Misc. Articles

Sometimes I write posts that do not neatly fall under a specific feature or review. If I think they’re any good, then I’ll be mentioning them here, I suppose.

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6-14-2016: Saki: Match for 5th Predictions – I’m fairly proud with what I wrote here, but it’s definitely a post that only makes sense if you’re invested in Saki like me. I already got a few things wrong (and a few things right), but as of the writing of this paragraph (3-11-2017), we’re still only on the vanguard match. It’s been almost 9 months and we’ve only had this little progress… EDIT: we’re on the vice-captain match now as of 6/24/2017, holy moly!

9-5-2016: Oomuroke – The Greatest Yuri Mystery Ever? – I attempt to piece together small hints to figure out who’s dating Oomuro Nadeshiko. It’s rather inconclusive, however.

11-11-2016: Pair the Spares – Why It Should Be Handled Cautiously – please don’t force ships, authors and writers. Some characters can end up all alone and that’s fine, okay? I’m down for ships if there’s actually shiptease moments through the series or show, however. Just no rushed pairings, please.

12-12-2016: Miscommunication in Manga and Anime – this one is a bit more of a rant inspired by my frustrations with Flip Flappers. It also doubled as another chance to talk about Saki. Still, hopefully I didn’t come across as being stubborn?

12-31-2016: “I Want To Be Special” – Characters I Can’t Help But Relate To – this post served as a way to organize my thoughts before I talked about Girlish Number, really. However, I did genuinely want to talk about this little trend that I noticed, too.

1-14-2017: Three Lines Seen in Anime and Manga Which Piss Me Off: Ramblings About Heteronormativity in Japanese Media – again, this one was kind of like a rant. I tried writing in a more relaxed and casual tone, as well. The post itself was inspired by a short conversation between D and me when we talked about how tomboys (in anime) always seem to be pressured into becoming “more girly.” I kind of feel like I dumbed down the topics I talked about a bit too much in order to make the post bite-sized, though. Sorry.

2-5-2017: A Lack of Communication and Its Implications as Seen in “Yuri!!! on Ice” – OWLS Feburary Blog Tour | Flight – this one was for the OWLS February Blog Tour! I had only finished Yuri!!! on Ice a week prior and was kind of struggling with an idea, so I revisited the concept of communication again. Jeez, it’s almost like I studied in communication in college since I won’t shut up about it, huh? Even though my social skills are next to nil and I actually studied economics… I liked how the post’s ending was universal, but the transition from the rest of the post to the closing paragraphs was awkward.

2-12-2017: Matsumi Kuro and the Difficulties of Waiting as Seen in “Saki Achiga-hen” – I always seem to want to talk about Saki, huh? This is all theory crafting and heavily influenced by confirmation bias, but I liked how this post turned out. Again, this was inspired by a conversation between D and me (thanks, Btoom!!). I tried briefly explaining mahjong, but I probably did a terrible job. Sorry once again.

3-17-2017: Slice-of-life Shows Are Like Onions – I kind of rant about Winter 2017 SoL shows here. This was fueled by a lack of sleep and Shrek clips on YouTube. The metaphor also fails to maintain its integrity because it falls apart towards the end of the post.

4-12-2017: Social Projecting and Self-Stereotyping in Japanese Media – OWLS April Blog Tour | Colors – an attempt to talk about stereotyping and racism. Just like with the YoI post, I felt like my message was a bit shaky. I can do better. Maybe.

5-17-2017: An Analysis (?) of the Tsukkomi in Anime – it’s not really an analysis. More like I talk about a specific role in anime while attempting to pair it with a specific character archetype. Confirmation bias is in full swing.

6-1-2017: Comparing Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights to Sagimoto Yasuko from Aoi Hana – an attempt at comparing an anime character to a character from a literary classic! I think I did a decent enough job. Kimmie really helped with proofreading here.

6-12-2017: The Poor Perception of Male Crossdressers in Japanese Media – OWLS June Blog Tour | Team – my blogging buddies from OWLS thought I would blog about yuri so I faked them out by blogging about male crossdressers instead! I feel I was a bit heavy-handed in this post towards the end, sorry. Kimmie, once again, really helped with editing.

6-19-2017: My Problem with the Word “Pure” Being Used to Describe Anime Characters and Series – a rant of sorts. I’m sorry if I come across as being hypersensitive!

6-24-2017: Kuroshitsuji – My Opinion on the Greatest Twin Switch in Anime/Manga History – I try talking about the great reveal in Kuroshitsuji from the perspective of an actual twin. Wow! The author really snuck in a lot of subtle hints. I also included a blog post, written by another author, that talks about some of these hints at length.

7-14-2017: No Anime Series is Perfect and That’s Okay! – Wrote this while I was suffering from a broken heart. The analogy isn’t perfect but some of it kind of works. At least parting ways with an anime series is easier than breaking up with someone.

7-28-2017: Resonating with Anime – Wanted to talk about a phrase I’ve seen tossed around often. I’m also guilty of it, too! I don’t really say anything meaningful, I think, but it might serve as a PSA?

7-31-2017: Ballroom e Youkoso and the Portrayal of Female Characters Within the Shounen Narrative – Some of the female characters in shounen series are treated poorly. Ballroom e Youkoso falls under this category thus far. At least there’s some sense of progression starting from episode 5.

8-6-2017: If Summer 2017 Shows Were Freestyle Rappers – sometimes truth comes out through humor.

8-8-2017: Why Kakegurui Falls Short at Engaging Viewers – heavily inspired by The Anime Prince’s post on Kakegurui, which I cite in this article. While I do enjoy Kakegurui (thus far), it does seem to be heading down a path of style over substance.

8-18-2017: Expectations, Anime, and You – I discuss my feelings regarding the word “expectation” and how it interacts with the viewing experience. There’s hype backlash, there’s hidden gems, and more (but you have to connect the dots).

8-26-2017: Insults Directed Towards Fans of Netsuzou Trap Need to Stop – I’ve been meaning to talk about how some viewers or readers seem to believe their opinion is absolute. When the opportunity for me to talk about ad hominem showed itself, I couldn’t resist.

8-29-2017: The Purposes and Drawbacks of Montages, Time Skips, and Flashbacks in Anime – I try to talk about time distortion techniques that are frequently used in narratives. That sounds more impressive than what it really is.

9-4-2017: Be Self-Aware and Self-Centered as an Anime Critic – just adding in my two cents about blogging as an anime fan. The community should come together! Even if you’re acting a bit self-centered! Be self-absorbed when it comes to your opinion!

9-15-2017: Things Certain Viewers Will Say to Discredit Yuri Romance – a simple, straightforward post. Some people are just in denial!

9-28-2017: What Makes You Instantly Drop an Anime Series? – I don’t cover all the bases but I kind of try. I really wanted to push this out for a while now and I saw an opportunity right before the Fall 2017 anime season was set to start.

10-2-2017: How to Cope with the Death of A Dream as Seen in “Octave” – OWLS October Blog Tour | Dreamer – Sometimes dreams die. I don’t make it blatantly obvious but I really related with what I was saying here. We all have a little Yukino in all of us.

10-4-2017: To Ship or Not to Ship – That is the Discussion [A Collaborative Editorial] (Part 2) – A fun collab between Irina and me! We talk about our feelings about ships! The link to part 1, which was posted on her blog, can be found inside my post!

10-10-2017: Can We Stop Overusing the Word “Dark” to Describe Anime Series? – Don’t use buzzwords unless you’re prepared to explain what you mean.

10-7-2017: Should Dessert Go First or Last When You’re Watching Anime? – I wanted to talk about watching order. Do you save the best for last or do you just jump right into it?

10-26-2017: Top 10 Problems for Yuri Anime Fans – just talking about some of the personal issues I’ve had as a yuri anime fan. Your mileage may vary.

11-1-2017: The Obsession with Originality and the Dominance of Reductionist Criticism – I try to defend Anime-Gataris as well as parodies and homages while trying to reason out why some people are so quick to (incorrectly) use the word, “rip-off.”

11-6-2017: A Guide on the Noblewoman’s Laugh (or How to Ohoho) – O~hohoho!

11-8-2017: The Content Creator’s Dilemma as Seen in URAHARA – Do you write about what you want to write or do you write about what people want to see?

11-15-2017: Creativity, Mimicry, and Individualism in URAHARA – URAHARA is just so meta and relatable. What a great anime series. Here I try to talk about why the girls behave the way they do in episode 7.

11-27-2017: A Discussion on the Definition of Yuri – I try to talk about what I feel is yuri. So I provide a definition of sorts and I bring up these problems or issues that could undermine or affect said definition.

11-28-2017: A Discussion on Blogger Decorum (Part 1) – Another collab with Irina, yay! Here we try to talk about our opinions in regards to blogger behavior. Apparently there’s actually a bloggers’ code, but she and I were not aware!