The End of Medaka Box (and some musings on the works of NisiOisiN)

image from cxcscans

I’ll be honest in saying that I was a bit sad to see Medaka Box go. Sure, it kinda tired itself out with plots going off-tangent at times but it was also quirky enough to be a unique “taste” of manga that you won’t really see as much in other more popular (and more successful) titles. It’s not revolutionary, what NisiOisiN (of Bakemonogatari fame) did, but out of nowhere twists and parodies and awesome characters (and side characters to boot) were sure as hell fun to read about. I’m not a big manga reader myself though, and if it wasn’t for the recommendation of a friend I probably would never even try reading Medaka Box. Thankfully I did, and I got to see it off with, probably the most awkward ending to manga I’ve seen – and it couldn’t have fit any better.

A Review on KURO: Eternal Night Chronicles, Book One – A Vanished Goddess

art by Nuri-kun

Personally speaking, I have always considered the light novel as a genre of its own. It is not merely the amalgam of fantasy and sci-fi, coupled with romance at times, that stock the Young Adult shelves of today. Granted, I read them not in their intended form, which is that of Japanese text, but it is with the essence of the novel that makes for me the biggest difference. I attribute it to the specific literary nature of the Japanese – a style that is their own; completely common-place to them yet, to the eyes of an outside reader, a relatively new and unfamiliar sight.

An unfamiliar sight indeed, being shared by what I would assume as, a relatively small niche of fans of Japanese media in general. It may even be pigeon-holed as being only for fans of Japanese media in general. Anime and manga fans are a more casual bunch in that regard I should say. To watch a story unfold in anime, as supposed to reading one in a novel is in theory something that most would consider more fun to actually do after all.

Is it really that hard to transcribe that experience, that of anime and manga, into a book?

Author Miko Limjoco wishes to do just that.
With his own spin on writing light novels, he welcomes readers into the land in darkness; Kuro.

Why I Watch Anime?

*cough* damn, it’s dusty in here *cough* *cough* This is an extremely late entry for Kai’s (deluscar) carnival project on “why do we watch anime”. I’m almost certain those of you who would chance upon this post would most likely know what I’m talking about (if not have participated in it and have written their own posts). So yeah, getting right to it; the reason I watch anime is because –

A Quick Look at Big Windup!

Ah, baseball. A sport I doubt I’d ever get a chance to play (mainly ‘cause the university I’m in doesn’t really offer it) or watch live. Nevertheless, the technicality of it all just gets me going  - whether it’s the pitching, the run-hitting, the strategy, or everything else that goes on in between. That’s why for this Quick Look, I’ll be talking about… you guessed it, a baseball-themed anime.

One of my absolute favorite titles, and is, in my opinion, one of the more under-“watched” ones as well – Big Windup!

The Anime Blogger Interrogation Game

The jig is up – lady warden Snippettee has found me on twitter, and has called me out to the ani-blogger lineup to be questioned. I’m sure a great deal of you guys (if not, like, all of you guys) have encountered this game organized by Iso, but yeah, basically it’s a game wherein those who’re tagged are given a set of questions to answer (well, the game’s deadline has passed so I can’t really tag other people.)

So, yes, here’s me being interrogated

Acquired Tastes in Anime

The human sense of taste is a complex and amazing thing. There’s never a common standard; what’s sweet is just, well, sweet, and if it’s bitter, there’s nothing else you could describe it as. But, what makes the palate so unique is how each of us sometimes go and like the weirdest, or at the least, the more uncommon tastes (you know, stuff like, mint chocolate, Oreo-and-cheese milkshakes, uhh, veggie burgers). We don’t like it right away, but it grows on us – we acquire a taste for them. The same also holds true for a lot of stuff; songs you listen to, books you read, and maybe, in the anime we watch as well.

A Review on True Tears

Thanks to feal87‘s occasional recommendation (and being a fellow romance fan myself) it was only a matter of time until I finally got around to watching this series. I’ve heard many a tale of its near realistic plot feats, but I took it with a grain of salt – seeing as it also sports the oh-so-dreaded, forbidden, and angst-bound ratio of 3:2. Plus, it made rooting for the eventual “losing” girl to be all the more heart-wrenching.

Suffice to say, I still made that mistake – to the credit of the twisty-turny roller coaster ride of a love story that is True Tears.