Category: Priority

Do the Year-End

Posted by Ryan A - November 1, 08

That’s right. Contrary to my lack of specifically blogging on anime topics, there is one regard I like to endear, that is the Year-End posts. It’s November now…

Kureha

In roughly 60 days the otakusphere will see a fluttering of wrap-up and reviews about 2008, it’s quite amazing because the perspectives are very entertaining. I wonder if Lawson will do his countdown as usual.

My own contributed year-end posts have shown the past two years of blogging, but there’s a bit more that comes at the end of the year, marathons. Yes, December is nearly an entire month of vacation for me, and I like to explode in a fit of marathos throughout the month, but there is a maximum.

This year, the marathon list is looking rather plump. I’m a bit scared for my time and health, but no worries, because what matters most is a concise perspective of what I feel the best series were (and why), so basically not every series is a competitor for the top-slots.

Personally, marathoning is a fun treat, and though there will be little marathoned content appearing on aloe, dream, my reflection pool will be thoroughly stocked.

I’m seeing a lot more blogs in my aggregator these days, and I’m just wondering, which blogs will do annual perspectives, or if others do this sort of marathoning for the year close? Generally, I think some cross-talk on the group blogs would be entertaining. Anyway…

Cheers towards the closing months of 2008.

Same Theme, Mod Style

Posted by Ryan A - August 11, 08

So I modified the css once more (last time was March, and it was alright, but I didn’t like the color scheme; dark). That was last night, yesterday I also added style to the melative blog, which is the same layout with minor differences. I tried to keep the content centered, while still flying the sidebar at an offset, whatever that means D:

Anyway, I’ve had the BakaTsuki translation for the Toradora! light novel in my tabs for a week or so, and decided to read a bit ( first chapter reflection is probably on the right ).

It’s tough to watch anime at the moment, with the Olympics on 18+ hours a day (with overlap), but if I have the chance, I’m looking at tasting Koihime†Musou since Impz keeping it standard over at That. Waiting on Xam’d HD, because 03 in hd was super.

Backlogs suck, permalogs suck, but I’m not fearing the experience, simply wishing for less ani-procrastination.

Habits of Plenty

Posted by Ryan A - May 20, 08

So Riex posted a little tid-bit about viewing habits, which I found very similar to my own ways. I agree with stocking up and batch viewing, though unfortunately, I never managed to get 20+ episodes in on a non-marathon day.

Basically, I try to stay in the flow of episodic releases, but for this year I have decided to let some seasonal things slide and push them to a Year-End Marathon list. The idea is to keep things at bay, but not entirely on the “To-Watch” list, since we all know these take forever to clear. Sticking to the annuals makes prioritizing slightly easier, and it adds a wider comprehension with respect to the year in anime.

Also, my personal concerns are spread among other experiences (film, music, F1, soccer, or simply playing in the physical world), which anime sometimes takes the back seat, that’s just how life is. At the moment, I have current episodic viewing which I am backlogged and will likely batch view; things like VK and S.A. I have a hard habit of not dropping things, so the question is never “if” but always “when” … “will I take in the experience”

Ryan A

note: I have created the monster… Blogpocalypse [link]. Style and content to arrive shortly, but probably not that soon.

That Last Post

Posted by Ryan A - May 15, 08

… was meager.

Rather than enjoying some anime before sleep, I’m going to blurb. How does a 36 hour period feel like 72? Well, without details, it is about diversity, and especially diversity of enjoyment.

I rose this morning with little to do….
…but sit. So I sat…

There are times when seeing is epic and times when eating is insignificant, this was my lesson for the moment. I took out a notepad and began a list… 99 reason I should not anime blog. Roughly 24 reasons in, I thought it unfair, and columnized another heading, 99 reasons I should anime blog.

These lists will surface, eventually, incomplete and unnumbered. In short, the initial 99 reasons are quite amazing, as there are no relations to anime, nor downward thumbs; these are positive aspects, diversities, each fully establish in a life.

The converse list, will be similar, and though blank, atm, it will likely be moments in my experience with anime that influence my desire to blog… this is the sad list, as many of those moments have departed in the cyclical flux of my being, and waiting for another chance to shine in elder eyes that were once intrigued.

I rose this morning, and for a moment, I thought of this blog. Unnatural, I felt, what am I writing here? and why does it feel more comfortable to write with my non-dominant hand, than formulate substance on AloeDream?

Diversity, confinement, and the relation between; a similar circumstance to my own. I believe the premise of AloeDream is movement upstream. Maybe I can anime blog, but I require a separate premise. Editorials are out, summaries are out, the “blog” is overkill for my reflections, meta-meta tastes bad, special purpose is more confined, and day-2-day is disconnecting. Is there any way to cope with diversity? 99 reasons.

As life beams the curve balls, we learn to hit them, but we soon find that we can run only one set of bases.

Ryan A, as in less violent definition of ‘A’mok.

Note: The usage of “should not” is not synonymous with “should stop” :) btw, I’m perfectly fine and nothing “occurred”, simply soft moments of silence, in an unfamiliar environment.

Spring 2008 :: This should be fun

Posted by Ryan A - April 10, 08

Spring

Blazed through the raws. At this time I believe there is only one series I’m waiting to premier, the one with many alias, but mostly I am happy with the premiers I’m choosing to follow. I’ll get right into it.

Nabari no Ou

nabari
nabari

Impression | First Episode Snaps

xxxHOLiC Kei

xxx
xxx

Impression | First Episode Snaps

Zettai Karen Children

loliesp
loliesp

Impression | First Episode Snaps

Vampire Knight

VK
VK

Impression | First Episode Snaps

S.A. ~Special A~

S.A
S.A

Impression | First Episode Snaps

Soul Eater

se
se

Impression | First Episode Snaps

It’s funny because I can’t really choose a top pick from these; last time I chose a seasonal pick was Nodame Cantabile, which was clear cut. All of them have solid points, but I could easily find myself preferring the manga versions, disliking a rushed end, finding a series too shoujo shounen, or just plain uninteresting. Being a non-episodic blogger has its perks, so I even if I don’t keep up with something, the Year-end Marathon list is always needing attention (Kurenai has already been put on that list, and RD might be as well).

For the season

I’m now using AniSnaps!, don’t mind watching a lot of these raw, and melative reflections have lifting my burden of episodic style. Therefore, I do intend to give Aloe Dream more attention. (pimpin) For reference, aloe’s melative reflections are updated frequently, and there is a feedback mechanism (comments, pings, etc) in the works.

Ryan A

note: the series with many alias is Daughter of 20-Faces. *edit: I totally forgot Library Wars as well, 720p yessah. On the reflections.

I look at the uTorrent

Posted by Ryan A - February 10, 08

I feel pretty lethargic. Not good, I say, but not bad. Really, there isn’t much happening when I check out what’s downloading; I’m sort of oblivious. Here’s what I am keeping track of…

  • Bamboo Blade
  • Kimikiss
  • Shana II
  • Shugo Chara!
  • Gundam 00

Anything and everything else I’ve barely touched, just not in the mood. This ranges from Ghost Hound to Moyashimon!, but I want to be there. I just haven’t found a good moment for myself to say… Ryan! Enjoy this.

J-media is nice, because I still enjoy it, even though I’m twirling my anime habits around in thin air. Particularly, I’ve found small time for dramas. I’m not converted or such, but there is something about a 40-50 minute X 10-12 episode series when compared with a double-season (~25 episodes) anime, and I’d have to say it is the level of fulfillment.

Lately, the j-dramas I’ve experienced felt meaty. The equivalent amount of time in anime… wait, I’ll just use a metaphor:

If anime were Carmel-san’s BacoTomago thing, it would be 2 eggs and 2 strips of bacon, whereas a drama would be 3 eggs and 2 strips of bacon…. very small difference… it isn’t as definite as saying, bacon and eggs VS the fruit smoothie.

Anyone that eats eggs regularly for breakfast knows, 2 eggs vs 3 eggs is quite a difference; this has something to do with math.

Two eggs can theoretically satisfy two mouths, 3 eggs does the job surely. Thus one mouth should be able to enjoy 1.5 eggs, but because eggs come in shells, let’s go for 2 (rounding is fun). Now, increasing the amount to 3 eggs, when a belly is satisfied with 1.5 eggs… that’s double, 200%, therefore quite a difference.

Eggs are fun…episode to episode, dramas have fulfillment, but overall I still feel anime is better rounded in the end.

Enough about the why. In January, I went through GTO, First Kiss, and Nobuta wo Produce, while starting Kimi wa Petto, Yamada Tarou Monogatari (via TokiDoki), and this evening Proposal Daisakusen.

Of the bunch, Nobuta wo Produce is quite notable. It was fun, with interesting characters. GTO was fun, though a bit older. First Kiss had some relapse and psycho-analysis requirements, but addicting through the first half. Of the three I started, I will probably only finish Proposal Daisakusen; from 2007. The others were good, just I wasn’t feeling them; Yamada Tarou is enjoyable, but the chemistry was so-so, and Kimi wa Petto, I like the manga.

Hmm, well, I feel like I didn’t accomplish much this post, but dramas are a good way to keep the j-flow, since I’m not maxing out my anime entertainment. I may not write about it here, but one drama I am looking forward to watching is Galileo; science-mystery. One drama I probably won’t venture into, but I love the source is Honey and Clover; Garten is blogging that one.

So, yea. party on!

Ryan A

edit: I accidentally published this private, which is strange… so since I was logged in, I couldn’t tell. D:

The Watch List :: Winter 2008

Posted by Ryan A - January 5, 08

I mentioned that I wasn’t going to do Winter/Summer Priorities etc. I think the watch list is a good idea though. This season, I didn’t want a large pickup list, so I’m basically sticking to my roots with 5 series, most being single-season length (I think).

More…