shortly after completing Hamlet, I also finished an anime that went somewhat undetected during the Fall 2016 season: Fune wo Amu. This anime likewise places heavy emphasis on words but to a more thematic level. So, it got me thinking. How does Fune wo Amu use its own words to craft dialogue?

The following essay will investigate dialogue. What it is, what it can do, and ultimately what it creates. Hopefully, by the end of this piece, you will not only have a better appreciation of Fune wo Amu but also a greater understanding of dialogue as a whole.

Without further ado, let’s get started!

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August 5, 2017

Review/discussion about: Occultic;Nine

Occultic;Nine / Episode 1 / Gamon listening to his radio

Tuned fast; radioed out

The semicolon gets a bad rap.

Most day-to-day people never use them in today’s world of simplified, text-driven messages. They also look a little funky. (I mean, let’s be honest, a period on top of a comma? Get out of here.) Even Kurt Vonnegut, the beloved and creative author of stories such as Cat’s Cradle, is quoted as saying (with hyperbole and slightly out of context), “All they do is show you’ve been to college.”

He later goes on to say about his rule of never using them that “Rules only take us so far, even good ones.” With this thought in mind, I’ll provide the rule that I was taught which made me into a semicolon expert: Semicolons connect equal grammatical units. To go even simpler, think of the semicolon as an equals sign. That’s it. So long as one remembers this rule, the semicolon should be yet another tool in thy writer’s arsenal.

I like semicolons; they’re very fun to use. I don’t like Occultic;Nine; its semicolon doesn’t do it for me.

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July 24, 2017

Review/discussion about: Flip Flappers

Flip Flappers / Episode 1 / Cocona and Papika meet for the first time

Pure avant-garde

I rarely, if ever, flop over.

That’s thanks to my favorite chair at home. Its leather has frayed. The base squeaks oddly. I place a soft blanket on the seat because it hurts my bottom otherwise. For anyone else, this chair looks and feels like junk. But it has always kept me from flopping unnecessarily.

Flip Flappers contains a lot of flipping and a lot of flapping. And, while it doesn’t have its own chair to sit on, it likewise doesn’t flop.

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July 9, 2017

Review/discussion about: Hibike! Euphonium 2

Hibike! Euphonium 2 / Episode 10 / Kumiko contemplating

Hosts more excellence than awkwardness

Recently, I have started to learn how to play the guitar. Sort of.

I haven’t purchased the instrument yet; I’m still deciding on the brand and the amp. However, I know what I want to play: heavy metal. It’s my jam, and, after listening to so much of it now, I told myself, “I want to melt faces with my solos like the best of them.” Okay, I’ll probably never be that good, but I do like the idea of expanding my skillset.

But it’s tough. I have never officially played an instrument, so even the notes of the strings are confusing me. Then there’s palm muting. Power chords. Tab sheets. Tremolo picking. Finger placement. A lot to take in for a musical beginner like myself.

After finishing Hibike! Euphonium 2, it made me realize, even with my minimal foray thus far into the world of guitar, that there’s a whole lot more to playing an instrument than just hearing a couple of notes.

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July 1, 2017

Review/discussion about: Shuumatsu no Izetta

Shuumatsu no Izetta / Episode 9 / A comic-book cover of Izetta

Not long-lasting

Most anime have an English-translated title. Makes it easier for an American like me to better understand an anime and what it will potentially be about from the get-go.

Shuumatsu no Izetta’s English title is Izetta: The Last Witch. More than likely, this review will be the last time I ever think about – let alone write about – this show.

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June 22, 2017

Review/discussion about: Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku

Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku / Episode 5 / La Pucelle and Snow White leaning on each other's backs

Incorrectly raised

I was raised in a good home, a loving home.

I had my wants and my needs like any other kid, but, looking back on what my parents provided me, there’s absolutely no way I could complain about my upbringing. The family get-togethers. Trips to the ice-cream parlor and the video-game store. Support in my endeavors, schooling, and milestones. I don’t tell my father and my mother every day, but I thank them, with all my heart, for giving me a childhood that led me to a worthwhile adulthood.

Truth be told, my parents never did raise me as a magical girl. And, after watching Mahou Shoujo Ikusei Keikaku, I’m gladder than ever that they didn’t.

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June 16, 2017

Review/discussion about: Keijo!!!!!!!!

Keijo!!!!!!!! / Episode 3 / The women of Keijo

Every butt-lover’s dream

Louis Réard is credited as the inventor of one of man’s greatest creations: the bikini.

He apparently based the name for his unconventional clothing on the Bikini Atoll where nuclear testing occurred. And, when you think about it more closely, the dude’s a genius. He essentially invented public lingerie for women. They are less see-through and laced than their undergarment girlfriends, but they serve the same function of hoisting chests and concealing groins in a sexy manner.

The bikini also serves another purpose: to give onlookers a wonderful view of the behind. Looking at butts is no doubt swell, but Keijo!!!!!!!! (that’s eight exclamation points for those counting at home) proves that they can be used for more than just sitting and pleasure.

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