Greetings people of the blogosphere! I’m Nora, your host for this month’s showcase. Don’t laugh at me, but I was half-stressed about the showcase for a long time because I’ve signed up as a host months ago and I feared I’d forget when it was finally my turn. My other half was relieved because it was iniksbane’s turn before me so at least I could remember that. Looks like I managed! 

And of course, the next course of action was to come up with a format of sorts that could pass as ‘interesting’, and maybe add something more to the go-to ‘summary + thoughts’ combination. Too bad I’m not that imaginative of a person, so I decided to get help from a fun book I had. The showcase for each post will have three sections where I summarize the nominated post, my thoughts, and I’ll max up my superpowers to tell you one thing you need to watch out for next month. If you have submitted something but I missed it, please share it again in the comments so I can add yours. Enjoy ~

ANIME

Samurai Flamenco – Technically Perfect, Ultimately Lacking from Jon Spencer Reviews

What’s it about: Jon’s review of Samurai Flamenco touches upon the highlights of the series, the choices and direction that worked for them, and although it wasn’t a complete deal-breaker, what it lacked. 

My takeaway: I’ve only seen the first episode of Samurai Flamenco and it captured my attention but had to go into my “I’ll get to it,” pile back then due to not having time. It’s reassuring to read that overall it’s a good production and no wonder it’s talked about among the anime fans. I love genre parody as well, lowered crime rate and your end goal essentially meaning you’ll lose your livelihood are great points to ponder on. If all else fails, Samurai Flamenco has a giant guillotine gorilla, there’s no way I’m gonna pass this opportunity. 

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Dark Africa, Colonizers and Galaxy Express 999 from In Search of Number Nine

What’s it about: This post’s stop in Galaxy Express 999 is Kilimanjaro and iniksbane reviews episodes 72-73 through the series’ obvious metaphor of Africa and the West’s fascination of either mystifying or disparaging the “other”. 

My takeaway: I think I commented about this before but I read your reviews with great interest. This show was recommended by a friend some years ago, and although I’ve seen two episodes, the overall episode count was intimidating for me. However, the way you break down the concepts and support them with different texts/your knowledge turns your posts into interesting thinkpieces even though I don’t follow the series myself. The biggest takeaway, though, would probably be the fact that our history books are in dire need of dusting. 

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Playing in Another’s Sandbox – “Wonder Egg Priority” and Finding Personal Meaning in Messy Storytelling from Season 1 Episode 1

What’s it about: In this post, Jessi walks us through several important events/characters in Wonder Egg Priority, weaving in her personal past experiences or other interesting media pieces (such as Galbraith’s paper on imaginary violence or Willis’ take on Nabokov’s Lolita) to present the overall idea that even if the series might be at fault for not following through the points they introduced to the end, there’s something worth watching. 

My takeaway: I watched Wonder Egg Priority with great enthusiasm week after week, but didn’t have the time to get to the last episode that was released later on. Your personal history and feeling of catharsis rang true for me too, even though some of the experiences weren’t things that I haven’t personally gone through. While I did see the angry/dissatisfied tweets on my timeline, I don’t think anyone can take away the pain, empathy, warmth, and relatability I’ve felt throughout the series. That alone deserves praise and the way the story is wrapped up shouldn’t invalidate the series as a whole. I’ve talked a bit before about how there may not be a universal way to depict such issues in a sense that every single audience in the world would take them in the same way and eventually, regardless of the intention of and the depiction in a series can be read very differently. You did a better and more detailed job of clarifying and contextualizing the idea. 

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A review of A Place Further Than the Universe from Everything’s Bad For You

What’s it about: AK brings up the intriguing points from A Place Further Than The Universe, from the characterization to inter-character dynamics to plot structure and their intersection with AK’s personal experiences and points of view. 

My takeaway: Oh look, another series that’s been sitting in my to-watch pile! I have to come clean, towards the end of the post I skipped one or two parts that felt big spoiler-ish since I’m meant to watch it, but as someone who’s not a huge fan of the CGDCT genre myself, reading your take on the post I’m inclined to nudge the series up on my list. Especially because friendship, not just the happy-go-lucky parts but the conflicts as well, is something I’m always interested to see being covered in media. 

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Yona Of the Dawn (Akatsuki no Yona) from Art of Anime

What’s it about: Here, we get to read about Yona of the Dawn, starting from a summary and short introductions for the main cast to what Artofanime thought on the series.

My takeaway: Lockdown, similar to you and probably everyone else, enabled me to make more time to clear my backlog. And while I don’t exactly remember when I watched Yona for the first time, I gave it another spin during this period too. Even though you said you’re not a shoujo fan, I was happy to see you’ve come to enjoy Yona quite a bit since it has a special place in my heart. As for people who like their anime dubbed, it may tempt you to give it a chance that Artofanime thought the dub was awesome!

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Anime Review #63: Summer Wars from The Traditional Catholic Weeb

What it’s about: Traditional Catholic Weeb puts together this post on the movie Summer Wars as they have found it interesting, starting with a detailed plot summary, sides that they enjoyed and didn’t enjoy, their favorites, and finishing it with an overall 8.6 score. 

My takeaway: I’ve seen several movies of Mamoru Hosoda, including The Girl Who Leapt Through Time you mentioned in the post but not this one. Although I’m not a fan of situations where we have a main character who’s always there but lacks being a character of their own, Natsuki in this case, I found the rest of the aspects you mentioned interesting. Especially the change in art style. I also like the method of including what you liked and didn’t like, I do that too since I feel like it provides a more objective evaluation where readers can decide themselves whether those points will work for them or not. 

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Blerdy’s Comfort Anime Series from Blerdy Otome

What’s it about: Although Blerdy’s main focus is otome games, she also writes on anime and manga she’s been reading in a delightful tone. This short post is a list of her comfort series. 

My takeaway: I’ll respectfully refrain from commenting on how can Yami Shibai be your number 1 comfort series, but the rest of your selection is superb! Especially Haikyuu; I’ve been keeping up with the series ever since its release back in 2014 and as you mentioned, there’s something magical in this series that makes you love each and every one of the characters – no matter if they are friends or rivals! 

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Animes Like The Time I Reincarnated into a Slime from Rina Senpai’s Anime Closet

What’s it about: Rina Senpai is here to help fans who’ve seen The Time I Reincarnated into a Slime and now are left for wanting more. Looking at this list may be your chance to find your next favorite isekai.

My takeaway: Lists like these are honestly great because I’m sure we all know the emptiness our favorite series leave when it’s finished and we stare at the screen, blinking. I agree with you on isekai being overly saturated and advertised that I don’t even put the effort into checking all the new licenses & releases anymore. But I’m glad to see some of the isekai I’ve enjoyed on your list and others that I definitely noted down for the future. 

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Shirobako: The Movie – Even Mistakes Are Important Steps from Mechanical Anime Reviews

What’s it about: Scott shares his opinion on what makes Shirobako worthy of watching, how the reception was in the community and how Shirobako: The Movie fared after the series’ success.

My takeaway: I’m one of the people who watched this series with awe and still remember it fondly after 7 years. Haven’t seen the movie, as a part of me hoped it’d end up in theaters here as Demon Slayer did so I waited, and while reading your reservations on the movie made me waver a little, I’ll still give it a go because I loved watching the focus on working young adult women as much as I enjoyed getting a look at how anime industry operated. We definitely lack meta works coming directly from the artists who produce our favorite series, and Japan has an entertaining way of introducing their culture/rural areas or just general educational content.

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Top 5 Moments in Anime That Left Me Breathless from 100 Word Anime

What’s it about: Karandi lists their beloved moments in which they felt speechless; either from shock, fondness, or things taking an unexpected turn.

My takeaway: There are many reasons to consume different media, but the impact a work leaves on you is indeed a part of the experience that I could never get enough of. Does that make me a plot twist addict? Maybe so. I agree with the scenes you picked, but more so with the Victuuri kiss. No one knew where that series would go and every week there’d be discussions whether all they were going to do was to tease but Yuri!!! on Ice really left a huge mark. Glad MAPPA added the kiss scene among others in their 10th Anniversary video to clear up the remaining suspicions on whether it was a kiss or not. Not that it needed clearing, but still! 

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Anime Review 210 Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross from TakamakiJoker Anime Reviews

What’s it about: This post is a review of the series Super Dimension Cavalry Southern Cross, which was, in TakamakiJoker’s words ‘a critical and financial flop’ and the reasons behind why it failed, along with its redeeming points.

My takeaway: I was intrigued right off the bat because of the series’ female protagonists and lovely character designs. But apparently, it’s mostly downhill after the first couple of episodes. I relate to the frustration that accompanies the sentiment of “could be so much more”; seeing a certain potential that could’ve been realized but for certain reasons, it didn’t come to fruition. I had a blast seeing those mecha designs with cockpits out in the open :D. 

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My Top Chinese Anime of 2021 (Donghua) So Far [Opinions] from Yu Alexius

What’s it about: Yu Alexius’ blog is the place you’re looking for when it comes to donghua or manhua and in this post, they list five series that came out in 2021 and they think are worth watching.

My takeaway: I’m much less well-versed in manhua and donghua. There are some series that I enjoyed, one of them being Link Click on your list and I should probably hop on the Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation hype train as my timeline on Twitter is full of cute (and at times, spicy) fanarts of the series. I was very confused as it was adapted into different types of media from the original novel (? I’m still confused, I guess) and didn’t know where to start but maybe its anime is the way to go.

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Shunma Suruga, Re:CREATORS’ Most Resolute God from Crow’s World of Anime

What’s it about: Crow walks us through his favorite moment in his favorite series Re:CREATORS where Shunma Suruga is facing Blitz, the character she created for her manga Code Babylon. 

My takeaway: I think most people who have dabbled in fictional writing can confirm that your characters and storyline do not even need a physical form to appear before you and dictate changes. They just do, and sometimes you are just at their mercy. I haven’t seen Re:CREATORS but I’m already intrigued by the premise. It was also interesting that you could expand a moment in a whole series in a way that’s emotional and compelling to read. In a time where you’re considered a failure unless you achieve what you’re setting out to do at the snap of your finger, Shunma’s simple “No one is successful from the beginning, fool,” is more impactful than ever. 

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Top 5 Least Favorite Anime (As of September 2021) from Animated Observations

What’s it about: Following the list of favorite series of all time, Jack walks us through 5 anime that they have seen and that have left an impression on them, in the negative sense of the word. 

My takeaway: Looks like I have some hugging a pillow and crying myself to sleep event to schedule for tonight because seeing Beastars on the list has hurt me physically… okay maybe not physically but still. Since I lean towards celebrating what I like when I’m writing, your post made me think of my least favorite series and what would those be. The most recent series that I was frustrated with and dropped was To Your Eternity. Not that it was the worst thing ever created but felt like the show was more preoccupied with bringing me to tears than actually engaging me in the story. Love Fushi to bits, though!

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Falling Down the Byston Well: Garzey’s Wing at 25 from Space Kaleidoscope

What’s it about: On Garzey’s Wing‘s 25th anniversary of release, Russell takes us on a journey through just what this, I quote, “dumpster fire that would make other notable dumpster fires blush” is, the ambition and effort that lies beyond the memes, and Tomino’s impact on sci-fi.

My takeaway: After seeing this highlight compilation you added to the post, I thought this series would be a blast watching when I’m tipsy. The motorcycle guy already had me with the “We die together? Probably,” conversation. I was recently reading on film evaluation and, I know it seems like a no-brainer statement at first but the author was talking about how knowing the limitations of the medium, the intention and the history of the director etc. helps us appreciate the outcome, or at least have a more nuanced take on it. That’s why I feel lucky that bloggers write informed pieces on series that I would otherwise write off as ‘lacking’. 

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Three Years of Shallow Dives in Anime: Neon Genesis Evangelion from Shallow Dives in Anime

What’s it about: Dewbond celebrates their blog’s 3rd year anniversary with a review of the 26-episode-long series Neon Genesis Evangelion, which left a grand mark in history for myriads of reasons. And not all of them are positive.

My takeaway: Maybe because you stressed it frequently throughout the post, but my mind was more occupied with whether a series needs to be ‘relatable’ for me to connect with it than Evangelion itself. I watched it back in 2004, I was a high school kid and I’m sure I didn’t understand or relate to it much but I remember watching the whole cour in a trance. And crushing on Misato, of course. My thoughts regarding the franchise lean towards the positive but in the end, as you mentioned, Evangelion is one of those shows one should give a chance at least once for the sake of its historical importance. If all else fails, the robot designs and fighting scenes are just marvelous. 

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I Would’ve Written a Review, But THE DETECTIVE IS ALREADY DEAD from The Magic Planet

What’s it about: Jane is here to share her thoughts on one of last season’s highlights (for better or worse) The Detective is Already Dead and sprinkle some positivity among all the negative feedback the series got.

My takeaway: There’s this ‘avalanche’ effect on social media, where a series gets negative comments here and there, and those comments usually snowball into a collective ‘the worst piece of media you will lay your eyes on’. Sometimes even manages to make you question whether the tidbits you enjoyed were actually trash and you didn’t know better. I only finished half of the season, but I didn’t drop the series with negative thoughts. I was simply not interested in it anymore. Otherwise, I wholeheartedly agree with your post and thought the well-written banter between Siesta and Kimi was the highlight of the show, following the fight scene on the plane.

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If it’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord from BakaNow

What’s it about: Cody reviews the series If It’s for My Daughter, I’d Even Defeat a Demon Lord, a series that’ll give you the comfort and cuteness you are looking for. 

My takeaway: It’s interesting that the single father-daughter relationship can be frequently found in anime. While some are tied to the “dead/gone mom” trope like Sakugan, Sweetness & Lightning, or Kakushigoto, others such as Usagi Drop rely more on the found family aspect and this one seems to belong in the latter category. But you know, this theme is sweet. Because sometimes a family is just you and the cute demon girl you’ve found in a forest. Looks like your feelings towards the series are kind of lukewarm, but I’m guessing it’s a good choice when one is looking for something light and doesn’t demand too much of the audience’s attention.

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NEO HUMAN CASSHERN (1973) Anime Review from Animehead’s Retroworld

What’s it about: Craig puts together yet another post to redeem an older series that aired almost 50 years ago, Neo Human Casshern. You can find the necessary information regarding the series, a detailed summary, and breakdowns of certain themes. Oh, and let’s not forget the robot dog.

My takeaway: And here I thought the name of this series sounded familiar. I remember seeing the poster for its reboot version and immediately added it to my planning list. So I avoided some spoiler-y-looking parts in your post but I’ll definitely come back to it once I give the series a go myself. One challenge I face when watching older series for the first time now is that, while I know it’s actually the other way around, the tropes or themes feel like a more primitive or a badly done version of what they are now. But I’m ready to give it a try, especially for the robot dog. I bet it’s the bestest dog. 

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Anime Corner: ODDTAXI Review from Never Argue With a Fish

What’s it about: Chris sings praises of Oddtaxi, the story of the taxi driver Odokawa in an anthropomorphic world, one of the series that created a buzz and divided people into opposing sides: those who thought it was a masterpiece and others who thought it was nothing but overhyped.

My takeaway: I tell myself that it shouldn’t matter, but when something I’m indifferent or slightly negative towards is celebrated by every single fan out there and I keep bumping into it on my timeline, it starts to get really annoying. I’m with you on Oddtaxi; I came to enjoy it a great deal and the way the narrative was constructed left me in awe. I guess I understand where some people’s distaste towards the series comes from, but this will never stop me from wanting more similar works. It was simply superb.

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Tales of a Blue Robotic Cat from Retro Anime Podcast

What’s it about: Celebrating the 50th year anniversary of the famous Doraemon, Lewis and Ian converses about 3 of the franchise’s theatrical movies. 

My takeaway: Doraemon is one of those series you know. You don’t even need to know its name or it’s a cat or even it’s a product of Japan, you still know the character. I bet the character was on at least one of the pencil cases you owned as a kid. Not sure if I missed it, I don’t remember Doraemon making it to television here even though I remember almost every series I’ve seen as a kid. I didn’t know the debut series of Doraemon was canceled because it didn’t do well and it was interesting to learn that it was given a second chance!

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MANGA

8 Underrated Completed Shounen Manga Recommendation from Geek Nabe

What’s it about: Nabe is on a quest to get us on the shounen manga train, but she’s not taking the usual Naruto/One Piece/Bleach route. She lists series that are underrated (with one exception) and why we should invest our time in them.

My takeaway: Have to say, you had me with the ‘completed’ in your title. When we talk about intimidating series (volume/episode count-wise), it’s likely a shounen, and sometimes you just don’t know when (or if) it will ever end. I haven’t heard of some of the series you mentioned, but before reading your post I was actually looking into Tokyo ESP‘s manga and contemplating whether I should start or not and was surprised to see it on the list. Looks like my wallet’s taking yet another hit! 

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The Faraway Paladin Omnibus Vol 1 Review from Al’s Manga Blog

What’s it about: Al reviews the manga adaptation of the light novel Faraway Paladin‘s first omnibus volume in her usual and easy-to-follow breakdown points; the summary, the review, and overall thoughts, ending it with a score out of 10.

My takeaway: While I can’t say I look forward to isekai, I did look forward to Faraday Paladin after seeing the cast’s character designs and I’m keeping up with the anime with joy. The setting feels fresh, I’m a sucker for found family stories and the way Will is born into the world not as a biological son of a family, but instead is being taken care of these three eccentric beings who were supposedly friends before they died is a premise I can get behind. I ask the same question you raised with almost every isekai, whether the transmigration is a crucial part of the story or not (because a good amount of time it isn’t) and I’m happy to hear Will’s past will have a more central role as we further into the story. 

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Hana’s Top Tier Favorites: Powerful Makeup with “The Makeup Remover” from Flower and Shadow

What’s it about: Hana elaborates on their experience reading the webtoon The Makeup Remover on Webtoon, which focuses on the main character’s transition from high school to university and while up until that point she only had studying on her mind, suddenly there are strikingly different expectations on her shoulders. The makeup knowledge is one of them. 

My takeaway: I remember thinking the premise was interesting when this series was first released on Webtoon, and the art style was pleasant. Like you, I’m sometimes in the mood for binge-reading and decided to wait for chapters to accumulate back then. Then… I sadly forgot about it. However, reading about its diverse cast and ability to make the reader click on ‘the next chapter’, my interest is rekindled! Well, I love the romance genre, so I didn’t really need a lot of convincing in the first place :D. 

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Is it still in the back? next to the YA? from Rider Strike

What’s it about: We accompany Coop to his bookstore trip back in May and another trip down the memory lane when he’d hit the local library to read manga back in middle school and eventually where/how manga is stored and displayed in bookstores.  

My takeaway: Reading the title, I expected it to be more of a comment on the general conception that “manga=for kids/young adults” but it didn’t go that way. It still made me think of their placements in bookstores here. I don’t frequent public libraries, but in stores, manga is always placed together with comic books & graphic novels. My past-vaccination bookstore trip was a month ago and I totally felt the same anxiousness mixed into the joy of being surrounded by the smell of paper and coffee!

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This Fluffy Love – First Impression from Yaoi Playground

What’s it about: Mistress of Yaoi shares their first impressions upon reading This Fluffy Love, a heartwarming BL in a high school setting the fujin people are familiar with. 

My takeaway: Whew there are a lot of tropes I like in This Fluffy Love. The size difference? Check. The delinquent who’s actually a big softie? Check. Body diversity? Check! The only other BL that included a chubby/oversize main character I can think of at the top of my head is Manly Appetites: Minegishi Loves Otsu and that’s… probably it. I don’t need any convincing when it comes to BL, but knowing it got the seal of approval from another fujin is nice. Subscribed at the speed of light!

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Love Me For Who I Am Volume 4 [Manga Review] from Matt Doyle Media

What’s it about: Matt is back for reviewing the 4th volume of the LGBTQ+ manga Love Me For Who I Am from Konayama Kata, released by Seven Seas. 

My takeaway: I haven’t read the manga myself but have been reading your reviews with joy, and it’s nice to see that both the artist and the series constantly evolve, only to get better. I’m guessing you are in the midst of preparing yourself for the inevitable parting. When I’m especially reviewing BL, I try to keep in mind that different cultures have different interpretations of certain tropes, portrayal/subversion of gender norms, and other characters’ behavior towards the LGBTQ+ character. And these works are created with Japanese readers in mind before anyone else around the world. So looking at them through a Western lens may not always give the best results, and as you mentioned in your early reviews, it’s important to give space and have room for difference in context when we are engaging with it. 

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GAMES

Unpacking the Ending of Boyfriend Dungeon from Adventure Rules

What’s it about: Adventure Rules, rather than his general thoughts on Boyfriend Dungeon, a dating game with weapon action, opens the post with a personal recollection of his and ties that experience to how the ending treated one of the character’s story arc and its possible implications. 

My takeaway: Not going to lie, you had me in the second half of your story. I started reading the post thinking “Ah, so it’s gonna be an ‘I was wrong,’ kind of past experience right?” and as I continued, I softly muttered, “… right?” like that Anakin/Padme meme. Whew. Anyways, I understand the way you questioned the intentions of the developers regarding the ending of Eric and loved that you tried to see it from different angles. The premise sounds intriguing and I’m also sold on the character designs, so into the Steam wishlist it goes ~

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Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome | Game Review | NSFW 18+ from Sweet & Spicy Otome Game Reviews

What’s it about: To sum the post up in Oona Tempest’s words: A perverted, horny game for perverted, horny people. We learn about the otome game Fashioning Little Miss Lonesome in detail; from the main character and two love interests to mechanics, to the routes and endings and their overall thoughts.

My takeaway: I’d start playing the game immediately if I wasn’t obsessed *coughs* preoccupied with Tears of Themis. I still saved it in my Steam so I won’t forget because the premise looks fun! Another aspect that caught my attention was the main character being voiced-over. I understand the reasoning behind having her as ‘blank’ as a character can be so the player can identify with her more, but there were times I wished the voice acting was an option I could turn on instead of the silence. By the way, I’m totally okay with engaging in NSFW content, but still, thank you for your consideration!

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NEO: The World Ends With You. An Amazing Sequel. from The Gamer With Glasses

What it’s about: George writes about the sequel to The World Ends With You, and although they missed the prequel, it’s reassuring to read that NEO: TWEWY is a blast!

My takeaway: I’ve actually heard good things about the anime adaptation of the prequel TWEWY. I didn’t have time to keep up with it because it was one hell of a packed season. However, seeing that the extra bold outer lines and bright colors that are preserved in the anime are at least promising a decent cross-over. As for NEO, I’m more of a quest-completer, I really enjoy going through both the main and side tasks and just wandering around. Looks like there are a lot of interesting side quests that don’t involve fighting to keep me engaged, nice!

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The Carnage Killer Story: Dissecting The Amazing Spider-Man 2 game story from Matt-in-the-Hat

What’s it about: Matt they The Amazing Spider-Man 2 video game. It may be based on the 2014 movie, but the team Activision and Beenox had other plans.

My takeaway: It’s safe to say this post was a learning experience for me. As I mentioned somewhere above I’m neither a superhero fan nor a gamer. I did watch the Spider-Man movie with Tobey Maguire but that was kind of… it, for the franchise. I didn’t know pairing the movie with a game was a common thing in the Western industry, but I saw similar roads taken for anime as well, most recently for Demon Slayer. It was also nice to read that you enjoyed the game and were satisfied with the new takes on the universe’s well-known events.

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Streets of Rage 4 DLC: Mr. X Nightmare from Soulcial Dreamin’ Ent. 

What’s it about: Lizzo is excited to share the news about the DLC “Mr. X Nightmare” that has arrived for her cherished series Streets of Rage, and what she thought of it after playing. 

My takeaway: So it’s… *looks at the smudged writing on my hand* an extension for the Streets of Rage 4, right? Okay wait, I at least know what DLC stands for. The best selling point of this game would be, to quote you, “Back slamming and drop-kicking any and everybody I can get my hands on,”. I’m instantly hooked. Sounds like the perfect stress-reliever. I don’t know how the old art style or character designs were like, but the images look interesting enough. Reading others’ excited comments on the things they love brings me joy! 

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Solo-Queueing in Pokémon Unite: A Tragedy from Meghan Plays Games

What’s it about: Meghan has had enough of some of the gamers they had to deal with in Pokémon Unite and they are here to share that frustration with like-minded-and-frustrated readers.

My takeaway: Look at me, making an “I only know what’s going on through cultural osmosis” strike in the game section! The only Pokemon game I’m familiar with is, to no one’s surprise, is Pokémon Go. My flatmate back then was obsessed with it and would trick me into “getting a coffee” because the shop was near one of those spots (were they called spots?) you had to be near to. That’s probably why reading your post felt like listening to some spicy gossip, and it’s doubled up on the juicy because I’m not involved. Sorry to hear that a game you should be enjoying frustrates you, and the rest: mind your manners if you’re gonna crowd the queues! 

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Capturing a New Audience with Pokémon from Frostilyte Writes

What’s it about: Frostilyte is here to talk about Pokémon Unite in a more positive light, which is a piece they were inspired to write after reading Meghan’s post above! Yes, I snooped in on your comments. xD

My takeaway: Pokémon is so widely known that the games would only benefit from being approachable and there would be no demerits. I kind of feel like that extra supportive lesbian aunt in the family who gets excited when she sees you get excited, because discovering something we love that opens up a totally new world is a beauty in and of itself. And that good feeling only grows when shared with others. It was nice to read your post and glad the age-old franchise provided a gateway to a genre you came to enjoy!

Indietail – Lake from Indiecator 

What’s it about: Dan covers Lake, a game where the main character goes back to her hometown to take over her dad’s job as a mailman, which is a means more than just making the ends meet and we get to meet the townsfolk as well. 

My takeaway: Nostalgia is a weird thing. While I wasn’t born in a small town, I did move to a bigger city after high school just like you. So the sentiments you feel towards your hometown rang true for me as well. There’s a sense of familiarity whenever you visit, but at the same time, all those changes that happened when you were away, remind you that one cannot survive only on nostalgia. I think this is a very interesting idea for a game and looks like something I could enjoy with a cup of tea while relaxing. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

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What Could Have Been: Gainax’s Brief Stint as Video Game Consultants from Zimmerit

What’s it about: In this post, Stephen meets us with an in-depth look at Gainax’s first-time involvement with creating a PC game of their own, how future projects followed and fared in the market. 

My takeaway: Well, safe to say, I didn’t know any of this stuff before so thank you! I’m on the camp with people whose primary approach to media is a literary one, rather than a technical one. I say this every time I find the chance, but I salute the people who put energy and effort into doing research, tracing out the history of studios and artists while I can’t even remember the name of the main character from the webtoon I read last night. Sad to see it’s another “could have been” moment for you. I personally love chunky/rough designs and hence older mecha designs suit my taste, and that’s one brilliant soundtrack! Listened to it the whole day and felt like fighting something evil out there!

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MISC

There aren’t any common points in these posts so I had to group them as miscellaneous. 

Fanart of My V-Tuber Avi from Egghead Luna

What’s it about: Luna shares the newly made avatar for their new REALITY account which Vtubers use, and it incorporates a different style than their usual pixel pictures. 

My takeaway: Luna dabbles in so many different varieties of media, I’m honestly amazed! It’s also a delight to follow her for the same reason because I get to learn new things. I have only seen Kizuna Ai as a Vtuber, I think she’s one of the most famous ones out there? It was my brother who went “Have you seen this??”, showing me a video of her commenting on a game walkthrough. It was so cute! Plus, although it’s seen through more of a “the world is ending” lens by the older generation, digitalization provides a space for people to create the content they want, where otherwise they’d feel reluctant to be present in front of a camera. 

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– saka men – — Hobo Moon Cartoons from Au Natural

What’s it about: Fred shares a short stop motion animation that makes use of Japanese Shinto beliefs and cultural details.

My takeaway: Oh boy, was I conflicted. On one hand, some of you who read my stuff would know that I adore short animation and felt very excited about this stop motion short. On the other, though, I can’t watch horror/thrillers. Not even B-rated stuff that people watch just for laughs. So I couldn’t watch Saka Men after that slimy thing emerged from the rock and had to hastily skip, but up until that point, I was impressed with the quality of the work. Especially how the flow of the movement looked so smooth! Thank you for sending it my way ~

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Is Invincible worth watching? from MyAnimeGo

What’s it about: In this post, YumDeku answers the question posed in the title in a detailed manner. The short of it all is a resounding ‘yes’, but you have to check the post out to know why.

My takeaway: It’s the best feeling when you go into a series thinking “Meh, I’ll give it a chance,” but then it turns out it’s SO to your liking. Having that change in perspective makes you feel like you’ve found a gem. I haven’t seen the Invincibles, but you said it could easily be recommended to people who aren’t into the superhero genre, and what do you know, that’s me! Plus, the character tropes and themes you described seem quite close to the shounen genre, so I’m inclined to give it a chance after reading your post as well. 

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Page Turner: Magic’s Pawn from Nerd Rambles

What’s it about: After finding out the lyrics to a song they liked was written by an author, Megan decided to check out the trilogy written by the said author, Mercedes Lackey. We get to read their thoughts on the first book!

My takeaway: First of all, the song was so sweet! Accompanied me as I wrote your part. While reading your review, I thought to myself that this book checked some of the things I’m usually not fond of; apart from 2-3 titles, I couldn’t make peace with the fantasy genre and more so with melodrama, similar to you. That is until my eyes landed on the mini spoiler-y paragraph! We need more canon LGBT characters until they become so ‘normal’ that people stop asking why a certain character had to be LGBT as if one’s sexual orientation is a plot tool that has to ‘make sense’. Glad to read you ended up enjoying the book!

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A THOUSAND & ONE NIGHTS (1969) – Blu-ray Review from ZekeFilm

What it’s about: Ethan contributes to ZekeFilm with his detailed review of the animated movie A Thousand & One Nights, which was first released back in 1969 and got itself a Blu-ray in 2020. 

My takeaway: I’m surprised this movie flew off my radar as I’ve seen Belladonna of Sadness before. And since a lot of people reading this will be newcomers, I’m from Turkey and grew up listening to these tales. Hence to me, Scheherazade’s tales have a very nostalgic and familiar feel to them. The points you critiqued regarding the stereotypes do not surprise me one bit, to be honest, but the visuals in the post are gorgeous and I loved Belladonna too, I’ll definitely give this one a chance as well! 

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The Story of Animerama: Origins from Renaissance Josei

What’s it about: Megan from Renaissance Josei nominated the first post of her longer series called “The Story of Animerama” where she, starting from the foundations, continues to cover Mushi Production’s later works as well. 

My takeaway:  This was a lovely post to read. We are normally conditioned to think of art as something that arises simply from talent and imagination and fail to see how tightly it is connected to politics, mainstream ideas, science, and money. Just looking at what Mushi Production went through after being founded sets a great example of how a popular series could turn the tide around what started out as a passion project. Will definitely read the rest of the series!

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Aaaaaand, that’s it! 8k words… Whew, it was a challenge. Especially finding out I had missed several posts after thinking I was done with the piece hours before the post was supposed to go up. I certainly had fun meeting lots of new bloggers and finding out what they are interested in. Will definitely follow you all, but first my eyes need some rest. Hoping it was fun to read for you too, a big shout out to some of you who added their pronouns to their bios and made it easier for me to refer to you. And a thank you to Jon Spencer for keeping the tradition going with the help of others. And good luck, Magi, since it’s your turn to host now!

See you around ~