FIVE Anime I Love Rewatching

Posted by Takuto

Hey guys!

It’s been too long! I ended up taking the rest of September off simply because of school and work. Also, I wanted to make sure my YT channel got a bit more off the ground while I had at least some time to film videos.

BUT it’s good to be back here at home, where all of you are!

Today I just wanted to share a little topic that’s been in the back of my mind: rewatching anime.

While in the midst of rewatching one of my favorite anime (that being Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood), I had this idea to share a few Blu-rays and DVDs from my collection that I love rewatching with you all. So, I quickly filmed a video, edited it a couple days later, and here it is now!

Let me know if you also have “that one” anime you love rewatching (probably more than you should 😉) down in the comments! I’ve got dozens more (trust me), but I think sharing 5 is a good start for now.

I’ll be back to regular blogging *hopefully* sooner rather than later. I’ve never taken two literature classes at once in college, and anymore, I’ve pretty much exhausted my reading and writing energy by mid-afternoon. I

’ll likely start small, maybe with a simulcast line up since FALL IS HERE I guess!?? Wow, where does the time go!

Anyway, thank you for all your support during my absence. I’ve got lots of kind comments to catch up on, so apologies in advance if I start digging up a conversation we had weeks ago! 😛

Hope your fall is going well! ‘Till next time!

– Takuto

My Top Five Favorite OWLS Posts That I Wrote in 2019

Posted by Takuto

Hello all!

I figured I try to get this post out there before the new year began, so here we are once again to celebrate some of my writings throughout 2019. Can you believe I’ve been with the group since the beginning? That means I’ve written exactly 36 OWLS posts since our founding! As I did in 2017 and 2018, I’ve compiled a short list of favorites from this third round of posts. In the spirit of the New Year and bidding the old farewell, these are posts that represent my journey through anime, and some of the major life lessons I’d like to share with you, the reader!

As I mention every year, *clears throat*, “All of my OWLS posts are my babies—in fact, they’re probably some of the best posts I’ve ever written, if not THE best of what I’ve got so far, and I thoroughly LOVED writing ALL of them.” So, enjoy my reminiscing, and feel free to scope them out if you’re feeling the urge to relive each month’s thought-provoking topic.

On my site’s menu, you’ll see that OWLS has its own tab (and rightly so), so you can find all the other pleasant posts I wrote in 2019 that didn’t make this list. Alright, here we go, a look at Takuto’s OWLS participation in 2019!

RUNNER UP:

Tour #26 February – A Story That Loves Love: Go For It, Nakamura! | OWLS “Adore”

We open with a sweet one that is near and dear to my heart. It’s Syundei’s Go For It, Nakamura, and is the second manga to be featured as an OWLS post on this blog. Why didn’t this bumbling klutz make the cut? As wholesome as the story was, a single volume doesn’t allow for as much depth as a 24-episode anime might, so it just barely makes the runner-up spot on the grounds of being too short and sweet for its own good. But don’t worry, I feel the others are worthy contenders in their own right!

Life Lessons Learned:

Love yourself to the fullest capacity that you can.
Crawling out of your shell is a scary experience—do it anyway.
Sometimes, we need friendship more than romance.

NUMBER FIVE:

Tour #28 April – Chasing You, Chasing Me: The Heart of Run with the Wind | OWLS “Masculinity”

The first half of the year was arguably full of my better works, but we slide into number five with this little character analysis over my favorite title of 2018, Run With the Wind. Y’all know I’m a hoe for one Haiji Kiyose, so it shouldn’t come across as a surprise that I’m happy to be able to write about him and this series whenever I get the chance! Plus, I thought he was a less-than-stereotypical choice for a post about “masculinity” (if you catch my drift). Ahh, the whole Kazetsuyo series I did just takes me back to watching this wonderful series!

Life Lessons Learned:

We are not as tough as we seem—be sensitive to other’s emotions.
Run with your feelings, not against them.
Run life at your own pace, but run with others when you can.

NUMBER FOUR:

Tour #27 March – She Flies Again! The Stellar Women of Space Battleship Yamato 2199 | OWLS “Feminine”

Run With the Wind gave us a cast full of incredible men, but March also showed up with the equally remarkable women aboard the space battleship Yamato. A masterpiece of storytelling and character drama in itself, the “Feminine” OWLS tour allowed me to give special spotlight to some of anime’s most underrated galactic heroines. So much raw talent and spirit flies with the Yamato‘s crew, but were it not for these particular ladies, it is doubtful that the ship would have made it across the stars at all.

Life Lessons Learned:

Lead with the heart, always.
One should always value honor in their craft.
Embrace diversity—it can often be one’s greatest strength.

NUMBER THREE:

Tour #25 January – The Conviction to Change in Bunny Girl Senpai | OWLS “Metamorphosis”

We’re heading back to the very first tour of 2019 with the infamous yet beloved Bunny Girl Senpai. I distinctly remember the first three episodes of this series taking the anime community by storm as it walked us through Sakuta Azusagawa and Mai Sakurajima’s fateful encounter with one another. The sheer emotional drive from this single hour of content was what pushed me to dedicate an entire post to this first mini story arc, and boy has it still stuck with me to this day. Eclipsing intense drama with a quick-witted romance, Bunny Girl Senpai offered more fun, multi-layered character growth than most modern anime could dream of.

Life Lessons Learned:

Until we open up to others with our problems and allow each other to see why we are hurt, confused, or scared, we’ll never be able to understand one another
There will always be something we hate about ourselves, something to regret.
However, we can always try to change ourselves to make our lives better.

NUMBER TWO:

Tour #30 June – Sarazanmai & The Price of Connection | OWLS “Vulnerable”

Back when the heat of the summer first hit us in June, I distinctively recall being nervous to post this one. And yet, here it is as one of my favorites from the year. Despite its wacky narrative and silly premise, I will probably always hold Sarazanmai near and dear to my heart. I resonate so much with each of the series’ characters, Enta’s story particularly being the highlight of this post. Burdened with unrequited love yet the desire to connect with others anyway, Sarazanmai shows us how good things can come to good people, so long as they can stomach the pain of potential loss. It was an odd one for sure, but oh-so full of heart—that I can guarantee you.

Life Lessons Learned:

So long as we try to reach out to others and form connections, we’ll always be vulnerable to attack, physical or emotional.
But more importantly, just by trying, we’ll always have the chance to be happy.
Love yourself, and cherish the bonds you form.

AND FINALLY, NUMBER ONE:

Tour #33 September – Michiko & Hatchin, Two Against the World || OWLS “Lover”

Did my pick for #1 surprise you as much as it did me? Before writing this post, I reread through all of the OWLS posts I wrote in 2019 (as I do every year), and was really caught off guard by how emotionally charged I sounded in this post, haha! I truly meant it when I said “Michiko & Hatchin slaps differently now,” as wow, it really is a wild ride through the messy side of intimate relationships.

So much of this series is full of broken relationships and shattered hearts. In other words, as much as I pride myself on the optimistic values of connection and happiness in Sarazanmai, Bunny Girl Senpai, or even Run With the Wind, at the end of the day, we’re all people. And people, as I’m sure we all know them, make mistakes. We screw up, badly, and often leave certain ties to rot and eventually fade away. Michiko & Hatchin is a story about our failures to develop healthy relationships with people—but also a bold tale of resilience, determination, self-growth, and rebirth for two young women just trying to find love in a world that gave up on them seemingly from the moment they came into it. Perhaps it’s that futile yet noble pursuit of love that made September’s “Lover” tour my favorite OWLS post of 2019.

Life Lessons Learned:

Love can be a curse that ties people down in the past, entrapping their emotions in the present to those memories long-gone.
Having a lover can also make us do rotten things to other people to make sure our relationships are protected.
People will come and go all throughout our lives. Surround yourself with the good ones: those who give love, not take it.

I WILL Be Catching Up On All Your Posts, Too!

Within the next couple weeks, I’ll slowly be reading through each and every last OWLS post from 2019 in an attempt to catch-up before the new year gets too underway. It’ll be an intense endeavor (as it always is), but I kinda look forward to it as a sort of OWLS tradition I hold to myself. So, be on the lookout for my Twitter spam of your guys’ posts as my way of giving back to you. You’re all fantastic writers, and I wouldn’t be in OWLS were it not for this ever-growing family!

But anyway, that’s my line-up for this year. What did you think? Was there a post you were shocked to see up there, or perhaps one you remember liking that didn’t make the list? I assure you that it was actually pretty difficult narrowing it down to just five, but I’d love to hear YOUR thoughts on my OWLS 2019 tour entries! Thank you all so much for a wonderful year with this group—I eagerly anticipate another set of 12 OWLS posts I can add to my blogging “resume” in 2020! More year-in wrap-ups and updates will be coming before New Year’s, so until then, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

See you back soon!

– Takuto

400 Followers Q&A Celebration (Your Answers!)

Posted by Takuto

Hello all!

Welcome to Part II of my 400 followers celebration! We’re here today because of how awesome all of you are, and I’m sure I wouldn’t be doing what I am still if it weren’t for all your support. Today, I’ll be giving all the long-awaited A’s to your tantalizing Q’s that I asked for over in the previous post and on social media.

Thank you to all those who asked me questions!! I went ahead and divided up your questions based on subject manner. So, without further ado, let’s see what my friends had to ask of me!

Writing & the Cafe

Matt (Matt-in-the-Hat): Do you prefer your coffee cold or hot or both?

Matt’s starting us off with a classic. Personally, I see coffee as a dessert drink, so cold!

Moyatori (The Moyatorium): Since you own a cafe, I gotta ask: what’s your favourite coffee (and dessert pairing)?

Lately, I’ve really enjoyed sippin’ on a green tea frappuccino with a chocolate muffin ordered to-go. 🙂

Aria (The Animanga Spellbook): Since people are asking about coffee, what sort of cafe beverage do you most like (not necessarily coffee)? [Also] why is your online alias Takuto? When I think of that name, I think Star Driver, but I’m not sure if I’m right…

You can never go wrong with mocha anything, so I’ll pick that! As for where the name’s origin, believe it or not, it was actually from an anime name generator. How original, right? After plugging in my own name, hittin’ GENERATE, and swapping out a couple characters, “Takuto” was born, and I think the name actually fits me quite well, don’t you? (As a side note, LitaKino has persuaded me to watch Star Driver on numerous occasions—maybe I’ll make that happen this summer!

Karandi (100 Word Anime): Which anime characters would you most want to invite to your cafe (assuming they were all in the one universe and your anime cafe was a real location)?

Ooh, such a good question. Off the top of my head, I’d love to sit down with Kiki (Kiki’s Delivery Service), Chitanda Eru (Hyouka), Makise Kurisu (Steins;Gate), and Mikoto Misaka (A Certain Scientific Railgun). Why? Kiki for her fun-loving nature; Chitanda for her aloofness and ability to keep the conversation going through constant probing; Kurisu so we can at least talk a little science while we’re at the table; and Misaka because she’s just such a fun, supportive friend that I know would laugh at our jokes (even if they weren’t funny).

7mononoke (Anime Rants): Hmm… *instantly thinks of half a dozen questions that you’d never answer probably like how old are you* *reconsiders* … How about this question. Was there a blog you once loved that, more than any other, inspired you to be a blogger?

What a powerful question. One that immediately comes to mind is Shiroyuni over at The Limitless Imagination. Shiroyuni was a great online friend and one of the few bloggers who supported me the most back in 2015 when I started all this. She was respectful and kind, and always included me in on various tag and award posts that were so frequent back in the day. As a result, I went on to meet so many new bloggers, many of which are still close with me today, thankfully. I think Shiroyuni got busy due to school (and life in general) and had to leave, but Crimson would know more. I owe a lot to Shiroyuni, and wherever you are, we miss you! And we hope you’re doing ok!

Irina (I drink and watch anime): Ok tell me the truth, is there a little part of you that’s weirdly miffed about not having received a hate comment? [Also] are you open for collabs? *cough cough* (Animated Andy asked the same question)

I can be quite the “peacekeeper” both here and IRL, and cause of this I wondered: What if I’m not taking as strong a stance as I should in my posts? What if I come across as being so “on-the-fence” all the time that nobody finds my opinions interesting?? AM I NOT BEING MEAN ENOUGH??? (In other words Irina, a bit, but it’s somewhat a good problem to have.) As for collabs, YES, hit me up! I’m an introvert, so reaching out isn’t a strong suit of mine, but I’d be thankful for the thought!

What’s my Favorite ______ ?

Mel (Mel in Anime Land): Top 5 favorite male and female characters from Seraph of the End?

Oh Mel, you always ask the good ones. In order from 5 to 1, THE GORLS: Mahiru Hiragi, Mitsuba Sangu, Horn Skuld, Krul Tepes, and Shinoa Hiragi. THE BOIS: Crowley Eusford, Ferid Bathory, Shinya Hiragi, Yuichiro Hyakuya, and Mikaela Hyakuya. (Picking best boi was so hard omg)

Naja (Blerdy Otome): Let’s see burning questions… What is your favorite non-anime show?

Such a good question, but thankfully an easy one, too. Without a doubt, I’d go with Avatar: The Last Airbender. So many good memories with this show.

Ayano (Kawaii Paper Pandas): What are some of your favorite so-called “guilty pleasure” anime?

THIS question. Alrighty peeps, take notes! Seraph of the End, No.6, Negima!?, Haganai, Yamada’s First Time, DIVE!!, and DAKAICHI. For an extended list, hit up my DMs. 😉

Gigi (Animepalooza): What is an anime you like that no one else seems to? One you hate? What would you recommend for me to watch above all else (not necessarily me specifically, but that would also work)?

Interestingly, most of the shows that fall under this category come from my earlier days, including: Negima!?, Chaos;Head, Fractale, and Danganronpa: The Animation. These were gateway pieces for me, and although I do view them more critically now, I still love them even if they get the hate. One anime that I DID not care for (that everyone seems to enjoy) was Bungou Stray Dogs (although I am giving this a second shot). As for straight-up hate, look no further than Corpse Party.

For EVERYONE, I always recommend three: Attack on Titan, Code Geass, and anything Studio Ghibli. To all my veteran friends, however: Steins;Gate, Evangelion, and From the New World. (Gigi, I’m recommending Eva again to you cause you need to finish it, hahaha)

Other Fun Stuff About Me

Keiko (Keiko’s Anime Blog): What medium do you enjoy other than anime?

For story-telling mediums, I like manga—light novels even more. But on a more artistic side I also love anime and film soundtracks, a passion which is reflected in many of the reviews I write.

Krystallina (Daiyamanga): If you could be on any game show (currently airing or not, doesn’t matter), what would it be?

Oh god, none of them honestly, ahaha. What’s the one where I pick either curtain number one, two, or three?

Jamie (Jamie Talks Anime): How old are you, and what was an anime you thought you wouldn’t care for but tried anyway and was majorly surprised?

I’m currently 20! (Need to update my bio!) Hmm, I really didn’t think I’d like Fairy Tail, BUT . . . I’m just over 30 eps in and enjoying it much more than I thought I would.

Last but certainly not least, I’ve got a SLEW of questions from Crimson (Read at Night)!

1. If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Flight! I mean, how nifty would it be to not worry about height as a disadvantage, or have the ability to soar in the clouds?

2. Would you be the main character, the villain, sidekick, other? Why? And what kind of series would it be?

I’d want to be that reliable badass who graces everyone with their appearance and saves the day without raising a finger. Whether it’s the heroic All Might, the impenetrable Lady Satsuki Kiryuin, the inspiring Kuranosuke Koibuchi, the fierce Captain Levi, or the ever-graceful Mami Tomoe, there are some characters whose mere presence on screen is enough to calm the viewer and make them feel that everything is going to be ok, and I respect that. I wish I could have that kind of effect on people, to make them breath easier knowing that I am there, just as these characters have done for me. Given the need for high stakes scenarios, I’d go with sci-fi, fantasy, or supernatural. (Regardless, it needs LOTS of action lol.)

3. What would your (blank – the answer to q2) theme song be?

I always liked how powerful and imposing Kill la Kill‘s Satsuki Kiryuin’s presence was with this theme, so I’ll go with that. Go give it a listen!

4. You walk into a public restroom and there are 10 stalls to your left and 10 stalls to your right, which do you choose? (if you choose urinal…they’re in the stalls)

Hmmm, we’re asking the real questions now. Assuming the restroom is empty, the furthest stall from the door.

5. What does your perfect sandwich consist of?

Turkey, lettuce, spinach, provolone cheese, cucumbers, green peppers, and a dash of ranch or honey mustard depending on the day.

6. You find out you’re going to die tomorrow! How did you find out?

Oh shit! Well then, I’d say it was a warning from the aliens—after all, they told us ALL that we were going to die, remember!?

7. What is your greatest food weakness?

Olives. They’re gross.

8. You have been invited to a wedding and the dress code requires guests to cosplay. What will you wear?

Suzaku Kururugi’s white knight suit and tux. Classy AND ready for battle.

9. How is school going? You’re kicking its butt, right?

Is this the part where I tell her it’s kicking mine? No? Ok. Uhh, it’s fine—now that it’s SUMMER.

10. You have been chosen to represent the anime community as their singer in a singing competition, what song do you choose to perform?

ZAAAaaannKOOOKKUUUU NAA TENNSHHII—

11. Same question but for dancing! Oh, and you gotta pick a partner. Who?

I’d love to share a dance with Mako Akagi from Welcome to the Ballroom. It can be anything she’d like, too, as the soundtrack for this anime is FANTASTIC. Mako’s a sweetheart, ~~plus she wouldn’t tell me if I were stepping on her feet the entire time!~~

12. You come home to find all your furniture has been moved, what happened?

I get bored easily, and I love a change of pace. Oh yeah, and amnesia’s a b*tch.

13. It’s been days and you’ve been digging into the Earth nonstop. What have you found?

OMG it’s a core drill from Gurren Lagann! BRO, LET’S COMBINE!!

And there we go, I hope you learned a bit more about who I am and what I do! Thank you all for celebrating this milestone with me. It’s not 500 followers, but since I missed out on 300 I figured I’d have some fun with this one. With uni out for the summer, regular content should be back on schedule, if you’ll allow me just a bit of time to settle into a routine. Until the next post, thank you so much for 400 followers! ‘Till next time!

– Takuto

PyeongChang on ICE!!! Celebrating Team Spirit in the 2018 Winter Olympics | OWLS “Competition”

Posted by Takuto

Chances are that if you were linked here from another blogger pal, you might be new to this place. To those first-timers, “Hi, I’m Takuto, and welcome to my anime cafe!” As part of the OWLS blog tour’s second monthly topic for 2018, “Competition,” I decided to try something new. Instead of analyzing a certain anime, breaking it down to what makes it relative for the month’s theme, I wanted to chronicle a certain experience instead.

As I’m sure you all know, the 2018 Winter Olympics is happening right now in PyeongChang, South Korea. And if you follow me on Twitter, you’ll know that I am very enthusiastic about all of the competitions that have unfolded, and the awe-inspiring feats we’ve been lucky to witness. For this post specifically, I’d like to look at Olympic figure skating, as well as some of #TeamUSA’s most incredible moments out in the wintry tundra of PyeongChang.

In honor of the 2018 Winter Olympics, this month’s topic will focus on the theme “Competition,” as the Olympics is where athletes from all countries join together to compete in sporting events. Through these games, we see how “competition” brings out the grit, the teamwork, and the competitive spirit within athletes. We will be exploring anime and pop culture media that discusses the good and the bad when it comes to competition, and what it can teach us about ourselves and the world around us.

After consulting the OWLS team, it was brought to my attention that the Olympics does, indeed, fall under popular culture. So, in taking a slight break from anime and manga, please enjoy this figure skating recap and also a truly rare side—the winter sports fanatic side—of me, Takuto! Thanks Lyn for the exciting prompt!

A brief look into the world of figure skating—a visit to the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang (Feb 9, 2018 – Feb 25, 2018) and the thrilling successes we’ve seen thus far. Again, these are all my personal favorite highlights, so for full Olympic coverage, visit their official site. None of these pictures belong to me.

A Little Background

Contrary to what you may believe, my love for the figure skating did not begin with Yuri!!! On ICE. The popular anime which took the world by storm did make me more invested in the sport to the point where I am now, but the truth is that I’ve always enjoyed the non-typical U.S. favorites like swimming, diving, dancing, gymnastics, and of course, figure skating. I’ve never been big on sports. Like, at all. But there’s an allure to the ones I listed above—an artistic beauty—that transcends “Who can run the fastest?” and “Who can be the strongest?”

These athletes still want to be the best, but to me, their hard work and struggles translate more as a story than a game of football ever could. In a sense, figure skaters are performers putting on a show, artists who match unique music to physical movement, rhythm, technicality, emotion, and expression. Given my own background in the performing arts, I can relate to them.

So naturally, I find myself hooked to the only sport which unifies the entire world through music in one glorious cup for sportsmanship: the Olympics. Unlike figure skating’s ISU Championships, including World, European, Four Continents, World Junior Championships, and the Grand Prix (as made popular by YOI), the Winter Olympics is the only figure-skating comp which receives worldwide coverage on just about every news outlet. As such, the joys of the beautiful sport became a quadrennial treat; every four years brought a reunion for my love of the ice; likewise, every other four years, I got to enjoy some swimming.

After Vancouver in 2010 and Sochi in 2014, the Winter Olympics are back for 2018 in PyeongChang! As a half-Korean myself (my mom was adopted from South Korea many years ago), the political intensity between the North, the South, and the whole world, really, made skeptical and a bit cautious. What if something horrendous happened? How would that forever shake up world history? Here we are, almost finished with the Winter Games’ and honestly, it couldn’t have gone better! From North Korea’s permitted entry to the ENTIRETY OF NORTH AND SOUTH BEING ANNOUNCED UNDER ONE SATISFYING “KOREA,” all felt oh-so right with the world.

With what I understand, one of the loudest cheers heard in PyeongChang was actually Korea’s joint entry, and reports say that the Koreans have been overly kind and supportive of ALL teams and nations. Simply incredible spirit, and it makes my heart so happy!

Major victories were made before the Olympics even started, and now that the brilliant cauldron has been lit, it’s time to begin the games! Here are some of my favorite skaters!

The Members of Team USA

Bronze Medalists in the Team Event!

Nathan CHEN

Building up over months of media pressure and hype, Nathan Chen’s Olympic debut was met with love by his supporters despite a short and free program full of falls in the team event. I felt so sorry for the poor dude, as he’s ONLY 18, but hey, we all have our bad days, and Nathan’s true fans know what even a normal day looks like for him (which is, well, quad after quad after quad). After moving on to the men’s single, he turned out another disappointing performance. By this point, I just wanted him to be out of the media’s way. But then it happened: Nathan Chen had a good day. A very good day.

For his last skate, Nathan went out and showed us what he’s truly capable of, reminding us that yes, THIS is the 2015-16 Junior Grand Prix Final Gold Medalist he was celebrated for being, one of only a handful of “Quad Kings” out there (and likely the best). In this wicked free program, he became the first skater to ever cleanly land FIVE quads at the Olympics, and, arguably more impressive, the first to try a SIXTH. If that’s not an EPIC comeback, I’m not sure what is. Nathan scored the highest free program technical score in history, pulling him up from 17th place to 5th. PLUS, he was the first to ever land a quad flip at the Olympic Games. In an interview afterward, he stated that he just wanted to “try it, as he’d been practicing it,” and that he had “nothing to lose by this point.” And BOY did it go for it! He’s young, he’s a hard worker, and he’s an absolute beast on the ice—and I can’t wait to see the heights he climbs to next.

Adam RIPPON

I’m sure the whole nation if not the world is already acquainted with this flamboyant skater, but beyond his little political skirmishes, Adam inspired many around the world as the first openly gay athlete to compete at the Winter Olympics. He’s absolutely full of himself at times, but it’s that combination of sass, charm, and pride that made him stand out in the first place. On top of it all, he’s one of the most beautiful skaters to compete in 2018; after not qualifying for Sochi in 2014, Adam went up to his roof with best friend and fellow skater Mirai Nagasu, ate junk food, then kicked it into high gear to make it to PyeongChang as a 28-year-old. His performances may not have had the highest technical base scores, but in each of the four times Adam Rippon went onto the ice, the whole world stopped for a moment and stared in awe at Adam’s swooping elegance and magnificent pride.

Alexa and Chris KNIERIM

Showing us ultimate #couplegoals as the power of love (and hard work) pushed them to 4th place, Alex and Chris are the sweetest pair skaters out there. They didn’t score as high as they’d like to, but each performance (team and pair) was absolutely gorgeous and made me want to follow their Olympic journey via social media. The way Alexa and Chris interact is so wholesome (his giant V-day teddy bear at the kiss and cry, UGH), and they shared such a precious moment each time they skated together.

Mirai NAGASU

Though we can’t underestimate her 2nd place victory in the team event’s ladies single free skate, Mirai’s claim-to-fame occurred when, right at the start of her program, performed the triple axel, becoming the first American female figure skater to land the stunning jump at the Olympics, and the third woman from any country to do so. She’s a fantastic skater whose programs’ base level points are always leagues ahead of the competition. Daring, kind-hearted, and supportive of her team, Mirai knows exactly what she wants and how to get it—even if it means smashing records, baby! In the ladies single short program, she missed the triple axel, causing her to fall to 9th place. But even so, she’s still a strong, accomplished Asian-American female! Girl, you rock!

Alex and Maia SHIBUTANI

Efforts by Asian-American siblings Alex and Maia SHIBUTANI (AKA best pair!!) pulled the US forward in the team ice dance short program, scoring 2nd place with their exciting Latin dance. I just love these two so much, and their performance also made me start following the #ShibSibs on social media! BUT WAIT, they get better. In the individual ice dance short program, they repeated that exact same number and grabbed even more of the world’s attention. Finally, in what has already been a back-to-back series of best performances ever, the Shib Sibs gave everything they had left into the free dance, pushing them to win YET ANOTHER Olympic bronze to add to their incredible Olympic debut!

Alex and Maia stand as favorites YES because of their amazing sibling bond, but also because they bring to pair ice dancing a kind of love and passion unique from the typical “sex appeal” of couples. They redefine this side of figure skating with every inspiring performance (heck, they made Coldplay’s “Paradise” actually enjoyable for the song’s haters), and I’m just so proud of their ability to monopolize on their strengths and fight on equal terms by unashamedly using their own style of pair dancing! WOOHOO! Love you Shibs!!

The Members of Team Japan

Miu SUZUKI and Ryuichi KIHARA

We were treated to a real surprise when in the pair skating short program when this pair brought Yuri!!! On ICE to the real world. Skating to Yuri Katsuki’s own free program song, the two captured the hearts of fans (myself included) and proved that YOI was more than just a show, but a phenomenon. Though they ended in 8th here, no amount of statistics or ratings could tell me that the weren’t magical in every sense of the word. LOVED THEM!

Shoma UNO

My personal FAVORITE solo skater, this sleepy boy stole an overwhelming lead in the team event’s men’s short program by almost 15 points with Vivaldi’s Winter’s 1st Movement! Following lackluster performances from Patrick Chan (Canada) and Nathan Chen (USA), Shoma showed up at the very end and pulled the ice out from under everyone, granting Japan those gratuitous 10 team points. Whether he knows it or not, scoring above 100 in the short (103.25) is a tremendous feat (an Olympic record, in fact), and it’s unbelievable that he’d go on to do even better in the single!

The men’s single short program rolled around and Shoma, somehow nonchalantly, shrugged off his Olympic record-breaking skate WHICH HE JUST PERFORMED: 104.17, not the best in the world but a personal victory for the guy (leaving him in third place). Skating last in the men’s free, he was challenged by needing to overcome both Javier and Yuzuru’s perfect performances. And again, Shoma delivered!! After falling during an attempt at his first quad, Shoma began laughing to himself, letting the positive vibes of officially being done pump his adrenaline. Culminating in his final efforts to surpass his best friends and rivals, Shoma exploded in the VERY LAST MINUTE, pulling off all kinds of insane jumps back-to-back and landing them flawlessly—I honestly couldn’t believe how driven he was to reach the top! Shoma finished with Olympic Silver, placing himself right in front of Javi but before his “eternal goal, his eternal idol” Yuzuru Hanyu.

To quote a fan I follow on Twitter:

The boy who quietly carried Japanese figure skating through two Grand Prix assignments, the Grand Prix Final, Japan Open, 4CC, the Olympic Team Event, and the individual who placed 1st or 2nd every single time. Thank you for all you’ve done. I am so proud of you.

Shoma Uno had yet to completely step out of Hanyu’s shadow, but in the 2018 Olympics, Shoma proved to the world that he was more than worthy of standing among figure skating’s greatests. Now, go get some sleep, my guy—you’ve got a lot of video gaming to catch up on!

Yuzuru HANYU

At this point, I’m not even sure what I can add about Yuzu. Coming out of a terrible ankle injury in 2017, Hanyu just began jumping again a few weeks before the Olympics. He had a lot to live up to as the best skater in the world, but he was more than determined to fight for his championship title. Winning gold at the Sochi Games in 2014, was Hanyu honestly able to hold his own against the world?

Clearly, we had nothing to worry about.

Claiming first in both the men’s short and free programs, Pooh-kun rained down from the heavens, shocking viewers who were unfamiliar with the tradition of his fans. Yuzuru’s performances were absolute healing wonders, his short program’s technical score breaking the previous Olympic record (which I believe he had set). Nathan Chen might’ve broken the record for the free, but Yuzuru’s consistency in executing his masterpieces made him the real gold winner here.

At the end of a long and stressful season, Yuzuru Hanyu—the living legend, the King of the Ice—defended his Olympic Championship title, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. Among all his other successes, he will be remembered as the skater who rose from injury to infinity through sheer strength (and unity) of body and mind, a reminder not to underestimate the great athlete of Japan.

Competition Around the Globe

Javier FERNANDEZ (Spain)

One of the few skaters I knew before the Olympics, Javi is such a charmer both on and off the ice. Though he’s rinkmates with defending champion (among many, many other titles) Yuzuru Hanyu, even sharing the same coach (Brian Orser), there’s never any animosity detected between the two. The two are real dorks around one another, actually, and when Shoma’s there, it’s the GPF triplet that goes waaaay back. I have Javi on this list not only because he skated excellently (earning a season’s best in both of his skates, ultimately placing him in third), but also because he became the first skater from Spain to ever medal in the Olympics. Following Shoma’s skate, Javi told Yuzuru that this was likely the end of his career, to which Yuzu broke down into tears repeating “I can’t do this without you.” As if my heart hadn’t shattered enough, in a closing interview, Javi confirmed that he was pulling out of the the World Championships in Milan. The accomplished Spanish skater unexpectedly swooped in and snatched my heart, proving that long-lasting friendship IS possible (and beautiful) in competition.

That concluded the men’s single: Javier, Shoma, and Yuzuru—dream results for any longtime fan of this GPF trio of friendship!

Gabriella PAPADAKIS and Guillaume CIZERON (France)

Papadakis is an incredible skater who shouldn’t have had to deal with a wardrobe malfunction—of all things—at something as big as the Olympics. What hurts even more was that BOTH their short and free programs were flawless, meaning that they WOULD have taken first (which they held for a while), as their score in the free was a point higher than reigning champions Tessa and Scott of Canada’s free score (which also means they would’ve set a world record). Heck, the poor woman should’ve been given extra points for coping with such a trivial matter! But unfortunately, that’s not how the game is scored, and the show must go on.

Evgenia MEDVEDEVA (OAR)

Ahhhh, oh Evgenia. Beloved as an 18-year-old Russian superstar and a open young fan of anime and Japanese media, Evgenia didn’t let a foot injury sustained back in 2017 stop her from continuing to achieve new heights. She opened up the ladies short program in the team event by breaking her own record set in the short—of which she broke again in the single short program! Perfect jumps, strong lands, and masterful conveying of emotion EVERY TIME. Also, her arrangement of Chopin’s Nocturne in C Sharp Minor (No. 20) was so, sooo beautiful. I’ve really come to love Evgenia’s journey both as an anime fan and the world’s greatest female skater. She always seems to have fun with the sport and its peoples, but also never underestimates their abilities and individual hard work. If you enjoy watching young champions fight for their title, be sure to follow Medvedeva in the last event of the Olympics, and perhaps beyond this great competition!

Alina ZAGITOVA (OAR)

A rising star in figure skating, 15-year-old Alina Zagitova poses more of a threat to Evgenia’s supremacy than any other female skater in the world. She’s already bested her in one major competition, and Alina’s only direction is up. Alina’s style is very Russian, sticking to classical music, the finesse of ballet, and using her slender figure to pull off some explosive jumps. Zagitova is chaos perfected, and as she maintains the lead on the ladies single short program, surpassing Evegenia’s newly set world record RIGHT AFTER SHE MADE IT, you can guarantee that the thrilling free program finale will continue the Olympic Battle of the Russian Princesses.

Aliona SAVCHENKO and Bruno MASSOT (Germany)

Of all the stories here, Aliona’s surprisingly is my favorite. When the Aliona first stepped onto the scene, I found her looks to be way too “prickish” for my tastes. But once the downbeat of “That Man” by Caro Emerald played, Savchenko burst into life, becoming the fiercest, sassiest woman in the entire stadium. Love may be a drug, but the charisma Savchenko was addictive. Their performance was more engaging and playful than any of the pairs’ out there, and though she was able to hold up 3rd in the team’s short program (right in front of the Knierims), they fell apart in the team’s free.

This was Savchenko’s FIFTH FREAKIN’ OLYMPICS and all she wanted was the gold. FIVE OLYMPICS. The woman is old, 34, and her time in the spotlight was quickly fading—if it wasn’t going to be here, it was never meant to be. In terms of Olympic records . . . five visits, over twenty years of waiting, many partners, and only two bronze medals to show for it? Yeah, she wasn’t going to have a single mistake.

So she skated her heart out in the pair skate short and free programs—with Massot, of course. For someone her age, physically, this was the end. To her, age was just a number. And though one may call it luck, or chance, or even karmic destiny, it was really Savchenko’s unwavering passion for victory—and Massot’s want to not fail her—that finally, FINALLY won Aliona Savchenko the gold medal. Earning the highest score ever recorded in pairs free skate, it was one of the most masterful, intense dances I’ve ever seen in my life, and it ended in her crumbling to the ice smiling, crying, winning.

In her fifth trip to the Winter Olympics, Aliona Savchenko finally won gold.

Through her competitive edge and triumph, I saw firsthand that hard work, grit, and perseverance will never let a person down. When faced with failure: try, try, try, and try again. One day, you’ll get there, and the achievement will be everything that you dreamed of and more.

“All competitors who are competing here are really strong, not only in body, but strong inside because we are sportsmen.” —Evgenia Medvedeva

Bringing it All Together

I think I’ve fanboyed enough about the Winter Games. Unlike any other competition in the WORLD, the Olympics has the power to unite practically all people on the planet in harmonious sportsmanship. It’s a fun, vibrant time to be alive, always full of excitement, team spirit, friendship, and the hope that we can reach our true potential through bridging the language barrier and competing against the best and the brightest. The world is much larger than we often think, and by watching the Olympics, we are reminded that talented, hardworking individuals reside all over the place—the Olympics just grants them the spotlight, and helps draw out that spirit for all to see.

If you missed the 2018 Olympic Winter Games, never fear—you can always catch highlights on the news, as I’m sure the athletic high will linger for a while longer. I can’t encourage you enough to join everyone in Tokyo 2020 for the Summer Olympics, and then back in Beijing for 2022—the completion of this Asian circuit!

Did you have a favorite sport to watch this winter? What teams, individuals, or pairs did you find yourself cheering for? Favorite moments? Believe it or not, there’s SO much I left out (like Canada’s victories, China’s tranquility, and Italy’s cool numbers), so I want to know all about YOUR Olympic viewing journey! Don’t forget that as far as figure skating is concerned, the ladies free is still left on Thursday—a thrilling battle between the Russians, no doubt! Let me know what you thought of this coverage post down in the comments!

This concludes my February 20th (whoops!) entry in the OWLS “Competition” blog tour. Anituber Gigi of Animepalooza has a video for you on one of her favorites, the rivalries in Yowamushi Pedal which you can watch right here! Catch the amazing Irina (Drunken Anime Blog) today, February 21st, on the beloved Hikaru no Go, as I’m positive it’ll be an impressive write-up (as always)! Thank you so much for reading, and until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Celebrating the New Year with a Reflection on my OWLS Experience! | Blogmas 2017 Day 12

Posted by Takuto

Hey everyone, welcome to the FINAL day of Blogmas! Due to the holidays, I got a little behind this year. But we can still work with that—for this post, I’ll be combining my last big moment of 2017 with my New Year’s wishes to you all! Together, we’ll briefly look at how OWLS has changed me for the better as a blogger, a writer, a listener, a learner, and ultimately, a human being.

A Review of my First Year with OWLS

(No spoiler-warning necessary~!)

Why Did I Join?

If I were not a member of OWLS today and noticed their tour going on, the thought of joining a group that stood for “Otaku Warriors for Liberty and Self-Respect” would never have occurred to me. Looking deeper at what they represent (acceptance of all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability), I definitely would’ve said “No way” to joining. I’ve already tackled in September’s “Treasure” post that I struggle with the Four D’s (Death, Divorce, Drugs, Depression), and that I’m no good with sensitive subjectsw. It’s not that I’m incapable, it’s just that I’m rather “average” on topics like gender roles/equality/terminology/titles. To be frank, I felt very unknowledgable on the matter(s), as I just never gave them much thought in my daily life. Simply, if someone had a preference on being called “he, she, or they,” didn’t matter to me; I would acknowledge their preference, and oblige by whatever they’d like. It’s just a pronoun, after all. The least I could do was accept their choice.

Then it hit me: wasn’t that exactly the kind of person OWLS was looking for?

That wasn’t the tipping point for making me join, though. I’d never really been a part of a blogging “team” before, and I didn’t want to jump the gun when I knew I blogged infrequently as-is. With my limited knowledge, I knew that blogging groups or circles had deadlines, requirements, rules, regulations, and that was just stuff I wasn’t up for. I knew my strengths, and I definitely knew my weaknesses.

So I turned back to the recruitment messages that were sent to me (OWLS wasn’t around at the time, so I would eventually become a founding member, heh heh). Reading on past the gender stuff, I noticed more things that OWLS emphasized: importance of respect, kindness, and tolerance to every human being. Yeah, more emotional mumbo-jumbo. Not my style. I remember telling myself to sleep on the thought, so I did.

My days at high school went on. I was taking an AP English course that combined English composition with world literature and the human experience. The class was a lot of work, as I struggled with finding the deeper meaning in works both long and short. This kind of meaningful, poetic writing wasn’t my forte, and the essay units were DEATH. But for some reason, I still liked the class. More and more, I found myself inspired by learning about works like Oedipus Rex, and I was doing off-the-clock research on my own.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I had fallen madly in love with the workings of tragedy, dark romanticism, and dramatic irony. Slowly, I started making connections to my favorite tragic characters in anime like Fate/Zero and Madoka Magica, and I felt I suddenly understood a long-lost philosophy, a secret order to the world known only by the truly enlightened. And before I knew it, I was thinking:

Maybe . . . maybe this English stuff was for me.

And maybe . . . this OWLS thing would allow me to vent this hidden passion.

So I joined. Unqualified as I felt at first, I signed myself on for what would—unbeknownst to me—eventually become a journey of understanding both entertainment and myself on a very deep, personal level.

At first, things felt pretty good. With each monthly topic, however, I felt the distance between what I wanted to personally say to my readers VS what OWLS wanted me to promote grow. On several occasions, I was graciously using the flexibility of the monthly topics to better fit my own messages and themes. I would feature very fictional characters and premises that were, well, unreal. From robots and artificial intelligence of Time of EVE and Blade Runner, to elves and half-elves in Tales of Symphonia, to the FREAKING cast of Evangelion, which is already infamously loathed enough. My opinions were unpopular. On top of it all, few even knew the shows that I picked, regardless of them being favorites of mine, and thus it was harder for people to relate to what I was trying to say.

As a result, I changed my game to work harder on making my posts “stand out.” I’d try a variety of different writing styles and visual formats, from writing “letters” to poem-ish outlines, and even including my own personal experiences. Going even further, I’d spend extra time on editing images that I put in my posts, using a variety of apps to give form, shape, and emphasis to the entire look. Though this extra work caused me to be a little late some days with releasing posts, the changes made me feel better about both my writing and my self-esteem.

STILL, I couldn’t give a lecture about gender identity. I couldn’t vouch for those fighting a terminal illness, nor living with a mental disorder. It felt as if there was a group of intellects working their butts off to make an impact, however small, and then there was me, the janitor working off of everyone else’s great posts. I felt a bit isolated because I just didn’t know enough about what exactly it was we were fighting for. I thought there was just no “click” between me and the others. At one point, I felt taking a couple months off OWLS just to read a manga featuring LGBTQ+ hardships or watch anime regarding depression and suicide with the hopes of “fitting in” with the discussions on our Twitter and Discord chats.

But I knew, deep down, that those works weren’t the ones that truly interested me. They may have been great stories—masterpieces even—but everyone has their own tastes. From my own experiences, you can’t write sincerely if you don’t feel passionately about what you’re writing. So I turned to examine myself once again: I have lived a decent life, one with few “big obstacles” and unbearable hardships. Sure, I get a bit lonely at times, but doesn’t everybody? Towards the middle of 2017, I changed the focus of my writing. My mission became this:

Write about coping with everyday life, the troubles we face, and above all, the things we can learn from history. Explore the dark underbelly of the average mind and procure remedies to changing our outlook on humanity. Through the negatives, we can understand the positives, and hopefully go from there. Combine my reviewing strengths with thematic analysis to “knock out two birds with one stone.”

Despite ALL my inner turmoil and struggle to fit in with the other OWLS posts, however, you all kept supporting me. The other OWLS members were cheering me on the whole way. In typical “me” fashion, the reality was that I had made a big deal about nothing. The OWLS members who ran the monthly live streams described my posts as “detailed, heartfelt, and poetic.” And through the busy, busy months of inactivity (spring and summer), OWLS gave me a purpose to write, and it kept my blog alive and well. I’m thankful to OWLS for not only allowing me to be a member of a fun and friendly team, but also for giving me the chance to do some long, hard thinking about why I write, and what I want to learn in the future. Honestly, they’re the best kind of people that I feel unworthy of being around and writing for, but like their mantra states:

We are a group of otaku bloggers who promotes acceptance of all individuals regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion and disability. We emphasize the importance of respect, kindness, and tolerance to every human being.

Should you join OWLS? Gosh, well, as you can see it took me a hot minute to think about that myself. But if you are willing to work hard for a good cause, and are passionate enough to write about anime and the pop culture medium, this might be the otaku group for you!

At least, I now know it’s the family for me.

My Top Five Favorite OWLS Posts that I Wrote in 2017

It’s hard to pick favorites. I don’t like doing it, but in the spirit of the 12 Days of Anime, I’ve managed to select five OWLS posts that accurately represent the sum of who I am, why I write, and what I want you, the reader, to learn! All of my OWLS posts are my babies—in fact, they’re probably some of the best posts I’ve ever written, if not THE best of what I’ve got so far, and I thoroughly LOVED writing ALL of them—so enjoy my reminiscing, and feel free to scope them out if you missed them, or are feeling the urge to relive each month’s thought-provoking topic.

On the header/taskbar thingy of my site, you’ll see that OWLS has its own tab (and rightly so), so you can find the rest of 2017’s posts there! Alrighty, here we go—let’s wrap up 2017!

RUNNER UP:

Tour #1 January – Kiznaiver, Where Change is Worth the Pain | OWLS “Disruptors”

We All remember “that first time” we did something. Stepping out the gate with my first OWLS post was pretty scary, but even reading this now, I can recall the slight feeling of motivation I felt while writing the ending. It served as my review of the show, and it also had some sociology ~~nonsense~~ stuff in it. But YES, oh the memories!

Life Lessons Learned:

It is not always the positives that make people seek change.
We must not shame, but accept the bizarre, the wacky, and the weird that reside within each of us.
Don’t be afraid to stick up for the things you believe in—odds are, someone else believes in them, too.

NUMBER FIVE:

Tour #5 May – Grimgar: Stronger Together, Now & Forever | OWLS “Strength”

This was the first time I tried a different writing style. It was also where I was coined as a “poetic writer” because my post was formatted to, simply put, look like a poem. Straight from the heart, I went in with no outline whatsoever, and very few times did I hit the backspace key; if it was typed in first, it was typed for a reason. I like to think it turned out okay. Plus, I thought this show totally hit the monthly theme on the head!

Life Lessons Learned:

For a team, true strength lies not solely on one’s shoulders, but in faith in one another—in overcoming adversity and misfortune together.
Tragedies and bad experiences in life can be used strengthen your being; what doesn’t kill you does make you stronger.
You are only alone if you choose to be. Similarly, one may be strong, but a team is stronger.

NUMBER FOUR:

Tour #2 February – Yuri!!! On ICE Goes the Distance for Life & Love | OWLS “Flight”

Yo, I looove Yuri!!! On ICE. Y’all already know that (and no, my bias towards the show isn’t what put it on this list). The reason I picked February’s post for #4 is because it inspired me to live a cleaner life. Now wait, I know you think I sound pretty egotistical for saying that “my own post inspired me,” but I’d be lying to you if I didn’t mention that putting this post out there did in fact encourage me to live life on the free-er side. I felt inspired to live more vicariously, without regard to what I could and could not control, and that made my stress decrease immensely. Also, I was recently sent a Twitter message saying that this post (specifically, the last bit) inspired another fellow blogger to write a review over a film that they loved in a similar fashion. Isn’t it the goal of all bloggers to get messages like these?? Anyway, I hope it helps you if you ever feel that you’re just letting life pass you by!

Life Lessons Learned:

Leaving the comfort zone can allow you to unlock potentials you thought you never had, or better yet, complete a part of you that had been missing.
True sportsmanship is doing the best you can, respecting your competition, and making memories doing it with others.
You only get one life: live truthfully.

NUMBER THREE:

Tour #9 September – “Orange” is Sweet & Sour, Yet All The More Beautiful | OWLS “Treasure”

I’ve mentioned numerous times in this post my discomfort with discussing depression, suicide, and the like. Well, September was my first shot at the whole mess, and because of all the heartwarming comments I’ve received, I got to learn so much about not only the issues at hand, but also many of your own lives. It wasn’t an easy post to write, but of all of these, it’s one that I was most glad I had. Also, isn’t the header image so pretty? Orange‘s art is so aesthetically pleasing!

Life Lessons Learned:

When helping others with sensitive issues, it’s hard to know what to say at exactly the right time. Don’t hate on yourself for messing up—you tried, and that’s admirable enough.
Every life is precious—treasure each and every day, the present, the moment, and yourself.
Do your best to live without regrets.

NUMBER TWO:

Tour #12 December – In This Corner of the World: A History Lesson on Hope & Healing | OWLS “Warmth”

After writing for 12 consecutive months, I was surprised to see that I still had the stamina to push on with December’s final post. Though I felt a bit wordy with this one (it’s one of the longest posts I’ve written!), I like to think that every single word is there for a reason. At first, I thought the film I featured for this month was okay, nothing too fancy, but definitely decent. The more I thought about it, however, I came to realize that it was not only one of the best, but also one of the most important watches of 2017! It touched my heart enough to force me to spit out many BIG lessons on the human experience! I would’ve put this down as my #1 OWLS post for 2017, but it was missing one vital, personal touch.

Life Lessons Learned:

Life always goes on. Those who learn to adjust the quickest and accept the circumstances around them will have a greater chance at happiness.
Learn from fiction: no matter how significant or insignificant, it is all created with something valuable to be learned.
We all have the choice to be happy or sad, rude or nice—live the way you want to.

AND FINALLY, NUMBER ONE:

Tour #6 June – For the Team – Free! & My Swim Story | OWLS “Team”

I think it’s obvious how much this one meant to me. Almost 100% personal and taken from my own experience with a team, June’s post was not only a long-time coming, but also a story that I’m glad I finally got around to telling. It was important for me, and it should be of importance to you, should you care to know more about who I am! It was also a hard one to write, as I recall staying up until past 3 am the next day (late) just to finish it, and word it exactly how I wanted to. It’s an autobiography, a blog tour post, and a review of a beloved series that is dear to my heart.

You all reached out to me in the comments on this one, and for that alone, I am forever thankful.

Life Lessons Learned

If you find yourself losing your passion for something, or are stuck with a team that frankly isn’t filled with the most wonderful of people, then be that wonderful person for the team.
Determination, perseverance, and ambition speak volumes about people.
Life is fleeting. Savor the bests of each moment, and never forget your actions can cause ripples, unknowingly inspiring others in the process.

Happy New Year From Me to You

That’s the end, folks! Between all my OWLS posts and the experiences I’ve shared with all of you, this is the list of things I learned in 2017! Now you, too, have the opportunity to carry these timeless lessons into 2018! Did you have a favorite OWLS post of mine? If so, please let me know! Even though I get behind on comments, I always value your thoughts and opinions, and I am ALWAYS grateful to those who simply read my posts!!

Oh yeah, this also FINALLY includes Blogmas 2017 and the 12 Days of Anime! I got sooo behind, but I’m so glad I did it because I got to reconnect with all of you. Writing for each day of Blogmas was surprisingly fun, and I never got tired (just busy). Next year, I’ll definitely have to stay on top of it better!

Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all your support over this past year! There were several gaps of inactivity in 2017, and one goal for 2018 would be to fill in those gaps with more reviews of titles that I cannot wait to watch. Thank you for being patient with my responses, and for letting me know when I do a decent job at something (it’s the little things that go a long way, right?). The blog’s almost at 300 followers, so it’d be really awesome if I could say about 100 people joined the cafe each year!

So here’s to you, to me, to all the wonderful things we’ve done, and to the many, many more exciting things we’ll do together! Already, I have made my peace on Twitter, but again, I’m wishing you all a year full of good health, healing, and a ton of luck~!! I’ve got many projects in mind—one in particular to kick off 2018—so please look forward to that! As always, my favorite bunch of people in the vast sea of the internet, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! And until next time, this has been

– Takuto, your host

Celebrating Yuri!!! On ICE’s First Anniversary! | Blogmas 2017 Day 4

Posted by Takuto

Hey everyone, welcome to day 4 of Blogmas!

Fall 2016 will long be remembered as the season where only one show that aired truly mattered: Yuri!!! On ICE. It was here, there, and everywhere, and like a boomerang IT CAME BACK to bless (or haunt) the fall/winter season of 2017. For about 2-3 months just this past fall, hashtags like #RememberYOIWednesdays circulated like crazy, flooding a typical “empty talk” Twitter feed like mine with hundreds of favorite scene reflections, thousands of beautiful fan theories, and seemingly infinite amounts of dangerously slutty Viktor x Yuuri artwork. (No, like, seriously, there is no end in sight, and I still can’t get enough.)

To kick off the celebration, here is a list of some of my favorite YOI fan artists on Twitter—these people are amazing, and have made every moment that much more special!! (Check them out if you’re needing that extra YOI in your feed like I do, heh heh.) Support these incredible people if you can!!

@kazu_k_yv | @bon0501 | @kobayashi_niki | @shiro___mi | @sawa_nya

@yomosugara_yoi | @nori20170709 | @pyhu_pd | @ASTRO_HO

@_nii21 | @meyoco_ | @mouri1977 | @tanawwww | @rueamasawa

@butleronduty | @monoyoi | @CL_e_y | @Yuma_ice | @nikipedia_z

@183333ays | @GEAROUS

Let me know if there is someone I should be following! Do YOU recognize anyone on this list? 😉

All of their artwork reminds me of how thankful we are that such a show groundbreaking show even aired, let alone was popularly received. I like to call it groundbreaking because, at least for me, in a time where sincerely honest romance was ruled by the shoujo genre alone, YOI paved the path to a different kind of love—the rare kind that blooms realistically, yet still possesses that magical charm. It was one precious display of affection after another, and it all came together as if it were real, albeit a touch on the fast side.

So here we are, a year after we were wowed one episode at a time, and we still can’t stop celebrating these boys and the sport they all love: ice-skating. Cheers to all of the fans, whose optimism, appreciation, and raw excitement all contributed to one of the most emotionally thrilling times in anime that I’ve ever been a part of. For all of the far-fetched yet deeply held theories and ships, and to all of the glorious art work that has graciously passed my eyes (and eventually saved onto my phone’s growing +13k photo collection), I’d like to present—in the order they appear in the show—TEN of my own favorite moments from the anime that changed lives one exhilarating winter ago!

Ten Yuri!!! On ICE Moments That Made Me Love It Even More

SPOILERS PRESENT—YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

1. Yuuri working out

No, I’m not that desperate for my smut. It’s just that, in general, seeing a character in anime exercise is very motivating for me. Whenever I see Yuuri working hard to get back on the ice as Viktor’s pupil, be it cold morning jogs or intense sets of sit-ups, I feel the urge to get up myself and do “something” about my own physical health. Simply put, Yuuri need to work out is both motivating, inspiring, and painfully realistic.

2. The duel of sexual entities: On Love, Eros vs. Agape

Y’all already know how much I loved episode 3 of this show. From a thematic perspective, it sets up the two big problems that our conflicting leads each have—Yuuri’s insecurities and Yurio’s aggressiveness—and a way to solve them both. By skating the other’s expected routine, both of which choreographed with Viktor’s seal of approval, the two come to understand what it is they’ve been missing in their personalities, and how to express these unknown feelings on and off the ice. It’s smooth, genius character development, and when timed with the two gorgeous songs of the SAME melody, it’s all just so great. (Plus, Eros Yuuri is THE BESTEST BOY. EVER.)

3. Ambiguity of “The Kiss”

One of those “typical” fave moments, but the reason I like this scene so much isn’t actually because of the kiss itself—it was the community’s reactions to the scene’s ambiguity. “Did they actually kiss?” “Yeah, duh! The lip and body outlines TOTALLY match up!” “Umm, NO, actually, it was just a surprise embrace!” For the longest time, there was no real answer, and though I am definitely glad that the creators confirmed it to be a 100% genuine lip-lock, it was so much fun watching everyone’s scientific reasoning as to why it was or wasn’t a true kiss.

4. Yurio’s free skate program reveal

Episode 9 had a lot of great things going for it—Yuuri Katsuki’s struggle to skate without his one true love, Yakov’s brief moment of tutelage in the spotlight, as well as the next two things on this list. Arguably, my favorite moment was the reveal of Yuri Plisetsky’s free skate program. We were teased with hints of Yurio’s bold costume in the previous award ceremonies leading up to Russia’s Rostelecom Cup competition, but other than the fact that Yurio was doing ballet, we didn’t know anything else about it. In complete contrast to his beautifully developed Agape short program skate, his wicked, dangerously paced free skate was perfectly described: “A monster that continues to evolve with each performance, reaching new, impossible heights every time.” Eros Yuuri may be my favorite “persona” on ice, but Yurio’s intense skating to the powerful drumming strings of “Allegro Appassionato in B Minor” always excited me the most.

5. The first act of friendship: Yurio’s gift of pork cutlet pirozhki

Right after Yurio is declared the Rostelecom Cup winner, the two share a brief yet very peaceful meeting out on the cold snowy streets of Russia. Yurio’s grandfather’s creation of the pork cutlet pirozhki pleases the two boys, as it is not only incredibly tasty (I imagine), but it symbolizes blending the best of both cultures to create something amazing, much as how the entire show and the sports competition itself represents the acceptance of all different peoples to pull off something that challenges and excites the world. It also mends the somewhat hostile bond the two shared, serving as Yurio’s first act of kindness and friendship to his Japanese buddy. Ah, what joys sharing delicious food with nice company can bring~!

6. The dog doesn’t die (also, that airport reunion tho)

Makkachin, Viktor’s adorable dog, is hinted at several times to be struggling with health issues: the somber expression when he appears lonely during the ED; the passing away of Yuuri’s own dog Vicchan prior to the events of the story; Makkachin’s strong companionship with Viktor (and already accumulated 15-ish years together); and just the cliche that the damn dog always has to die. Though it is highly unlikely that Makkachin is actually sick with anything, his emergency hospital visit did have us all panicking for a hot minute. Silly dog, Japanese buns are for kids. (And Viktor, if ya know what I mean.) Also, watching the two run side-by-side at the airport, gazing into the others’ eyes through the glass wall that divided them, was super romantic. “I wish you’d never retire.” Viktor, SLAY ME.

7. Barcelona sight-seeing (plus the cathedral scene)

The Grand Prix Final in Barcelona was incredible, but I think what made this “calm before the storm” episode so special was getting to see the characters out of the rink and touring the gorgeous city rich with culture and art. Otabek and Yurio went on a spontaneous motorcycle ride together. Yuuri went shopping and practically PROPOSED to Viktor in front of a gorgeous chapel (ughh those round, golden rings, F*CK ME UP). Everyone walked the cool, frosty, festive streets and met up to enjoy one final meal together in very “The Last Supper” fashion. Chris took a dip in a hot tub, JJ interrupted the fun, and Phichit took lots of selfies. THIS EPISODE IS JUST EVERYTHING, IT’S YURI!!! ON ICE: SLICE-OF-LIFE VERSION. This whole series uses social media and fleeting moments of victory and loss alike to convey how short and transient life is—and this episode is the epitome of those dear-to-heart themes.

8. Beginning relevancy and the Banquet Scene

AKA How Yuri!!! On ICE invented plot twists. SERIOUSLY THO. This revelation took the series to a whole other level, and arguably a level that was necessary to help tie up so many loose ends: Why did Viktor present himself in bold, full-frontal nude in the first episode? Why did Yuuri not understand Viktor’s emotional attachment from the get-go? Why was Viktor so quick to move to Japan in the first place? By saving this hilarious turn of events for this late in the game, the show is allowed to be seen as an absurd, light-hearted comedy at the beginning; it helps to speed up the developing relationship between the two, which makes full use of the series’s short 12-episode run. Plus, it keeps us in suspense, and allows us to be totally surprised in a show that would otherwise probably be pretty predictable. Very creative presentation (iPhone photo gallery) and use of ending credits to continue telling a story, too!!

Ironically, getting drunk allows for everything to suddenly make sense. The entire absurdity of the first couple episodes magically becomes relevant, and that’s just awesome.

9. Yurio winning the GPF

Again, I LOVE Yuuri to death—he’s such a good boy, and he’s one of the big reasons I kept watching this show! But man, there are two big prizes to be won here at the final, and it just wouldn’t be fair if Yuuri won both of them. That said, I don’t believe Yurio won the GPF simply because it would’ve been “too much victory” for Yuuri. No. Yurio practiced hard, like, damn hard. He was already a child prodigy from the start, and unlike Yuuri, Yurio was willing to give up everything—pushing himself to the breaking point with the inclusion of his ballet lessons—in order to win the gold. Thinking back, Viktor even promised he would give Yurio the greatest senior debut one could ask for. (There’s that beginning relevancy again.) Well, Viktor wasn’t lyin’, and I couldn’t have been happier with the results. Yuuri may be the heart, but Yurio is perfection.

10. “History Makers”

Yes, this is reference to not only the pair skate scene, but also the accredited title change in the ending credits. Did anyone else notice that the ED theme was renamed to “History Makers” with that extra “s”? You could say it stands for Yuuri and Viktor considering Yuuri’s new record in the free skate program and the depiction of “love wins” in media. It could also be for Yurio, who was not only the youngest to participate and WIN the GPF, but he, too, surpassed a record of 5-time world champion Viktor Nikiforov. But I like to think that “History Makers” refers to the entirety of the cast—all of the figure skaters who worked hard, together and for themselves, and put it all out there on the rink. After all . . .

There’s a place you just can’t reach unless you have a dream too large to bear alone. We call everything on the ice “love.” – Yuuri Katsuki

It was SOOO hard to just pick 10 moments from this wonderful show!! Also, you’ll notice that I kept it down scenes about the main three: Yuuri, Viktor, and Yurio. If I were to include the entirety of the cast, well, I’d have to have 10 moments for each of them because I love them all so much! Such great characters, despite many of them only appearing for an episode or two. Again, the fandom really made this show what it is for me now. What moments from Yuri!!! On ICE did you absolutely die for?! Let me know! I’m a little late today, but this wraps up Blogmas Day Four of the 12 Days of Anime! Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you all tomorrow!

– Takuto, your host

Animepalooza’s 50 Otaku Facts Tag! | Blogmas 2017 Day 1

Posted by Takuto

Hey everyone, it’s Thursday! The 12 Days of Anime AKA Takuto’s 2017 Blogmas officially begins now! For the first day’s festivities, we’ll kick off by getting to know a bit more about me, the host here at the cafe. Instead of immediately responding to AniYouTuber Gigi of Animepalooza’s 50 Otaku Facts Tag a couple months back, I decided to save it for something like this, the 12 Days of Anime, when it might pack a little more interest.

So strap yourself in for a long list of 50 more things you may or may not have known about Takuto! Also, I decided to frame the order and type of “facts” by answering along with Gigi’s video (I copied, whoops), so thanks gurl for the indirect tag and the outline to follow, haha!

50 Otaku Facts Tag

The first anime I ever watched (knowing that it was indeed an anime) was Negima!?. That is, the Shaft one with Motsu the frog.
The first order I made when I consciously decided to start collecting anime was from RightStuf in 2014 and I believe it was parts one and two of A Certain Scientific Railgun S, DVD only.
My favorite anime genres are sci-fi, psychological (thriller or not), and mystery. I also enjoy comedy, sports, and, though not a genre, survival games.
My favorite anime of all time is (oh god I can’t pick), hmm, Evangelion.
My favorite psychological anime is Neon Genesis Evangelion (that’s why).
My favorite sports anime is Free! (because it actually encouraged me to do sports in the first place).
My favorite sci-fi anime, besides the aforementioned Eva, the 1995 Ghost in the Shell. For series, I love Psycho-Pass AND Psycho-Pass 2.
I started my blog because I wanted to have a cozy place on the internet where I could freely express my anime happenings with other fellow fans. I also love archiving shit. No literally, it can be anything, just let me organize it and file it away so it looks pretty and neat.
My favorite Pokemon are Bulbasaur, Chansey, and of course, Pikachu
I also love 80s and 90s retro anime, my favorites being Ghost in the Shell, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Sailor Moon.
When I was growing up, I “played” Sailor Moon just like half of us all did. Rather than choosing a single scout, however, I took on a blend of Jupiter’s powers with Uranus’s appearance. In other words, I wanted to be the hot one.
Two genres that I cannot stand, for the most part, are (also) ecchi fanservice and straight up “moe” (the cute-girls-doing-cute-things skit, yeah, not a fan, sorry!).
I also am enthralled by Clamp’s art style, but seeing as how I’ve only watched one anime with that style (Code Geass, which I LOVE), I cannot completely judge the rest.
My English voice actor husbando is Micah Solusod (and J. Michael Tatum, it goes back and forth).
My English voice actress waifu is (OH NO THERE ARE TOO MANY TO PICK), uhh, I’ll go with Jamie Marchi, the baddest bitch of them all.
I also agree that the Sword Art Online proposal scene was pretty sweet and romantic. Just don’t expect me to make you sandwiches all the time once we’ve wed.
I believe the most underrated anime is Robotics;Notes. GO WATCH IT.
My favorite type of anime characters are strong, bold, fierce-and-they-know-it *QUEEN* females and teen males who don’t know what they’re doing with their lives (because I can relate).
My anime waifu for laifu is Saber (shh, don’t tell Junko Enoshima or Mami Tomoe), my anime husbando being *EROS* Yuri.
While I haven’t seen any boy idol anime yet, I did enjoy Love Live! and even parts of Cheer Boys!!.
My favorite reverse harem anime is, by far, Ouran High School Host Club.
My least favorite horror anime of all time is Corpse Party. That crap is just dumb.
It took me three tries to watch Blast of Tempest and you know what? It’s actually pretty good.
I had watched Sailor Moon as a kid a long time ago on VHS. That’s right, I basically watched the same 6-10 tapes (like 20 episodes) over and over and over again and never got sick of them. Same goes for Yu-Gi-Oh and Pokemon. Now, thanks to Viz’s re-releases of the beloved series, I am watching the ENTIRETY of Sailor Moon (with the Viz dub cause it’s amazing) from episode one to, eventually, 200. All I know about the Stars‘s ending is that they’re all floating in the clouds naked. Same.
I AM NOT A COMPLETIONIST BY CHOICE. It’s actually a curse, and thanks to my hyper-focus abilities, I can barely start watching a second anime without completing the first, no matter how much it sucks. At least this means I’m loyal.
I ALSO love the Yuri!!! On ICE fandom more than the anime!!! Don’t get me wrong, I totally give the series a hot 10/10, but without the wonderful fandom theories and fan-artists, YOI just wouldn’t feel as magical as it is. Bless you all.
I, too, tend to have a horrible habit of shipping seemingly unrelated couples. It doesn’t help when the official companies release artwork EXCLUSIVELY exhibiting two such individuals that have no relation to another whatsoever (looking at you, Free! and Fate).
Eros Yuri and Minami is my YOI crack ship. Phichit is always invited, though.
When I marathon anime (Evangelion, Ghost in the Shell, etc.), I marathon HARD. I’ll even set aside time on break just to thoroughly explore a franchise. That said, I usually can’t review anything on my blog afterwards because I’d exhausted all of my cares by that point (plus, the series is over–HOW DO I FIND ANOTHER ONE AFTER IT??).
The first Nendoroid I ever purchased was of Makise Kurisu from Steins;Gate, and she still stand there beautifully in the spotlight on my shelf.
The first figure I ever purchased (besides the Kurisu Nendoroid) was a two-for-one of Eren Yeager and Saber Alter.
Free! is a sports anime. Gigi . . . GIGI . . . they swim, practice, go to meets, set goals, and make new friends through it all. Sports anime. LOL.
GIGI FREE! ETERNAL SUMMER IS BOTH SLICE-OF-LIFE AND SPORTS, YOU HAVE TO ACCEPT IT AS BOTH, just as how SouRin and SouMako are BOTH a thing. Ok, maybe a bad analogy, but still. As for slice-of-life anime, I only like them if that nature of it is underneath a larger genre. Ex: Steins;Gate (slice of life and sci-fi), School Live! (slice of life and horror), Free! (slice of life AND sports).
My favorite English dub is surprisingly Ouran High School Host Club‘s! Something about the cast selection just really meshes well together for me. I also do adore the dubs for Code Geass, Steins;Gate, Evangelion, and KILL la KILL.
I prefer English dubs to English subs. Why? Sure, the sub may be a more “accurate” interpretation of the director’s vision, but things heard in my own language tend to resonate with me more than when I have to read it. I do love both, though.
Like Gigi said, if a show is in a regular release (no SAVE classics edition) PLUS it has a decent rating, there’s a good chance I’ll buy it cause SAVINGS.
And also like Gigi, I hardly ever by anime or manga unless it’s on sale. It’s expensive enough as is.
I honestly have not read a lot of manga, but some of my favorites include Orange, Seraph of the End, and (for the little I’ve read of it), Pandora Hearts.
I’m a strong believer in the philosophy that true horror (as a genre) is inherently terrifying, as in it shouldn’t rely on cheap gore fests just to render itself as scary. This often times results in me just looking for mystery anime more than horror titles. A couple of my favorites are Another and Higurashi.
One #relationshipgoals scene for me would be the moment, in Code Geass, when Lelouch is captured and his Zero persona is nearly revealed–until C2 suddenly appears donning the Zero attire, shocking not only the characters (and Lelouch himself), but the viewer, too. She’s gotcha back, Jack. What a woman.
Not to sound weird, but I get incredible chills whenever a character reaches their pinnacle moment of despair–that rare, dark realization that “This is the lowest I can get,” and “There is no turning back.” Instances would include Fate/Zero‘s finale with Kiritsugu, Homura’s transcendence in Madoka Magica: Rebellion, and the entirety of Danganronpa. Despair, dEsPaIR. DESPAIR.
“The anime that made me get my Crunchyroll subscription” was, I believe, Kiznaiver, because I FINALLY wanted to be a part of the simulcast-watching community.
Yuri, yaoi, or loving heterosexual relationships of any kind do not bother me. To quote Gigi, “Any love in anime is some good love.”
I don’t watch a lot of hentai. Like, basically none.
“Best Girl” in anime is the one who knows exactly what she wants and how to get it. Junko Enoshima, Satsuki Kiryuin, Asuka Langley Soryu, Mami Tomoe, you get me.
If I could get a relationship where the other side accepted me for whatever I liked (all this anime nonsense), then I’d be set for life. Bonus points if they have the same hobbies as I do, and “you’re a winner” if you stay up all night and day teaching me how to play all the anime-like video games. I NEED A TUTOR AND A FRIEND.
Five anime characters that are most like myself are Oreki Houtarou (Hyouka), Junko Enoshima (Danganronpa), Asuka Langley Soryu (Evangelion), Shu Ouma (Guilty Crown), and Mikaela Hyakuya (Seraph of the End).
Asuka Langley Soryu–IF YOU ALREADY COULDN’T TELL–is best girl.
The one property that I want turned into an anime is (besides adaptations of Fate‘s first 3 Holy Grail Wars) The Legend of Zelda. For books, I think seeing Huxley’s dystopian novel Brave New World as an anime would be pretty wicked.
Regarding anime, my life’s goal is to get around to watching EVERYTHING that has ever piqued my curiosity. Whether it was a title that just aired, will air, or was lost sometime 30 years in the past, I want STILL want to see it. And hopefully I will.

There you have it! Fifty more things to know about my anime-watching career! I’ll leave a link to Gigi’s channel (Animepalooza) right here in case you want to see fifty neat things about her. Also, for fun, I’ll go ahead and tag anyone who is interested in sharing more about themselves–yes YOU, go for it! Just share 50 Otaku/anime-related facts about yourself and tag me back so I can read it! That’s it, super easy.

This wraps up Blogmas Day One of the 12 Days of Anime! Thanks for reading, and I’ll catch you all tomorrow!

– Takuto, your host

TCTX Aniblogger Club: Favorite OPs and EDs of Spring 2015

Posted by Takuto

Hello everyone, I’m here with something a little different. Trystan over at Let’s Talk Anime proposed this genius idea of starting an aniblogger club, and naturally I said H*LL YES! Well, not quite as aggressive, but the passion was all the same. Together with Cassandra aka The Huge Anime Fan, we of TCTX Aniblogger Club each present our fave OPs and EDs of Spring 2015. Let’s get rolling! (PS, I made the logo plastered above, do you like it?)

Most of these have been edited to avoid copyright. I know it sucks, but hey, at least it’s here!

From Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) 2nd Season comes “Brave Shine” by Aimer

Gawd, I haven’t heard Aimer since No.6 during my anime exploration days, and let me just say that I nearly cried when I heard them again. *sniff sniff* Anyway, the song is one of my favorites this season because the vocals feel so soft against such a passionate, slow rock song. It feels sincere, almost apologetic for all of the chaos the show itself carries. Visuals by Ufotable are the best in animation, like always, but in this opening they feel even more fresh. The best part is after the cool intro and the verse, when the chorus explodes like the very rock Berserker is sliding on – crazy EPIC! UBW is without a doubt spiraling towards the end, masters and servants killed left and right, and it’s only a matter of time before Shirou and Saber uncover the truths of the Holy Grail War where all of hell will be unleashed.

My second fave opening this season is “DREAM SOLISTER” by TRUE from Sound! Euphonium

This song wins my fave status because of its relevance to the actual show. With its bright brass intro followed by a bass polka groove, the girls spin around as they are each introduced. After that, the overly catchy chorus breaks through like a girl jumping through the sky! It’s such a fitting song for a high-energy, positive, youthful, fluffy show about the love of music – specifically concert band. I dance jig around every time this opening plays!

Onto fave endings, first is “Lapis Lazuli” by Eir Aoi from The Heroic Legend of Arslan

I’ve loved Eir Aoi’s works ever since Sword Art Online and Fate/Zero, but this is by far her best song ever. Kicking off with a powerful vocal solo, the song ushers in a beautiful melody. The electric guitar and the drums continue on until the singer comes back in with smooth, argumentative rhythm. Then that intro tune flares back up in the chorus, ending on a suspenseful note. All the while, we get scenes from Arslan’s journey and flashes of the moon radiating above. This is probably my fave out of the entire spring season just because I love the bass drum beat and the catchy tune! Overall, the song sounds sad, but feels like rejoicing at the same time, almost a longing for something . . .

Lastly from Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (TV) 2nd Season again is the ending “ring your bell” by Kalafina

This song feels very different from Kalafina’s usual works, and that’s because it feels . . . happy? No, it’s celebratory? Kalafina is known for their darker, Baroque style choirs (my fave music :3), and this song feels like a wedding to me. As I mentioned earlier, UBW is definitely reaching the end with its opening, but this song takes that to a whole new ending. REBIRTH! Maybe that’s the word I’m thinking! Everything’s going to be fine/renewal type of thing. The visuals show a bit of the servants’ pasts, similar to how they did things in Fate/Zero. But that final grove scene with Shirou on lucious grass against Ufotable’s model sky with Archer’s gears completes the entire scene. All things in this new Holy Grail War come to a tragic yet beautiful end!

And that is what I think of a few of this spring’s songs! What do you think – have any favorites? Comment below. Also be sure to check out other TCTX club members Trystan and Cassandra’s favorite songs!! They picked great ones from Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma as well as Seraph of the End. I may not be the best at explaining my picks, but these IMO are the best songs of spring 2015! Thanks for reading, and until next time this has been

– Takuto, your host

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