I, along with my fellow friend and anime addict, went to an anime convention today. There was nothing really special about it, but it was my very first anime convention, and it made me feel as if I leveled up in the world of anime otakudom. But really, I wouldn’t have gone there as I don’t have any transportation (and that place where they held the convention was far from where I am staying here in Manila) and the will to persevere through such a long journey. If not for the kindness of my co-addict (and an ethnographic study on culture required for our sociology class, which we chose to be about anime), I wouldn’t even feel what it’s like to be in one. Kudos to my friend. (more…)

Priorities are important in one’s life; everyone knows that. As for me, I know I’ve screwed them up, especially when I don’t give much of a damn to education anymore and spend more time playing DotA than reading textbooks. Or have I? You’ll be the judges of that.

Anyway, I realized that I still do have the drive to excel. I guess it has been inherent within me; perhaps it came from my parents’ expectations, or how I once viewed myself to be competitively and intellectually smart, but it’s still there. I want to stifle or rein in my addiction with DotA once and for all, and although I have had success in the past it was at best minimal. I know that change buds from one’s own heart and not from the words of other people, but I was hoping if you could give me tips on how to resolve this problem of mine. It’s pissing me off when I go play DotA immediately after class on a LAN cafe and then regret wasting my time afterwards only to return back to the same place the day after. It’s a vicious cycle I want to rid myself of; and as I know a lot more of my readers are more experienced as well as learned in the world I would like to enlist your help. What can I do?

Can you recommend any good literature? Can you post experiences of your own? If you can, please do. (Note, however, that no matter how hectic my schedule will be, anime will never disappear from my priorities as the top. It will never be overshadowed by DotA, and I’d prefer if I lost the habit of playing DotA than lose the habit of watching a medium that percolates and makes the mind think.)

I really need to set my life straight. Then maybe I can write better opinions and commentaries regarding the different anime I try to vivisect.

Thank you.

mmm … Misa …

I love Death Note. I’m not saying that it’s the greatest thing since toasted bread, but I do regard it highly among the anime I watch. (No, not as high or as well-regarded as Tsukihime. It will never reach that series.) When I started watching it, I expected it to be licensed in the future, but not as early as the future that was a few days ago. It was quite a shock to many because the two most prominent subbers (that have been known in hardcore English-speaking otaku circles for quite some time) dropped the show immediately after it was licensed. Those two sub-groups were Live-eviL and Toriyama’s World. Initially, I was distraught: who was going to sub such a good series now? (more…)

I decided to write something after a short respite because of the different ripples that have occurred through the anime world. First, Death Note has been licensed, but that didn’t really cause much of a stir inside me as I half-expected it to be licensed even before it passed half its run. It’s Death Note – duh. Rozen Maiden has been licensed too. Cool.

L Misa is just so cute.

(more…)

I haven’t written much about anime recently because this winter season is unforgivably lean and weak (at least, from a general and personal standpoint). I still watch anime like Tokimemo and Red Garden, but those aren’t really anime that feature significant reflections on daily life: NHK has also finished its run, so I have had nothing to do but scrounge older anime series. Although I already have the complete series of Chobits and Black Lagoon: Second Barrage I have not started with them as yet. Sloth has been slowly infesting my brain, and it needs extensive fumigation. I guess that although I haven’t reached the point where even anime for me is a bore I have reached the point of being disgusted with most of the real world, and perhaps with myself reflexively. School has become more than a chore and information that enters easily dissipates after the classroom doors have been closed, to disappear forever in a void I know not where. (more…)

… has bugged me for it lacks a definitive answer. Some noted bloggers said yes; some others said no. I’d like proof and I’d like something palpable -

DID KOHSAKA AND SAKI HAVE SEX OR NOT? (I should be ashamed of myself if that friend of mine who I gave this address to reads of this post, but I treat anime with a reverence almost close to that I give great novels. I simply want an answer to placate my inquisitive imagination and thinking. Thank you.)

I tried to answer this question by myself, and having seen and rewatched the anime (twice), I doubted that they did so, but rescinded that in favor of the belief that Saki was merely circumambulating around the other Genshiken members. I have my doubts, because even by ep7 Saki did not seem physically sated … and Kohsaka still remained the oblivious chick-magnet.

Please tell me. Please give me a definitive answer. I am really confused. I do know that Sasahara REALLY did do Ogiue, so that’s that.