A-Music Week 4

Dear Followers,

Yesterday I prematurely submitted my Common Application, assuming I was supposed to hand in everything pertaining to the application 10 school days before the deadline. Facepalm. While I am somewhat relieved to not have to worry about it anymore, I can’t help but shake feeling like I have done myself a disservice in denying myself the ability to go back and edit some of my information. Oh well. As far as anime news goes, I have recently finished two shows which were both much more satisfying than I initially anticipated.

First, which I believe I mentioned a few weeks ago, is “Mawaru Penguindrum.” I was genuinely surprised at how complex and philosophical the dialogue became in the last few episodes. Even after scanning a few fan forums for an explanation of the first season’s ending left me feeling like I was reading a passage by Slavoj Zizek. “Mawaru Penguindrum” even managed to masterfully craft a reasonable justification for one of anime’s most hated clichés. I’m more than ready for a second season, especially as I wait for “Persona 4” to become marathonable.

Second is “Arakawa Under The Bridge.” I really have no idea why I came across this show. If I remember correctly I was on MyAnimeList looking for recommendations based on Bakemonogatari when I passed over a review. Finding shows like “Arakawa Under The Bridge” make me feel incredibly blessed to be an impulsive YouTube user. After watching a fan-made collection of some of the show's funniest clips, I had more than enough reason to check it out in its entirety. What I found was a show which questions preconceived notions of normality, social hierarchy, and what it means to find happiness.

And, here are some new songs!

1. Sakasama Bridge - Suneohair

2. E - Spangle Call Lilli Line

3. Together - Monkey Majik

4. Namikaze Satellite - Snorkel

5. Gravity 0 - Aqua Timez

6. Distance (M-Flo Remix) - Utada Hikaru

7. After Dark - Asian Kung-Fu Generation

8. Fly Away - Izawa Asami

9. Akaneiroga Moerutoki - Scoobie Do

10. Ma Boy - Sistar19

You Parasitic Life Form,
Noel

A-Music Week 3

Dear Followers,

Yeah... I know I missed a few weeks in between. I was busy whittling down my human character into a standardized test score.

Between my last blog post I had come across a few new items of otaku interest. First, when scanning around on Star Crossed Anime Blog, which by the way writes some handy reviews, when I came across Mawaru Penguindrum. While I wasn't a fan of the character design, a combination of high ratings and supposed plot complexity drew me in. Before I knew it, I was marathoning. The plot is simple. A terminally ill girl named Himari is saved by an otherworldly being who decides to extend her life on the condition that her two brothers must acquire an item known as the Penguin Drum. So far, I have yet to be wowed, but I sense a great deal of potential for this show.

In terms of manga, I came across Ga-Rei on my handy iPhone app. I had heard of an animated version of the prologue, Ga-Rei: Zero, was infamous for its notable first episode in which nearly every one of the main characters die. Being the curious cat I am, I decided to check out a few pages and found something worth reading. Once again, we have a rather simple plot involving the classic Japanese version of boy meets girls against a supernatural backdrop. The art is decent, and the plot is nothing spectacular. I just find the characters likable and am particularly interested in Japanese demonology.

Here we go.

1. Nexus - ClariS

2. DEAR FUTURE - Coaltar Of The Deepers (YOUTUBE ONLY HAS THE REMIX)

3. アルクアラウンド - Sakanaction

4. สุดเขต (เธอGETก็OK) - The Jukks

5. 뷹은 노을 - Big Bang

6. New World - TWILL

7. Orion Wo Nazoru - Unison Square Garden

8. Take-Off - 2PM

9. Core Pride - UVERworld

10. RPG - Food School Punishment

Survival Strategy,
Noel