The fan and his sleeping habits

Actually, strangely enough, this idea came to me in one of my insomnia streak. How do the regular anime fan sleeps? How do the anime blogger sleeps? And more importantly, do they even sleep?

So I got curious and thought I'd ask you. 

I'm probably pretty special, I'm an early riser, thankfully, I sleep longer now it's winter but expect me to be awake by 8 a.m. everyday (in summer it's 6, not kidding) as such I go to bed pretty early. Or I try to, because obviously sometimes, insomnia (or cafeine) strikes in my system. 

What do I do during these terrible times? I blog, mostly. It's strange how inspiration is much stronger in the middle of the night or in early morning. 

Lately, in a normal day my schedule is as such, study in the morning, work after 2p.m., add the time to do various little chores like cooking, I usually go to sleep around 11p.m. The rest is all anime. Or at least dedicated to the internet. Unless I find something more interesting outside, or someone brings me a book, but you can do a whole lot of things on the internet, really.

I think that it's a question of balance, how to balance work and/or studies along with real life various obligations, other hobbies, sleep and anime. I don't really have an advice on the subject, since, as I said, I'm a bit special in my sleeping habits and would rather go to bed at 9p.m. and wake up willingly at 5 a.m. the next morning to study (I did it regulary in school)

Guess the only thing I have to say is, just like Kurisu, I think couch naps are the best! 

Now, do tell me, how do you sleep? Do you nap? Was your sleep affected by anime and/or blogging and/or the internet? 

Kuuki's anime shocks Weekly #1

Hello and welcome to the first edition of Kuuki's anime shocks Weekly!
Am just going to share the things that shocked me during this week.

First and above all, I started a job! It kinda killed my anime drive a bit but I should manage enough energy to follow what I decided to follow, and, let's face it, I need a new laptop. Dotachin has lived a good life but he's way past the expiration date.

Anyway!

- I gave in and started Aquarion Evol. I don't really like it, what I like is that it keeps on making me think dirty, and that for once it's not even my brain acting up but the anime that's like that.
Best of it all? There's stuff to think about for everyone!

- Guilty Crown got cliché again.
But I got Daryl in glasses. Daryl who's totally blocked inside that Gate thing of sort. Because of people that are supposed to be his allies. Daryl who really might be Gai's brother.

- Hiroaki Hirata finally appeared in Another. His character looks like Tiger&Bunny's Yuri Petrov. Minus the glasses.

- Oh and the more it goes the more I think I'll remember Persona 4 as a mediocre anime.

Being a fujoshi #3 - A dictionary

And another article in the series, mostly prompted because Nopy said he wanted to put up a Guide to Anime and there's nothing I know better than fujoshi terms.
I have voluntarily left out some rather questionnable fanfiction terms that I'm pretty sure you don't want to even imagine the meaning of, but of course if anyone ever comes accross a word he/she thinks fit for the list please comment and I'll add it. The list is meant for change and no matter how much I review it (and ask fujoshi friends to review it) there's no other word we could think of.

Have fun reading? I guess.

- Boy's Love or BL (also called shonen-ai) : Story revolving around two (or more) boys falling in love. It may be used to define the genre as a whole but it's usually for sweet and cute love stories.

- Doujinshi : Self published work by Japanese artists. In the context, more often than not, it's a drawn story of characters from various popular (and not so popular) series, not always explicit but that's usually the main point of the "story".

- Fanart : Just like its name suggest, it's art of series created by fans, again, but without story, just an illustration (but I guess you know that already)

- Fanfiction : Stories based on a series written by fans. Can be explicit or not, can be serious or not, can be a crossover between different series, basically, there's many kind of fanfictions.

- Homoge : Games in which the main goal is to make two men come together. Like an eroge, except with two men. Most popular series are from Nitro+Chiral and, believe it or not, some of those have great stories (Togainu no Chi before the anime for example ^^) (Though you shouldn't really look at some of the game CGs, trust me on that)

- Pairing : A pairing is basically a couple. It's mostly used in the context of fanmade stuff but technically it can be any couple. Not always an homosexual one either. (Because fujoshi can do yuri and hentai too)

- Seme : I have no idea how to define this in a tasteful way, it's used to define the dominant one in a sexual homosexual relationship, the one who tops?

- Ship : See Pairing

- Shonen-ai : See Boy's Love

- Uke : The exact contrary of the seme, the one on the receiving end of anal sex.

- Yaoi : It's the general term used to define the genre revolving around homosexual relationships. Usually more on the sexual part of things.

[1st episode] Thermae Romae

Here comes the first other Noitamina show of the season (BRS comes later), and, I can't say I can complain. (I could complain on Guilty Crown and laugh madly saying "MWAHAHA I knew it" but I won't bother)

Thermae Romae, is, like its name tells you, if, obviously you know latin better than the people who titled Madoka, an anime about baths in Ancient Rome. Except main character travels through time and often end up in modern japanese baths. Magical!

As you can see, the animation and character design could be caracterized as experimental or at least unusual. Unless you're familiar with European comics because that's totally the style we're used to (Again, remember I'm French)
Well, while it's not exactly what I'd call pretty it's at least interesting to see.

The characters are pretty normal, nothing to really note.
The plot is pretty much non existent, poor main character just get transported in modern Japan and comes back with new ideas to built new baths, which is used for comical relief.

And that works. That totally works and it's hilarious. And rather accurate aside from the obvious. Which lets me say that if you ever have the occasion go visit a roman bath, these guys were geniuses and it's incredibly big, and awesome.

[1st episode] Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

First and only new Sunrise anime I'm giving a chance to this season, I don't even think they're broadcasting anything else are they? Not that I mind because they do lots of shit among their god-tier anime. 

Anyway, Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou is, just like its name hint, if you understand a bit of Japanese, an anime about the daily lives of high school boys. 

As you can see, again, the character design isn't exactly pretty. But Bakuman taught me character design and art aren't the most important things in gag manga. Which I agree with, if something is funny you don't even look at the characters.

Except I don't mind looking at pretty things you know, as such, prettier designs would have been great. 

Another thing that bugged me is that this literally screamed Gintama. Everywhere. At every second.

The only seiyuu who isn't in Gintama doesn't even have a very distinctive voice (Sorry Irino Miyu, you're good at what you do)

The composer is also the writer of Gintama's music. 

And the director is also Gintama's.

So, I hope it'll break free from the Gintama influence. I love Gintama, don't make me wrong, but, I'd rather watch the real thing than a knock off without swords and aliens. 

All in all and despite all I complained about I really enjoyed myself, contrary to Gintama, the episode was constructed in a succession of shorts. No boredom, more possibilities to change the settings to create funny jokes, Kuuki is happy. And Kuuki laughed. She doesn't laughed very often. 

And the introduction was hilarious. Absolultely hilarious. 

There's something else that works very well in favor of this anime and it's the nostalgia factor, and they probably know it. A few of my male friends were exactly like the guys in the anime and the memories make me smile. 

[1st episode] Another

When you realize you've nearly watched all the shows you wanted to watch for the new season and the only thought you have in your mind is : "Already? But it feels like I've watched only two shows", you know it's time for you to get your head checked. I mean, my MAL currently watching list is at 35. And there are still new stuff I want to watch.
At this point, I can't seriously go into a withdrawal syndrom can I?

Anyway, back on tracks, what's Another? Well, it's another anime (didn't see that one coming did you?), an horror anime about a girl who's apparently a ghost and a class full of creepy people who might really be all dead considering how creepy they are. Didn't catch much about the general storyline from that first episode but they did tell the story of Misaki Mei, the probably-ghost-girl, guess we'll follow the adventures of outsider-kun (noticed how it's always an outsider who creates trouble?) as he uncovers the truth behind that story.

I guess I shall start by the only thing that really bothered me, mainly, the character design. If it's an horror anime it would have beneficied from a character design a bit more unusual, less big eyes, more creepy. See the main protagonist? If the picture was a little clearer she'd look like she came straight out of a moe anime.
Thankfully the really dark atmosphere of the anime makes up for the character design.

Some people mentionned the lack of character depth and their non-reaction to things, but I didn't see it. I guess that's something I'll have to see on the long run but so far the characters seems fine to me. Except maybe for outsider-kun but I don't even expect anything from main male protagonists anymore so ...

There are probably a lot of bad things to comment on, I didn't notice them.

To be honest I went out of these 20 something minutes screaming for more. (Well, minus the OP, I really don't like it). So far, this anime has everything I love. I really, really hope it'll keep up because if it goes on with such a creepy atmosphere and intriguing settings, it'll become one of my favorite anime of all time real quick.

In any case, even if by chance it'd end up bad, there's a limit to what you can do in 12 episodes in terms of mystery and horror, I won't drop it before I get to hear Hiroaki Hirata King of Fried Rice.
I am just hoping he won't voice a villain because there's no way I'll take him seriously.

In short : GO WATCH THIS!

[1st episode] Brave 10

And another one of the show I've been dying to see. Which, as most shows you die to see, kinda isn't what you expected.

So, Brave 10 is yet again another samurai show, telling the story of the warlord Sanada Yukimura and his 10 greater soldiers. Or so I assumed, given the title and the timeline and such.
I actually have no idea what's happening aside that a poor samurai whose name I forgot is dragged into a miko's affair (since the poor girl is obviously chased by the evil people) and they're both dragged in old man Sanada's little plot too.

As we already have established, the plot isn't the strong point of the anime, as cliché as possible.
Which could be nice, really, after all, it's hard to go past the cliché stuff in a Sengoku anime, except that, seriously, even that Sengoku Time Paradox thing was better done than that. And it had more boobs than this.

The strong point of this anime should have been the cast. It's like a dream cast for every (girl) seiyuu fan out there. Except, you know what, while I like Ono Daisuke, I can't really handle him talking this much.
We, sadly, haven't heard many other people talk but I did like Sanada's voice, and, I was greatly amused by the fact the girl is voiced by the same seiyuu who voiced Sakuma in Azazel. Not that any of you has watched Azazel but Sakuma's damn badass.

The BGM was annoying, I can deal with music not fitting the atmosphere and all, but this is too much, please, not that much electric guitars in my Sengoku anime.
As usual, the OP and the ED sucked.

To be fair it has, for me at least, a few redeeming points.
- It's pretty. And no, I don't only mean it has pretty boys, the backgrounds were pretty too.
- Sanada Yukimura is fucking sexy. Being a bearded old man and all. (<-- new found fetish)
- Talking about fetishes, it had a bondage scene. Yeah, that too.

Wait and see as they say, I don't follow many anime this season I can give a chance to a few stuff I don't particulary like. And it's my anime date with Teap. I can't drop it.

On the other hand, if you thought about maybe give it a chance, watch Sengoku Basara instead. It may not have much plot either aside from the very cliché "let's beat everyone and especially the bad guys down to a pulp" but at least it's funny.

[1st episode] Nisemonogatari

You have no idea how much I was waiting for this. Finally something I want to watch!
Granted, there already was Natsume Yuujinchou but it's a continuation, not the same.

So, the first one of this season is Nisemonogatari, I don't even know how to summarize this so I'll abstain. (And wish good luck to everyone who'll try)

What to say about Nisemonogatari, well, first, the same old SHAFT atmosphere is there, with more budget than Bakemonogatari and I couldn't stop hearing Itoshiki Nozomu (but that's because Kamiya Hiroshi)
Visually, it's exactly as I expected to be, maybe a bit too bright.

As for the story, I have to admit I was a bit surprised, I expected the thing to go fully toward the sisters route, but it still focused on Araragi and the other Bakemonogatari girls.
Hachikuji somehow became cuter and wiser since I last saw her.
Senjougahara on the other hand managed to become a psycho since I last saw her.
The first thing I could think about when I started the episode? : OMG BONDAGE.

The next one? Senjougahara really has strange fetishes.

I think I might need help.

In the end, I still don't know what it's going to be about, but I don't mind, I know I'll enjoy it.
If I had one complain to make it'd be that : WHERE'S MY DANCING ED??!

Happy New Year! (and 200th post o_O)

Have been waiting for everyone to be in 2012 before making my post because, obviously, timezones are a pain, but HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! I wish you lots of happiness and good anime!

And, since the gods of timing are with me, it's also my 200th post so, let's look back?

What the hell did happen in 2011 in my anime world?

- My Durarara!! obsession died.
- It's been replaced by an anime I didn't even like at first.
- The rest of the year, my entire brain has been dominated by ... Tiger&Bunny! (Just in case you didn't notice XD)

- That being said, it makes me even more thankful for this blog because it really, REALLY helped balancing things out, since, when I start obsession over something I really go all out. Having an anime blog on the side forces me to focus on something else.
- I embraced my creepy otaku side. And I said "otaku", not "fujoshi", I've been apparently lost to the dark side for a long, looong time.
- I met lots of great people!
- Hell, one of them even asked me to write on his blog.
- There has been a lot of good shows, as busy as I was obsessing over Tiger&Bunny, even I noticed.
- Had a very good New Years Eve and New Years Day. No, really, nothing beats spending peaceful times with your family and flailing with your friends over how good your favorite show is (I'm sorry for everyone I harassed over Twitter ^^), listenning to your favorite radio show (obviously in Japanese, you have no idea how much my ears are ringing whenever I heard "chara song album") and watching the New Years special of that show you love.
- And, last but not least, even though I'm pretty sure I am forgetting something, SANDY BEACH, SANDY BEACH~

Then, what's going to change in 2012?

- I already have more things planned for 2012 when it has just started than in the entirety of 2011, so, probably less time to blog and watch anime.
- The bi-weekly "Kuuki's crazy anime watchlist corner" is out. Because it's boring to write and makes me lazy. Instead you'll get a weekly highlight kind of thing. Maybe.
- Nothing else is going to change, I'll keep up what I've been doing and hope to make many more friends in the process!

Lastly and once again, happy New Year! It's technically a Christmas picture but Yamaguchi Hoshiko said she wanted to see what kind of photograph I make so ...