Surprise Post! One Lovely Blog Award

Once again, just when I think I have all the rules, the world pulls a spare chocolate out of the box that just so happens to be salted caramel.

I have been nominated by the very adorable MojojoJoan for the One Lovely Blog award. Considering I throw a miniature celebration whenever I get one follow or one like, this hit me like a sudden shower of glitter. Thank you so much, Miss Joan, please continue at being hilarious, love the Instagram photos.

But enough stalling. It is time to do that which has always been hard for me: TALKING ABOUT MYSELF.

 

But first thing’s first: The rules

• Thank the person who nominated you and link their blog (which, again, go check out her blog if you like anything I talk about here.)
• Add the One Lovely Blog Award to your post
• Share 7 things about yourself
• Pass this on to as many people as you like (max 15)
• Include this set of rules
• Inform your nominees

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1. My Childhood Was Surrounded by the Complete Nerd Spectrum

Unbeknownst to many, there are lots of flavors in the rainbow of geekdom. I was luck to grow up in all of them: A few in my family were bog fans of fantasy and Tolkien style stories; Another few were more of the sci-fi persuasion and watched Star Trek and Star Wars; And almost all of them were videogame lovers and everyone adored books. Sadly, I’m really the only one who has a big love for anime.

Though, speaking of books…

2. I Got Picked on Frequently Over Books.

I was always buried in some thick, 500 page novel growing up. And, for some reason, my classmates in high school saw this as an excuse to treat me as some subhuman creature that was somehow weird and unusual. It probably wasn’t helping that I frequently brought in some novel-sized collections of classic stories. Even so, it always made me sad that people considered basic novels as too thick for the average consumer.

3. I Can Play an Instrument!

As if being an anime nerd wasn’t hard enough, I was also a band geek. I can play your basic flute, and pretty well. I played in the band for all three years of high school, played in Concert Band (which is the equivalent of the AP class) and even participated in a district-wide contest with a solo and a part in a Flute Choir. I got the highest scores in both.

4. I Adore Everything Artsy

When it comes to being creative, I’m a big fan of everything you can do. As such, I listen to all kinds of music, read several types of books, draw, paint, write, etc. I like to look at cosplay pictures, I am big into fashion, and I adore reading comic books.

5. I’m Obsessed With Jewelry

There are times when I suspect I was a magpie in a previous life because sparklies and I go a long way. I have a huge collection of jewelry with several necklaces, bracelets, and rings. I’m usually wearing multiple pieces at one time, and you’ll frequently find me pursuing the discount fashion jewelry.

6. I Went Through a Heavy Goth Phase

Because of excessive bullying and the discovery of emo music, I went through a phase in high school I affectionately call “Baby Bat”. During this time, back before tutorials and helpful fashion sights, I did my very best to be a “goth” with raccoon eye makeup, black lipstick, and a wardrobe of varying degrees of black, red and purple. In fact, if you want to know what I looked like, I would direct you to the “My Immortal” fanfic, because it was much of the same.

7.  I’m An Aspiring Author

This one is likely the most obvious, but I believe it to be the most important. I went through several different career ideas as a child, but being a writer was always the biggest one. I adore creating worlds from scratch, telling stories, and just putting together a picture using nothing but my words. No official published stories yet, beyond those in my critique circle, but feel free to browse my work from my FictionPress account.

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And now the fun part.

I nominate Fujinsei, specifically Aria Cross for this award, for being one of my first followers and always offering great advice. I adore you, my dear, good luck.

Top Ten Terrifying Anime Characters

Happy Early Halloween, my Otaku-Ghouls, and Gals.

Fall has always been one of my favorite seasons, and Halloween contributes heavily to that: Delicious candy flows at cheap prices;  horror movies are abundant,  and the decorations pouring out of department stores burning money like hellfire.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year… 

Naturally, this is the time of year when fear becomes trendy. While I don’t dive into Horror anime as much as I’d like, I do adore when a character makes me shiver in my blanket burrito. Thus I present to you the top ten anime characters that, one time or another, made me shake in my fashion boots.  As always, this is just my list, and I’m open to suggestions in the comments from what I haven’t seen.

 

10.  The Major — Hellsing (Spoilers: Minor)

In an unrelated project, I once asked “who wants to own a war?” in jest. Little did I know, there was an answer to that question.

The Major, lacking a real name, loves war. He doesn’t care if he’s on the winning or losing side of any war; he just wants to be a part of the whole bloody affair. This obsession not only leads him to fighting for the Nazi’s in WWII, but to forming a neo-nazi organization, Millennium, and plunging London into a bloody chaotic heap. Intelligent, ruthless, and usually in a jaunty mood, The Major has no qualms about sending his men to die at the hands of a monster, using them as bait to lure out other people, or anything that results in mass death.  Worse yet, this soft-spoken, impeccably dressed man will do it all with a jaunty smile on his face.

9.  Majin Buu — Dragon Ball Z (Spoilers: Moderate)

The Major’s greatest strength is the power of an army. But what if one person had all that power? What if it was a toddler?

For all the Goofy Dragon Ball Z has ever done, Majin Buu was a stroke of genius.  He looks like a joke villain, This pudgy pink ball of lard but Akira Toriyama made him just about the most dangerous thing his group of martial artists ever dealt with. He took all the power of several nuclear warheads and put it in the hands of a childish, easily angered creature, and what followed was utter, terrifying chaos. This funny-looking creature destroyed cities, Kami’s lookout, and nearly the whole planet, in one season.  And that was just in this form — you don’t wanna see him in his second and third state.

8. Sebastian Michaelis — Black Butler (Spoilers: None)

When it comes to power, both Buu and Sebastian are forces to be reckoned with. But where Buu lacks in intelligence, Sebastian has in experience, cunning, and just sheer, cold cruelty. The only reason people don’t shake when they see him is the charming dandy candy wrapper on the outside.

The demonic butler of Kuroshitsuji is a near indestructible force under the command of Earl Ciel Phantomhive, revenge-seeking-child #524. Fast, strong, and immortal, Sebastian attacks every problem (or person) his masters points him too with precision and machine-like efficiency. This results in the Butler bringing hell to earth on several occasions for the Earl’s enemies, leaving one to question just what this ruthless creature would do if he wasn’t on a leash. And with the threat of his reward on the horizon, namely Ciel’s soul, the show always feels like a trap waiting to trigger.

7. Orochimaru — Naruto (Spoilers: Minor)

While Naruto doesn’t impress me as much as it used to, it’s hard to deny how utterly creepy and disturbing that is Orochimaru.  Unlike Sebastian, the snake villain of Naruto is not bound by anyone, and thus free to be the disturbing bastard that he is.

One of the three greatest ninjas of Konohagakure, Orochimaru is described as “twisted”, while “creepy” is a better term. Besides conducting mass experiments on the village population to gain immortality, Orochimaru is no stranger to wearing other people’s skins like a suit, nor in testing the limits of human body modification. Orochimaru himself is body horror incarnate, especially when wielding a host of snake-jutsus that make his own body react in unnatural fashions. If there was ever a man who embodied hard-science horrors, it was Orochimaru.

6. Akito — Fruits Basket (Spoilers: Minor)

But why I hear you ask? Akito doesn’t kill anyone, nor does he have any supernatural powers. But Akito has one thing that makes him terrifying: complete control over a whole family, and he abuses it to horrific extents.

For most of Fruits Basket, the head of the Sohma family tended to be a shadowy figure that never showed his face. But later episodes (and chapters) revealed that Akito was a cold creature, so afraid of being left alone that he’d do anything to keep the family close by. This, sadly,  included  physical abuse, gas-lighting, brainwashing, and any other trauma he could think of. The control Akito has over the minds of those in the Zodiac is terrifying to watch and will break your heart each time you get a tiny glimpse.

5. Light Yagami — Death Note (Spoilers: None)

Abused power is, indeed, a terrifying concept. None utilize this to greater effect than Light Yagami, the teen with the power to murder in just a few pen strokes.

Light is the bored genius child in every classroom, the one who’s too smart and frustrated with all the wrongs he sees around him. But, unlike the others, Light stumbles upon the power to do something about it: a Notebook that can kill with a name and a face. Light’s goal seems like it would be the obvious solution, i.e use the Death Note to kill criminals, but Light takes it several steps too far. Believing himself to be a new God, Light’s ultimate goal is to murder anyone he deems as unworthy and start a new perfect society of justice. When challenged, he becomes an unhinged creature they call Kira, killing anyone he rationalized as dangerous and manipulating everyone around him for the greater good.

4. Shishio Makoto — Rurouni Kenshin (Spoilers: Minimal)

Speaking of creating the perfect world, someone else beat Light to that punch a long time ago. But where Light has to hide for fear of being stopped, this fellow operates as a public terrorist.

Shishio Makoto was a former assassin for the government, the same government who tried to burn him alive when they had no more use for him. After surviving the flames Shisho has formed an anti-government militia and plans to take over all of Japan. But where Light plans to make a “perfect world” where crime is reason enough to be slaughtered, Shisho believes the weak exist to aid the strong (mostly by dying) and has no trouble at all crushing people under his heel. Intelligent and charismatic, it doesn’t take long for this sadistic samurai to gain a following, and for his burning passion to almost destroy an entire country.

3. Fuhrer King Bradley — Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (Spoilers: Minor)

We’ve played with a lot of beings now with unrestrained power, who are usually either apathetic or on a leash. Imagine what would happen if that endless power were released onto the world with little to no safeguards.

That is King Bradley, and that is terrifying

The “enigmatic” leader of Amestris makes only a few appearances early on, but these brief appearances usually resulted in someone being slaughtered before the audience could blink.  He is ruthless against his enemies, blindly fast, and seems to be powered by an endless supply of cold, cruel, anger. There’s no mercy to be found when Bradley’s decided your fate, a feature that has lead to Mustang questioning his intentions, especially when this was the same man who kept the fires burning for the Ishvalan war. Even the audience isn’t exactly sure what side Bradley is really on.

2. Lucy — Elfen Lied (Spoilers: Moderate)

When Elfen Lied isn’t painting its story with buckets of blood, it shows some serious depth and Shakespearean characters. None more so than Lucy, whose traumatic past makes her a rage-fueled murderer who will leave you in sympathetic tears.

Lucy the Diclonius has experienced the best and the worst of humanity all at once and too fast. Her whole life has been defined by aggressive, over-cruel bullying, borderline on sadistic, resulting in her torturing and killing her tormentors in the most brutal fashion. But Lucy has also experienced love from a childhood friend and actually seeks to atone for her sins in the name of that love.

1. Legato Bluesummers — Trigun (Spoilers: Mild)

The Gung-Ho guns were a very late addition to Trigun, but their leader more than makes up for it.

The manga shows Legato in a more sympathetic light, revealing him to be a former slave that was abused before being rescued by Vash’s nemesis. The anime leaves his background a mystery but makes his disturbing nature abundantly clear. Legato is a manipulative nihilist who’s bound and determined to torment a man who swears to never kill, strictly because that man causes him “undue irritation.”

Legato’s talks of everything being pointless and empty, alongside his powers to control bodies through his mind (combined with, you guessed it, some sadistic intelligence) make him the most disturbing force to be reckoned with. Legato’s penchant for psychological warfare, and sheer obsession with breaking one man make him one of the scariest things to ever cross into anime.

 

Who in anime terrifies you? Plan on dressing up as any of them for Halloween? Feel free to let us know all about it in the comments below. And don’t forget to like and follow for more content just like this.

 

 

First Impressions: Your Lie In April

Drama anime has never been much of a fascinating topic for me. I like gut-wrenching, traumatic experiences in my stories as much as the next writer, but I usually prefer it mixed in with a good amount of action and/or danger. Thus I was dubious when I first clicked on Your Lie in April in my Netflix Feed, but I find myself increasingly fascinated the more I watch. Because, while all the usual pieces are in place, something darker feels like it’s just waiting in the wings.

I’m also a music nerd, so that helps.

THROUGH THE FIRE AND THE FLAMES–

To clarify, these are all just my first impressions. The spoilers will be kept to a minimum and anything here is subject to being wrong.

As I said, Your Lie in April has all the set pieces of a Manic Pixie Dream Girl anime tends to overplay: Kōsei Arima, Japan’s premier piano prodigy, experiences the burnout traditional with child prodigies, especially when his mother passes away from Plot Convenient Illness. After her death, Kōsei abandons his musical career, but not without a fair share of scars. His mother’s oppressive and abusive tactics towards the latter half of her life have left Kōsei unable to hear the piano keys, and walking through life in monotone.

Then enter Kaori Miyazono, our dream girl who’s so manic she may need a leash. A classical violinist who believes in breaking molds and winning hearts, she decides she’s gonna lift Kōsei out of his robotic existence and drown him in bright colors, even if she has to drag him kicking and screaming. Her efforts draw blood, sweat, tears, and even love.

And sometimes all of the above

 

The pieces are all here but someone has hijacked our happy little car.  Our manic pixie puts the “ow” in overly friendly, all while fighting back some dark clouds of her own. Kōsei’s not so subtle recovery feels less like relearning the wonders of life and more like violent exposure therapy for PTSD, wiping clean what he knew about the rigid classical music world. Every dramatic moment is played in the least subtle way possible, at least all the recognizable ones, but it adds to a sense of dread hanging over the whole thing.

Something very bad is coming, and that’s a wonderful thing.

Real Life Drama?! ZOMG yes.

I can sense it because of the unaccounted for pieces. Yes, Kaori is doing her best to teach little Arima that he can break the strict codes that frighten him so, but what about the other parties involved?  We have Tsubaki, the childhood best friend, whose affection for Kōsei is obvious and looming over the whole thing, like a pair of judgemental eyes at a recital. We have her old flame, Saito, whose returned affections for her don’t seem to be striking any high notes. Lastly, we have Watari, Kōsei’s other close friend whom Kaori is still vying for. That in itself wouldn’t be so dangerous, except it means that Kaori isn’t showing any signs of falling for Kōsei  nearly as hard as he is for her, if at all.

These final pieces feel like vultures, just watching from the sidelines and waiting for the best moment to swoop. And when they do, I have to wonder, will it all fall apart? Or will something even better fight its way forward?

We’ll both have to watch and find out.

This is called nuance, children. Sadly lacking in today’s world.

Since this is just my first impressions, let me ask: how did you who finish the series find the whole thing? How right or wrong was I? Do you like or dislike it as a whole? Feel free to comment below and don’t forget to like and follow for more content just like this.

 

My Favorite East Meets West Anime

Your average Otaku should know one thing: art is never made in a vacuum.

It’s an old saying (you can tell by the dusty language) that basically means artists have to take their inspiration from everything and everyone, including cultures outside their own. The best artists will take make it their own, putting a unique spin on a well-loved thing, while a hack will just repackage it sloppily and hope no one notices.

But I do. It’s a sickness; I can’t help it.

Can’t…. stop… watching!

Thankfully, today’s specimens are strokes of genius. For one of the favorite inspirational hotspots of anime and manga artists the world over is “The West”, or Western Culture as a whole. The morality of this cross-culturing aside, the results are some of the funniest, most interesting anime you can find, and these suckers deserve a spotlight.

In no particular order, here are my four favorite anime that successfully integrate some western candy into their Halloween bowl, and add their own personal stamp on it. As always, this is just my current list and can be updated at a later date. Should you know any better, or disagree with my reasoning, please feel free to comment.

• Honorable Mention: Avatar The Last Airbender

The only thing keeping this one from the list is that it’s not an anime, technically. But it’s so good at crossing cultural barriers, we have to at least give it the silver riceball or something.

Avatar Aang, the peace-keeper between four elemental nations, returns after vanishing for over 100 years. In that time, the Fire Nation has declared war; the Air Nation has all been wiped out, and chaos seems imminent. But if Aang, the last of the airbenders, can master the other three elements, he and his friends have a shot at stopping the Fire Lord and restoring balance to the world.

As I said, the reason I insist on including this show is how many cues this western animation takes from anime. The art style alone is a nod to traditional anime, alongside its heavy dramatic themes, shonen-esque band of young heroes, and  inspiration from both Chinese and Japanese culture. These guys did their research and brought the two mediums together into one beautiful piece. I tip my cat-ears to you, sirs and madams.

• The Big O

Now I’ve mentioned this one before, but she bears repeating. Because how often are you gonna find a show that’s Batman mixed with Giant Robots?

As I said in my Top Ten Toonami Shows, The Big O was a show from the 2000s that took place in post-apocalyptic Paradigm city, where the amnesiac population is under the protection of master negotiator and mech-pilot, Roger Smith. Together with android R. Dorothy Wayneright and his butler, Norman, his job is to protect the city and solve the mystery of why everyone lost their memories.

Big O was inspired primarily off of shows like  Batman: The Animated Series over in the states, adopting the same art aesthetic alongside the usual anime designs. There’s lots of film noir inspiration going around, and Roger’s name also aligns with the name of an American Actor/Writer who starred in an old Detective series in America, 77 Sunset Strip.  It’s a very cool, very sophisticated action show that only suffered when the second season had less polish. There’s also an argument to be made about Roger being Anime Batman.

• Soul Eater

So what happens when anime and Tim Burton have a baby? You get an anime that bounces between spooky and crazy with gleeful abandon, and some genuinely moving storytelling.

Welcome to the Death Weapon Meister Academy, run by Death himself, Shinigami-Sama. Here we follow three different groups of misfits, each consisting of a weapon master and a weapon (or two) that can change into a human. The goal is to capture 99 evil human souls, such as serial killers and sinners, and the soul of one witch. If they do this in order, the weapon becomes a “death scythe” to be wielded by Shinigami-Sama. If they fail or go out of order, they have to start all over again.

Soul Eater always felt like the Japanese love-letter to Halloween and horror. When Maka isn’t swinging her scythe like a schoolgirl grim-reaper, or when you’re not wondering why that moon is giving you the crazy eyes, we’re chasing down pumpkin-throwing witches and famous serial killers. When we aren’t adoring the spooky things in life, we’re also making several nods to the Western pop culture at the time, such as the band Pink Floyd and the TV show Twin Peaks.

• Samurai Champloo

Much like how the west fantasized about the “good old days” with their western movies, the Japanese had a good old time with Samurai Cinema, otherwise known as Chanbara. These period pieces, which got more action-oriented after World War II, are insanely popular in Japan but never really got past B-movie, cult-classic status in the states. Thus, if you think about it, it makes perfect sense that they would mix so smoothly with underground hip-hop culture.

Directed by Shinichirō Watanabe, Samurai Champloo is a Chanbara style anime infused with the soul of hip-hop and rap. Amidst an anachronistic version of Edo-Period Japan, Teahouse Waitress Fuu convinces two wandering samurai to help her: Jin, the traditionally stoic Ronin and Mugen, a free-roaming vagrant. Together this very unstable trio travel Japan in search of a man who, according to Fuu, “smells like sunflowers.”

This little gem loosened up the strict, historical standards and replaced it with a spectacular mesh of western hip-hop culture. It won’t be uncommon to see Edo-period folk walking around in sports kimonos, speaking in modern gangster slang, and sporting attitudes that bring the phrase “thug life” to mind in flashing Neon lights. It’s a grizzly, violent and yet funny piece that takes a tongue-in-cheek approach to its anachronisms, proving that all things are possible with good writing.

• Cowboy BeBop

Yes, it’s the same guy. Obvious? Absolutely. Sorry? Not even close.

Every once and awhile you find a show that earns its praise, and BeBop earns every single accolade it gets. It takes us into yet another space dystopia where crime runs rampant, and police often pay bounty hunters to do their dirty work. Of these hunters, often called Cowboys, former Yazuka style outlaw Spike Spiegel is doing his best to make a living alongside his partner, Jett Black. As our story unfolds, their deep scars float to the surface; they begrudgingly pick up more misfits to join their merry band, and the setting around you becomes all the more consuming in its bleak, but stubborn atmosphere.

The references and homages in BeBop fill this show to bursting. It takes cues from American action movies, old westerns, John Woo Yakuza films, British pop music, Lupin III, Bruce Lee, and so much more. If you want a good chunk of what this show took tidbits from, check this website out here because, when it comes to crossing some cultures, these Space Cowboys will always deliver.

And all it took was an almost dead cowboy…

Do you have a favorite cross-culture anime? Is the very idea of cross-culture bad to you? Feel free to discuss or comment below, and don’t forget to like and follow for more content.

Sailor Moon vs. Sailor Moon Crystal (And Why I Love Them Both)

I would die defending the original Sailor Moon from critics. I’ll defend Sailor Moon Crystal just as hard, if not harder.

As an original Moon Maniac from way back in the day, I about lost my mind when I heard Sailor Moon was being remade. And, since I’ve read the original manga now, I really went bananas when they said it would stick closer to the original story. I embraced my inner Moon Hipster and dived right into the first episode on Hulu, and I haven’t looked back since.

But, of course, with the new comes a slew of hard questions concerning the old one: was it really as good as I thought it was? Can I still defend it tooth and nail? What in the world was going on with the homophobia in the original English dub?

Thankfully, that one has been corrected.

thank you, thank you, and thank you again.

The others, however, get more complicated. For, while Nostalgia is a powerful force, there are flaws in the original that Crystal corrected, and a few cases where they over-corrected and fixed what wasn’t broken. They’re changes worth a second look, and y’all know second looks are my specialty.

So let’s do this.

• Character Arcs and Lack of Personality

One of the biggest differences between the shows comes from the character arcs, and how they find themselves resolved.In non-boring, non-writer talk, each sailor scout had a “problem” they needed to overcome, each one different to represent a diverse group of girls. The Original Anime went to great lengths to cover each and every scout’s arc, including our main character. They advertised “crybaby klutz” and boy howdy, did we ever get that.

By contrast, Crystal is more focused on the overall plot, much like the manga. While this does make a more efficient, faster-paced story, this does mean that character development gets put on the back-burner.

For example, the original show took great pains to emphasize how klutzy, easily upset, and selfish Usagi was. It had her behave like a frightened crybaby to give her room to grow, and it made it all the more awesome when she finally put on her big-girl panties and saved the day. But Crystal has eased back Usagi’s childish nature in favor for a more sweet, sensitive personality. It’s likely easier on the ears, what with the lack of piercing shrieks, but it does make our teen girl seem more mature than she actually is.

Because our little darling is anything but

 

• Um, Beg Pardon, But This Feels a Tad Like Power-Rangers

 

I saw a video once claiming Sailor Moon Crystal was not a great choice for someone’s first glance into the franchise. And while Crystal is easier to enjoy once you’ve seen the first show, I have to wonder if the original anime is a great place to start either. Because, quite frankly, it fell into a rut real fast.

Each episode fell into a very strict pattern that resembled shows like Power Rangers and such: Usagi has a problem she’s trying to solve; problem connects back to Negaverse; Monster appears, fight monster; get saved by love-interest; defeat monster, solve problem. Every so often this pattern would break when the “final boss” was on the horizon, but these were few and far between.

Now, to be fair, the Manga/Crystal don’t break this pattern exactly, but they do mix it up. It’s not always the same type of problem as each new monster is there to move the plot forward (as opposed to filling runtime) and the story of each episode is varied.  For all the stripping away Crystal did, I don’t blame it for trying to avoid Monster of the Day.

Make it stoooop.

 

• Slow Down, Buttercup

 

Has anyone ever noticed how quickly these remakes tend to go through old material?

Brotherhood seemed like the first to set this in motion, speeding through the Lior Arc and careening directly into the main storyline at Mach 5. Crystal is doing the same now, going through each of Beryl’s generals in a few episodes time, speeding through the Black Moon Family, and so on. This can be efficient and keep the story fresh, as we don’t fall into the Power Ranger Syndrome mentioned above. But this can also cause a problem when we miss details that made the original product so well loved.

One of the best arcs from the original anime was Nephrite’s arc in the first season, specifically his tragic romance with Naru, Usagi’s best friend. Watching Nephrite slowly fight his feelings for a human girl was a very humanizing moment for the Four Generals, and hinted that maybe something was going on with them that we didn’t see. It was also one of the biggest tearjerkers in this show, an accomplishment given all the romantic pathos it played with.

 

• So Where Does That Leave Us?

 

It leaves us with no clear answer, and two awesome shows to add to the Watch List.

When it comes to these shows, I like to compare them to sugar. Sailor Moon (1993) is the raw, unprocessed sugar you can get at the coffee shops: robust and delicious, but best handled in small chunks since it takes so long to dissolve. Meanwhile, Sailor Moon Crystal is the refined, processed sugar that’s easy to take in, just as sweet as the original, but far more convenient.

Still, at the end of the day, the message is always the same: anyone can be a hero, even the most unlikely of us all. As long as that never changes, I will keep watching.

 

What was your favorite part of the old Sailor Moon? Did you hate the show? Do you like Crystal now? Do you hate Crystal with a fiery passion? Feel free to share with me in the comments below, and don’t forget to like and follow for more content just like this.

 

Why I Prefer Shounen

After browsing my Netflix and Hulu Watch List, I’ve noticed a trend: I really like shounen anime.

I consume an  equal number of shounen and shoujo anime, but content aimed at young men, or “shounen” dominates my favorite titles.  As odd as this is, especially given my endless love (trademark) of Sailor Moon and Fruits Basket, it made more sense to me the longer I thought about it. Shounen Island may be a dark and strange place, full of pointy-haired men grunting and screaming, but such things are only on one shore. If you do some walking, some other natives are worth the trek indeed.

Yeah yeah, the metaphor got away from me, but follow me here.

I know this is an odd choice, especially since this is a genre that harbors a good chunk of my anime pet-peeves, but shounen also harbors a side of anime I find much more appealing, and that’s followed me for most of my childhood. It offers me a nicer buffet to choose from for my viewing experience and I figured I’d share my thoughts on it, see if they resonate with y’all.

• More Action, More Story

I like action, just as much as I like drama. In fact, a mix of action and drama is one of my favorite types of shows, hence why I’m so head-over-heels with Sailor Moon. But, for all the magical girl anime out there, shoujo has just not dipped a toe in the ring as much as I would like.

Shounen thrives on action, as any DBZ fan will tell you. It thrives on underdog heroes in impossible situations rising to the occasion after a big, flashy action scene. If done right, you get the likes of One Piece: an exciting, fast-paced plot with awesomely animated fight scenes, tension, and tear-jerking dilemmas.  If done wrong,  you get action lines and a lot of talking. A lot of talking.

Yeah, I reuse pictures. Cause this is still true.

By contrast, shoujo likes things to be slow, emotional, and partially comedic. It grows its garden more in the drama department, using pathos and internal conflict to push forward. Funnily enough, I also adore this kind of storytelling, but shoujo is lacking in one more aspect.

• Thinking Outside The Bento Box

As I said before, I love weird anime. As such, I prefer the genre that will lead me to the strangest and most creative places possible, which shounen has been the main source of for a very long time. Shounen has a story-telling freedom that shoujo lacks, and I find it far more entertaining.

Best example hands down comes from a single show, D-Gray Man. In one single place we have demonic machines stuffed inside dead bodies; a boy who can fight these machines with an arm composed of holy stone,  an amnesiac samurai from a science lab, a vampire who drinks the blood of other demons, and his grandfather who grew man-eater plants inside a dark, gothic castle.

Why does nobody ever come to visit?

Most of the shoujo anime I’ve seen takes place in a more urban setting. Creative concepts still abound, a la Fruits Basket, but we never really see someone go off the deep end and keep swimming. While I don’t dislike the notes shoujo likes to hit, I need to explore out-of-the-box ideas every so often.

• Our Girls Can Hit Harder

But here we have the kicker: how can I love something that isn’t aimed at girls? There’s  almost no female protagonists to be had, barring a small handful, making it difficult to identify or some such.

To those spinning such tales, folly on you. Any avid fan of shounen anime will tell you that the women in these shows not only are far more proactive but much easier to look up to. Who wouldn’t wanna be like Olivier Armstrong, who commands an entire military base? Or how about  Mikasa Ackerman, the most bad-ass protector anyone could ask for?

Pictured Above: the day Armin saved Captain Levi’s life from She Who Is Vicious

Now, there is an argument to be made for women in shounen being sexualized, not as skilled as their male counterparts, and often rescue-fodder. But good shounen dabbles in self-sufficient women who not only do great things but become great things. By contrast, shoujo’s cast of females tend to all run along the shy side and tend to be pretty passive in the story.

• But, At The End Of The Day, I Don’t Hate Shojo

For all my complaining here, I can never bring myself to hate shoujo anime. Shoujo often has some of the most beautiful art, most bittersweet plots, and characters that reach your heart in the most unexpected of ways.  For what it lacks in heavy action it compensates with intense emotions and pretty complex characters.

But, at the end of the day, shoujo’s fatal flaw has always been the scope. The shows I’ve seen have always been very small in scale, and lacking in epic storytelling. Shounen scratches an itch I have to see grand plots of evil foiled by some ragtag group of misfits, and I foresee it dominating my watch-list in the future. 

 

But, of course, I’m always eager to be proven wrong. So feel free to comment below and tell me how wrong I am, any show you know that breaks all of this, anything of the sort. Don’t forget to like and follow for more content just like this.