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SARAtto Report! — Sara’s messages in Sarazanmai Episodes 5-6
“Believe in ㋐ from the bottom of your heart.” From the placards behind Sara Azuma in her “Good morning!” greeting This is a continuation of notes on Sara Azuma’s scrolling text reports, lucky selfie...
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Days that are over will not continue to last, if you try to construct the...
Not too long ago, I read a Final Fantasy XV fanfiction one-shot of Noctis Lucis Caelum and Ignis Scientia. You don’t have to necessarily know who these characters are specifically for this meandering...
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In defense of Sarazanmai’s Enta Jinai (sort of)
“Damn it! Why do you keep worrying about Kuji!” -Enta Jinai to Kazuki Yasaka, Sarazanmai, Episode 7 Enta Jinai is a disaster, both relatable and familiar. Following Sarazanmai‘s second episode — where...
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Let’s meet again at Azumabashi, the field of desires — Sarazanmai Episode 8
Sarazanmai‘s eighth episode breaks the pattern of episodes prior. There is no “Kawausoiya” and no trio singing on the otherworldly version of Azumabashi trying to capture a kappa zombie’s shirikodama....
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You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed — Sarazanmai Episode 9
“To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you I am nothing...
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Let’s sing an endless song for the sake of this shitty society — Sarazanmai...
There are people in my industry that give me hope for the future. I’ve told them as such. As it continues to grind forward into the future, they are the ones keeping others in check. They are brave,...
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Notes on Hyouka as an Exploration of Detective Fiction
This is a repost of Notes on Hyouka as an Exploration of Detective Fiction as published on Altair & Vega on July 5, 2012. As the post’s original author, I have reposted it here for preservation...
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[Twelve] VHS tapes and DVDs in Harvard Square — Sailor Moon: Sailor Stars
Pour one out for Mamoru Chiba’s eye. Last year, I began a full and complete rewatch of one of my favorite anime series, Sailor Moon. This year, I finally finished it. I’ve previously waxed poetic on...
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[Eleven] I want to discuss, but I don’t want to be an authority — Sarazanmai
My first foray into anime blogging was a Cardcaptor Sakura Angelfire fan site. I had recently discovered the internet — thanks, in part, to Sailor Moon — and with that discovery came the subsequent...
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[Ten] “You see, I happen to be an esper”— Mob Psycho 100
When people talk about Mob Psycho 100, they talk about bombast. They talk about spectacle. Technical excellence. They pull out a list of both established and up-and-coming animators all taking part in...
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[Nine] Round and round like dancing laundry — Carole & Tuesday
One of the most popular songs of my adolescence was The Backstreet Boys’ “I Want It That Way.” If you actually bother to listen to the lyrics of this song they make no sense whatsoever beyond random...
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[Eight] Human Hands — Given
The cold opening of Given‘s first episode was my favorite six minutes of any anime this year. Despite not knowing anything about the story going into the series, these first six minutes floored me...
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[Seven] In defense of Enta Jinai (again) — Sarazanmai
Enta, you beautiful idiotic trash child. Of the three Sarazanmai leads, Enta Jinai was the one who received the most criticism and backlash, particularly while the series aired. This is, in large...
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[Six] What is this all for? — In This Corner of the World
Some properties, combined with the general act of writing anything, make it difficult to write about them. Others, you know for a fact that you’re completely beyond your depth at explaining, due to...
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[Five] Phil. Phil? PHIL! — The Promised Neverland
This kid. The Promised Neverland relied on a lot of things to create suspense. Not only did each episode leave the viewer wanting more, but the series also used lighting and visual framing to best...
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Favorite anime of the decade 2010-2019: Honorable Mentions
The fact that I’ve been blogging about anime for a decade makes me feel old, but also weirdly accomplished. Despite monthly gaps, I’ve been plugging away at this blog since 2013, and at Altair &...
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[Four] The marketing of Reo and Mabu — Sarazanmai
It’s no coincidence that Reo Niiboshi and Mabu Akutsu were marketed as a couple well before Sarazanmai‘s first episode aired. It’s also no coincidence that they were cops. Of Kunihiko Ikuhara’s works,...
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#10 — Gatchaman Crowds (2013) and Gatchaman Crowds insight (2015)
To this day, my cellphone wallpaper is Gatchaman Crowds‘ Hajime Ichinose. She’s pulling a confused look as fellow gatchaman team member Sugune Tachibana admits that he only uses his phone for calls....
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[Three] A Sailor Iron Mouse appreciation post (and early Takuya Igarashi and...
When you’re a hot-shot television producer but you forget your business cards so you just end up yelling. I’ve made no secret of how much I love Sailor Moon Sailor Stars, and how important it was to...
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#9 — Sarazanmai (2019)
I was on board with Sarazanmai as soon as I heard it existed. If Kunihiko Ikuhara (Sailor Moon S, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Mawaru Penguindrum, Yuri Kuma Arashi) is attached to a project, it’s a...
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