The Chuuni Corner

Anime reviews, Chuunibyou, and other writings

Tag: The Chuuni Corner

Review/discussion about: Aoharu x Kikanjuu

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No surviving here

I have never shot a gun. I have held my uncle’s small pistol, though. He carries it around for self-defense purposes. He let me hold the weapon during a birthday party for one of my relatives, and I, rather stupidly, raised the gun up instead of aiming it downwards. Everyone was quick to yell at me and for good reason. Guns are dangerous. We watch action flicks, we play first-person shooters, and we read jokes about weapons, desensitizing us to their power. It is not until one is wielded that someone truly understands what it is that he or she is holding.

Before real guns, there are the imitations, usually called BB guns. They shoot pellets, not bullets, but they are still dangerous and, for some, as fun as the real thing. Aoharu x Kikanjuu is filled to the brim with guns of this type and the survival games that incorporate their use. Although the guns are not actually the focus. They are the setting for the anime but not what the anime wants to talk about. Instead, the show concerns itself with heavier dilemmas. Deceit, rejection, and perseverance which, coincidentally enough, each occur in the very games the show shows.

My earlier recollection was sort of misleading. I have used a paintball gun before, during a friend’s birthday. I was there with a bunch of other friends. I had on the goggles, the camo gear, and the big boots. Running around the obstacles and pretending as if I was in a real warzone was fun. Then I got hit with a paintball. And it hurt. A lot. I remember the stinging, despite the layers of clothes I had on, and the welt afterwards. Though if I had a choice between getting hit with another paintball and watching Aoharu x Kikanjuu again, I would brace myself for the stinging.

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Review/discussion about: Bikini Warriors

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No beach in sight

My favorite genre of video game is the RPG. “RPG” stands for “Role-Playing Game”, which is exactly as it sounds. You, the player, take on the role of a specific character to embark on a grand adventure unlike anything you have experienced before. The game might take on a third-person perspective where you control the hero – The Legend of Zelda, while not strictly an RPG, comes to mind – or a first-person perspective where you actually tailor the hero to your liking – Dark Souls is my jam in this category. Regardless, an RPG puts you into the game, making the game less a game and more an experience.

Bikini Warriors is an anime, not a game, but it centers on this RPG concept. The ending of the anime reminded me of Mass Effect, a famous space-oriented RPG series. Doing all of the side missions, exhausting all possible dialogue options, exploring never-before-seen worlds. All wonderful parts to the game, but it was having my own personal character, my own personal story existing across the first, second, and third games, that made the series so special.

I was invested in the series, so much so that when I finally witnessed the absurd ending of the third game I heavily latched onto the “Indoctrination Theory” that eerily, logically, and justifiably explained the insane leap the game had taken (I still contend to this day that that theory is the true solution). I was floored by what Mass Effect had done because it was not just a game to me, but my own, personalized experience that they had tampered with.

While Bikini Warriors’ ending failed to influence me in any capacity, let alone to the level that Mass Effect’s had, the anime at least demonstrated that RPGs are rather peculiar in their construction.

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Review/discussion about: Prison School

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Definitely not a crime

Prison has a lot negative connotations attached to it. Prison is a place where the wrongdoers of society go as punishment for their crimes against humanity. From killing to theft, prison is designed as a correctional institute. Whether or not that actually happens is a topic for another day, but at the minimum prison, as people know it, is a place that you do not want to end up.

Prison School is the same. “School” in the title should not fool anyone; this prison is more like a torture chamber than a place of reform. That sounds absurd – and it is – but that is exactly what the anime thrives on: absurdity. Of course there are other undeniable motifs throughout the show but those, too, always have their absurdity cranked up to eleven and then some.

Speaking about myself, I have never been to prison (and I plan to keep it that way forever). Furthermore neither my immediate nor extended family has ever had anyone in prison. My father did go to his local jail once when he was in his late teens, though. He and his friends had gotten into a scuffle with others, landing them all in a jail cell for the night. “But I wasn’t scared of the place,” my father always says when recounting this small tale, “I was scared of what my dad was going to do me when he found out.” And that surmises Prison School pretty well: it is not the prison, but the people, that should be feared.

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Review/discussion about: Kyoukai no Rinne

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Not fully worth investing in

Specters. The supernatural. Spirits, as they are most commonly called. For some, there is a staunch belief that beings from beyond still roam the Earth. The idea is that they physically cannot manifest as their corporeal selves. However, through their ghastly ways, it is possible to feel their presence or hear their meddling.

Kyoukai no Rinne is an anime about these very spirits. Good spirits, bad spirits, spirit whisperers, spirit exorcists, and so on. The show is replete with spirits of all shapes and sizes, all backgrounds and creeds. While not necessarily spiritual, the amount of spirits is undeniable.

I cannot say for certain if I have ever seen a spirit roaming nearby. I actually do not believe that spirits exist. But there have been occasions where I thought I saw something out of the corner of my eye or I felt like something was there that should not be. Those moments would pass quickly, so I would think nothing of them. Though thinking more about them now, perhaps that was people like Rokudou, Sakura, and the gang helping one more spirit pass on.

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Review/discussion about: Gangsta.

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Like the title, inconclusive

Gangsta. makes me, naturally, think of the word “gangster”. I am not a gangster myself, much to the surprise of everyone who knows me. To be honest, I am not sure where that line is drawn. I like mathematics, but that does not mean a gangster cannot like derivatives and integrals, too. The opposite it true as well; I might not do hard drugs but I certainly love caffeine.

I was in a gang once, though not the gruff, cool type. Our gang was called “The Five Musketeers”. It was me and my four best friends in elementary school. We did everything together, from group projects to field trips to recess. Where one of us was found the other four were surely somewhere close by. We had each other’s backs at all times.

While The Five Musketeers does not outwardly compare to Gangsta.’s portrayal of gangsters, inwardly there is an implicit comparison. A “gang” is not hastily strewn together. A gang is a group of people with common interests and, most importantly, mutual understanding of the others in the group. And in this anime, understanding plays a pivotal role throughout, gangster or no.

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Review/discussion about: Joukamachi no Dandelion

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Almost nothing dandy about it

Thanksgiving is just around the corner.

Thanksgiving means the succulent taste of an oven roasted turkey. Thanksgiving means exactly that: giving thanks. Thanksgiving means getting ready for Christmas. But what Thanksgiving means the most, like most holidays, is family. Getting to reminisce with Aunt Lisa while munching on her famous home-cooked bread. Letting Mary use her signature purple lipstick to leave the perfect kiss mark on everyone’s cheeks. Wishing that the grandparents would have stuck around instead of scurrying off to Florida.

In our family (and by family, I mean uncles, cousins, etc.) tradition is key. Thanksgiving is where we choose out of a hat the name of our Secret Santa, leaving us all plenty of time to agonize over what gifts to purchase. There is also the customary Apples to Apples card battle, trickery a must. And of course one cannot do without the chocolate milk speech just before the main meal.

This is a time for food and games and repetitive radio music. However it is family that makes the occasion not just a random gathering but a special, memorable event. Joukamachi no Dandelion likewise places family on a pedestal yet, metaphorically speaking, the stuffing is missing.

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Review/discussion about: Arslan Senki

Halfway between prince and king

Halfway between prince and king

This introduction is difficult for me because I have no experience with war. Sure, I have historical knowledge, but I have never taken part in violence of that magnitude. I do not seek out confrontations, instead I seek out calm. I prefer friends over fights as it were. That is just who I am.

I therefore must rely on the words of others here, rather than my own. There are a lot of famous phrases about war. “War. What is it good for? Absolutely nothing.” A famous lyric sung by Edwin Starr. “War. War never changes.” An iconic statement of the Fallout video game franchise. “War is peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength.” Irony of monumental proportions, written by George Orwell and taken from his classic 1984. Each medium – from music to games to literature – thinks the same simple thought: war is always bad.

At least, that is how the vast majority of people think nowadays. Go back far enough, and you will discover that war was often the norm. Arslan Senki sits in this latter camp, portraying war, succession, and politics in anime form. Whether or not the show delivers a solid performance, though, is still up for debate.

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Review/discussion about: Himouto! Umaru-chan

Sibling bonanza

Sibling bonanza

Unlike Himouto! Umaru-chan, I do not have a younger sister. However, I do have a younger brother. Admittedly he is not-so-little anymore, but he is still my baby bro nonetheless. I always tried to be a “good older brother” – playing sports, earning high marks in education, and looking out for him when needed. Still, I do not think he ever looked up to me as an older brother; for much of his life he has made his own decisions, regardless of me or anyone else around him. Not that I hate him or vice versa (we love each other despite never saying the words), it is just we have been more like the best of friends rather than him viewing me as a role model of sorts. Whether that speaks more about him or myself, I cannot say.

This past week I met up with him, to discuss life, how he was doing, and what stories we had to share. We insulted each other, we poked fun at each other, and we belittled each other, but we were always laughing. The jokes, the melodramatic tales, and the unique scenarios we find ourselves in are separate, but we get each other. His laughter, mixed with my own, makes this known.

No matter what happens, he will always be my baby brother. I know that, and I know that he knows that, too. Despite the things we might do or the words we might say, my brotherly relationship to my goofball of a brother is something I will always cherish. As for Umaru of Himouto! Umaru-chan, that same mentality can be found somewhere within.

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Review/discussion about: Denpa Kyoushi

Definitely ultimate in something

Definitely ultimate in something

I was an elementary school student when I met the coolest teacher I have ever known. His name was Mr. E (the resulting sound that makes in this context is perfect). He was always smiling, laughing and joking with his students. He made learning fun and had a charismatic way of dealing with both teachers and kids alike. As an adult, I rarely see him nowadays, but on the occasions that I do, I always make sure to strike up a conversation, letting him know how grateful I am for the positive atmosphere he always carried with him. Mr. E., the modest man that he is, always downplays his role those many years ago.

Denpa Kyoushi is an anime featuring a similarly universally liked teacher. But where Mr. E always deserves to be remembered, this anime should be placed in the trash where it deserves to belong.

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Review/discussion about: Ore Monogatari!!

A love-filled and lovely experience

A love-filled and lovely experience

The afternoon October air is chilly, cold enough to make the use of a jacket mandatory. Despite the temperature, the butterflies refused to cease their fluttering. First, a restaurant dinner. Second, a stroll through the park. Third, a comfy movie. And now fourth, a shopping trip through the city. It is our fourth date, you think to yourself, calm down already! The butterflies do not listen.

You are waiting near the agreed-upon fountain, an easy marker to find among the large crowd of people. You start to scan for her face, jumping while doing so both to get a better view and to heat you up. Finally, you opt to stand on the edge of the fountain, the butterflies making it easier to make that step up. Just as you do so, you see her. A rose among daffodils. She is wearing jeans, a button up coat, and glinting earrings, her long, brown hair resting gracefully on her back.

She is looking around; you hope she is looking for you. When her eyes lock with yours, they gleam brighter than the stones on her ears. She pushes past the crowd as you float down from off the fountain’s edge. When she reaches you, October turns to April, her wonderful smile warming you from within.

“You look…great,” you manage to exhale, her radiance momentarily stealing your breath. Her cheeks grow rosier as she casts her head down. You think you might have said something wrong, but suddenly she lifts her head back up while standing slightly on her toes to kiss you. The kiss does not last long, but the softness and the sweetness calms the butterflies completely. When she pulls away, your smile mirrors her own. You reach for her hand, her and your fingers interlacing instinctively. The feeling within you is something you have never felt before, but you know that, like the girl standing next to you, you never want to let it go.

Love is a beautiful thing, something that everyone deserves to experience. Filled with romance, skip-a-beat situations, and of course love, Ore Monogatari!! delivers this message with all its heart.

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