by eternal on February 14, 2011
[fuyouchu]
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Welcome to the first episode of the Memories of Eternity podcast! I believe I’ve mentioned this idea in passing before but it took a little while to get the ball rolling. The format is pretty much stolen straight from wah–each episode will have a (usually different) group of people chatting about whatever issue we decide on in advance, preferrably something topical so that the listeners will be on the same page as us.
Ironically, everyone won’t be on the same page for this one because it was recorded a few weeks ago and it took me a while to find the time to edit it. Regardless, I hope you have fun with it. Do note that this was a new experience for all of us so it may be a little rough around the edges. Feedback is always welcome.
Guests:
Songs:
- OP – Taste of Paradise by Eri Kitamura (Onii-chan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne!!)
- ED – Magia by Kalafina (Puella Magi Madoka Magica)
Show notes:
- We were using Moetron‘s Winter 2011 chart.
- The post on Behind the Nihon Review I mentioned is this one, written by Kylaran.
- Toshiyuki Kato directed Code-E, Mission-E, and Level E but I don’t think they have anything in common.
- Want to join the OniiKoto drinking game? It’s on the calendar. Also, check my old post for a more coherent explanation of why I think it’s better than it looks.
~ ETERNAL
つづく
by eternal on February 14, 2011
[koi]
(Random picture to catch your attention and stop the post from getting lost on the front page)
As you might have heard on Twitter, I’ve been accepted as a staff member for the fairly reputable review site, The Nihon Review, alongside episodic blogger Shinmaru. This is a fairly big move for me since I’m certain that it’ll help me sharpen my writing abilities, and I’m looking forward to contributing to the site’s impressive archive of entries. You might also see me on the staff blog from time to time, though I’ll have to prioritize this site for editorials.
As for what this means for my posting schedule–well, if you’ve been following me for any amount of time, you’d know that I’ve been all over the place since university started. Frankly my life has been all over the place too. As a general rule, my target here is one post per week, and I aim for that regardless of how many other activities vie for my attention. The good news is that I don’t normally write reviews here so my articles over at the NHRV won’t detract from my editorial ideas.
Anyway, please check out the site if you haven’t already done so. I’ve been reading them for a while and I can guarantee that you’ll learn a thing or two if you keep an eye on them. If you’re already a fan, then I hope I can bring a bit of modern-day bishoujo fandom into a blogging style generally considered to be for the stuffy and elitist. Not that that’s a bad thing–moe fans could do to be a bit more discriminating!
~ ETERNAL
つづく
by eternal on January 27, 2011
I avoid writing these subjective, meandering articles whenever I can–if I have nothing of substance to say, why publish a post about it? Still, there are exceptions to every rule, and K-ON!! seems to have forced my hand. I’ve written about it twice (disclaimer: old posts are embarrassing and bad), and in that time I’ve said all that I have to say… yet I can’t leave things hanging.
So, instead of analyzing the narrative (what’s there to analyze?) or digging into the heart of its appeal (it’s pretty self-explanatory if you ask me), I’m going to tell you a story. It’s a story about the rise to fame of the world’s five greatest moeblobs.
by eternal on January 20, 2011
In dire need of an imouto route.
Contrary to what some believe (possibly even the popular belief), dating sims are an intricate art. They’re not about the (nonexistent) ero-scenes or other forms of sexual titillation, and they demand more depth from their characters–even if it’s an illusion of depth–than your average moege. They are, after all, referred to as “romance simulation” in Japanese. Much like a good moe series that puts its own spin on the tried-and-true archetypes, good dating sims demand immersive writing that doesn’t rely on plot.
Judging from AIC’s adaptation, Amagami is indeed a good dating sim. I was underwhelmed at first since the show opened with perhaps the least realistic arc, but it quickly became evident that, despite the absence of Kenichi Kasai’s rather liberal interpretation, I was enjoying the series as much as KimiKiss.
by eternal on January 11, 2011
Tamayura turned a few heads when it was released toward the end of 2010, though most of those heads belonged to viewers who already adored director Junichi Sato’s work on the Aria franchise. The two anime are similar in the ways that count for the genre–Sato manages to build an aura of magic and childlike wonder around his settings, and he explores them at a laid-back pace. Tamayura’s presentation isn’t spectacular or particularly memorable but something about it reached me more effectively than Aria did.
by eternal on January 3, 2011
Note: This is the second half of an article that wound up being too long for one post. You can read the first half here.
Picking up from where I left off, Kyon and Yuki’s nighttime stroll is one of my favourite scenes in The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya, and it succeeds at doing something that most scenes can’t—building an atmosphere.
