This is my second post of the “Remembering Love” series by Trzr23. See my first post for more information.

Continuing with my coverage of Martian Successor Nadesico, this post will be devoted to my favourite character of all time, Ruri Hoshino. Some of you may find it strange that my favourite character is in reality older than her anime self. That’s right, Martian Successor Nadesico turns 16 this year and Ruri is only 12 years old in the TV series and 16 in the movie. So how has one character remained at the top of my favourites for so long?

To understand that, lets consider what I like about anime characters. First of all, I like anime characters that are visually appealing. This could either be cute, cool, or a combination of both, like Ruri. She was created and raised in a lab to be able to interface with supercomputers such as the one on Nadesico. This gave her golden eyes, white skin and silvery-blue hair.

Second, I look at personality; does a character have something believable? If their personality is one I can relate to, then all the better. Ruri comes off as cynical and emotionless for the first few episodes, sometimes offering some comical comments. Her feelings and emotions are hidden inside, but as the series progresses, you start to see more of her true self. Since she lacks friends and family, she only started to show anything other than cynicism when the Nadesico’s computer, Omoikane, was threatened with a complete reset by the military. In a bid to rescue her only “friend”, she enlists the help of Akito to bypass the computer’s security systems and save the files that made up Omoikane’s memories before they were deleted by the military. More glimpses of concern and even love are more evident towards the end of the series when she realizes that she does have a family on the Nadesico.

An interesting history and cool skills are the last things I look for in a character. Ruri was the only survivor of a series of experiments which left her with an abnormally high IQ and the ability to work with just about any machine with a computer. Her ability to control computers earns her the nickname “Electric Fairy” sometime after the TV series. When fully interfaced with Omoikane, she can also hijack every computer on a global scale, as demonstrated in The Prince of Darkness when the Nadesico-C jumped into the Martian atmosphere and Ruri took over the entire planet. Did I also mention that Ruri’s a long-lost princess and somewhat of an idol?

In the years since I first watched Martian Successor Nadesico, I have not seen an anime character more interesting than Ruri Hoshino. Her character design, personality, history, and skills are what has kept her at the top of my list and helped make Martian Successor Nadesico the best anime ever (at least in my eyes).

Other Participants of the Remembering Love Project:

@fkeroge from AOIA

Foomafoo from Temporal Vortex

Justin from OASG

Kai from Deluscar

Trzr23

At the beginning of the Fall 2011 anime season, I named Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~ the most under-rated series of the season. I was dismayed at the lack of interest in what seemed like an exciting anime. Now that I’ve finished the series, it’s time to look at whether my first impressions were well-founded.

It’s no secret that animation studio Gonzo has been through some tough times. A few years ago, their success with Strike Witches was the only thing keeping them afloat, but after the animation rights were given to another studio, they had to find something else. Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~ is a spin-off of Gonzo’s relatively successful Last Exile series with 21 episodes. The plot summary from MAL is described below.

All source of life originates from the Grand Lake.
At this very sacred lake, the battle between the Ades Federation and the Turan Kingdom has just begun. The Ades Federation, armed with massive battleships and its sights set on conquering the world, declares war on the Turan Kingdom. With the Federation’s troops encroaching on their beloved country, Turan now lies on the brink of collapse. As this is happening, the princesses of Turan look on as a small vanship named Vespa cruises above their heads.
What are the motives of Luscinia, the man leading the Ades Federation into the war? And what is the secret behind ‘Exile’?

Perhaps one of the things you should know before watching the series is the background information of the world. Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~ takes place several centuries into the future. Humans have destroyed the Earth and resorted to building “Exile” immigration ships and “Prester” space colonies. The plan was to live in space until the Earth recovered and people could return. The original Last Exile focused on a war between the nations of Anatoray and Disith on their Prester. In Fam, several references were made to Anatory-Disith, which is now a unified state that has settled back on Earth in present-day Ukraine.

Of course, with any mass exodus, people are bound to be left behind, which was exactly what happened with the Ades Federation. They are the descendents of those who weren’t able to make it into space and were forced to fight for survival on a dead Earth. They built their capital in the only habitable area on the planet, present-day Turkey, near the Mediterranean Sea, which eventually became the Grand Lake. As the Earth restored itself, the Ades Federation began to prosper, but when people started return to Earth on Exile ships and claiming newly habitable areas, conflict arose, which led to the beginning of Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~.

Perhaps one of the big mistakes made in this series was leaving out most of the background information until near the end. Without this knowledge, it would be hard to grasp the significance of characters’ actions and events. The series makes the assumption that most viewers have seen the original Last Exile, which usually isn’t the case when you’re talking about spin-off series that airs nearly a decade after its predecessor. If it had taken the time at the beginning to explain the world, it would be more enjoyable to viewers who haven’t seen the original Last Exile series and those who have forgotten it.

While the series stars the young pilot Fam Fan Fan and her navigator, Gisey, they actually play a small role in the overall plot. It’s a bit misleading considering Fam’s name is part of the title. They were the main focus of the series for a few episodes, but with recent developments, Princess Millia quickly stole the spotlight as she began playing a larger role in wartime politics. Even then, Millia still seemed to play a minor role as the focus shifted to the actions of nations and commanders rather than the main characters. For a time, I completely forgot about Fam, she was just someone that appeared every now and then to fly around uselessly and make obvious comments. Sidelining your main character(s) is probably not a good idea.

Enough with the bashing though, what did Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~ do right? For starters, the setting they created was absolutely genius. The post-apocalyptic Earth that falls into anarchy is an over-used setting in many fictional stories. Last Exile Fam takes it beyond that, to an era where Earth is on the road to recovery and different sides are vying for the right to lead humanity into the future. Creating fictional events that are in line with what we know today was also something that impressed me. For example, at today’s increasing rates of consumption of natural resources and pollution, the Earth really will be uninhabitable in a few centuries. The magnetic poles are also expected to invert soon, which is what happened in Last Exile’s historic timeline (and why if you look at a Last Exile map, it’s an upside-down version of the Mediterranean).

Beyond a highly believable setting, the nations that exist in Last Exile and their policies draw parallels with known world history, highlighting the human condition. Some examples of things in Last Exile that can be compared with real life are listed below:

Anatoray-Disith Empire ~ Austro-Hungarian Empire

In both instances, two empires/kingdoms acted as a single entity in foreign affairs and defense, but for the most part remained independent of each other.

Glacies Isolation ~ Chinese Isolation

The circumstances that led to Glacies isolating itself from the rest of the world are different from China in the 15th century, but they both maintained their borders with a superior military and technology.

Turan-Ades Conflict ~ Isreali-Palistinian Conflict

Like the Isreali-Palistinian Conflict, the Turan-Ades Conflict involves the struggle between two groups of people. One was displaced when the other returned to their homeland.

I can’t say I was fond of the character designs, but the animation quality was stunning. The high-flying action of the sky pirates and the battles between large sky fleets was a joy to watch. For an animation studio that many though was on their way out, it’s certainly impressive that they were able to keep up such standards. Likewise, the music also deserves a lot of praise. As with the original Last Exile series, Last Exile Fam’s music is ephemeral and dreamy, but catchy at the same time.

Last Exile ~Fam, The Silver Wing~ certainly isn’t a typical anime series. The lack of focus on the characters and the amount of effort put into creating and presenting this fictional world and events that take place in it makes the series seem more like one of those history documentaries that use actors to re-enact events. It’s perhaps not the best series for anyone who likes their anime characters, but I enjoyed seeing history in the making, even if it was the history of a fictional world.

When I finished episode 2, I was not impressed. For the most part, it followed the same lines as the first episode, which failed to gain my interest. I can’t even count the number of times I’ve seen the typical “trip to the beach” episode in anime. By this point I was wondering, “has the online anime fanbase gone crazy? what do they see in this show?”

Next up was episode 3, the last chance I was giving Sakamichi no Apollon to live up to the hype. It was like I was hit with a ton of bricks. The amount of drama packed into those 20 minutes was absurd. Episode 3 alone is already better than a lot of romance/dramas that I’ve seen over the years. Each turn of events was expected but shocking, and the characters’ reactions to each revelation were realistic and believable. In short, I was blown away.

I have now added Sakamichi no Apollon to my watchlist in the hopes that the rest of the series will be at least half as good as episode 3. As for all of you who recommended this series to me, I am now expecting it to be awesome and am holding you to your word :P

Have you ever wondered where Gen Urobuchi got the idea to kill off Mami? You could argue that he came up with the idea himself, but go back 15 years before Puella Magi Madoka Magica aired and you’ll be surprised at what you find.

This is my first post in the “Remembering Love” project which Trzr23 has started. Every Sunday in May, bloggers are invited to write about older anime; the series’ that made them fall in love with the medium. More details can be found here.

It’s no secret that Martian Successor Nadesico (a sci-fi mecha space comedy harem action romance drama parody from 1996) is my all-time favourite anime. The anime is about the crew of a civilian space battleship called the Nadesico which is sent to Mars to rescue and salvage whatever they can from Jovian invaders. You can read the full plot summary on MAL. To help people understand why Nadesico has endured as my favourite for so long, I’m going to share some of the moments in the first half of the series which really stuck with me.

R.I.P. Gai

Mami’s death in PMMM was shocking, but I should have seen it coming, after all, it followed the exact same lines as Nadesico. It was obvious that Akito and Yurika were the two main characters of the series, but Gai Daigoji, a pilot on the Nadesico, stole the spotlight with his eccentric behaviour and piloting skills. I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that Gai was the most popular character in Nadesico. After what seemed to be a major victory in episode 3, Gai was abruptly shot dead in the closing minutes.

My first reaction to Gai’s death was that of disbelief. How could they kill off the coolest character in the series without even a fight? Surely it was just a joke and they would bring him back in the next episode. He wasn’t brought back and the series spiraled from a cheery comedy to a depressing struggle full of internal conflict. Nadesico paved the way for the “episode 3 death” in anime and provided a guideline on how to make a light-hearted happy anime do a complete 180.

Captain Misumaru

For a good chunk of the series, Captain Yurika Misumaru was portrayed as an air-headed bimbo that chased Akito around all day. Her role on the Nadesico was largely cosmetic. Ruri, the youngest crew member, even explained that since WWII, captains have only acted as figureheads since the actions of a single ship no longer affect the outcomes of wars. This was all thrown out the window in episode 6 when Yurika was put to the test.

The Nadesico was anchored above a Martian bunker sheltering the only surviving civilians on the planet when the enemy launches a surprise attack. It was too late to launch the Nadesico and lead the enemy fleet away so Yurika was faced with two options: activate the Nadesico’s distortion field (which is like a force field) which would collapse the shelter and kill everyone in it, or leave the Nadesico defenseless and protect the civilians. That was the first time she stained her hands with the blood of innocent people.

While Yurika made the logical choice (neither the Nadesico nor the shelter would’ve survived without the distortion field), it’s not always the moral one. I can’t think of many anime nowadays that put their characters through similar trials without miraculously coming to a happy end, which is why this scene still impresses me.

Science 101

One of the unique things about Martian Successor Nadesico is that it doesn’t come up with wild technology that defies the laws of physics, or introduces magic. Everything within the series could be explained with existing (at least back in the 90’s) theories on space-time and quantum particles. Nadesico was actually what introduced me to bosons and helped me get through and understand quantum physics in high school. Explanations throughout the series, in the form of Dr. Inez’s science classes, are helpful in understanding some of the more complex aspects of Nadesico’s technology. Few anime take the time and effort to actually research where technology is going and gain an understanding of the laws of nature, which really makes me appreciate Nadesico so much more.

Next week I will cover the second half of the series and get into some details about my favourite character of all time: Ruri Hoshino.

Now that all of the new anime for the spring season have aired, it’s time for my seasonal round-up of the best and worst. To those of you new to my seasonal posts, I preview every new anime (excluding some sequels and spin-offs) and share my thoughts on them. I also indicate which series I thought were worth continuing and which weren’t. At the end I pick three anime – the best of the season, the worst of the season, and the most under-rated. Naturally, my opinions are all heavily biased.

Accel World

I would’ve watched this series for Kuroyukihime alone. She’s pretty and looks cool in her black dress and butterfly wings. The world that the anime is set in has me interested too, who wouldn’t want to be able to connect to the internet using their brain? The story follows a typical shounen plot, but that’s OK.

Status: watching

Acchi Kocchi

Far too slow for my tastes.

Status: not watching

AKB0048

Visually, AKB0048 reminded me of Houkago no Pleiades. Story-wise, it looks like another “growing up” series.

Status: not watching

Arashi no Yoru ni

Is this even an anime? It looks like something I would find on TV here, except it’s in Japanese.

Status: not watching

Folktales from Japan

Not my cup of tea, but it would be nice to show a 3 or 4-year old.

Status: not watching

Gakkatsu!!

The animation style was terrible. At least I learned what that bump on your wrist is called (and subsequently forgot). That was about all I gained from this series.

Status: not watching

Ginga e Kickoff!!

I have to admit, the girl with the Osakan accent was cute and the story seems solid. I’m not much of a soccer fan though so I’ll pass.

Status: not watching

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

Admit it, Nyaruko is awesome. The craziness level in this series isn’t as high as Excel Saga or FLCL, but it’s on par with Bokusatsu Tenshi Dokuro-chan. There’s yuri and a bunch of references to older anime too, which is always a bonus.

Status: watching

Hiiro no Kakera

I feel a reverse harem developing here. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the same romantic feel as a series like Fruits Basket or the laughter-inducing comedy of Ouran High School Host Club.

Status: not watching

Hyouka

I was hoping that Hyouka would be something along the lines of Kyoani’s Key anime adaptations, but I got a snotty guy with a hair fetish. I like girls with long hair too, but using it like a spider web is just weird.

Status: not watching

Jormungand

The character designs aren’t to my tastes, but I do like the military aspect of this series. Depending on where the story goes, I may continue watching it.

Status: watching (for now)

Kuroko no Basuke

Lets be realistic here, can you really not notice someone on a basketball court when there’s only 10 people on at a time? At least put some effort into real basketball techniques.

Status: not watching

Kuromajo-san ga Toru!!

This is a show for kids.

Status: not watching

Medaka Box

What I gained from the first episode was that this anime is about a dominatrix and her man-servant(s). It tries to be funny by having the main male character end up in some sticky situations, but I wasn’t laughing.

Status: not watching

Natsuiro Kiseki

I think it’s safe to say that most people (myself included) are out of the 4-5 moe anime girls phase. I didn’t think there was anything wrong with Natsuiro Kiseki, I’m just tired of seeing the same old thing for the past several years.

Status: not watching

Nazo no Kanojo X

Let me get this straight, a guy sees a girl’s drool and decides to taste it, then becomes dependant on it to stay healthy. That makes total sense. I can’t say I’m surprised though, Japan is the land of odd fetishes and a drool fetish is certainly odd.

Status: not watching

Polar Bear Cafe

I guess you could call this anime, but again, it’s something I can find on TV here.

Status: not watching

Ozma

My first thought when I saw this anime was “wow, this is so retro – 80′s style.” Later I found out it actually is an 80′s anime that just never got animated until now. I’m sure Ozma would’ve made a decent series back in the day, but its time has long since passed.

Status: not watching

Saint Seiya Omega

Another throwback to an era long gone, Saint Seiya Omega attempts to bring back the glory days of the franchise. I doubt many fans of the original series still watch anime, and with nothing to grab the attention of new fans, it falls short of being a good anime.

Status: not watching

Sakamichi no Apollon

I got some strong yaoi vibes from this series, which really put me off. Read this post.

Status: not watching

Sankarea

There aren’t many people who don’t like zombies, but again, only from Japan will you find a character with a zombie fetish. At least the zombie here looks pretty. The series got off to a really slow start, so I’m hoping things will pick up soon, otherwise I’ll drop it.

Status: watching (for now)

Sengoku Collection

I’ve always been averse to anime changing famous heroes into cute girls (ie: Sengoku Otome, Samurai Girls), but oddly, I’m enjoying this series. Perhaps it’s because I like the character designs, or maybe because the fanservice isn’t in-your-face blatant, or because each episode is a standalone story. Each episode you get to enjoy some eye candy, listen to a story, and then move on.

Status: watching

Shiba Inuko-san

A show about a girl that looks like a dog… um no, I’m not a furry.

Status: not watching

Shining Hearts: Shiawase no Pan

It’s an anime about bread. Then again, I like Tony Taka’s character designs and that’s enough to get me through 12 episodes.

Status: watching

Tasogare Otome x Amnesia

Did they really have to show the same thing twice? it seems like a waste of time to me. Tasogare Otome x Amnesia is about as average as you can get – average animation, average story, average characters – there’s really nothing I found to be good about it, but there’s nothing I found bad.

Status: not watching

 Tsuritama

Although the characters are in high school, Tsuritama felt more like an anime for kids about friendship and facing your fears (in this case, public speaking). It’s nice for younger audiences, but not for someone in their 20′s.

Status: not watching

Uchuu Kyoudai

This anime really struck a chord with me. I was one of those kids in the 90′s that believed that I could become an astronaut and that an international manned mission to Mars would be ready for me by the 2020′s. Well, I lost my perfect vision when I hit puberty so that automatically disqualifies me from the space program, Canada’s next call for astronaut applicants probably won’t be for another 10 years, and realistically, no one is going to be walking on Mars until the 2040′s or 2050′s. Although my dreams have been dashed by reality, it’s nice to remember them and what might’ve been, and this anime helps me do that.

Status: watching

Upotte!!

An anime for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like if guns were cute girls. I thought Akikan was the last we would see of this type of series.

Status: not watching

Yurumates 3D

This anime was so uninspiring that I actually forgot that I had already seen the first episode.

Status: not watching

Zetman

American superheroes and American-like superheroes seem to be developing a foothold in the anime world with Marvel’s adaptations and series like Heroman. Zetman is the latest addition to the superhero line-up. I watch anime because it’s different from western cartoons, I see no point in watching Zetman when I can just turn on the TV and watch something nearly identical to it.

Status: not watching

This season’s lineup of series is really lacklustre. While I did find some new series to watch, I don’t think of any of them as high priority, though I would rate Accel World and Haiyore! Nyaruko-san close. With 7 new series added to my watch list and 3 continuations (Fate/Zero, Kore wa Zombie Desu ka, and Mouretsu Pirates), that brings the number of series I’m currently following to 10 (possibly 8 if I drop the two borderline series). That’s a good number for this season since I’ll be busier than usual.

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Awards

You guys should be used to this by now, here are the awards as chosen by myself for this season.

Worst Series Award:

Yurumates 3D

Honestly, it takes skill for an anime to make me forget what it was about after watching it twice. As of this writing, I still can’t remember what happened in it.

Most Underrated Series Award:

Sengoku Collection

Why isn’t anyone blogging about this? Oda Nobunaga as a cute little devil girl is awesome.

Best Series Award:

Haiyore! Nyaruko-san

It might not be great, but it still trumps everything else this season. It has cute girls, humour, parody, yuri, aliens, lasers, a milf, and a trap. What more could you ask for?

For more round-ups, see these posts:
Winter 2012
Fall 2011
Summer 2011
Spring 2011
Winter 2011
Fall 2010
Spring 2010

Today we have volume 143 (April 2012) of Megami Magazine, just before the end of the month. The cover this time around features Shinobu from Nisemonogatari eating one of those weird donuts that looks like it’s wrapped in something.

The ecchi level is high in this volume so some of you will probably want to pass on getting this one (or get your wallets out *wink*). As usual, any objectionable (ecchi) images are hidden in the links rather than shown directly on the page in order to protect those visiting from public places from embarrassment.

Infinite Stratos continues to find its way into Megami, with some of the girls wearing matching outfits.

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Louise is such a tease. Considering how petit she is, that towel must be tiny.

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Guilty Crown isn’t anywhere near being good, but you’ve got to admit that it has some nice artwork. I love the expressions on Mana and Inori’s faces, and the background makes it feel a bit dream-like. My only complaint is that with the angle Mana’s legs come down, it seems like she’s missing some feet.

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A bra is showing so I’ll classify this Rinne no Lagrange poster as ecchi, but with such simplistic line art, it’s hard to think of it as such.

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At first, Tsubasa looks pretty hot here, but take a closer look and you’ll notice that her body proportions are completely off. Her waist is about the same size as one of her thighs, her arms are not much wider than her sword, and her left breast looks like a deflated balloon hanging off her clothing. Horrible illustrations for a horribly animated series?

I admit it, I have a leg fetish, and Ririchiyo has the nicest anime legs I’ve seen in a while. Not to mention she’s also adorable.

Cute.

Again, we have the same Shinobu illustration as the one on the front cover. I like how they made a patterned donut backdrop in accordance with the -monogatari style.

Its been a while since Megami included an Amagami SS poster. Like many of the previous ones, it also features a one-piece swimsuit. Not quite to my tastes, but it’s nice if you don’t like bikinis.

Nice tiles. I don’t really have anything to say about this one.

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Papakiki confuses me to no end, is it supposed to be ecchi (like shown here), or heartwarming?

This would’ve been a nice poster if it weren’t for the fact that all three girls are covered by shadows. Couldn’t they have drawn the sun shining in front of them?

The featured artist in this volume’s Girl’s Avenue is Hirano Katsuyuki (a.k.a. Tsuyuki, 津雪). He has worked on illustrations for games such as Record of Agarest War and Blazing Souls. The majority of his illustrations seem to have a fantasy theme and his style has what I would describe as a watercolour-look, as you can see from his illustration above. You can visit his website at http://boostfire.deca.jp/i.top.htm

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Colourful and dynamic, I like it.

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This is rather mild for this series.

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This is one of the nicer Highschool DxD posters in my opinion. It has a classy look while still keeping in line with the main selling point of the series.

There was nothing interesting in the anime section of the magazine, just some series which have already started airing and Sword Art Online.

The figure section was significantly reduced, only consisting of a single-sided page. Featured figures were all seen during the last Wonder Festival.

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The back cover picks up where previous volumes left off and continues to advertise To Heart 2′s Dungeon Travellers OVA.

The saving grace for this volume is that it comes with a nice Nanoha poster for the upcoming second movie. I love Nanoha with her hair down.

On the reverse side is an illustration of Gertrud and Erica from Strike Witches. It’s a but dull since they’re not doing anything.

Overall, this was a disappointing volume. The Infinite Stratos illustration was high quality, and I personally like the Guilty Crown and Inu x Boku SS posters, but the lack of detail and low quality of other posters really dragged down my impression of this volume.

–>Subscribe to Megami Magazine

I don’t usually watch bread anime (the only one I’ve seen before this was Yakitate!! Japan), but with so-called “slice-of-life” anime *cough* Ano Hana *cough* turning out to be more drama than slice-of-life, I wanted something that could induce at least some yawning. That’s when I heard about Shining Hearts – Shiawase no Pan (Shining Hearts - Bread of Happiness).

Written by Itsuro Kawasaki (Wild Arms: Twilight Venom, Tsubasa Chronicle: Tori Kago no Kuni no Himegimi), Shining Hearts is a dating-sim-turned-anime published by Sega in 2010 and is well-known for its horrific storyline and scenes so cute and sweet that they make your stomach churn. Being a dating sim, it does have some XXX scenes which are essential to the story and if you want to see them, you can watch the uncensored story on Youtube.

The story centers around Rick Elwood, a swordsman that recently lost his family in a fatal storm. He would not have made it either if it weren’t for an experimental baking technique that was performed for him. Unfortunately, the surgery left an unintended side-effect: Rick’s senses are now so warped that people appear to him like cute busty girls dressed in revealing clothing. Buildings, trees, mountains, and even the clouds seem like they might have cute girls hiding amongst them. In this hellish world, Rick’s only ray of hope is the bread he bakes every morning.

Shining Hearts entertains some philosophical questions; what is bread? is baking affected by the ingredients? and can every girl truly have double D’s? If you are the only one that can bake, does that make you a baker, or is the world a baker? Can someone love bread if they’re a male non-lead character that no one can stand? Are pretty elves the evil ones, or should we look within ourselves to find true evil? The answers to these questions may be more terrifying than you can imagine.

The major theme in Shining Hearts is that appearances are never as they seem. Bread and other baked goods are highly contrasted, but at the same time the boundary between them is so blurred that you can’t tell the difference. Rick’s disregard for cute girls is so lamentable that it’ll make anyone sick, but it’s driven by his love for bread and is unconditional love not one of the most beautiful things in the world?

My favourite thing about this story is that almost everything can be interpreted with two opposing views. Is Rick really descending into the abyss of insanity, or is he rising towards enlightenment? Is bread a distraction from all of the beautiful girls on the island, or is it a food seeking love and acceptance? Shining Hearts leaves it up to the viewer to decide.

What makes Shining Hearts stand out among the other “let’s bake bread” stories, is that it is very absorbing. Unlike stories that depend on naked black men to shock the audience, Shining Hearts relies on the audience’s tendency to deny an outcome despite obvious hints. Imagine seeing someone collapse on the sidewalk near a bakery from a tall building. The person appears to be starving, but then someone opens the door to the bakery – a baker is coming. You want to help, you shout and bang on the window and hope that someone comes to save the poor souls. No one comes and all you can do is watch as the person devours all of the innocent bread in the bakery. That’s what Shining Hearts makes you feel – a sense of hopelessness, disbelief, and horror.

I highly recommend Shining Hearts to mature readers seeking a story that questions perceptions and defies morals. Depending on your personal beliefs, you may encounter bread of happiness or the happiness of bread.

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Note: I’m just testing something with this post. For a real review, check out Saya no Uta – Beautifully Grotesque or Grotesquely Beautiful?

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April 29, 2012: After receiving several comments, judging from their tone, I’m going to assume that most people didn’t catch on. In case you didn’t notice, this was a word-for-word copy and paste of my previous post; it’s a parody with a lot of sarcasm. All I did was stick in the word ‘bread’ everywhere, replaced the names, and changed some other words. I even inserted a link to the original post to make it more obvious. Perhaps I should do this more often, it seems to work well.

I don’t usually read visual novels (the only one I’ve finished before this was Planetarian), but with so-called “horror” anime *cough* Another *cough* turning out to be more mystery than horror, I wanted something that could invoke at least some sense of fear. That’s when I heard about Saya no Uta (Song of Saya).

Written by Gen Urobuchi (Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Fate/Zero), Saya no Uta is an eroge visual novel published by Nitro+ in 2003 and is well-known for its horrific storyline and scenes so grotesque and brutal that they make your stomach churn. Being an eroge, it does have some XXX scenes, but they’re not essential to the story and if you don’t want to see them, you can read the censored story on Youtube.

The story centers around Fuminori Sakisaka, a medical student that recently lost his family in a fatal car crash. He would not have made it either if it weren’t for an experimental neurosurgery technique that was performed on him. Unfortunately, the surgery left an unintended side-effect: Fuminori’s senses are now so warped that people appear to him like disgusting piles of flesh covered in excrement that are constantly oozing bile. Buildings, trees, mountains, and even the clouds seem like they’re made of blood and guts. In this hellish world, Fuminori’s only ray of hope is a beautiful young girl named Saya who has come to live with him.

Saya no Uta entertains some philosophical questions; what is insanity? is beauty really in the eye of the beholder? and can someone or something truly be evil? If you are the only one that sees the world differently from everyone else, does that make you insane, or is the world insane? Can a person be beautiful if they’re so repulsive that no one else can stand them? Are monsters the evil ones, or should we look within ourselves to find true evil? The answers to these questions may be more terrifying than you can imagine.

The major theme in Saya no Uta is that appearances are never as they seem. The grotesque and beautiful are highly contrasted, but at the same time the boundary between them is so blurred that you can’t tell the difference. Fuminori’s world and his actions are so grotesque that they’ll make anyone sick, but they’re driven by his love for Saya and is unconditional love not one of the most beautiful things in the world?

My favourite thing about this story is that almost everything can be interpreted with two opposing views. Is Fuminori really descending into the abyss of insanity, or is he rising towards enlightenment? Is Saya a grotesque monster that manipulates and feeds on humans, or is she a beautiful young girl seeking love and acceptance? Saya no Uta leaves it up to the reader to decide.

What makes Saya no Uta stand out among the other “let’s try to be deep” stories, is that it is very absorbing. Unlike stories that depend on sudfests to shock the audience, Saya no Uta relies on the audience’s tendency to deny an outcome despite obvious hints. Imagine seeing someone collapse on the train tracks from a tall building. The person appears to have fainted and then the crossing signals turn on and the safety barriers start coming down – a train is coming. You want to help, you shout and bang on the window and hope that someone comes to save the poor soul. No one comes and all you can do is watch as the person’s guts are splattered across the tracks underneath the train. That’s what Saya no Uta makes you feel – a sense of hopelessness, disbelief, and horror.

I highly recommend Saya no Uta to mature readers seeking a story that questions perceptions and defies morals. Depending on your personal beliefs, you may encounter a beautifully grotesque or grotesquely beautiful story.

Screenshot 1:

Anime: Ano Natsu de Matteru
Episode: 3
Comments: Has anyone else noticed Japan’s odd fascination with Tommy Lee Jones?

Screenshot 2:

Anime: Guilty Crown
Episode: 18
Comments: I swear that the creators of Guilty Crown just wanted to draw in some Starcraft fans by making Inori more Kerrigan-esque.

Screenshot 3:

Anime: Guilty Crown
Episode: 22
Comments: Baby Funnels!!! No really, having daddy and mommy robots give birth to baby robots is just weird.

Screenshot 4:

Anime: Hayate no Gotoku – Heaven is a Place on Earth
Episode: Movie
Comments: From my experience, ant karma is not something you want to mess with, even in an anime.

Screenshot 5:

Anime: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Episode: 11
Comments: Oh deary, you should take a good look in the mirror.

Screenshot 6:

Anime: Senki Zesshou Symphogear
Episode: 11
Comments: For anyone who has ever wondered why girls get stronger with less armour, the answer is simple, they have bullet-proof boobs.

Screenshot 7:

Anime: Mirai Nikki
Episode: 19
Comments: Remember folks, running down a hill is considered obscene in Japan.

Screenshot 8:

Anime: Mirai Nikki
Episode: 21
Comments: If you draw a scene badly enough, no one will bother censoring it.

Screenshot 9:

Anime: Another
Episode: 8
Comments: Admit it, Izumi is hotter than Mei.

Screenshot 10:

Anime: Inu x Boku SS
Episode: 5
Comments: I wish all girls wore nightwear like this.

Screenshot 11:

Anime: Inu x Boku SS
Episode: 6
Comments: The sheer brilliance speaks for itself.

Screenshot 12:

Anime: Bodacious Space Pirates
Episode: 8
Comments: *turns down brightness*

Screenshot 13:

Anime: Nisemonogatari
Episode: 8
Comments: Don’t forget to brush your teeth.

Screenshot 14:

Anime: Papa no Iu Koto wo Kikinasai
Episode: 1
Comments: Because that is all that matters.

Screenshot 15:

Anime: Zero no Tsukaima F
Episode: 12
Comments: I have been waiting to see Louise in a wedding dress forever.

Screenshot 16:

Anime: Shakugan no Shana III
Episode: 13
Comments: Sophie is the world’s most awesome grandma/nun!

As most of you already know, I’ve been spending the last few weeks preparing for the GMAT which is why I’ve been absent for a while. Last night, I dreamt that I was preparing to do battle with a dark and powerful enemy. This morning, I ate Shanghai Noodles to keep my stamina up, and after a 4-hour long battle, I defeated the GMAT.

I scored in the 96th percentile so I don’t have to worry about that part of my application anymore. Once I get everything else done, I’ll be able to get back to blogging.

Calling All Blogs

After receiving several messages and encountering the topic at work and during my GMAT study time, I have decided to offer advertising on my site and recommend other anime blogs to do the same. I’m not talking about filling your sidebar with a bunch of anime companies, but advancing the anime/figure/bishoujo artwork industries and spreading the fandom. This includes promoting non-profit groups, services, products, and events. You can see what I’ve done on my Advertising page.

Aniblog Tourney II

News is that the Aniblog Tourney is back. While I was excluded from the first one, it seems the organizers decided to include me in the second. It’s basically a popularity contest, but also a great way to discover new blogs and content, so go out, have fun, and enjoy!

Catching Up

I currently have several dozen comments to reply to, a new season of anime to check out, and over 400 blog posts to read so I will be doing a lot of catching up this week. Regular blog posting may have to wait a bit longer while I get stuff done.