Delayed Thoughts: Eet eez alive!!
However, in spite of these … challenges … that I face in this juncture of my life, I still have managed to work out a little on that backlog of mine throughout my unintended ‘hiatus’ (sort of :p). So without delaying any further these already delayed thoughts of mine, hajimemasho.
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First up is Mononoke. This anime revolves around a ‘medicine man’ as he takes on cases involving Mononoke (or to put it in simple terms as seemingly-malignant-spirits). The stories are set in arcs ranging from two or three episodes with each arc just as interesting as the other. A notable thing about Mononoke that the casual watcher would immediately take notice would be the animation style. I think I mentioned this in passing in a previous post that my first impression was that it looked like it came from an art festival. :D
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Next delayed thoughts are thoughts while I am already in Japan. While I was lurking in anidb looking for some anime title that would click with me, it just so happened that I stumbled upon Pumpkin Scissors. I happened to see a preview of the first episode two years ago and with its military environment, it seemed interesting enough being a little bit of a military enthusiast myself. Although this wasn’t the title I was looking for, it was an all-systems-go. Pumpkin Scissors basically tells the story of a military unit focused on war relief. Set in an ‘Empirial’ nation, the anime touches on a variety of social issues especially in a post war situation such as nation reconstruction, corruption in the military, or of inequality between those of noble heritage and the masses.
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Anyway, after Pumpkin Scissors comes something that I had set my sights on a few months back during my first trip to Japan … Infinite Ryvius. :D I really didn’t plan on watching this one soon as I was saving these space-themed shows along with Seikai no Monshou/Seikai no Senki but hey, things happen. For my thoughts of this show, I would say that this is one very interesting anime dealing with ‘loss of innocence’ as a motley crew of teenage space cadets become ‘lost in space’ (well technically they are not lost but you get my drift) and becoming unwitting actors in a space conspiracy. Another thing is that this show has a lot of drama. You would really get a vast assortment of emotions as the story progresses considering the highly diversified characters present. Sometimes it would feel like it was some sort of reality-tv with the viewer’s role as big brother. Overall, another very enjoyable show for me :D.
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Before moving on, I would like to ask a question. Has anyone heard of the October 14 UFO Prediction? When I first heard of it, the first thing that I thought of was ‘Hey this would be cool if it were to come true!’ But anyway it is already October 17 as of the time of this post and still no Light Ship so to all those who believed-it-before-but-was-disappointed, don’t fret, I have a cure! Just watch Gakuen Senki Muryou (alternate title, Shingu :D). This anime provides a good portrayal as to what would have happened if the ‘prediction’ was accurate :D. Anyway, I just happened to mention this because by coincidence, I was already watching it by the time I stumbled onto the Oct-14-fiasco lol. For one thing, the anime has a "Galactic Federation" like what the channelers appear to be saying.
Going back to the show, Gakuen Senki Muryou is a school life type of anime set in the not so distant future as humans have just learned some truth about extraterrestrials. But even with such revelations things are just laid back and practically peaceful with the story centering on a group of students, their families, and of the town of Tenmo. As for my thoughts in this show, I’d say this was another pretty enjoyable show. :D I do not take note much on the animation but it was pretty much solid for me. And I do love the laid back atmosphere and the characters. As one who enjoys slice-of-life or tranquil shows, this one is another worthwhile watch. I even plan on re-watching this sometime in the near future. :D
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One of the things notable for the October 14 UFO messages was that the ‘beings’ claim to be of ‘love and peace’ (They probably must have watched a lot of Trigun reruns :p). But what if it was the other way around? Then we now come to another anime which is Project Blue Earth SOS. In a nutshell, you get a premise like that of the old Earth vs Flying Saucer classics. As for my thoughts, my first impression when I saw this anime was that it felt retro. And the building designs reminded me of those old Popular Mechanics covers of the early 1900s showing ‘city/building designs of the future’. Anyway, it was a good watch :D. Although I may have some biases to sci-fi shows but the story has that certain charm to it that makes it very much appealing for me. Furthermore, I would also like to give an honorable mention to the show’s ending theme ‘Kaze no Ubugoe’ by Solua. It has a catchy tune and I like its composition, especially the march-like beat. For now, I find myself listening to this song on a loop as it keeps getting stuck in my head. :)
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