#madoka magica ost gives me life

[trashrattt]

Adding different Osts to Code Lyoko scenes that I think fit (part 1)

[eldritch-nightmare]

Could I do a Romantically creepypasta match up!?!?!!!!

Appearance: I’m 5’5 and mid size. Ftm gay fella, I’m also blasian so my skin color is #825d4a. I have black eyes and shoulder length curly hair.

Personally: I’m a isfj. I’m mostly chill and down to do anything but I do have limits. I love to Tease ppl who are close to me. I’m playful and sometimes I can be overly hyper. I’m kind and I love to help others. I’m a push-over :”D. I could be really shy but once I’m comfortable I’ll be hyper and energetic. I also have social anxiety which is an ass.

Random:I love love love madoka magica and Pokémon. I play tuba! I own a lot of stuffies and I love them all. I own 2 cats and they are my world. I have a problem with info dumping about something I like. I love to draw and im good at it if I do say so! i like playing video games, Especially smash bros and deltarune. I play badminton. I’m a Virgo. My music taste is nu mental, rock, game osts, j-pop and jazz I’ll listen to anything expect for country and pop.

Romantical: my love language is physical touch and words of affirmance. I complement a lot. I’m also clingy. I love giving gifts to people I love!

THANK YOUU!!!11!11!

madoka magica omg you're so real for that, that anime ruined my life.

your matchup is... jason the toymaker!

i feel like he would match your energy pretty well! he's a pretty down-to-earth uhm. entity. and he's pretty easy to get along with as well! he also has a habit of teasing the people he considers himself to be close with, so i definitely think you two would banter a lot. he finds your playfulness to be endearing, and it shows in the way he looks at you.

you being a pushover... well... sad to say, it would work in his favor. so would your social anxiety, if we're being honest, but if it ever gets too bad then he's always right by your side to offer you any form of comfort you may need.

he likes that you're clingy! he's... clingy as well, if you want to look at it that way. and any compliment you give him, he returns with equal measure.

physical affection is also something he enjoys. it's one of his favorite forms of affection to be on the receiving end of, to be honest. he enjoys every ounce of touch you give him, even if it's something small.

his own personal love language is gift-giving, so expect him to give you plenty of handmade gifts. and when he learns you have a collection of stuffies? you bet he'll make you his own. it brings him an endless amount of joy seeing you surrounded by the things he's created.

and any gift you give him will be proudly displayed in his workshop!

also, he loves your cats. cats are wicked cool, and he makes little stuffed versions of them to keep in his workshop.

while he may not personally be interested in anime or video games, he's definitely willing to hear you infodump all about your most recent interests.

he likes hearing about the things you like because seeing you happy about something makes him happy in turn.

also, i'm just picturing the two of you sitting in his workshop. he's working on a random toy or two while you're tucked away in your own corner drawing.

DOUBLE ALSO jason is totally the type to slow dance to jazz. and if you don't know how to dance? don't worry, just let him take the lead. he likes holding you close and swaying to the music. it's so romantic.

[nebulous-tundra]

THEON

Theon! my boy!

favorite thing about them

tragedy is one of my favorite tropes, and one of my favorite character arc-types is the 'flaunty, guy in position of power loses everything and realizes Many Things', so Theon really checks all my boxes, as for one particular thing that stands out? hmm, probably his deep dark longing for genuine human connection. i love that he's actually a hostage for house Greyjoy because it taints his all closest connections -to the family members of house Stark, the house that it obliged to kill him if his father acts out, and you can really tell how deeply he let that affect his ability to truly open up to them......so tragic, in the most delicious way LMAO

least favorite thing about them

the way he treats women, i love it as a character flaw and it makes perfect sense but every time it comes up in the chapters i'm just like FUCK, HERE HE GOES AGAIN. feel so bad for that Captain's daughter ;-;

favorite line

"Be careful, he told himself, be very, very careful. He did not like his lordship's smile, the way his eyes were shining, the spittle glistening at the corner of his mouth. He had seen such signs before. You are no prince. You' re Reek, just Reek, it rhymes with freak. Give him the answer that he wants." there just something so descriptive here that it tells you exactly where the line is between Reek and Theon. the text explicitly says he's Reek, but the caution, the way he notes even the excess spittle Ramsay has, that's allllll Theon.

brOTP

Theon and Robb is and obvious one. i really wished we could have gotten a closer looks at that, but alas. Theon and Jon could've worked out really well, if only the two hadn't their heads shoved up their own ass looking at their own pain lol. two highborn sons who are So Close to being Stark, yet not quite : [ they could have bonded so much, maybe if Theon had been a bit younger and softer it would've happened

OTP

Theon and Ramsay LOL, Ramsay's horrible in any relationship he's in but there's a specific way he corrupts Theon that just feels right for the both of them. i just can't imagine Ramsay getting quite as under the skin as anyone but Theon. and likewise Theon seems like Ramsay's ideal wife: highborn, handsome(once), can recognize the pain of not having his father's recognition, needing affection, any affection......

nOTP

cannot for the life of me imagine him with Jeyne or Sansa

random headcanon

he picked up archery because it was something the other Stark kids didn't have a talent for, wanted to be the best of them at something lol

unpopular opinion

i dont actually like Alfie as a face canon for him, he acts and expresses him wonderfully, but i miss the Iron Islander features being canonically darker than the other seven kingdoms know

song i associate with them

Crucifixion - Made in Abyss OST

<--good torture song

Pugna Infinita - Puella Magi Madoka Magica OST

<--good tragedy song

Twice - Little Dragon

<--specifically a very Theon v. Reek song, but also one of my favorite songs period

favorite picture of them

can't post it here(because reposting is bad) but this fanart

thanks for the ask! Theon is one of my favorites in asoiaf, wish i could actually get around to drawing him more OTL

[agent-cupcake]

Cupcake!! Do you listen to music while writing? If yes what kind?

Yes! I absolutely do! I really love music, I’d say it’s secondary to literature as far as my choice of creative input so this is also just my personal recommendations regarding music as a whole with explanations and unwanted commentary because I’m dumb and this is one of my favorite things to talk about.

Firstly, my ongoing(ish) story Beastie and the Bard is musically driven so here are some songs I have on my playlist for that. I tend towards pieces that are melancholy but melodic. Entrancing, perhaps.

Lolita by Ennio Morricone - Contextually, I realize this is a bizarre (even tone deaf) pick given the source material, but... Whatever. This song, in general, just reminds me of Dimitri. Although a heavy, militaristic march might suit him better, the heart rending sound of this song just works for me when I think of him. The piano sets the tone immediately, lingering on some notes in a wistful, sad way. And it is sad, the cello and flute join in to make that clear. But, at a certain point, the instruments begin to dance around together, opening up and almost seeming like they want to resolve the song and create something happier, or at least something bittersweet, only to be drawn back into the uneasy tragedy of the main motif. I dunno, for me, it just absolutely aches like betrayal. 

Shallan’s Lullaby by treefin / Black Piper - This music box rendition of Shallan’s Lullaby from Stormlight was the melodic inspiration for my bootleg lullaby that reader writes for Dimitri (perhaps not the first part as much as the way it shifts around 1:07). It’s haunting.

Isabella’s Lullaby from The Promised Neverland - Pretty self explanatory, I think. This one hits the sweet spot of beautiful and sad, from the harp to the vocals it just fits. 

Howl’s Moving Castle Merry Go Round of Life original and the cover by the Grissini Project - Both versions are incredibly special pieces of music and I’d be surprised if you hadn’t heard this theme before, very good for the more whimsical parts of the story (not that there’s gonna be any more of that).

Shadows of the Lowlands from Xenoblade 2 - While I’m about to recommend this entire soundtrack, this vocal piece is stunning. This guy’s vocals, no joke, sound like a Tolkien Elf. We Are the Chosen Ones is done by the same vocal group and soloist so it’s also making this list although the tone is def a bit different. 

Okay now I’m just gonna point out my favorite soundtracks. For all of these, I have COMPLETELY LEGALLY downloaded most of these from other sites, I’m linking youtube just based on superficial searches to hopefully give you a taste and maybe encourage you to NOT BREAK THE LAW and acquire these soundtracks on your own

Fire Emblem Three Houses - This is obvious and I’m sure you’ve all heard it, but go have a listen if you haven’t. but first, is anyone else disappointed about the Three Houses official release soundtrack? Considering the delay I guess I kinda expected more. Granted, the soundtrack IS phenomenal. Not so much in its entirety, which is emblematic of the game as a whole in some ways, but the set pieces? Unforgettable. This soundtrack is a case study in how powerful a small pool of musical motifs and set-up/pay-offs can be. The little promise of God Shattering Star at the very beginning of the game, Those Who Sow Darkness giving a taste of Shambhala, and then the use of the main melodies of Season of Warfare (Main Theme) and Song of the Nabateans. For the most part, both melodies are used in dramatic songs, creating this unbreakable musical connection between Edelgard and Byleth. Or, if you think about it, Edelgard and the Rhea. For example: the thunder version of Funeral of Flowers doesn’t have the game’s theme, but the rain version does (those two songs were WRITTEN to be layered I stg). And then there’s that somewhat bastardized version of the main theme in At What Cost, highlighting the intended twisting of the usual heroic take on that melody. I do have a potentially unpopular opinion, however. The Apex of the World is boring and tonally dissonant with the final battle in Azure Moon. A lot of people really like Edelgard-Dimitri likes Edelgard! There’s very little heroism in that mission, at least to me, and a song like At What Cost would have fit SO MUCH BETTER. I mean, that is also Edelgard’s theme so hearing that being twisted up into this decidedly more dark song would be thematically appropriate to her ultimate choice. The title also just seems like it suits her and Dimitri. Edelgard claims that she has weighed the cost of war, she believes she is capable of taking on the cost of victory without really knowing what it would be. Dimitri's whole story was him trying to find revenge no mater what the cost and now that he has it, he’s fully understanding what it will cost him. I understand why they would use the traditional hero song to cap the route, but it seems weird that they’d be willing to subvert so many other aspects of tradition while holding to that for a song that, in my opinion, is the least interesting of all the final battle songs. As you can probably tell, At What Cost is a song that is very tonally inspiring to me. I also love Funeral of Flowers (Thunder and Rain separately and layered together), The Long Road, and Roar of Dominion for getting hyped to write.

Final Fantasy VII Remake - Ever since I got this soundtrack, I’ve been addicted. I really don’t have much to say on this one other than just to recommend you give it a listen if you’re even passingly interested in orchestral video game music. There’s some misses for me (specifically the Wall Market stuff and anything that gets into the weird electric guitar/techno stuff) but it’s overwhelmingly fantastic and can work for active listening music and for background music while you write. I’d follow up recommend you get ahold of the Acoustic Arrangements soundtrack. I can’t link you on this one but it’s worth the extra legwork to procure it COMPLETELY LEGALLY. 

Final Fantasy Distant Worlds - I was actually able to see the Distant World’s tour when it swept through Houston and at that point I had no idea what the fuck a Final Fantasy was. At all. However, seeing One Winged Angel live is not something I will ever forget. Ever. This soundtrack is great for some background listening and although it is often too upbeat for my usual tastes, it’s good when I need something easier. Okay. Real talk. I was about to recommend to you a bunch of FFXIV music (the MMO), choice selections from FFXV, and try and dig up some songs that are only available in live recordings. If you like Final Fantasy music, I recommend all of these things. The games are a clusterfuck but the music is even moreso and it’s worth your time if you like this kind of thing.

Xenoblade 2 - See? Told you I was gonna recommend this. Actually, ranking wise, I would say that I like it more than Final Fantasy. This soundtrack is magical. I cannot stress that enough, there is a level of whimsy and beauty that went into this soundtrack that all at once draws upon the genre and being it’s own thing. Like, I get it, there’s a lot of misses. The electric guitar is jarring and annoying. Listen to Sea of Clouds, like, actually listen to it. Listen to Desolation. Pay attention to the motif used in connection with Elysium and then the other songs that its used in. The Power of Jin. This is a sometimes sad but mostly beautiful and whimsical soundtrack that is good for listening and for using as background music. 

Xenoblade 1 - I don’t have as much to say about this one, I don’t feel as if it’s as emotionally resonant as my other recommendations. BUT it is gorgeous. The area themes are wonderful and perfect for setting tone. 

Hollow Knight - Hollow Knight’s soundtrack takes one step back from the drama of the others and revels in its depressive simplicity. There are songs with a more cheerful tone, and the magical whimsy of Xenoblade 2 is very much brought to life in many of the pieces, but for the most part the soundtrack is as gorgeously melancholy as the game itself. One of my favorite things in music is when songs are given new life through new context and the White Palace --> Pale Court transition is haunting. 

Diabolik Lovers - OKAY I KNOW I KNOW hear me out. This soundtrack has no right to be as gorgeous, emotional, or quality as it is. This song, Lovers, is the younger sibling of Lolita’s theme, okay? Thematically, that’s kinda hilarious, but I mean it. If you like that song, give a few of the songs from this OST a chance.

BioShock, BioShock 2, and BioShock Infinite - BioShock 1&2 are different from Infinite. A lot more grungy, a lot more angry and discordant, the strings buzz and there’s a lot more horror to it all. Infinite, on the other hand, is very pretty. Infinite’s soundtrack is about the characters and their journey and feelings. The first two game’s soundtracks are about the ruined city of Rapture. It depends on what you’re in the mood for. I write using Infinite’s music more often, but there’s pieces in the first two that capture this empty, yearning feeling that is good for setting mood.

Pathologic - “Half Life’s soundtrack directed by Genghis Khan.” It’s bizarre. It’s grungy. 

Void (Typrop) - Basically the same deal. I dunno man, I like being inspired by horror.

Outlast - It’s an orchestral horror game soundtrack. Like the game itself, there’s a lot of horror movie inspiration. 

Dishonored 1 and Dishonored 2 - This is mostly background music. It’s a stealth game so it’s kinda uneasy, but I think there’s something really unique. Maybe the instruments? There’s a lot of weird sounds used. 

Higurashi - This is a compilation of horror themed songs from the anime soundtrack, but the VN soundtrack and the non-horror stuff is pretty good, too. Michishirube is my favorite.

Madoka Magica Rebellion - The main anime soundtrack is gorgeous. The bells, the strings, the drama... I’m recommending Rebellion specifically because it’s the more cohesive and story-driven soundtrack. This one is not as horror-ish and weird than the others, it is very beautiful and nice to listen to. Sad, in some parts, too. 

Code Geass and Resurrection - Brass? Got it. Dramatic strings? Got it. Bombastic set piece songs? Triple got it. This soundtrack oozes style. In some ways, that makes it not good for writing, but in others it can. Depends on what you’re writing. I think the melodrama can be incredibly useful for getting my mind in that frenzy state. 

Okay I’m done. Thank you for bearing with me. 

If we’re talking what songs inspire specific things, the Ferdinand piece was accompanied by a lot of the Diabolik Lovers soundtrack and Final Fantasy. When I wrote my sad Felix piece, it was all about Hollow Knight with a spot of Bloodborne and Dark Souls.  

[dazais-guardian-angel]

Hi! Since you seem to be into a lot of different stuff can you share anime recommendations? If you have any. Have a lovely day!! You seem like such a sweet person

What 🥺🥺🥺 a-awww, thank you so much anon!! That’s so kind of you to say... I’m just a nut crying feels into the void over my obscure faves over here, without a consistent one fandom anymore a;lksfklkfg though I guess now it’s just egg, but thank you! ❤️ I have a lot of anime recommendations I can give, but I don’t know what exactly you’re into, or if you’re looking for anything in particular...? But I can definitely list some!

The big popular ones you probably already know about are My Hero Academia and Attack on Titan, I’ll get those out of the way first. I have my gripes with MHA and it has a lot of flaws that can’t be ignored, but overall it’s a really fun and high-energy and uplifting shounen series that has some really beautiful messages and moments, with a wonderful and touching main duo of main characters, and amazing animation and music; it’s as popular as it is for a reason, it’s just such a feel-good show and I’d always recommend it, even if I do complain about it sometimes haha. Attack on Titan on the other hand, I know hyperbole like this is like ugh really, but I really do mean it when I say it is an absolute masterpiece in the making; the first season feels very run-of-the-mill, typical shounen, which I wasn’t a big fan of like everyone else was at the peak of its initial hype years ago, but the show changes and evolves so much, beyond what you could ever imagine, honestly, and now by this point, when it’s almost at its end (the manga is literally ending a week from today), I can almost definitively say it’s one of the best anime out there. Everything in it is foreshadowed from the very first episode, the puzzle and mysteries unfold so masterfully and it all ties together so well, the story’s themes and the characters are all amazing, the music is GODLY and so is the animation, it’s just perfect, please please everyone watch AoT.

Bungou Stray Dogs is also pretty popular, and is one of my personal favorite animanga of all time; it’s a mystery/supernatural action semi-steampunk series with a huge focus on the characters and some AMAZING found family dynamics, seriously if you want found family for the love of god watch BSD, I love all these characters and their relationships so so much. Season 3 isn’t as good an adaptation of the manga, sadly, but the first two seasons and especially season 2 are absolutely amazing, and I would recommend the manga in a heartbeat as well. Noragami I adore for much of the same reasons, with the besttt found family dynamics and a really great balance between comedy and drama, though with Noragami in particular I would for sure stress to read the manga afterward, because the anime falls short near the end of season 2 and leaves so much unfinished, and the manga is absolutely phenomenal, one that like the rest of these will probably always remain in my top ten manga.

If you like shoujo, Akatsuki no Yona is my favorite shoujo of all time, with - once - again, wonderful found familyyy in a historical setting, really lovely slow progression of character development, and some fantastic action and music. The anime leaves so much unanswered and unfinished so the manga is an absolute must here, but I still just have to mention it because the anime is just so damn good in adapting what it covers, especially combined with the OVAs still waiting for that season 2 *cries*.

Assassination Classroom is a comedy/drama(??) shounen that ended a few years ago; it’s VERY funny and entertaining to watch, with an almost seamless transition into high emotional beats that left me speechless at how invested in and attached I suddenly was, and the ending, I’m not exaggerating, made me cry harder than literally anything else I have ever watched in my life, it is that devastating. Highly highly recommend AssClass yes that’s the nickname, I love it so so much, but be prepared to have your feels hit by a truck.

Free! is a really good sports anime with really great characters, and yes I am saying this completely unironically, I highly recommend Free’s first two seasons; just please for the love of god pretend season 3 does not exist. Run With the Wind is my other favorite sports anime that is CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED, it’s so motivational and uplifting and all the characters are so damn nice and endearing, and it has a fantastic score by the same composer as MHA and Haikyuu’s osts; EVERYONE WATCH RWTW IT IS SO SO GOOD.

Made in Abyss is another anime that is likely to never fully conclude the manga’s story, but the one season and movie that we do have is an absolute animated masterpiece in every imaginable way, so I would be remiss if I didn’t recommend it; it’s haunting and beautiful and very hard to watch at times, but so so worth it. Princess Tutu is, to me, the best magical girl anime of all time, dark beautiful fantasy with a wonderful four main characters and one of my favorite “villain” redemption arcs ever, not to mention one of the best enemies-to-lovers story arc I’ve ever seen. Of course my other favorite magical girl anime is the much-loved Puella Magi Madoka Magica, that is also dark but not without a purpose, twelve tightly-written episodes that wrap up perfectly by the end, with not a single minute wasted.

Poco’s Udon World is my favorite fluffy slice of life show; it’s also criminally underrated and SO sweet, it makes me cry every time I watch it with how goddamn precious it is, and I so wish more people knew about it. No.6 is a great short bl romance/sci-fi anime, and Romeo x Juliet is one of my favorite older romance anime, based on... well, the title is self-explanatory.

Mystery is my favorite genre in any media, so I have a lot of these haha. Gankutsuou is a supernatural mystery/drama/suspense/thriller based off the famous novel The Count of Monte Cristo, and it still remains one of my favorite anime of all time; the tension builds so WELL with each and every episode, the story is so gripping and so so tragic, and it always makes me cry by the last few episodes; a very underrated gem (also it has one of the most unique animation styles I’ve ever seen). Gosick is another mystery anime I adore, though it’s more of a slow-burn romance with some episodic mysteries before diving into an overarching plot; it’s actually what I tell people is my #1 favorite anime, just because the Victorian aesthetic is so me, but it’s so unknown that I never really get a chance to talk about it, haha. Mawaru Penguindrum is a mystery/drama/comedy anime that is extremely bizarre and philosophical, it’s honestly impossible to explain without just seeing it yourself alkfglalksdk, but it has a lot of family feels and is extremely touching and satisfying by the end despite all the weirdness, at least to me, so I always try to recommend it, though it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. Erased is another fantastic short mystery/drama/suspense thriller, with some really moving moments and wonderful atmosphere and tension; the ending falls a little flat, but that doesn’t ruin how amazing the rest of it is (and I’d also recommend the live-action Netflix version, which has the proper ending from the manga). And I guess I’ll throw in Moriarty the Patriot too when it comes to mystery/crime thriller anime, which I’m still currently watching and is still ongoing, but I absolutely LOVE it so far, more people should be watching and reading it.

I have a lot more I could list too, to be honest 😅 I just pulled some of my favorites from the list on my About page ahaha, and a range of popular known ones to more obscure underrated ones. But I hope some of these suit your fancy, anon, sorry I tend to ramble ALKSDFKLFLSKDF I just wanted to be thorough since I didn’t know if you were after a particular genre or not! I hope you have a lovely day too! ❤️

[hokusu]

(1/2) One of 2003 FMA's OP is Melissa :). All FMAB OPs and EDs are great but my favorites are Hologram, Golden Time Lover, and Rain. Yes yes DS has a very cool animation (as expected of ufotable with the unlimited budget works), and Violet Evergarden has some of the most beautiful art out there (I'm looking forward to the movie <3). For animation I'd go with Violet Evergarden, Made in Abyss (for the scenery and background art), and ufotable's Fate Series... - santa #2

(2/2) (whether it's Zero, Unlimited Blade works, or Heaven's Feel). I haven't seen Promare. I think I should :D. My fav OSTs are Shinsekai yori (by Shigeo Komori), and overall I always love Yuki Kajiura's work (like with Madoka Magica and Heaven's Feel). I'm into slice of life too, I haven't seen the titles you mentioned D: but I notice that people are saying Non Non Biyori and Kakushigoto are great. My favorites are Barakamon and My Roommate is a Cat. What genre do you enjoy most? :) -santa #2

Hii Santa dear, so sorry for this late reply! Been a bit swamped with holiday things and being forever tired, but Happy Holidays!! Hope you’re able to have a lovely few days. ^^

I listened to Melissa earlier and omg the nostalgia of hearing it!! Deff feels like the anime music from back in the day haha but I do love it and remember that song! Agree!! My favorites are Period, Rain, and Again! :D

I have yet to see the first Violet Evergarden movie, but I too look forward to the 2nd one. Omg I love Made in Abyss too (I was not ready for how dark that anime became though tbh?? lol, also they have great OST). Oops, I haven’t seen all of Fate, but I really should. As for the other ones you mentioned liking :O I’m going to listen to some of their OSTS then!

Ooh Barakamon is so good! Have you seen Handa-Kun too? Also, Kakushigoto kinda reminded me of those two in a way. For anime I tend to throw myself into most, it’d probably be Shounen. But I really do love a good slice of life? I’ll need to check out the one you mentioned. ^^ To name another one, Sangatsu no Lion has stunning art/osts and story!

Also sports anime...I swear I don’t really go in thinking I’ll love it and then I become so invested, it gives me life. So yeah I guess those are my most enjoyable. What’s your favorite genre? :D ❤ ❤  

[curestardust]

Dust Watched: Yuuki Yuuna wa Yuusha de Aru

Genres: Drama, Fantasy, Magic, Slice of Life [PG-13] // 12 episodes, prequel (x), sequel (x)

Expectations were too high, I almost fell asleep but then I was wide awake again.

✧  art  ✧

It’s fine, the transformations and the fight scenes are exceptionally animated but the everyday scenes go from average to wonky af. I really, REALLY like the “Hero” designs though and how they solved Tougou’s disability by not making her magically get the function in her legs back when she transforms. (7/10)

✧  sound ✧

What you would except from something like this. OP and ED are pretty nice but generic pop songs and the OST does its job but doesn’t really stand out. The VA’s did an alright job but sometimes over-acted. (6/10)

✧  story  ✧

Alright so the first episode looks amazing. The build-up to the reveal, the way the animation froze right before the enemies appeared, and then the fight itself, it was so well done. And then the anime goes from “WHEW” to lukewarm in like 2 episodes. Don’t be fooled; the slice-of-life aspect takes up more time than the “magical girl” aspect, or at least it seems like it. There wouldn’t really be a problem with this, except the filler and SoL episodes are soooo fucking boring and generic I can barely remember what happened in them. The anime tries to use these episodes to do some foreshadowing and character building but the dialogues are so bad and so little happen that it’s a wonder if you don’t fall asleep.

However. HOWEVER, the story picks up in episode 9 and from then on until the very end it goes really dark and interesting. It presents a pretty deep morale dilemma that I think was handled pretty well. These last episodes honestly kinda make up for the slag of the previous ones even with me having mixed feelings on some of the stuff in the ending. (7/10)

✧  characters  ✧

The characters are archetypes and they don’t really grow above that. You have the happy-go-lucky always positive one, the tsundere (ugh), the smart one, the little sister and the big sister who is the leader. Now, there’s nothing wrong with working with archetypes IF you spice it up and give them additional personality which doesn’t really happen here. The character who gets the most development is the leader, Fuu, and the other one who deserves to be mentioned it the smart one, Tougou whose personality seems to be the most refreshing out of the bunch. (6/10)

✧  OVERALL ✧

Ok I had to rewrite this entire part cause I was pretty pissed while writing it the first time. I still do not like the first half of this anime. Both as a slice-of-life and a magical girl anime it’s lackluster due to the lack of fights, bad dialogue and boring story. But, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, the last 4 episodes make up for it. Like...they were good. REALLY good. Due to how short this anime is, if anyone is looking for a Madoka Magica-esque anime or just something that will rip your heart out, I could recommend this. You just gotta power through the boring parts but I wouldn’t recommend skipping them as they have pretty important info and set-up sprinkled throughout. 

My Rating: 6.8/10

[rallyanime-blog]

Summer 2017 Anime Pre-Op 3.0+1.0 [FINALE]

The last and most anticipated part of the Summer 2017 Anime series: Anime you probably should skip.

You Should [Not] Watch

18if

No beating around the bush. 18if had what was perhaps one of the most atrocious first episodes I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through for a variety of reasons.

The foremost reason being its terrible animation and its sense of aesthetic design. I understand that the point of 18if is that it is set inside of a dream world with assumedly trippy dream visuals. However, 18if completely fails at this because these dream worlds are nothing more than an ugly mish-mash of over saturated colors and static backgrounds. This dream world lacks cohesion in any sense of the word and simply slaps together any prop or object possible under the guise that its O.K as long as its a dream.

When I think of a trippy dreamworld I think of the Witch encounters in Madoka Magica. Really, literally anything SHAFT has ever produced is crazier and more dreamy than whatever 18if is trying to achieve. This doesn’t even scratch the surface of how terribly directed this show is.

Frankly, the directing is boring as sin which wouldn’t be worth mentioning if we did not consider the type of world that 18if is trying to create. Not only is there extraordinarily limited animation, but the directing does nothing to hide it nor does it do anything to highlight the weird world that the characters are supposed to inhabit. Once again, Studio SHAFT and Akiyuki Shinbo make the directing in this show look like an absolute pile of garbage when compared to the strange, trippy, yet alluring visual direction put into even the most normal of SHAFT shows. At the very least Hand Shakers had the common decency to go all out with its visual style even if the end result looked like ass.

That isn’t to say that 18if does incorporate some weird directing techniques such as the windowed talking and the decapitation. However, they are too few and far between to be considered an artistic style whilst simultaneously not actually being in service of anything in particular. If anything, it makes the boring parts of the show look worse by comparison. It doesn’t help that this show is horribly paced and practically screams to be over within the first half.

I would talk about the character animation. If there was anything. Of course, that is to be expected from a show of this caliber.

Finally, the actual story of this show is as bad as its visual direction. Our MC is trapped within a dream world with the task of finding his way out and helping others in the process. There, he meets a strange girl and a talking cat scientist (The only tolerable character in the show). He thus fights a witch who has what may be the most cliched and boring backstory of all time before helping her ‘wake up’ I guess. If you can’t tell I’m having a hard time summoning excitement for this show. 

Our plucky protagonist is of course the most cookie cutter, do-it-all nice guy with absolutely nothing interesting in his personality, design, or ethos that we have all come to abhor. Of course her helps that poor girl and of course he has witty banter with the cat guy. It’s almost astonishing how fast he comes to turn with his situation after a bit of exploring. It’s also astonishing how he constantly flip flops between confused kid to quipping ‘couldn’t even care less’ hardass. It’s almost as if the writers didn’t put any actual thought to his character or than the fact that he is the vehicle for their stupid story.

I could on and on about this abomination of a production but for the sake of this post I’m cutting it off here. Don’t watch this show. Just don’t.

Hajimete no Gal

Hajimete no Gal is the newest iteration of the ‘gal girl’ genre that has proliferated in anime and manga over the past couple of years. 

Unfortunately, HnG is no Galko or Gal Gohan. From what the first two episodes tell us about this series is that it is another harem rom-com with the main gimmick being that our MC believes that our main heroine is sluttier than she actually is. What I will give it credit for is having the MC and main girl hook up first and let the development happen later. Even if this type of development is not entirely original or unique in the slightest, there is still a lot of untapped potential from starting off your romance like this. However, it’s rather difficult to appreciate this plot point considering the entire rest of the show surrounding it.

Simply put, Hajimete no Gal is a dumpster fire burning through any semblance of good ideas and potential it could of had. 

What was immediately apparent to me in this show was the absolutely glacial pacing and terrible comedic timing. This first 23 min episode felt like an absolute eternity as scenes drag out much longer than the actual content of the scene allows for. By content, I mean the “humor” and the “erotica” that this show has lovingly offered to us.

HnG is painfully unfunny. Jokes stretch out much longer than is ever necessary. When you thought it was over, the characters will go on to even further explain the joke and run it into the ground. Most of the humor revolves around how disgusting of human beings the main boys are. I’ll touch on them a bit later. Needless to say, HnG recycles the same three gags and ideas in order to kill time until the ED. The strange lack of an OST in most scenes serves to make the humor weird and awkward and not in a way that was intentional or funny.

The “fanservice” of HnG is also abysmal. These fantasies not only drag on like everything else in the show, but these scenes also do the bare minimum for their intention. This show has the subtlety of a falling road roller. It thinks that just throwing tits in ass in your face is enough. And not just tits and ass. But uncomfortably close pantyshots and boobshots that do little in the way of arousal given how little the audience can actually see.

 Abject sluttiness is certainly hot for some people, but the fact that these are just fantasies also remove any element of tangible human connection to the main girl that would actually warrant special attention and attraction as the show tries to force down my throat. Outside of the dreams, HnG makes sure to place special focus on more pantyshots and boobshots as if the audience will find any of it special or arousing.

The characters in this show are boring at best and offensively bad at worst. Our MC is a wet fart whose soul purpose in life is to get laid as fast as possible. Understandable if wasn’t for the fact that he is so completely passive in his actions that he lacks any semblance of a personality outside of his libido. What more could you have expected of a lazy audience surrogate.

His friends are perhaps the worst of group of obligatory MC friends I’ve ever seen. These lovely gentlemen have literally one gag associated with each of their characters that becomes immediately old the millisecond they begin speaking. This wouldn’t be so terrible if it weren’t for the fact that they occupy so much screen time and speaking lines that by the halfway point I was already wishing for death. 

Our main girl (or should I say ‘gal’) is probably going to become a more endearing character than what this show deserves. However, it’s unlikely that she will ever reach the status of ‘good’ let alone ‘Galko’ tier given what this show has shown me. It is almost completely likely that she will end up as the pure maiden with the heart of gold that this show makes apparent in its premise alone.

Special shout out to the harem members showed off in the first episode that will inevitably lose as tradition dictates. So don;t get too attached.

The animation being featured in this show is mediocre to just bad. Set design and background art is bland school and city design whilst the colors are nothing special. The character art and animation is sub-par. It all looks terrible. As already mentioned, HnG rarely incorporates a backing track making the overall atmosphere and tone of the show strange and unappealing.

After all this shit I’ve talked about Hajimete no Gal, I can’t say 100% say its a complete lost cause yet. The second episode actually had jokes. It had jokes! Three exactly. Exactly three jokes that had good comedic timing and made me smile a bit. A good improvement over the zero jokes the first episode had. I will begrudgingly maintain that HnG can become a halfway decent rom-com if it actually starts exploring the romantic elements of its premise starting literally right now.

But if you aren’t an M like me, I would suggest giving this show a pass for the time being.

In Another World with my Smartphone

If there is one thing I appreciate about this show, it is how brazenly this show embraces all of the tired and universally despised elements of the isekai genre and how it rolls it all into one show.

The absolute worst thing that I can say about this show is how completely dull and boring the thing is. It immediately abandons the central conceit of the show: the smartphone and instead just has the MC be broken OP in every stat from the start. The show then just proceeds to be the worst and most egregious stereotype of all isekais to date. 

The MC has the most basic template personality of all time. The girls are nothing more than generic anime girls taken directly from a concept art page.

The animation and music is below average. This entire show is completely below average. The only positive that I can give this show is that it is not offensively bad. It didn’t make me want to kill myself like 18if and HnG did.

I think that it is in your best interest to just skip this show.

Knight’s and Magic

Knight’s and Magic packs what seems to be three entire episodes of content in a single episode. I think that it is a bit unfair to put Knight’s and Magic on the same playing field as the other three shows in this list. However, I still believe that this is still a completely lackluster series on the whole.

I actually quite liked the opening scene set in the real world. There was interesting shot composition and aspect ratio tricks. It also served to effectively characterize the MC and the type of person he is non verbally.

However, the rest of the episode goes on to have our disturbingly obsessive MC be put into the mind of a normal child (What the hell happened to this child’s actual soul anyway?) and then go on to be the most brilliant son of a bitch who ever lived. The show fast forwards through his child’s entire training and introduces the friends and rivals he meets via narrator. I can’t fault the show for trying to get past all the boring set up for the show, but it still feels rushed and unnatural. Thankfully, it seems that this show is going to be slowing down as indicated by the end of the first episode.

I also somewhat appreciate how the MC doesn’t have any innate talent other than his autistic obsession with mecha and his ability to hyper focus on studying and learning magic. He is clearly supposed to be the smart character who can outwit his opponent. That being said, our MC is not all that interesting on his own outside of his capacity to learn and do cool shit. The other characters aren’t anything interesting either.

The animation is O.K but not particularly unique or that interesting. If Knight’s and Magic is your type of show, I would recommend at least trying to check it out. However, I can’t in good conscience give it a bonified recommendation. 

I think that will conclude the series of the Summer Anime 2017 Preview. Look forward to more anime and manga posts in the future. Thanks for reading!

[withoutcomedy]

Musings

FOR EVERY ♪ IN MY INBOX I’LL POST A SONG I LISTEN TO FOR CHARACTER INSPIRATION.

Okay, so I decided to answer all those music asks in one, because i got so many (THANKS SO MUCH <33). However, most of my musical inspiration for Sans is actually instrumental stuff, so don’t expect too much lyrics analysis (though I have a few of those too), and instead a mood analysis, probably. Anyway, here goes nothing.

The sans. Theme and Megalovania (also it’s raining somewhere else) @munus-ludos

Obviously, this would be on my list. I don’t have to explain much about this, do I? It just gives me the character feel, if you get what I mean. When I listen to the sans. Theme I just get a bunch of inspiration for cheeky, “lazy” Sans. The same goes with Megalovania, actually, although I have the problem, that this also puts me into the “write a god damn fighting thread”-mood again and this is never going to happen, so… heh.

The Death Parade OST, especially this song https://youtu.be/mc4peUCtKhc and this song https://youtu.be/F9EV5N0EHcw @drawn-to-space

With its jazzy and calmer tunes, it inspires me to write serious Sans, or sad Sans. You know, because I headcanon him to like jazz and because it just fits the character in general. It’s also kind of similar to It’s Raining Somewhere Else in its mood. I always imagine him hanging out at Grillby’s or MTT Resort when I listen to this, or generally just being on his own and thoughtful.

Boa – Duvet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBff4F5egLc @the-cruel-covetous-player

Oh man, do you know how fitting I find the lyrics for Sans? Especially genocide Sans? The tone in general sounds really desperate, especially because it seems to talk about someone who knows too much for their own good, someone who looks right through the lies of others. Someone who is losing control. All themes that remind me of Sans. Just look at this:

And you don't seem to understand A shame, you seemed an honest man And all the fears you hold so dear Will turn to whisper in your ear

This reminds me of how Sans is able to read the anomaly’s fucked up mentality early on, and how it will fall back on them later on. At least this is what I put into it.

And you know what they say might hurt you  And you know that it means so much  And you don't even feel a thing 

I don’t have much to say on this, only that it picks up on how Sans would be spooked by how unempathetic the anomaly is and their growing LV.

I am falling, I am fading  I have lost it all 

These lines are basically summing up the helplessness he experiences in face of the situation. Knowing so much, but being unable to do anything. Losing complete control over everything in his life. Might also refer to literally having to watch all his friends die.

And you don't seem the lying kind  A shame then I can read your mind  And all the things that I read there  Candle lit smile that we both share 

Okay basically him being able to read the anomaly’s face. Knowing that they might have been friends in another timeline (especially the Candle lit smile that we both share reminded me of the Dinner at MTT Resort).

and you know I don't mean to hurt you  But you know that it means so much  And you don't even feel a thing 

This speaks to me as it reminds me of how he actually doesn’t want to break his promise but he has to now, and that there is no other way around it. And still, the anomaly keeps going on, no matter what. With that creepy face. You know how scary this is? Anyway.

I am falling, I am fading, I am drowning  Help me to breathe  I am hurting, I have lost it all  I am losing  Help me to breathe

Basically his feelings during the Genocide Battle. And now I made myself sad. :(

Lightscape – Revival: here are the lyrics at least, because they are nowhere to be found I wrote them down myself. @stickid

Sadly I can’t post a link to the song itself, because I only have it on Spotify. But the song lyrics ALSO fit SO DAMN WELL to Sans feelings in the genocide Run. I won’t go as much in-depth as with the other song, but let’s just say. It talks a lot about how Sans in the beginning still tries to warn the anomaly, but they refuse to listen, so he finds himself fighting them in the end, and he knows that this timeline / their world is going to hell. And on the one hand he wants to prevent the anomaly from ever spoiling their happy ending (I don’t know what to do, I’m holding out my hand, just take it, it’ll be okay, There’s nothing left to lose) But he knows its already a lost cause. Especially the “can’t stop this anyway” and the can’t stop this refrain in the ending makes me feel for Sans. Uuh. Yes I listen to depressing things.

The Puella Madoka Magica OST (Especially for Scientist Sans for some reason) (For the ANON)

Favourites include these songs especially: https://youtu.be/IHpK1ADX7AI https://youtu.be/fXUvsIoEEUQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3ffX_FGiG0 https://youtu.be/8amTO93Fc-k https://youtu.be/i6Zt78NcvaQ and https://youtu.be/NlNa0N9VQ9w

I can’t really say much to this because it doesn’t really have a logical connection. It just makes me feel like writing about Sans from the lost timeline? Or anything related to his past as Scientist in general, especially it also inspires me to write melancholic Sans and Gaster things. Well, now I made me want to write this. Haha. Damn it.

[hiro-gari]

AAAA THANK YOU I'm so glad that you like the short dialogues and my potrayal for them!! Been trying to make Garou and Badd sounds IC enough because I tend to write them too OOC so I'm very happy that you thought it's good aaaah tysm 😭🙏💗💘💕

And yess same! 😆🙌 Ambiguous open ending sounds more interesting, because that way we can have unlimited possible endings as many as possible 👀✨

So what I've got in my mind about that Garou&Badd's dialogue endings are basically like these:

-Silly dumb route: I had older headcanon that they likes to chat random topics that often escalated into debate or making some stupid conspiracy theories ALL. NIGHT. LONG, lmao! Usually it was Garou who spout some random nonsenses first that Badd couldn't help but giving him responses, but occasionally Badd also suddenly bringing up some intriguing topics that pulling Garou's interest, lol! Let them being dumbass boyfriends who just likes to share silly interests with eachother 😆

-Heartwarming happy route: Y'know Badd is secretly a hopeless romantic who loves lovely idea of having soulmates that always find eachother no matter what? He was thinking that despite his first meeting moment with Garou wasn't perfect like what he imagined before (being enemies and not so lovey-dovey), but he loves Garou so much and sure that the wolfboy is his fated soulmate. And he wanted to know if Garou shared the same thought as him.. In which Garou reciprocated him, hence the sweet promise between them 😚

-Hurt/comfort route: I mentioned before that Badd's mom was the one who tell him about the soulmate concept, right? Badd missed his mom that night that's why he brings up the topic to Garou. He wasn't sure if soulmates are real or not. If the concept is real, he wanted to make sure Garou wont forget him in the next life. But ithe concept isn't real, he still wanted to be with Garou forever, spending time and living their life as best as they could.. :"") And Garou was here to comfort Badd and tried to get him sleeping soon, because they must go to work in the morning lol! 😂

-Angsty/sad route: This is actually the original ending before I scrapped off because I wasn't satisfied by it, lol. The dialogue was made when I was in my not-so-good days, and it was supposed to have one more line in the ending of their dialogues, something like "On the next morning, the rescue team found Garou and Badd died on eachother's arms" 😢💔

So the backstory, they both just finished their mission together, Badd was unfortunately fatally wounded before Garou could shielded him and he went berserk. Then to accompany Badd's last moment, Garou craddled him in his arms while exchanging convos just like they usually do when sleeping together. As Badd went to eternal sleep, Garou lost his will to live and died together with him. Hopefully Badd's story is true so they could meet eachother again. It was winter and the location was kinda difficult to reach, so the rescue team were too late to save them.

I scrapped off this idea because beside it was too sad, the plot was basically just like my Reincarnated Demon/Angel AU where Badd died, Garou went berserk and died too, before both get reincarnated as demon/angel (enemies again). Thus I decided to make it open ending with happier-leaning possibilities like on above examples 😅

BUT! After I read your interpretation in your tags: #so the second time I read it I thought maybe Badd has memories from a past life?? #possibly multiple liftetimes :’) #and every time garou forgets #but of course they find each other again #and badd tries to make sure he remembers this time around 😭

YASS THIS IS IT! Your idea is BRILLIANT, I personally love this way!! 👀😳👌💖🌟✨ Y'know I usually write stories where they both still can obtaining happy ending together despite experiencing angsty stuff throughout the story. And your interpretation is perfect for that situation! 😚👍

Tbh it reminds me of Madoka Magica story, where one of the protags has a controlling-time magic power which allowed her to go back in the past, just so she could save her bestfriend (or love interest). Even they have shared a promise that they wont forget eachother no matter what, which unfortunately the protags' bestfriend forget her everytime they meet again in different timelines. The anime looked so cute but actually very depressing (has nice OST and heart-touching sweet ending, though!).

But I believe despite being reborn, meeting again, then separated again by death, Garou and Badd still have the best happy life in each lifetimes! And even though Garou always ended up forgets about their past life, he never fails to find Badd just like what they have promised before, aww.. 😍😚💕 It gives Badd hopes that at least in the deepest Garou's mind, he never actually forgets their vow. It's like, the vow has already stamped on Garou's soul :"")💕

So in the end, Garou and Badd will always find happiness in their perfectly-imperfect life together as destined soulmates. They deserved happy ending throughout the whole hardship 👍💖💝

Waah sorry I was rambling too much again! I love it when discussing something with people, and your amazing takes or headcanons always make me go "OH YEAH I'M IN! 👀😳✨👏👏".

And I'm so sorry that you've been in bad day, gotta sending you support hugs, love, cozy blanket and hot cocoa on your way! I hope everything will getting much better soon for you~ 😤😚💕💞💖💝🌸🌺🌼🍀🍀🍀🍀🌻🌻🌻🌻🌷🌷💐☕🍪🍫

Also don't worry it's okay you can write whenever you feel like it, because your well-being is the most important thing. Please take your time as much as you need! 😉👍💖 We will still waiting patiently for your next works, so please don't give up, we believe in you! AAA I LOVE YOU TOO~ 😘❤💜💙💚💛🌼🌻🌼🌹🌹

P.S.: I will be right back on bringing my other silly headcanons that definitely much more happier than this one, 100% angst-free guaranteed (100% dumbassery guaranteed, though, lmao)! 😁😆 Maybe I will submit it to you on next week, hopefully it could liften up your spirit 😊🌸

-Little1993lamb-

----------------------------

Omg of course!! Gotta leave you some Reviews™️ too, even though you’re the master of them 😉 Sorry I sometimes struggle with articulating specifically what I love about your submissions and there’s always a whole lotta keyboard smashing :”)

LMFAO @ the thought of them staying up all night talking about completely nonsensical things just because 😂😂 (or maybe it’s not nonsensical, the OPM verse do be kinda crazy sometimes 🤷🏻‍♀️) But neither of them seem to have many friends their own age, so they’ve probably got years of socializing to catch up on, some fantastical stuff’s bound to be brought up

I love all the different routes this could take: lovey dovey Badd yes!! It’s canon as far as I’m concerned 💕 this guy bought like 100+ roses for his sister’s piano recital, I refuse to believe he’s not absolutely full of love! And for the hurt/comfort one asjdkslsk *clutches chest* Badd probably struggles with just coming out and saying he’s missing his mom, but surely Garou’s realized by now how important family is to Badd, and he knows to give him all his love and comfort whenever he mentions her awww 🥺

Ack I definitely feel ya on the angst 💔 I too have a lot of scrapped angsty fics T~T in a weird way, it’s therapeutic though. And definitely don’t hesitate to post or publish it, because making readers Feel Things is what we do 😉 Even if it makes them mad at us 😭😭 Maaan I kinda thought that’s what you were angling towards, but now with the additional background story I’m- *holding back the tears* hnnnnnnn~ It’s bittersweet, but beautiful nonetheless 💕

AHH yey I’m so glad you liked my little interpretation 🙈💕 I imagine Badd just running into Garou again, getting attacked like he does every time, and being like “ah shit, here we go again, he’s clueless as ever” 🤦🏻‍♀️ But also he’s kind of excited to meet him all over again, and to see what kind of adventurous mischief they’re going to experience together 💖

I’m looking up Madoka Magica rn 👀 it looks excellent 👌 (I mean, you had me at “nice OST”) Ahhhhhh early 2010’s anime just hits differently, I’m definitely gonna check it out, thank you!

Thank you for always supporting me 😘💕💖 *lots of hugs to you* I’m just in a funky kinda headspace, work’s been kind of kicking my ass and it makes me sad that I don’t have the time or energy to do the things I wanna do waaa 😩 Thank you for always being patient with me 🥺💗💞💝 I’m so looking forward to reading more of your work (YAAAAS FLUFF TIME!!!), you do these lovable dorks so much justice, thank you for all that you do 😚🥰

[recentanimenews]

REVIEW: Violet Evergarden Spinoff Film Carries on Kyoto Animation's Legacy Beautifully

Last years Violet Evergarden captivated fans with its downright breathtaking animation – winning the Best Animation Award at the 2019 Crunchyroll Anime Awards. Last week, a feature length side-story was released into Japanese cinemas for a limited three week run. Our Japan Correspondent, Daryl Harding, was there to pen his thoughts on the feature.

      Violet Evergarden: Spin-Off - Eternity and Auto Memory Doll - is the first work from Kyoto Animation to debut since the attack on the studio in July, which for me, made it a hard film to watch on that alone. Thankfully, while the spin-off is a sober piece, it was able to take me back to the world I loved watching in its TV series.

  Eternity and Auto Memory Doll adapts the second chapter from the “Gaiden” (side-story) novel. The first half of the feature length story tells the tale of Isabella York, a student of a finishing school learning to be a debutante. Due to her upbringing, York is having a tough time of it and Violet Evergarden is contracted for a three month stint to tutor her.

      Much like episodes of the Violet Evergarden TV series, the spin-off dives into the backstory of York and thanks to Violet and her letter writing skills, York becomes at peace with her situation. The second half of the film has York’s backstory become a modern story for Violet and the CH Postal Company staff, who have to deal with the aftermath of the first parts ending.

  One thing I adore about the Violet Evergarden series is how each episode – or in this case film – focuses on a character or cast of characters we might not see again, while still being able to flesh out the main cast and see their character growth. While the first half of the film sees Violet away from the CH Postal Company on assignment, the second half really shines by showcasing how much the staff have grown throughout the series just by having Violet around. A stand out is the character growth of the short tempered Benedict Blue. It was also lovely to see a comparison of Violet from the start of the series to now.

    The feature length story felt like two episodes of the series put together, which isn’t a surprise considering the project started out as another OVA. While some anime films can feel stretched out to make a full 90-minute runtime, Violet Evergarden: Spin-Off - Eternity and Auto Memory Doll - never wavered in how engrossing it is. Everything from the animation, direction, and music (the orchestrated OST sounded amazing in the cinema!) was befitting of a film. Again, not surprising considering Kyoto Animation is renowned for its television series having the production value of animated feature films already.

  All throughout the spin-off, I was treated to everything that Kyoto Animation has to offer. The studio made use of 3D backgrounds with 2D animation on the foreground to give a sense of action and movement in the dancing scenes and wide sweeping shots, never feeling out of place in the world created by Kana Akatsuki and set by Takaaki Suzuki.

    Directing the film is Haruka Fujita, who trained under the likes of K-ON! and A Silent Voice director Naoko Yamada (who worked on the spin-off as a unit director), who became a fan favourite after handling episode 8 of Sound! Euphonium. Fujita worked on Eternity and Auto Memory Doll under the supervision of Violet Evergarden TV director Taichi Ishidate.

  Fujita’s attention for detail and love of post-processing photography shone through in Eternity and Auto Memory Doll. You saw it in the water, in the sky, and the sun through the trees as Violet and York walked through a tunnel of trees. As slow and low tempo Violet Evergarden can be at times, Fujita’s keen eye and storyboards made for an engaging watch from start to finish.

    The key animators and animation directors had their work cut out for them animating the highly detailed character animation. Not once did I see the animation falter or be any less detailed. This is partly in thanks to Akiko Takase, the character designer on Violet Evergarden and one of the two Chief Animation Directors (alongside Miku Kadowaki, who handled the Animation Do cuts, Kyoto Animation’s Osaka branch). Takase rose quickly through the ranks of Kyoto Animation since she joined the company in 2013, mostly thanks to her early work as an illustrator on the Violet Evergarden novels and being backed by Ishidate.

  One of the toughest acting challenges, in my opinion, is making the audience feel connected to a character who can’t–or won’t–speak. Without the words to express how they’re feeling, it has to come through their face, and there were times during the film I felt more connected to the animated characters on screen than actors I’ve seen in live action films. That’s a testament to how skilled Kyoto Animation’s animators are. Kudos have to be given to the voice actor for the young Taylor Bartlett, Aoi Yuki (Madoka Kaname in Puella Magi Madoka Magica, Tanya Degurechaff in Saga of Tanya the Evil) who brought the sorrow of the young girl to life in a belivable way.

    Violet Evergarden: Spin-Off - Eternity and Auto Memory Doll - was the last work finished before the attack on the studio, reportable having been completed the day before. Due to this, Fujita requested all the staff who worked on the spin-off to be credited, a break from Kyoto Animation policy where staff only get credited after working for the studio for a year. This left the film on a very sober tone despite the happy ending, with not a dry eye in the cinema. With some staff who died not named publicly at the request of their families, it was hard keeping my own emotions in check.

  It’s hard for a film to be released after such a tragedy, especially one so close to the hearts of not only anime fans, but the animation world as a whole. Violet Evergarden: Spin-Off - Eternity and Auto Memory Doll - stands out on its own as one of Kyoto Animation’s many greats. Which admittedly is a very long list of works and one that will continue to grow forevermore.

    Violet Evergarden: Spin-Off - Eternity and Auto Memory Doll - is currently being shown in Japanese cinemas until September 27. Violet Evergarden The Movie has been delayed from its Januray 20, 2020 open to an unnounced date.

    ----

Daryl Harding is a Japan Correspondent for Crunchyroll News. He also runs the YouTube channel about Japan stuff called TheDoctorDazza, tweets at @DoctorDazza and posts photo of his travels on Instagram. 

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[curestardust]

Dust Watched: Urahara

Genres: Sci-Fi, Comedy, Psychological, Fantasy [PG - 13] // 12 episodes

This is a difficult one to review as my personal experience is pretty different from what I’d write from an objective point of view. Let’s start off by saying that Urahara feels like a passion project. A lot of the staff who worked on this anime are rookies, which shows.

✧  art  ✧

The artstyle really stands out and whether you like it or not is completely dependent on your taste. The colours are very bright and colorful while the backgrounds mostly stick to pastels. There are some interesting art techniques used as well. The artstyle also makes it pretty easy for it to stay consistent as it uses choppy linework and doesn’t pay much attention to looking realistic. I also really liked the designs, they show the character’s personalities really well.

However it needs to be mentioned that the animation isn’t that good. There are a LOT of still shots and split screens and the movements can look really robotic. The artstyle’s drawback is that the backgrounds can look really cluttered and that it isn’t clear what material something is made of as they often draw a lot of small things as just a blob so it looks like clay. (7/10)

✧  sound ✧

The OP and ED’s are your typical jpop and the OST, while average, blends well with the anime. The VA’s on the other hand can kinda ruin the experience as half of the main cast has this anime listed as their first voice acting job and well...it shows. (5/10)

✧  story  ✧

The premise is a basic magical girl one. Aliens come from outer space, main cast receives magical items which they use to transform and fight the “bad guys”.  The story takes an almost Madoka Magica kinda twist halfway through though, which I’ll not detail here cause of spoilers. But, I could see what Urahara was trying to do. There are life lessons and words to live by that could’ve made this anime very good if the execution was well made (which is debatable). The main point can be seen just from the artstyle: creation. Is it your own product if you took inspiration from someone else’s work? Where is the line between copying and using something as part of the creative process? Is your work worth anything if it’s not liked by other people? Should you cater to people or stick to making art for yourself?

As you can see, behind the cotton candy exterior Urahara is a pretty deep anime if you actually look at it. However, I had problems with the pacing. There were episodes where it seemed like characters were saying and doing the exact same thing for 20 minutes straight which started to bore me. The message of the anime also suffered because of this as it seemed like Urahara was trying to make absolutely sure that you don’t miss what it’s trying to say and I often caught myself thinking “Yes, I get it! Let’s move on!” (6/10)

✧  characters  ✧

The cast is adorable and Mari is a flaming lesbian. Besides the artstyle, the cast is probably the second thing that will pull in viewers. Although, and I say this cautiously, they are pretty one-dimensional. You have the girl who draws and has self-esteem issues, the loner science loving girl and the fashionista lolita who wants to be popular. These are all fine and dandy...for a base. The anime focused waaaay too much on these qualities of the girls, to the point where I’m struggling to remember if there was anything else to them. Granted, if you come to like the characters you will most likely use your imagination to give them some additional personality traits but yeah...a wasted potential.

PS the conversations felt really forced. I don’t who who wrote the script or if they straight lifted it from the web manga but the way the characters spoke didn’t feel natural which could further alienate them from the viewers. (6/10)

✧  OVERALL ✧

A truly peculiar, this one. I’d recommend this if you want some candy for your eyes or want a few cute characters. If you go in with low expectations Urahara is sure to surprise you. However, if you want a truly “deep story” that is not just “fake deep” than you could proooobably skip this one. Although I’ve seen some people praise that too so read some other reviews if you’re unsure.

My Rating: 6/10