The Saimoe Depot.
The International Saimoe League Depot, to be precise.

In any case, if you’ve clicked on this because you are a die-hard ef fan, or maybe just a casual one, or maybe just someone who likes reading my posts for some reason, you know what duty comes next.

This is the miracle we can pull off. The one that we can bring together with our own hands. The first round has proven it.

Yuuko Amamiya was contending up there with the best of them in the Group 13 of the ISML 2010 prelims in the first round yesterday. And now, I’m firmly convinced that with that extra push, we can bring her into that future that so many of us wish for. That moe – that beautiful character – that we all believe in.

(There are a thousand of us at least, apparently!)

It won’t be easy. But it wouldn’t be as rewarding any other way. We can shape this outcome. We can make this ISML a more brilliant ISML than last year.

It is a story of the “Will”.

Even without wings, you’ll make it…

Whether for Yuuko, for ef, for me even, let’s bond together and bring Yuuko to that dream we saw one day, that dream of a future, overflowing with light … with this vote!

-CCY
ROUND 2 – GROUP 13 – Yuuko Amamiya

Thanks for your time – and please, spread the word! Every vote counts!

The date is Sunday, January 31st, 2010.
The time, 2:00 AM. (Although by the time you read this, maybe closer to 7:00 AM.)
The place, my dorm room, my face lit only by the dim glow of a computer screen and the burning flame inside my heart. A flame that won’t die out. Not for the next nine months.

I sit, and await the dawn.

Not the occurrence every 24 hours, of the glowing orb we call the sun hoisting itself fervently into the sky, but rather, a metaphorical dawn.

The wheels of fate were already turning. Maybe you had already seen it coming.

The forty girls who had already been waiting, certainly had. On the 10th of January, they were joined by the eighty-six hoisted up by the people. Some, veterans. Others, hot-shots.

The long-haired and the short, the mature and the blob-like, the round and the DFC, the young and the … slightly less young.

Beginning now, is the start, of their journey. For some of them, it may be a road they’ve traveled already; others, unfamiliar territory.

But no matter whom, it was clear, that the golden road to the 2010 International Saimoe League would be harder than ever before.

And so, a vehicle must be constructed to traverse this road, a machine powered by passion itself.

I shall endeavor to become its mechanic.

INTERNATIONAL SAIMOE LEAGUE 2010: PRELIMINARY ROUND I
“My turn … where is it?”
Campaign A: Isumi Saginomiya

I always dislike introducing myself into the crude campaign posts I write. The girl, not the writer, should be the target of the paean, should it not?

The more that can be focused on the virtue of the character, the better, and it is better not to have any impure motives of the 3D author behind it at, muddling it up.

But it seems all but a necessity, as otherwise quite the paradox is created. The character may create the fanbase, but the fanbase cannot be driven by anyone but a fan itself.

Rather, objectivity is a difficult task. There have been far more, far more eloquent posts written on how to identify a ‘good’ character alone, not to mention a ‘moe’ one, a task that seems to elude even the best of us, at least in terms of creating a unifying definition.

And I would be perfectly fine with accepting that task as impossible. It’s only natural that ‘moe’ is a highly personal topic, and so trying to convince another that their character is more ‘moe’ than the other is something that I imagine is very difficult.

It’s something that counteracts the whole idea of campaigning itself, as it seems as if the pleas will fall on deaf ears. It is difficult, without the canonical characterization that an anime or manga can provide, to change one’s opinion on a character.

So why do we campaign in spite of this difficulty?
Or, is it, we campaign because of this difficulty?

Because, while maybe 90% of people have made up their minds, there is still the 10%. Those who are ambivalent. Whether it is an equal tie between the characters, or because they are unfamiliar, or maybe not even aware of ISML at all. These are the people that we seek out, more than anyone. It’s the same as political campaigning in the real world, right?

“Because, if I can even affect one vote, that can change everything.”

Of course, that’s faulty logic, right? The exact opposite of “my vote doesn’t matter”. Which one wins out in the end?

I still cannot say for sure. But, for me, I cannot believe anything other than the former. Not just because I cannot let those whom I care for down without a fight, but because I believe in the power of numbers.

I am but one person. But together, you as readers, total in the hundreds. (Well, on a good post day.)

And, I know, if I can affect even just a handful of readers, if those handful vote, and if they are inspired enough to spread the word themselves, a beautiful chain of events will occur.

It is that miracle that a seek. Maybe it was a miracle that I dragged out once before, for last year? I cannot say for sure whether it was my effect or not. And personally, I do not care. This is not my battle.

This time, it is Isumi Saginomiya’s. For her banner, is the one I plan to fight under first and foremost, in this first preliminary round.

Perhaps that statement may surprise some of you. Certainly, there is another girl who my heart belongs to even more. But, I shall show that side of me when the time is right. It is important, not only to know why to fight, and how to fight, but when to fight.

And for Isumi, that time is now. She can bring victory in the first preliminary round. I will guarantee that much. And all I ask is that you believe, and help create the truth behind that guarantee.

There are things that draw me to Isumi. Maybe it is the same for you.

Her personality, which can be lightly described as ‘air-headed’, the adorably clueless girl who can read the atmosphere of a room just about as well as she can read a map (which incidentally, is not at all).

Or maybe the contrast of her more serious side, the exorcist who, despite her sense of direction and balance’s strongest attempts to intervene, always tries to bring peace to those she purifies, with an unchallenged determination.

Maybe it’s just the fact that she can be tooth-shattering in a maid outfit, enhanced by her personality and character’s mismatch with such a thing.

Or her character design in general, the beautiful, flowing dark hair over a traditional kimono that could be described in any number of words. Refined? Delicate? Cute? Your pick.

I believe there is plenty. Not just from the attractiveness of such a girl, but from my own empathy as a clumsy, air-headed person. Something that internalized that sort of emotion, and created a stronger feeling.

That is the passion, I want to express, more than anything. (And perhaps the reason why I have gone on slightly longer than I wanted.)

The passion, that I would hope, drives every one of you.

The passion that, perhaps you sympathize with. Not necessarily for Isumi, but for some person, pastime, or otherwise. 2D? 3D? Somewhere in between? Whatever it may be.

I find that without the ability to understand this passion, without the willingness to let it drive you crazy at 2:30 in the morning, without the acceptance of this emotion in yourself, without that, life wouldn’t be very exciting.

And so, maybe I may consider myself a bit ambitious here, to ask you to understand my passion here, with, if you are not inclined otherwise, a few votes in the prelims of ISML 2010.

Because, even if it is not something that concerns you most drastically, it is the smallest of time lost for you, and the most of happiness gained for myself, and other like-minded people.

Everyone has something that drives them. This is what drives me. So, won’t you help Isumi move a bit closer towards the start line for ISML 2010 … ? Whether it is by voting or otherwise…

Thank you for your time.
(Incidentally, some administrative trivia: in order to advance to the next round, a character must perform the best out of a group of 9, in 4 three-way matches to be held over the next week or so.

So if you do feel convinced to lend Isumi a hand, please do note that the effect will be greatest if you vote in all four matches. There will be follow-up posts notifying of these matches, when the day comes.)

CCY

Action?
Mystery?

Life?
Death?

Love?
Hate?

Logic?
Irrationality?

Witches?
Humans?

Chess?
Roulette?

Red?
Blue?

Umineko.

12 Memories of Anime 2009 #1
(This post contains no ‘hard’ spoilers, but does name-drop a few characters that don’t show up until later in the third and fourth arcs. No events are explicitly spoiled in Umineko, although I could consider there to be Higurashi spoilers.)

Oh, those two weeks in November, were simply incredible. If it wasn’t for the fear that another bender would completely trash my academic life, I’d totally be lost in the world of visual novels again. Sometimes I just think I got lucky, that the one day I decide to read through 75% of Arc 4 in one sitting (it took about 9 hours), I had no homework due the next day.

But more and more, I wonder how much of my anime career is defined by visual novels. It’s getting to the point where I wonder if comparing visual novels and anime is really apples to oranges at times, since pretty much every VN I’ve read has completely blown me away.

Of course, the subset of full-length VNs I’ve read is small. Tsukihime, the work that got kickstarted my passion for anime again, and its sequel, Kagetsu Tohya. And Umineko, which broke me beyond belief, leaving me to an endless repetition of veiled references, colored text, and psuedo-logical arguments. (As long as I keep shouting “Devil’s Proof”, it’ll be OK, right…?)

There are other ones which have been less incredibly affecting, emotionally, but equally entertaining or important from some other perspective, such as Narcissu, or … uh … me-senpai wa 17sai. Yeah.

But looking down the barrel of what I have left on my list, such critically- and fan-acclaimed works as Ever17, Clannad, Kanon, ef (when it’s released), and F/SN, all I can imagine is a wide swath of destruction heading my way. And if I pace myself, it’ll provide an incredible supply of awesomeness.

And if I don’t, I’ll probably be reduced to a smoldering, moe, teary wreck one spring or winter break.

But, moving back on topic, Umineko! Somehow, I don’t feel bad saying that the VN pretty much it devastates nearly every other series from the last 11 Days. And let me prove it now!

The thrilling action and intrigue, the mystical atmosphere, of a Kara no Kyoukai? One look down the barrel of Kyrie’s gun in arc 3 should be enough to prove it. The fight back by the Ushiromiyas – whether the very, very serious one in arc 3, or the very, very silly one in arc 4 – should leave no blood cell empty of adrenaline. And don’t begin to believe for one moment, that Umineko isn’t a thinker. Since you can’t even take this action lying down, without beginning to wonder what’s -really- happening.

The adorability of a Hatsukoi Limited or a Toradora? George x Shannon was so disgustingly adorable, so disgustingly right, so beautifully perfect, that it made me drop Haruka’s Secret as it seemed absolutely pitiful in comparison. This is the OTP dreams are made of – two characters that are high-class on their own, fusing to form something god-tier.

The referential comedy of a Hayate the Combat Butler? From tsurupettan to ni-pah~ to the aformentioned Loser Flag Wanking War, Umineko knows when to throw in a few choice comedy moments between all the stabbing and the Phoenix Wrighting.

The incredible intricacy, the beautiful unfolding of events as in Zero Requiem or Onani Master Kurosawa? Umineko plays it with style, mixing up truth and fiction in a sea of red and blue text, only occasionally cutting through it to show that, yes, there is some logical following to the events, and you -can- figure at least some of it out. But first, you must start by determining what is reality and what is delusion. But I have no doubt that there is an order to this madness, deep below … !

Plus, I have to say, bitchin’ monocle butler Ronove absolutely trounces an unshaven Hei in the looks department.

(Yes, I haven’t refuted Eden of the East, which is just an impressive all-rounder. So consider it refuted by parts, in all of the above.)

And, you think Endless Eight was trolling? Those of you who have gotten far enough in either the visual novel or the anime know EXACTLY why Endless Eight is weaksauce. Not just because Endless Nine is one higher, but because of what resulted shortly after that …

Whether I am trolling or not, I don’t know, but there’s something for sure about Umineko the visual novel that, whether it can be compared to anime or not, makes it not just an incredible evolution of Higurashi, but a stunning work in its own right.

Probably, what intrigues me the most about it, is how, unlike Higurashi, it actively challenges you to solve the mysteries behind Rokkenjima. While in Higurashi, you see the time loop over and over, trying to figure out the consistencies between them all by yourself, in Umineko, Beato herself will come down and bait Battler, and by extension, you, into figuring out what is going on.

Certain murders, certain actions, will be brought to light. Theories will be actively refuted, with the closest thing to ‘absolute truth’ in Umineko. And all the while, you will be searching for this ‘absolute truth’, wondering whether it really exists, whether this case is as clean cut as ‘witches’ or ‘humans’.

You choose what you want to believe. Who you want to trust. Maybe Umineko, in that regard, reflects a bit on the reader. Are you a Battler, believing in people even if they were once – or still are – your enemies? Or are you an Ange, always trusting yourself above anyone else and never putting faith in anyone else?

Certainly, something like this will influence your view of Umineko as a whole, and makes debates about the ‘truth’ (although, as Umineko states, such a word is an oxymoron) that much more intriguing. Can you believe that there was any ‘truth’ to the magical events – the danmaku battles, the gunfights with the stakes, the powerlevel wars – or is that all a delusion? Can you believe that Beatrice can be a ‘friend’? Do you believe in witches – their feelings, their hearts, or their existence?

Or is Battler the only one you can trust?

Perhaps it is my experience from Higurashi tainting me, but I would be very expectant of the series to take a slightly different twist in the four arcs to come. In Higurashi, there was no such thing as ‘absolute evil’. So of course, when you have something ‘absolute evil’ in Umineko, you have to wonder whether you can believe in it, right?

Maybe I’m a fool for leaving some of my heart with Beato, for still believing that witches have at least some place – but it’s the same in Higurashi, is it not? Oyashiro-sama “exists”, but Oyashiro-sama doesn’t exist. She is a god, but not a vengeful one. Similarly, couldn’t witches be the same here … ?

Beatrice is a witch, therefore Beatrice cannot be trusted.

Such a statement, I couldn’t believe in it…

(Not even to mention, those of you who would contest the first part of that statement…)

I couldn’t believe in it, to the point where, I wonder what is the true goal of Umineko? Of course, what we are all led to believe is that, it is the solving of the epitaph, or the solving of the murder mystery, that will bring light upon Rokkenjima once again, but somehow, I think … it should be something more? It’s not just about who is ‘right’ and who is ‘wrong’ and about ’solving’ things … but maybe, about emotions more human. More about people, than about events … since there may not be such a thing as ‘truth’ on Rokkenjima… and even if there is, is there not, something more important …?

Although I can only argue on this front, because at least two of the other three witches currently known of (not mentioning the alternate Beatrices) have completely lost me as to their intentions and purposes. If they even have such a thing …? So I can only sit and wait for their move.

And I will wait patiently for the next game board as well, as I think I can play this one for all eternity. Certainly.

So for now, sleep peacefully, my most beloved visual novel, Umineko… and sweet dreams to you as well, the reader. Thanks for participating in the 12 Days gathering, whether as a reader or a writer. It’s been a great time on both sides for me, and I hope it’s been for you as well.

CCY

Something was strange.

I somehow got that feeling.

I was sitting in front of the computer, half-watching an episode of an anime of no importance to me. I was half-interested in one of the cute meganekkos, and was about to go search for pictures of her, when I somehow got the feeling that I was about to get some great inspiration for a post.

Write write write.

“CCY, blog post.”

12 Memories of Anime 2009
#02: Endless Eight [The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya's Fanbase]

Don’t need you to tell me that.

Oh man, Endless Eight. What can I say about you?

The time loop which has occurred over and over in many other forms of fiction (for example, the American movie Groundhog Day), done As You’ve Never Seen It Before.

Which is, to say, the exact same way. Every single time.

The same plot developments.
The same events.
The same script, the same dialogue, everything.

“Kyon-kun, denwa.” every time.
Swimming at the ’shomin pool’, every time.
Mikuru crying buckets in the park at night, every time.
Stargazing on the rooftop, every time.
“Oh well, I’ll just leave it to tommorow’s me,” every time.

Well, almost. But can you consider the payoff from that one episode – that ‘redemption’ after seven episodes of repetition, of identical scripts and scenes – seven weeks of waiting, seven weeks of watching Kyon giving up on solving the mystery – can you consider it worth it?

Of -COURSE- it was worth it.

You can say it was the same events, the same dialogue, the same plot and everything, but … yet … it was still so subtly different.

It would be “Kyon-kun, denwa”, but would Kyon have a future sight of recieving the phone call every time?
It would be swimming at the ’shomin pool’, but would Kyon have that sense of deja vu or even be able to recall the entirety of some of Haruhi’s lines here?
It would be Mikuru crying in the park, but … just how many buckets would she cry? And just how long would it take you to imagine Itsuki next to her, in bed, smoking a cigarette?

OK … that was a bad example. But maybe what I pictured every time Kyon would pick up his phone in the middle of the night.

But what’s my real point? I’m sure those examples failed to wow you. Yeah, of course there’s minor changes, but even those minor changes don’t change much, and it’s nothing close to Higurashi levels of revelations and understanding each time through. Endless Eight is practically static, plot-wise.

And you can argue whether or not the anime is of useful value or not. The varying art styles may have provided enough diversity for pretentious tossers like me, but there were still the down episodes which really seemed not much more than baiting the fans. And aside from the art style, there’s not a lot you can say in favor of Endless Eight, right?

Well … that doesn’t stop it from being incredibly, incredibly fascinating.

Reason number one is simple: because it will take a very, very long time before you see a stunt like this pulled ever again.

The sheer guts, the sheer stupidity, the sheer insanity it must take (pick your adjective) the people at KyoAni to make a move like this, to break every rule of common sense with arguably what was one of the hottest franchises of the decade … is simply amazing.

It can spawn – and it probably did, among anguished fans – thousands of discussions of why it was done. To kill off the overhyped fandom and restore sane expectations? To express the tedium Nagato must have gone through in those episodes? To continue being as bizarre and off-the-wall as the first season of Haruhi (anachronic order, natch)? Just because it seemed like a good idea at the time?

I, like you, will probably never know the answer. But I’ll always continue to be fascinated by the question, and I’ll always continue to prize this sort of diversity and, if you will let me call it this, creativity in anime. It’s pushing the envelope – even if it wasn’t in a direction that fans liked. And that’s something important.

I can see the counterargument to that already, that just because it is ‘new and creative’ doesn’t suddenly pardon it for its sins of being, arguably, uninteresting. You may in fact be right.

You may in fact also be the reason why Endless Eight was so interesting.

Yes, because Endless Eight wouldn’t be half as interesting without a community to experience it with. It’s more interesting, perhaps, watching someone watch Endless Eight, than watching it itself.

Maybe my pleasure is a bit sadistic, but you could almost call it a good social experiment, right? How much of the fanbase’s patience can you test before pushing them over the edge? 10799 people completed Haruhi. Only 1103 dropped it. (With another 7700 still watching and 1700 on hold.)

Although, its rating dropped from 8.5+, one of the top 50 anime on MAL, to 6.95, rank 2297 and just below Puni Puni Poemi, White Album, Akane-iro no Somaru Saka, and Bible Black.

The reactions themselves, would you call it ’showing one’s true colors’? I guess here are mine here. But the death threats, the desperate explaining (or imagined explaining) of KyoAni’s rationale, the maniacal laughter of a person driven mad … it’s all … interesting, in a sense.

Would KyoAni, the great king of Japanese animation, benvolent provider of Haruhi and Key anime, suddenly become a demon? Could their reputation be tarnished? Would the faith in the shrine of Haruhi Suzumiya suddenly vanish?

Perhaps to put it in a standpoint that makes me seem less like a douchebag, Endless Eight created -discussion-. It made the otakusphere come alive with all sorts of debates, speculation, flame wars, memetic posts, everything.

This was the sense of being -alive- in the otakusphere, that opinion, that -passion- that Endless Eight invoked, one way or the other (ye olde phrase ‘love and hate being two sides of a coin’). It made some of my best work – my favorite posts, and apparently many people’s favorite video.

It was the kind of crowd-stirrer that only has been seen before in other controversial groundbreakers like School Days, or, on a good day, the OEG. And it was something that I couldn’t help but watch with all the enthusiasm of a Diethard, knowing that whatever I was seeing – both on TV and on my comptuer – that it was something incredibly unique.

Maybe it’s all easier for someone who was less attached to the Haruhi fandom, like I was, such that I don’t have to differentiate between ‘once in a lifetime’ and ‘once and never again’. As such, I can clearly just classify Endless Eight as one of the most -memorable- occurances of 2009.

But, this story isn’t done yet. Not until Haruhi truly ‘Dissapears’ will we know whether the fanbase has just taken a brief vacation, or packed their bags for good…

CCY

Something was strange.

I somehow got that feeling.

I was sitting in front of the computer, half-watching a MAD about two anime of no importance to me. I was half-interested in the song that was playing the background, and was about to go look it up when I somehow got the feeling that I was about to get some great inspiration for a post.

Write write write.

“CCY, blog post.”

12 Memories of Anime 2009
#03: Endless Eight [The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya S2]

Don’t need you to tell me that.

Oh man, Endless Eight. What can I say about you?

The time loop which has occurred over and over in many other forms of fiction (the Naku Koro Ni series, from an anime standpoint), done As You’ve Never Seen It Before.

Which is, to say, the exact same way. Every single time.

The same events.
The same dialogue.
The same realizations, plot developments, everything.

“Kyon-kun, denwa.” every time.
Haruhi introducing her underlings, every time.
Mikuru crying buckets in the park at night, every time.
Those club activities – the cicada catching, handing out flyers in frogsuits, all that – every time.
“Oh well, I’ll just leave it to tommorow’s me,” every time.

Well, almost. But can you consider the payoff from that one episode – that ‘redemption’ after seven episodes of repetition, of identical scripts and scenes – seven weeks of waiting, seven weeks of letting Haruhi walk out the door – can you consider it worth it?

Of -COURSE- it was worth it.

You can say it was the same events, the same dialogue, the same plot and everything, but … yet … it was still so subtly different.

It would be “Kyon-kun, denwa”, but would Kyon have a future sight of recieving the phone call every time?
It would be Haruhi introducing her underlings, but would Kyon have that sense of deja vu or even be able to recite the entire line himself?
It would be Mikuru crying in the park, but … just how many buckets would she cry? And just how long would it take you to imagine Itsuki next to her, in bed, smoking a cigarette?

OK … that was a bad example. But maybe what I pictured every time Kyon would pick up his phone in the middle of the night.

But what’s my real point? I’m sure those examples failed to wow you. Yeah, of course there’s minor changes, but even those minor changes don’t change much, and it’s nothing close to Higurashi levels of revelations and understanding each time through. Endless Eight is practically static, plot-wise.

But artistically … oh man. Way more than enough to keep it fresh.

Maybe it wasn’t enough for some people, nor was it brilliant every episode, but for me, I was having a blast a lot of the time, seeing what animation tricks KyoAni would pull out of its hat. Since definitely, each episode was not alike in that regard.

Remember the second iteration? The one that looked like it was done by the team behind all the Key works, with a decidedly softer and brighter tone?

Or the fourth one? All the airplane references and non-sequitur imagery, the hints that couldn’t be more glaringly obviously pointing at something … or glaringly obviously pointing at nothing.

Maybe the fifth Endless Eight, which almost seemed like it was from Kyon’s point of view, with plenty of first-person, high-motion shots, culminating in the brilliantly (or at least, ridiculously) dragged out scene of Kyon rotating in the clock, for thirty seconds.

It was all just bizarre enough to be incredibly intriguing, trying to answer all the questions that were posed as a result, even going into the quite meta:

What was KyoAni trying to say with all these shots? Was there a message that they were trying to show in the subtle deviations of the show each loop? Or even, more simply, why?

What was it that Kyoto Animation wanted to do with Endless Eight!?

Maybe these were questions spawned not just from my intrigue with the show, but also some sort of subconscious confusion and discontentness. Rather, since I wasn’t able to find material from the show to think about, I had to travel into the fourth wall, between KyoAni and Haruhi. And did I find an answer?

I don’t really know. We might never know. I’ll leave it to another me to figure that one out…

CCY

Or such is my crude understanding of the series as a whole.

My relationship with the Type-Moon universe (Nasuverse, as you will), to put it eloquently and poetically, is much like my relationship with women: I don’t get it at all, but I’m mysteriously attracted.

12 Memories of Anime 2009
#04: Kara no Kyoukai

My experience with the Nasuverse is much the same: I am told it’s a relatively small place – although complicated and entangled as all hell – but even so I’ve only experienced something resembling two-thirds of it, having played Tsukihime and Kagetsu Tohya, and having watched 6 out of 7 Kara no Kyoukai movies.

And to be brutally honest, the historical / mystical side of the Nasuverse, I have made next to no effort to comprehend outside of that which happened to click into place as I watched and read. I figured out a few choice things, like some intriguing contrasts between, say, Aoko Aozaki who destroys and Touko Aozaki who constructs, but as a whole, my knowledge of the Nasuverse appears and dissapears at a whim.

I would like to blame my upbringing as much more of a traditional galge-type person, much more empathetic with characters and personalities, rather than knowledgeable about backstories and magical settings … but I shouldn’t let something like that limit my world-view, right? No use staying in a comfort zone all the time, and all that.

Instead, I will blame the fact that my memories of Tsukihime are hazy – it was my first anime-related experience in years, being the bridge between the Cardcaptor Sakura of my youth and the Kanon of my … less youth – and that I watched 6 movies of Kara no Kyoukai in one sitting.

It wasn’t all seven, because the time of this sitting was this summer. So my next excuse I can throw in, is the sands of time. Half a year is a long time for a fleeting heart.

Well, those are all excuses anyway, because Kara no Kyoukai was incredible in pretty much every way. So I’ll cut through that by promising myself that I’m going to end up seeing the movies again, at least two times more. (Once with some friends over winter break, and once again when I screen them for the opening salvo of the Project Anime Club Project.)

I’m not quite sure what is exactly the formula that makes Kara no Kyoukai tick. Is it the action that stirs my blood? The sequences gloriously rendered with care as Ryougi jumps from a building to the next, the water on the rooftops glistening as the music climaxes?

Maybe it’s the characters. That strange personality of Ryougi’s, a mix of a bunch of different stereotypes (of course ‘tsundere’ is the word I ache for, but don’t quite want to grasp) that form quite the interesting ‘human’, if I can call her that. The level-headed Touko, who is pretty laid-back and snarky, only to pull off some glorious moments (taken from her, and given back with twice the force) in the 5th movie in particular. Or maybe the contrast of that against ’simpler’ types like the Kokutou and Azaka, both of which we swear we’ve seen before in Tsukihime.

The curious mood of the show? That inquisitive nature that has a vaguely supernatural feel to it – perhaps it is an understatement to call the Nasuverse ‘vaguely’ magical, but it is a different kind of magical than the type seen in a show filled with ten-year-old girls. The type of magic that merely allows humans to go beyond the border of common sense and sanity to perform impossible feats and tasks, rather than the type of magic which is a journey into the realms of fantasy. It’s like there’s an realism underscoring it all, in the slightly dark world of Kara no Kyoukai. Not to mention how it seems to show a very zoomed-in view of the world, focusing on very few key characters, nearly erasing all others.

As usually, it’s probably all of the above, or maybe it’s just those little Claymation Neko-Arc shorts before every movie. Either way, ufotable and Nasu are both doing it very right with Kara no Kyoukai, and I’m looking forward to experiencing it all over again.

My Mystic Eyes of Awesomeness Perception tell me we have a keeper.

CCY

Shiori,

Shiori,

Shiori,

what can I say about you ~~

Well, not a lot in 5 minutes before midnight, at least. I don’t know whether I owe her (or you) more at this point, since I’ve already done a lot to make my feelings clear. It’s good to have a little devotion, isn’t it?

And for anime girls, it has to be Shiori. Whether I understand it or not.

CCY

(who will probably come back and write another post after this is all done)

P.S. The actual moment is the time where she actually managed to make it through prelims – my help or not, I don’t know – despite being the girl with the least nominations.

“Passion has the power to change the whole world.”

Hm. Another common theme in my 12 Days this year seems to be people. The uber-man approach to the world, almost, in that I’ve highlighted quite a few people who have the power to change the world, both inside and outside of their little canons.

Well, it makes sense, I suppose; you cannot have a show without people, and you cannot have people without having at least a few be exceptional. The human mind is subjective like that, is it not?

Many among us can try to kill our own human heart and emotion, but, I think that’s something that’s near-impossible to do – and even if you could, you wouldn’t be that interested in anime anyway, since you’d have no reason to watch.

Since anime, as with all forms of fiction, is attractive because it can make us -feel-.

12 Memories of Anime 2009
#07: Zero Requiem [Code Geass R2]

It’s not a judgment call, but something I consider akin to a fact – I don’t mean to argue about the implications of ‘escapism’, as such stories can occasionally bring people together as well (think of all the communities formed after R2’s ending).

Whether it’s being warmed up by a sweet romance story, laughing together with friends over a light comedy, or being dragged towards the edge of your seat by a compelling story, it’s emotion that drives things. And it’s people that create emotion.

And it’s something about these uber-men (and women, to dodge the sexist barbs) that gives them the ability to drive the world, using this emotion. (Whether they embrace or deny it themselves, tends to vary.)

They can control it, create it, destroy it, and the incredible superpowers they have only helps add to their influence. (Consider that Lelouch is quite the sweet talker and chess player even without Geass.)

Can I consider the people who have driven the 12 Days moments so far – adding Lelouch Lamperouge, to Akira Takisawa, Kakeru Kurosawa, Hayate Ayasaki even – uber-men? To varying proportions, at least.

It’s a tough philosophical debate, and one that I would get overwhelmed by (considering my definition of uber-man is quite vague). Whether an uber-man has to really -do-, or whether he has to just -be- … that’s an interesting difference, but not one for me to consider at this point. Not to mention, the ramifications of a ‘world-changing’ uber-man being but a mere fictional personality.

But yeah, there was something about Lelouch, right until the end of Code Geass (well, I assume it will remain the end), whether you loved him or hated him, idolized him or stabbed pins into his voodoo doll. As they say, it’s two sides of the same coin- one way or the other he would drive the show, leading both the characters and the fanbase through love and through hatred.

And I was one of those people. Code Geass tried to throw me, when the story got away from it’s ‘humble’ roots of one teenager fighting for his ideals (well, at least originally) and devolved into a mess of strange elevators and mystic roots from the past. But in the end, it managed to be brought back – by Lelouch? that can be argued – to an end that I thought fitting, deserving, and powerful. It even made me wax poetic.

And after all he’s done, one might consider to Lelouch to have more than one power, in a sense.

CCY

“Man, if I had ten thousand million yen, I think I’d go out and buy a whole shopping mall to live in. And maybe a stick of gum.”

Akira Takizawa, you are one hell of a man.

“Oh, and then I’ll take a trip to the White House! Naked! Better bring my gun just in case.”

One hell of a crazy man, too. … Actually, just forget I said that, won’t you?

… No, not literally, but OK …

12 Memories of Anime 2009
#07: Eden of the East

It was love at first sight, probably, indicating a further slip in my depravity, from 3Dcon to 2Dcon to OPcon. But, this kind opening, don’t you also find incredibly attractive?

Well, maybe it was the overall ’shiny factor’, for lack of a better word (at least I didn’t call it moe), with all the text flying all over the place and all the visual effects that probably took it to the brink of pretentiousness for many people. And naturally, for someone like me, that would be a place I would be plenty comfortable with it being.

Of course for some reason not everyone likes getting off to ef-like walls of text and Shaft-y art styles, so instead Eden of the East settled for using its intro as a sign of its uniqueness, because it’s just about one of the most inventive things I’ve seen around.

Or rather, it’s incredibly creative and immersive, while still managing to be accessible on many different levels.

You might like Eden for the mystery of the Selecao, the Mr. Outside pulling the strings (maybe) behind it all. You’d be intrigued by the backstory of all the different Selecao, their motives, their interactions, and their worldviews (money can really change people … sometimes).

Perhaps Eden fits you more for the story of Saki Morimi, the slightly clumsy, slightly shy, always out-of-the-loop (at least in a Selecao context) girl who gets swept off her feet and into a strange new world, guided only by the almost idealistically pure hand of Akira Takizawa. It’s a scene we’ve seen in many a shoujo manga, yet entirely not – mostly ordinary girl falls in love and / or otherwise gets involved with popular / flamboyant / incredibly exciting and Flowery Sparkly bishonen (your choice: tsundere or pure-hearted). Except here, the extent of the situation is so large and so surreal that even Akira can’t take it all in at times. And Akira is so likable you can’t help but be pulled along at his pace.

Or maybe you’re just in it because this show just knows how to make you -smile-. The comedic moments which it never loses grasp of – even though the show should be full of Super Seriousness and Angst and Drama and Oh God Where Are My Memories, Micchon still has the time, while escaping from a bunch of NEETs out for revenge, for quips like “They’re only interested in 2D anyway,” and “Don’t let it touch!!”.

But any way you slice it, Eden of the East is just incredible amounts of -fun- through and through. I found myself smiling through each episode, sometimes out of excitement, sometimes out of giddiness, sometimes just because the show was just ridiculous in the best of ways.

Mad props to Akira, and mad anticipation for the two upcoming movies.

CCY

I’ll take these manga … AND READ THEM! In the time span of one day.

Just as planned.

Humans are interesting people, aren’t they?

12 Memories of Anime 2009
#08: Death Note / Onani Master Kurosawa

To be honest, Death Note is more of a side note today, serving mostly as a prelude to everyone’s favorite masturbatory ‘parody’, Onani Master Kurosawa.

I mean, Death Note deserves its props. Although it can be silly at times (for values of silly equal to ‘way way way too dramatic … or not enough’) and although in the end you could see the conclusion coming, it was still worth it, especially since it I can’t think of a different way that the ending could have gone, as the character lessons are too obvious.

And of course, you have all the Machiavellian plotting going on every arc, the brilliant (or at least ridiculous) “I predicted you’d think that I would know that you would attempt to …” sort of maneuvering that went on in the world’s strangest, most overblown game of chess. (There’s probably a better strategy game equivalent, of which exactly I am unsure.)

I have to enjoy something like that, just for the sheer mindgames of it all – I’ve never been averse to fiction inserting screws into my brain, and then twisting – but in the end, watching Death Note was kind of like sitting around and watching a sporting event on TV.

Yeah, I sat in my comfy chair and really got into the game, wearing my L hat and waving flags and chugging non-alcoholic beverages, and while I was into it, of course it was a really exciting match, right down to the wire and all sorts of fun.

But eventually the programming ends, some lame commerical comes on, and I just have to get up, scratch my arse, and go back to all the work I was avoiding. And really, that’s all it was, then – something compelling, anything compelling. There probably could have been many things that would have been the same.

In the end, I feel like there wasn’t enough -special- about Death Note. It was entertaining, it was compelling, it was pretty cool, and it was a great way to spend 8 hours not packing for AX that one day in July. But there wasn’t that connection.

I guess, in my heart, there’s a difference between the manga which are merely a great read, and the manga that are a -powerful- read. And Death Note didn’t breach that barrier for me.

Onani Master Kurosawa went through like the Kool-Aid Man.

If Death Note is watching the sporting event on TV, Onani Master Kurosawa is going to see it in person. Yeah, people would say you’re watching the same thing, but somehow, it’s subtly, completely different. There’s that smell of alcohol and overpriced fast food, the very real roars of the crowd around you, the ability to choose what you see, where you look, and that overall physical sensation of ‘being there’.

Yeah, on the surface, Onani Master Kurosawa is “Fap Note”, isn’t it … ?

It’s frustratingly paradoxical, is that the thing that will get people into this manga – including myself – is the one liner. “It’s about a guy who wanks in the girls’ bathroom.” “It’s Death Note with masturbation.”

But yet … is that really what the manga’s about?

Well … at least a little bit. It’s Kurosawa’s own Geass, his Death Note, his ‘empowerment’, in a sense. For many chapters, he reigns, at least from the shadows, bringing down ‘justice’ upon his enemies.

Of course, what’s the phrase about absolute power …? It begins with the introduction of a character that even threw me for a loop – the similarly powerless, overshadowed person, without the ability to bring down judgment with many flicks of their wrist. (Or whatever his method is, to speak crudely.)

And yet, with a sudden turnabout, Kurosawa is the one being controlled, a mere mercenary hired under duress. Perhaps it is only then, that he realizes his situation, and his true desires… and here we come upon the real crux of this story. Not the battles of student vs. teacher, student vs. student, student vs. gym shorts, but student vs. themself …

It’s ironic in some sense, as I think that the further I get in these series of posts, the further and further back my material goes back in the scale of time and in maturity. Before, it was about teenagers bumbling through first loves. Then, teenagers learning to grow up and become adults.

Now, middle schoolers learning to leave their shell, and find their true purpose.

I’m sure a lot of people can emphasize with Kurosawa or Kitagawa. Whether it was that feeling of helplessness, that endless search for facelessness – or for vengeance, that way they cling on to the first person that even looks like they might offer a rope … it’s youth, isn’t it?

Imagining the world is colored in such blacks and whites, and that it’s your role either to avoid or to recolor those who are ‘dark’ … you could call it naive. Although not an unpopular viewpoint, especially when it comes to governments and persuasive appeals in general.

And it’s very much something that Kurosawa and Kitagawa embrace, especially early on. As the ‘good people’, they must protect against the ‘mean people’, either by ignoring them, or by fighting back. As the ones who don’t want to reach out, who don’t want to consider other viewpoints, it’s the easiest way to live.

If you can consider such a thing living. Finding that reason to truly live – not as a contrast to death, but as a contrast to merely existing – is something that I consider to be pivotal to Onani Master Kurosawa.

After all, Kurosawa spends a lot of his life, that we see, being consumed by other people. Hiding from them. Being controlled by them. Lusting after them. Envying them. Hating them. Wanting them.

Well, I guess it’s a natural part of life. It’s difficult to live a life purely without people – but that’s not the point. Kurosawa wasn’t making his own decisions.

Living a life with someone, maybe for someone, fine … but letting someone live your life -for- you … that’s something that I find to be a bit detrimental.

And so, my hat’s off to Kurosawa for discovering, for lack of a word, his individuality. For discovering the world.

The world fought back, but this time, he’s going to stand up and fight back. His actions, you can agree or disagree with, but his motivation is unquestionable. At the end of the manga, he is decidedly and heartwarmingly transformed – someone who doesn’t want to have any regrets, who doesn’t want to hide behind someone’s shadow anymore. Someone who is strong, and resolute.

Because now, he knows who he is, and who he wants to be. And -why- he wants to be. That’s possibly the most important of all.

-CCY