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Get To Know Prince of Tennis: Catchphrases 

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Read or Die

Let me talk for a moment about R.O.D. the TV. 

Almost the entire cast of characters are female. The women are the fighters, the brains, the victims, the aggressors, the lovers, the friends, the sisters, and when a man does step on the scene he is never greater or less for the fact of him being a man. And even though most of the cast are women, they don’t have to keep standing up for that. They simply are women. And their sexuality is not underplayed as a whole, but it’s not overplayed either. There is a young girl and an awkward, androgynous woman and neither of them are ever portrayed in a sexual manner, but, there are a number of women who are very feminine or very sexual or both and are portrayed that way. However, sexual appeal is never used as a gimmick and is not a defining quality of any person. Reading is the unifying quality in this story and so intelligence is placed as the greatest importance for all characters. Choosing to read or not to read and what to read and when is far more defining than any physical characteristic in ROD. On top of that, the story is driven by incredibly strong female friendships and the qualities of sisterhood. There are also overt lesbian relationships that are simply stated as facts and never portrayed as unusual. Then there is the whole matter of Paper Masters which is the thing that defines this universe. Manipulation of paper is always by women (almost all of whom are bibliophiles), always shown to be an incredibly powerful weapon or resource even when pitted against its weaknesses (innovation wins most often), and is controlled by emotion. Some characters have very level emotions and some are very emotional. Physical strength and emotional strength are separate, but never unequal. Admiration by one woman for another is never shown as jealousy. Characters genuinely support and care about one another. Messing up is never the end of the world, though some characters are allowed to treat it as such. People forgive, people apologize, people keep trying, and these are all women. Many, various women in various positions driving the story. It’s not something we see enough of.

I just really love this anime. I watched it for the first time when I was probably in middle school and it was inspiring, I watched it again in college, and I’m watching it again right now and falling in love all over again. It’s one of the most incredible shows I’ve ever seen. It carries a story on an impossibly grand scale through these very intimate lives of characters with incredible powers who are so completely human. Storytelling-wise it always leaves me breathless. From a feminist perspective this anime is perfect. It passes all the tests. It presents female heroes we can believe in for various reasons and never apologizes and never gives itself the space to. It’s a series that is too busy being told to justify its own telling. It’s just really brilliant.

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Bucket List:

Visit Japan for the spring cherry blossom season

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What I learned from Fullmetal Alchemist

Good people do bad things:

Good and evil are subjective:

Sometimes those you trust the most will hurt you the worst:

Bad things happen to good people:

Even those you love can die:

 Life isn’t fair:

You can’t get something for nothing:

Don’t judge people by their outward appearance:

Don’t give up. Even when things are hard:

Don’t forget the people who helped you get where you are:

Hatred will destroy you:

People can change:

There are two sides to every story:

Even your enemies have feelings:

When the world is crashing down around you, it is okay to laugh:

… or cry:

Family comes in all shapes and sizes:

Big things come in small packages:

The truth is sometimes more frightening than you hoped:

Beauty can hide great strength:

Crying is not a weakness:

Expect the unexpected:

Sometimes you have to make a sacrifice in order to move forward:

Learn from your past. Don’t forget your mistakes:

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Happy Father’s Day!

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top twenty-five anime series (as voted by my followers) # 24. d e a t h   n o t e 

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me: it’s just a show about volleyball how emotional can it be

yamaguchi: *does his first succesful float serve* 

me: 

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ground cover