Top 30 Anime

A little under a year ago I published a list of my Top 25 anime. While it was accurate at the time, it’s been a while, and my opinions have certainly shifted in that period. I’ve watched more anime now, so I figured I might as well raise the number, and here I am with a new and improved Top 30. Most shows could shift up or down a few points based on my whims, and there are plenty of shows that would likely rank on here if I rewatched them, but there’s no helping that. I’ll never watch everything I love within a few years. This is the most accurate list I can make for myself right now, and I hope you enjoy it.

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Yearning for Yuri: Ayame 14

Ayame 14 is another great work by Amano Shuninta. Taking an entirely different tone to The Feelings We All Must Endure, this manga still manages to explore some great themes in regards to sexuality and identity formation.

The Lack of Info on Anime is Infuriating

I know a lot of people don’t care very much, but I want to know as much as I can about anime and its surrounding culture. I’m willing to admit that I haven’t done as much research as I can, but I tend to consider myself fairly well-read when it comes to the broader otaku culture, especially in regards to my specific areas of interest. I want to know a lot about anime, and I’ve been finding more and more lately that it can be really hard to get the info I want.

Yearning for Yuri: The Feelings We All Must Endure

It’s time to take a look at another openly queer yuri mangaka. Yuri made by men and straight women can be great, but open lesbians and other queer women are obviously worth highlighting in the yuri discourse. This week I’ll be looking at Amano Shuninta’s The Feelings We All Must Endure also known as Watashi no Sekai wo Kouseisuru Chiri no You na Nani ka.

Quick Update on The Near Future of the Blog

Very soon, in about a week, I’ll be moving across the country with my family. I’m pretty happy to be moving back to California, but it’s going to cause some changes to my life, and those changes will, at least to some extent, affect this blog. I figured I should probably give a heads-up about it, especially since I have some actual plans for what direction I want to move in from here on out.

Nichijou Really Highlights Anime’s Mediocre Comedy

I finished rewatching Nichijou recently, and I’m happy to report back that it is indeed one of anime’s best comedies. I was worried a bit, having watched it when I was newer to anime, but I was incredibly satisfied watching it again. Over time I’ve actually come to like anime comedy more, adjusting to certain Japanese humor trends and finding comfort in the somewhat stale jokes that are so rampant.

Yearning for Yuri: Kashimashi

So far I’ve only covered manga that I consider to be great works. Obviously, I can never be objective, but the works I’ve covered so far were ones that I think would appeal strongly to anyone interested in reading yuri. But not all worthwhile yuri will appeal to everyone, and not all worthwhile yuri is fantastic. There’s some stuff out there which is interesting in certain ways but not amazing overall. Manga which I personally love due to some specific element that doesn’t matter to most. We’re going to be looking at one of those manga this time, in the form of 2006’s Kashimashi.

YouTubers and Bloggers Should Interact More

The more critical side of anime fandom has been expanding lately. It’s always had a presence on WordPress and other blogging platforms, but viewership there has hardly been outstanding. However, with the transformation of YouTube into a mainstream internet platform we’ve seen a growth in critical anime content. Analysis has been spreading into the video medium for some time now, and it’s not at all controversial to say that it gets way more attention there than here. At the same time, there are many more quality bloggers than quality YouTubers, many of whom have unique perspectives to add to the community.

Hyouka Shows Why You Should Ignore Genre

I’ve complained before about the fact that people focus so heavily on genre. Personally, I tend to believe that a show’s genre doesn’t matter much. Let’s be honest here, the most popular shows aren’t from the most popular genres. People love Eva without liking mecha. People love K-On without liking slice-of-life. People love Hunter x Hunter without liking battle shounen. People enjoy shows that go against their tastes in genre all the time. I’ve experienced this before and my recent rewatch of Hyouka has confirmed my ideas on this topic.

Yearning for Yuri: Prism

This week we’re looking at Prism, a truly fantastic schoolgirl manga that ended far too soon. Prism stands out for a number of reasons, from its nice art to its concise storytelling, though most people know it for being canceled early after allegations of tracing. While that has marred its reputation and left it unfinished, it’s still very much worth reading.