Servant x Service Anime Review

Last season was full of great animes, and one of them was Servant x Service. By the mangaka that brought us Working!, Servant x Service is a more mature version of Working! featuring an older cast in a relatable workplace setting. Giving a little bit of comedy and a little bit of slice of life, it was an enjoyable watch each week. Keep reading if you want an in-depth review spoiler free! that looks at the highs and lows of the show.

Quick Synopsis

This is an office comedy. It stars a small cast of young adults (Lucy, Hasebe, Chihaya, Miyoshi, and Ichimiya) all with their own unique quirks. There's a bit of romance, but mostly office antics that keep the story moving at a steady pace until the end of its 13 episode run. Think of it as Japan's answer to The Office of England and North America. There will be characters that you look forward to watching, and some that irk you every time they're on screen. And of course it wouldn't be Japanese without a talking animal, which comes in the form of a stuffed bunny boss. They work in the social service sector, but the setting is really only a backdrop,

Ace Attorney: Dual Destinies, An Amazing New 3D Experience

Have you been missing your fill of Phoenix Wright? Well I certainly have! Available today for download or purchase off the Nintendo E-Shop is Phoenix's latest romp that's shaking the courtrooms! Not only is he back, but he's got new friends with him as well! Anthena Cykes joins you as your new assistant and uses her special ability to sense emotional fluctuations within a witness' voice to find out important testimony. There's also a slew of new faces that need your help, as well as a convict prosecutor?! There's tons of exciting updates including the gorgeous new art all in 3D (including cutscenes!). Any fan who enjoyed previous iterations has to check this out.

For those who are happy to see Phoenix return to the courtroom, you'll also notice Apollo Justice is back. Once again these two are intertwined but not as mysterious mentor to justice apprentice, but rather as equals who fight for justice together. And for those who are wondering where the Fey's are at, Pearl Fey returns as a young woman! And of course Edgey (Miles Edgeworth) has to return as well, I think the fans would be livid otherwise! 

Nodame Cantabile

Anonymous asked:

Have you ever watched Nodame Cantabile?

Obligatory *GWAAAABO!* my answer is yes, I have watched Nodame Catabile, and I watched it for what is going on a few years now. The reason it’s never really been brought up in a josei recommendations list is because I feel that the show was very slow paced, making it not one of my particular favourites. I think it’s a great show if you love music and anime obviously, as it’s about Chiaki and Megumi who study music together at university. It’s a large series, spanning 3 seasons to keep up with the copious manga volumes. I think its downfall is that the budding romance forms very slowly, and character development is unfortunately just as slow. I love their character dynamic but getting those gratifying moments you’ve been waiting for sometimes takes an eternity. I’m not saying it’s bad, it just didn’t leave a big impression on me. I’d definitely label it under something like relaxing anime, as it is slow paced, enjoying the simple pleasures of every day life.

Thank you for your question, I would certainly be up for doing an in-depth review if more interest on the matter surfaces.

Coppelion, A Shaking Look At A Not So Distant Future

So far there have been 3 episodes of Coppelion that have aired. I've watched all 3 and am here to give you my first impressions of this series that is nearly breaking the ice of what it is going to delve into. In a quick summary this anime has really impressed me and exceeded my expectations, but let's get into exactly how it has done this.
Synopsis
Coppelion involves a realistic scenario where in 2016 Tokyo has become largely uninhabitable due to a nuclear power plant catastrophe. It has made the radiation levels of the capital too high to be inhabitable, so the city has become a ghost town. The scene is shaking, but 3 girls are up to the task of finding remnant survivors who continue to live in this dystopia. These 3 girls however have something special about them that makes them able to search Tokyo unharmed, they've been genetically engineered to not be affected by the radiation. Regular humans have to go around in hazmats, whereas these girls have heightened senses and other superhuman qualities that make them a cut above the regular person. They take up their responsibility with integrity, and help the endangered inhabitants to return back to civilization.

Shounen Titles Josei Fans Can Enjoy

I’ve done a couple recommendations posts now, but I’ve never tackled the shounen genre yet, so here it is! You can check out my Shoujo recommendations here, and my Seinen recommendations here. Unfortunately this list is restricted to anime/manga I have enjoyed, so if you don’t see a title on here that you would have expected please leave a comment so that I can check it out, and so other josei fans can check it out as well! I don’t have time to watch it all, but I’m doing these lists because the josei demographic is rarely addressed for recommendations so those comments help the community out! Anyway, onto the list!

Bakuman

By the creator of Death Note this anime/manga goes for a light theme this time, focusing on the story of Moritaka Mashiro and Akito Takagi who dream of becoming the best mangakas the world has ever seen. There’s some deeper content that josei fans will enjoy because of their lofty dreams, plus some high school drama that adds to the plot as well. Of course there’s a bit of love intermixed as well with Azuki Miho, Mashiro’s dream girl, which is fun to watch on screen as well. It has run for up to 3 seasons, so there’s plenty to watch if you get addicted. But of course there’s the manga too which is appropriate for the whole mangaka aspect too. Mostly a drama, josei fans can appreciate the serious tone about following your dreams as it stretches beyond just the typical high school format.

BECK Mongolian Chop Squad

This is a story about awkward teen Tanaka Yukio, who does his best to perform among his teenage friends in an alternative rock band. It’s kind of like the boy version of K-ON! except on a larger scale than just high scool. The band BECK attempts fortune and fame, the typical dream of any high school band. There’s some growing pains and love mixed in that makes it an enjoyable watch. It’s nostalgic to any josei who’s dated a musician or has ever enjoyed that naivety of high school and big dreams. I originally saw this when it played back on MuchMusic years ago, and the dub was really well done, so I recommend both the sub and dub. If you’re going to check it out I’d suggest the anime over the manga, if you read it you’ll miss out on those original songs! It tackles more serious issues that are high school related, but also ones that bridge outside the typical high school drama. A more serious shounen, it’s something josei fans can definitely appreciate.

First Impressions of Golden Time

The new anime season is upon us! One of the first titles to be released for the season is Golden Time. A comedy romance anime will have any josei interested as it features an older cast of characters freshly graduated from high school. There’s only one episode out so far, but does it warrant a second look for next week? Let’s find out! This quick review is spoiler free!
It begins with a scene out of context but introduces the 3 main characters, Tada Banri, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and the female love interest who is riddled throughout the intro, Kaga Kouko. Tada stumbles into his entrance ceremony at law school late, giving the audience the impression that he’s hard working but might not live up to everyone’s expectations. Kouko is conniving as the swats that rose bouquet in Yana’s (Yanagisawa’s) face. And Yana plays off as a too cool, but somehow very befuddled young man. He however holds the mysterious past with his involvement with Kouko, who in his words, is someone to be feared. The anticipation that plays through the episode is funny and exciting, making the comedy romance duo a nicely executed combination.

All the characters make for a funny combination as it seems Kouko runs the show. Their interaction is entertaining, and I look forward to what hijinks they’re going to get into. The love triangle is obvious, but there’s a lot of anticipation regardless. The inclusion of other girl characters later on in the episode alludes to some sort of harem type dynamic, but that isn’t really deterring me as each character feels unique enough to not be a cliche. The setting is also interesting, as it thrusts you into a colourful university with the clubs that are recruiting freshman. It opens up the antics to the other students, which could also play for some interesting comedy later on. But it’s not just about the comedy, small internal monologues from Tada suggest that this show is going to attempt to get at the heart of young love and new experiences; entering college is a big step in anyone’s life, and there’s a lot of life experience to be learned from it. I’m glad to see this show will be lighthearted,while also addressing deeper issues too.
Will I stay for next week? Yes!This show has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to what it has to offer by addressing an older audience. If you’re a romance fan, a drama slice of life fan or a josei fan you should give this first episode a try, you might get hooked like me!
Christina

Top 10 Kickass Females in Video Games

I play video games quite regularly and I’ve come across quite a few female characters who inspire me a lot. Fighting big bad guys all while looking stylish and awesome (of course!) they’re some tough chicks who any guy would be crazy to reckon with. I’m going to give you my top 10 kickass females in video games as I chronologue my childhood and reach back into this awesome list of ladies. Please keep in mind that this list is subjective and features games I’ve played, I can’t vouch for a character I haven’t played as before. If we look beyond the curves there still are some deeply developed females in this list. Women have had a tough time being taken seriously in video games so I’m going to take them seriously here. Let’s get on with the list.
10. Jill Valentine from The Resident Evil Series

Fighting zombies is pretty terrifying, but Jill doesn’t flinch! I feel like her character is often missed and forgotten so she deserves some representation here. Her character has to be strong in the face of hardship as she fights the dreaded Umbrella Corporation and their slue of zombies, she’s badass as she shoots them down and moves on to fight and find her teammates. She was where it all started and she still appears in the series as she’s prominent in their newest title Resident Evil: Revelations. Although she’s a little feminine they’ve strived to make her character physically appealing to everyone while also making her more muscular and strong willed. She’s definitely a role model character that is often overlooked. In the face of fear she strikes it down, and that makes her one brave chick.
9. Princess Peach from the Super Mario Series

She is Nintendo’s female mascot that is an alternative for girls who play Nintendo’s Mario series of games. She may be cute and a little hopeless but despite her fragile nature she has been the hero before and will be again (with Super Mario Bros. 2, Super Mario RPG, and the upcoming Super Mario 3D Land on the Wii U). I always liked Peach because she was pretty and pink, and I looove pink. But pink doesn’t have to be cute and her character doesn’t have to be perilous unless you think she does. In the Paper Mario series you get to be in her shoes and play her after game chapters as she bravely goes around her kidnapping ground. She’s prepared to save herself while communicating back secrets to Mario that she’s sleuthed from the bad guys. In Super Mario 2 made her the pick of the lot with her awesome floating ability. And in the Smash Bros series she’s been my pick of the roster as she packs a heavy punch, all while looking cute and refined! So although she’s sometimes in the background, (but certainly not always!) Princess Peach is no damsel in distress.

Love Lab Episode 10 Highlights & Thoughts

This week offered us a light and fun episode of Love Lab. Although not a whole lot of development moving the story forward happened we did get some perspective by means of new characters (involving siblings) who enlightened us on Mizushima’s and Suzu’s past. It was a lot of fun to watch, so Spoilers ahead let’s discuss what happened.
Mizushima’s Reluctant Fashion Show

It opens with a funny skit of dressing up Mizushima for her next prospective date. What we get is some funny shots of her in different ridiculous outfits and her stumbling around without her glasses. It’s nice to see this fun scene that makes light of the serious Mizushima and pokes some fun at her for once. I enjoy that a slice of life comedy can make a scene worthwhile and funny even though it doesn’t develop much for the story (*cough* *cough* Servant x Service this week *cough*) so I appreciate the thought that has gone into this show week after week that’s made it so enjoyable thus far.
A History of Romance..?

The next scene involves Mizushima still as we get an introspective on how her relationship with her current boyfriend all started. It’s done in the perspective of her boyfriend which is nice as he is not only mysterious but he demonstrates to us how he would remain interested in her despite the fact that they barely see each other. If you’ll notice from the above screencap, their relationship starts on the wrong foot but it’s actually an endearing moment. He gets to see an expression of hers that shows there’s more to her than most other people notice. It’s a bit strange but I like that they’ve shared her relationship past with the audience and in the perspective of her boyfriend to boot. I just don’t understand why they give him no eyes. What’s with that anyway?
The Girls’ Siblings

There’s also a short segment involving the siblings of Suzu and Enomoto. Seeing Suzu as a toddler is pretty adorable, and the scene is too cute. They also poke a bit of fun at an old anime classic My Neighbor Totoro. There’s also a moment from Enomoto’s brother who’s very strange and a bit scary too. He also dons the feature of no eyes. That just adds to his scariness in my opinion. Both scenes are funny and a change of pace to feature some of the other girls for a few minutes.
Suzu’s Perspective

Lastly we get a few minutes featuring Suzu and getting a little taste of how things look from her view. She’s pretty self conscious which can be frustrating to watch but she is sweet and admires her senpais a lot. We see how even though she’s close to the other girls she still looks at them from more of an outsider’s opinion as she gets easily flustered by Maki and Riko. Either way it’s nice to see her featured for a little bit as she’s typically in the background.
So that was this week’s episode. A lot of fun and funny too. I could probably watch this show for more seasons if it continued because of how well they can make the girls’ daily lives interesting and charming, even if a whole lot doesn’t happen. I’ll probably look into the manga for that reason. I’m looking forward to further developments coming next week as well!
Christina

Servant x Service Episode 10 Highlights & Thoughts

Tonight’s episode was a bit of a disappointment to be honest. After all the tension and excitement from last week’s episode I was expecting this one to take that forward to this week’s, but alas we get an episode that feels more like filler than anything else. Spoilers ahead, let’s get on with it I suppose.
Chihaya Confesses to Toko

The episode begins with Chihaya telling Toko about her relationship with Taishi (Toko’s brother). But that plan goes half baked as Toko falls asleep and remains oblivious to it all. What we end up with is an endearing scene where the two fall asleep together and we learn that Toko is studying hard for college… and not to be a civil servant? I guess Toko’s got bigger plans for herself, and that’s nice to see. It’s unfortunate that Toko’s character isn’t well developed yet. This scene seems to allude to something we may learn about later, and I’ll be looking forward to that. We all know there’s more to Toko than meets the eye. Her strong will hasn’t shown us enough of the lengths she’s willing to go to for her brother, or really those she cares about. I’m excited to see just what she’s capable of.
Tanaka Breaks Down In front of Miyoshi

Did we forget about this guy? I’d like to. He’s after Hasebe again but Miyoshi squashes his plans of confronting his friend for the billionth time. When those plans fall through he decides to apologize to Lucy by taking her to dinner again. This gets him a quick scolding from Miyoshi claiming his actions toward everyone aren’t atonement but rather self satisfaction (way to lay it on him Miyoshi!). Isn’t that pretty much his lifestyle as it stands anyway? It appears like she hit a nerve as she’s going to dinner with him. I’m curious to see how this develops as I think it’s in Tanaka’s character to give up on Hasebe if a woman is involved in his life, but who knows. Either way their pairing is entertaining.
Kanon Around The Office

So Kanon, Toko’s friend from school is killing time around the office waiting for her friend and runs into some hijinks among the staff. It’s about a 5 minute segment of jokes and pretty much nothing else. I guess it’s nice to see the Magical Flowers cast animated (and so cute!). But otherwise it’s a lot of filler that kept me waiting for something exciting to happen. This could be their attempt at including Kanon’s character a bit more as she really has no role in the show but the segment is unnecessary and does nothing for her. Oh well!
A Bunny Manager Exposed

We learn that the section manager’s identity as a stuffed toy has been a secret to Toko and must have been one for a number of years now (I’m surprised they’ve pulled it off for this long). But by accident the secret is out and we get a comical moment of her freakout. She deludes herself into thinking they’ve gone crazy and that perhaps she was being too mean to everyone and thus caused their breakdown (highlighting her self-centered nature). It’s really just another segment of this episode that had no real bearing on anything. Perhaps the fact that the section manager is Kanon’s father and the fact that Toko does not know this could add some weight to her friendship with Kanon, but it’s not any big deal to anyone really (and I doubt will have impact). Why with all the pointless office antics? I can’t say much about this as there isn’t anything to say. The moment is what it is.
So there were a couple of developing points this episode highlighting Chihaya and Miyoshi with Tanaka. Other than that we get an episode highlighting a strange day in the office and not much else. With 3 episodes until the end of the season can we say this wasted air time is warranted? I don’t think so. I imagine next week will be back on track with the office romance and drama but with this episode throwing me for a loop it’s hard to say what I’ll be expecting. Either way I’ll be watching it.
Christina

Genshiken Nidaime Episode 9 Highlights & Thoughts

Another week another episode of Genshiken Nidaime. It’s getting close to the end of the season so things are starting to boil up. A lot happens without a lot said, and we’re left on the cliffhanger to end all cliffhangers. Spoilers Ahead let’s talk about the episode.

Ogiue and Sasahara and Hato

In the intro we get a little banter between Sasahara and Ogiue. Although it’s quick we can see Sasahara’s engaged in making sure she feels good about her work and gets over her own insecurities. We also get to know that he must live up to the fantasies she’s so eloquently drawn out about him. Before he gets to do so though the others arrive. Poor Sasahara.
We also see Ogiue do her best to mentor Hato. She’s not a very deeply developed character (which is disappointing) but you can see her dedication to helping Hato get over his drawing problems. She helps bridge the gap of his association with BL and crossdressing to himself outside of that and how he limits his own abilities when he crossdresses. Her kind words pay off and Hato draws the final sketches for their manga. It seems like Hato’s finally making some good progress on himself.

Kasukabe Returns

Saki Kasukabe talks briefly with Ohno about revisiting the university for the school festival to catch up with the gang. Although it’s a little blurb we can expect Hato to be caught off guard by the relationship he’s about to witness between Madarame and Saki. I imagine he has no clue what kind of woman she is, and he will likely stick up for Madarame as Saki was never easy to deal with. That’s all speculation for next week’s episode though.

Old Friends Return

So with the cultural festival in full swing the club is happily distributing their magazine. Yajima’s friend from high school makes a second appearance, along with Yoshitake’s odd pair of history club buddies. There’s just a lot of back and forth banter that isn’t very important but we also get a moment between Madarame and Hato when he appears. Sasahara’s little sister also makes an obnoxious appearance to Hato’s disappointment and embarrasses him and Madarame. This scene clearly accentuates Hato’s feelings towards Madarame as he not only get embarrassed by Keiko’s comments but he also gets very defensive towards Madarame and protecting his feelings about Kasukabe. The three of them interacting is an awkward scene that lets us see Hato’s more protective side to Madarame.

The Mysterious Trio

Hato has two mysterious friends who go on the lookout for him at the university. Luckily for him they do not catch on to who he is. The pair is very odd with one girl/guy who has the creepiest eyes I’ve ever seen in a casual anime. Seriously what’s with that? Anyway, the episode ends with someone exclaiming about Hato, which is apparently his female doppelganger?! What exactly is the story here? It’s a pretty big mystery making next week’s episode that much more enticing.
The episode overall was pretty bland save for the ending, but at least it gives us something to look forward to. It also introduced us to some new faces that will probably be developed further next week and in the episodes to come. Also, have we forgotten Saki interacting with Madarame? How will Hato deal with not only his own past creeping up on him, but Madarame’s past on top of that? It should be interesting. You’ll hear about next week!
Christina

Servant x Service Episode 9 Highlights & Thoughts

I apologize for missing last week’s episode! I didn’t have time to watch it on time, by the time I watched it it had been out for a few days and a highlights post at that point seemed a little pointless. That aside I’m here to highlight episode 9 for this week! This week was very lovey dovey as we got a look into Chihaya and Ichimiya’s relationship beginnings, as well as a touching moment from Hasebe to Lucy. Spoilers ahead! Let’s talk about the episode.

In the intro we get to learn a bit more about the relationship between Chihaya and Ichimiya, more specifically why someone so frustrated remains smitten. It seems like Ichimiya has a good heart and recognized Chihaya early on from when she started working as a temp. Although the moment is subtle and quick, it seems like she’s in it for his good heart (although he still gets caught up in his sister’s antics). I’ve grown to like Chihaya a lot as she seems like a very capable person and handles her emotions well (even though she has bursts of anger directed at Ichimiya every now and then, but who doesn’t get that in their relationship once in a while?).  I like their dynamic and it was nice for the quick side story, I’d like to see more of their relationship before the season’s over.

There’s also a subtle moment where Chihaya and Lucy are shopping for Lucy’s date with Hasebe. We finally get a little relief from Lucy’s insecurity as Chihaya tells her to think better of herself. This allows Lucy to realize that Hasebe’s affections are more genuine than she would have previously believed. And like the moment between Ichimiya and Chihaya, it’s a subtle line that will really transform Lucy’s character and help her to develop a lot. I think that’s what gives Chihaya oomph to her character, her moments are subtle but powerful. It’s nice to see her character mingling and affecting this flamboyant cast.

We also learn a bit more about Tanaka, more specifically that Kaoru finds him funny. We learn that he’s been persistent with everyone who has a connection to Hasebe (so Lucy is not special in that regard). I find his character very confusing; it seems like his obsession with Hasebe is a bit on the homosexual side. As strange as that sounds, he’s centered a lot of his life around trying to beat Hasebe, so much so that he is willing to have meaningless relationships to prove something to him and ‘ultimately help him’. His character is unsettling and confusing on the whole.

Lastly we get the most enjoyable moment of the episode. Miyoshi tricks Hasebe into believing that Lucy is getting married (her motives unknown, perhaps she agrees with Tanaka on the matter?). Anyways, we end up with a distraught Hasebe which is a big contrast between his usually cheerful self. It ends up being a misunderstanding as it’s really Kaoru his sister who is getting married. Hasebe admits to only needing Lucy as a contact in his phone as she is the only girl he needs, and it leaves Lucy flustered and happy. Now we know their upcoming date is going to seal the deal for Hasebe. Even despite Hasebe’s playboy demeanor he has these endearing lines that make him very likeable. I’m awaiting their eventual get together (hopefully factors like Tanaka don’t get in the way!).
So that was this week’s episode. Full of love and happiness! Each character was highlighted for their strengths this episode so it was nice to see how endearing each character is. I’m awaiting the next episode as it will most likely feature Hasebe’s and Lucy’s date. Anyone else excited for Lucy’s outfit? Until next week!
Christina

Love Lab Episode 8 Highlights & Thoughts

A lot happened this week in Love Lab, and not all is happy go lucky in the student council anymore! We get to understand the perspective of the Newspaper Society a bit better while seeing the back of Mizushima’s boyfriend’s head! (SCANDAL ALERT! *cough not really*) The episode leaves on a big cliffhanger while the whole episode is a wave of ups and downs regardless. So let’s get into the highlights of this dramatic episode. Spoilers Ahead!


It begins with Riko wanting to reinvent herself and demolish her title of The Wild One. I like how she has this funny nickname that she thinks is terrible, but it suits her well! It’s not terrible to be wild, I’m not sure if the translation from English to Japanese translates over but wild can be a compliment! Anyone else think her feminine obsession is overrated? Anyway we get some cute and funny banter between the 5 girls involving this sudden change of heart.

And didn’t we all forget about the Newspaper Society? We’ve had no clue what was up their sleeve and even at the end of this episode we still don’t. How can they keep this secret from us for a span of 3+ episodes? This time around though these two have caused much more serious trouble, snagging candid shots of Mizushima with her boyfriend. Does Mizushima even like the guy? It seems like she enjoys just having him around to say he exists. Anyway, we find out that the Newspaper Society has had some friction with Mizushima and the gang as they cut their budget and were demoted from Club Status to an Honorary Society. But even those facts are not sufficient as this isn’t their motive, so what is it exactly? I’m excited for next week’s episode to find out!

My bets are on the fact that Mizushima and Momo have some unfinished business between each other, anyone else get that impression? So because of the bad blood between the two groups Mizushima ends up being blackmailed into admitting to the school faculty that she has a boyfriend (although she admits it semi out of choice). So we know something is up her sleeve as she’s cunning enough to make the best out of these bad situations. I really liked that she was the showcase for the second half of this episode as we get to understand her and how clever she is. She’s easily becoming my favourite character (currently it’s Riko) but next episode will be the judge of that!
So that was the episode! It was full of drama and questions, and it revitalized a dry one from last week where not much happened. This week it leaves us wondering what’s going to happen to the school council, but I know Mizushima won’t lose her accounting position so easily even though she got expelled from the school council! So I’m excited to see just exactly how she intends on getting her rightful place back on next week’s episode.
*Ahem* We also got this golden moment. Let me now erase it from my memory.

Anyone else feel uncomfortable with the blatant black face?

Christina

Watamote, A Love/Hate Relationship/Response to Kotaku

Today I want to analyze Watamote, specifically why I’m watching despite its distaste by some viewers. Kotaku’s Ricard Eisenbeis wrote on how we’re laughing at Tomoko’s tragic figure, and that it’s a sadistic way of looking at someone with severe anxiety disorder. Although this point has some merit I want to argue that there’s more to it than that on the surface. I’ve had a few revelations through watching this show, and I’d like to share my thoughts.
I Like Her Character

Tomoko has many flaws, and they all set up for comedic outcomes, which on the whole I do not expect. She’s definitely an antihero and despite being wholly unlikeable I’ve grown attached to her. Perhaps because she’s very resilient, something that keeps her coming back and trying again. You can admire the fact that she’s always trying. Something a lot of us tend to forget is how easily we just dismiss something without even trying. And the fact that she keeps attempting makes me believe that one day she’ll have her cake and eat it too. We all want her to succeed, and that’s a funny thing despite how pathetic she can be. Every episode I wait for her to be happy, I want it for her, and that isn’t sadistic, so sorry Richard. She will pick herself up again, and she will get the happy ending. I’m almost positive (but you never know what this series will throw at you next!).
I Like Her Relatability

We’ve all feared a moment like this haven’t we?
Richard Eisenbeis does mention in his article that we all find her relatable, but I don’t think he delves deeply enough into this. The reason I believe this is because it’s more than just the situations she ends up in, and her internal monologue. Many times she mutters about how stupid people are, how shallow they can be, and their pointless conversations. But deep down we all know this is a defense mechanism. That because she can’t associate with these people she makes up an excuse as to why they’re inadequate for her. I think a lot of times when people face hardship they displace the problem out of their locus of control. And as she does, many people don’t even realize they’re doing this. Ever say “I failed that test because my teacher was a *****!”? it’s the same thing. I think we have something to learn from her, about our missteps and where we go wrong. It’s funny because we realize that she’s going about things all wrong, but at the same time we can reflect on how we also go about making the same mistakes like she does.
I Don’t Like Her Fantasy Life, but I Do See Where She’s Coming From

Further on that first point however, I find Tomoko to be utterly in the fantasy world and it’s frustrating. She has all these big ideas that fall flat but she keeps dreaming these impossibles dreams. It’s frustrating to watch because she really has no clue and we know it. But I’ll be honest on the fact that I find myself making these same mistakes. I have audacious dreams that are probably too good to be true, and often times I feel that these dreams hinder me from seeing the bigger picture. I get dissatisfied when I can’t live that big exciting life and instead need to buckle down on schoolwork first. I think Watamote’s analysis of this does shed to light the fact that these things can be very harmful as they don’t properly reflect reality, and never will. We can all fantasize about driving  a Mercedes full of money in Hawaii but that won’t make us any happier, or get us any closer to our goal because real life is more complicated than that. This social satire can teach us a little bit of the failings of our own defenses and break down the walls, even if just a little bit.
I Like Its Unpredictability

This show has made a niche for itself, stripping down every conventional anime cliche in its path. Every episode I find myself rooting for Tomoko just to watch her fall flat on her face. It never gives you the ending you wanted, nor the one you were expecting (unless you’ve come to expect her failure, but even every now and then there’s a happy ending in there). Her character is deeper than we think, and it gives us contrasting scenarios that have that real life feel to them; that sometimes good intentions do not pay off. I like that every episode throws a new curve ball in there, its spontaneity has me laughing out loud and I appreciate its uniqueness. In an anime season full of lovey dovey shoujo, happy high school girls and boys, super heroes and the supernatural, I’m happy to see an anime attempt something new. I have to give Watamote credit for that.
My Conclusion?

Watamote is definitely one of the weirdest animes I’ve watched, and I’ll admit that I feel very weird when I watch it. A lot of it has to do with the points above and that I find myself so conflicted every time I watch it. It creates a discussion on the extremes of a NEET/otaku lifestyle and thrusts these topics in my face every episode. It breaks the conventional norms and challenges us to think critically about how we deal with struggle; are we like Tomoko? Are we denying that we are? I can’t say I love the show yet, but it’s getting there. Maybe I’m just a weirdo too…
I’d love to get your opinions on this controversial anime! Send me a question/comment and we can create our very own discussion here.

Christina

Genshiken Nidaime Episode 7 Highlights & Thoughts

This episode had a lot in it compared to last week’s episode. Each character had good screen time and we even get a little bit of Sasahara at the beginning! We also get some more fanservice cosplay! Cue in Ohno as Bayonetta! (Such a good game) We also finally get into Ogiue’s head a little bit, which has been well needed as she’s almost never around. Spoilers ahead! Let’s get into the highlights of this week’s episode.

The show starts with Ogiue proposing a magazine for this year’s school festival. SHOCK NOT COSPLAY THIS YEAR?! It’s a welcomed change to the series actually. Unfortunately the girls don’t work well solo or together on this it seems. We also see that perhaps the stoic Ogiue is a bit jealous of Hato’s drawing skills because Ogiue hasn’t been well received publicly for her manga publications. So instead of working solo on a project Sue suggests that the two work together for the magazine. This could work out well for the two of them, would they have a future publishing together? I’d like to see where they take this cooperative effort.

We also get a small tidbit of Yajima’s past; it’s about a small crush she had in high school. Although it’s not much, it’s nice to see her character as the center of attention for a little bit. Could this be a teaser into perhaps a reappearance of Mr. Mystery? It would be very fun if it is foreshadowing something. She doesn’t steal the spotlight for very long though, as it shifts to Yoshitake grilling Hato about his high school romance.

Hato of course is hesitant to give anything away, as it opens up old wounds. I imagine we’ll learn of this mystery romance sooner or later, Yoshitake’s probably too nosy to let this story go. Luckily Hato is saved from spilling any details by Kuchiki’s appearance. Who knew that guy could come in handy? We also get one of the funniest moments from this season so far. *Below*

Yoshitake is hilariously devious. It’s also funnily true, despite its horrible implications. Anyone else laugh out loud at this moment?
So that was episode 7! It was a really great episode that left us with a lot of questions, but I’m sure what happened will segue to some answers very soon (or at least by the end of the season). The teaser at the end of the episode showed that Madarame’s coming back next week to give us some more romantic tension. Why do I still feel funny saying that? Anyway, I’m anticipating next week’s episode, this week gave us a lot to look forward to!
Christina