Alcoholic Anime Awards 2009

If I were to make a list of things I love in this world, two of the items near the top of list would be anime and booze. Anime and booze is also a winning combination. One time I watched Strike Witches with a handle of vodka, and while I had very little idea as to what was going on, the show has never been funnier. Last year I wrote a top 3 best and worst list, but I’m going to try something a little different this year. This year, I’m going to combine my love of anime and liquor and give out awards named after various drinks. If you are the creator and happen to be wasting your time reading an American blog, take a shot of your award if you want some kind of trophy.

Makoto Shinkai is Overrated

I recently watched 5 Centimeters per Second due to its stellar reviews and almost unanimous praise. However, when I finished watching it, I didn’t think it was that good. If I were to compare this movie to a sandwich, the phenomenal backgrounds and lighting would be the fluffy delicious bread surrounding the soggy lettuce and bland turkey that was the story and characters. Sure you could remove the unsatisfying filling, but in the end, just like eating bread by itself, 5 cm/s was unsatisfying fluff.

A Manly Man’s Guide to Buying Anime Figures

As I’ve gotten more and more into anime and otaku culture, I’ve started to build up a collection of figures. While they’re usually well sculpted, nicely painted, and accurately capture the spirit of the characters, one of the main problems I’ve had is getting them at a good price. However, after much searching, here are the sites I frequent most often for my anime goods.

Manga of the Now: Bakuman

This time’s Manga of the Now is a new series by the writer/artist duo of Death Note: Bakuman. Contrary to the brilliant story of how absolute power corrupts absolutely, Bakuman focuses on a simpler story, that of two guys who want to get published in Shonen Jump. While it is nowhere near as good as Death Note, and has some crippling flaws, Bakuman is still an entertaining read.

Fall 2009 Preview: Season of Sequels

With the new season starting in a couple weeks, I decided it’s time again to go through and announce to the world what I plan to watch for the next 13+ weeks. The vast majority are sequels, and there aren’t many new titles that really stand out for me this season, so I’m hoping for some surprises. So here we go.

Hayate no Gotoku 2: Is it Good?

So the second season of Hayate no Gotoku just finished this past weekend, and my opinion of it hasn’t really changed much. In response to Hinagiku’s question above, “Is it good?” The simple answer is no. Frankly the second season of HnG was crap compared to the original. However, there were still moments, especially in the final episode, that I really enjoyed.

Manga of the Now: Oniichan Control

This time’s manga of the now is a relatively new series that is probably one of the most simultaneously disturbing yet entertaining series I have read since Kodomo no Jikan. Oniichan Control is the story of a brother and sister who have a  sister and brother complex respectively. While there are only 2 chapters out, the idea seemed interesting enough to warrant a post on it.

Manga of the Now: Yozakura Quartet

For those of you who have been reading my blog since the beginning, you will remember that my very first post was on the show Yozakura Quartet. It was not very popular, and not particularly good, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The show was about a town populated by demons and a group of 4 teenagers who deal with its supernatural problems. It’s main problems were that it had a confusing plot and terribly fast pacing. However, what redeemed it for me were its lovable cast, cool art, and a catchy soundtrack. Recently, I bought the first two volumes of the manga out of curiosity, and I now see where the anime’s strengths and weaknesses came from.

Final Thoughts on Endless Eight

While I’m a bit late writing about it, now that the Endless Eight story arc of the new season of Haruhi is officially over, and has moved on to new material, I fell I can finally comment on it. Endless Eight was one of those things fans either loved or hated. Some thought it was genius, others retarded. Some even expressed their hatred violently. However, this mixed reaction that divided the fan base really says a lot about otaku and how easily manipulated we are.

Manga of the Now: Fairy Tail

This time’s Manga of the Now is a textbook example of generic shonen. Fairy Tail focuses on the adventures of Natsu, a fire mage, and his friends who are members of the titular guild, Fairy Tail.  But what distinguishes Fairy Tail from other shonen is that even if it is not all that original, it does everything right. It goes to show that there’s good reason why people like reading the same crap they’ve read over and over again.