Hallo everynyan! It's Christmas Day today, but I'm writing this waaaaay in advance. It's currently the first of August and I'm just procrastinating on my summary document for my internship. But Merry Christmas anyways if you celebrate and otherwise Happy Holidays!
{Spoilers}
After telling myself I would watch BnHA for who knows how long (maybe 2 years at this point?) I finally sat my butt down and binged it in like two days. It wasn't super hard since it was only 13 episodes and each of the episodes nicely led into the next which made it really easy to binge. The thing is with overhyped anime is that sometimes I get overhyped myself for how epic the anime is going to be and then when I watch it it's not all that people talked it up to be. For sure it was an amazing anime that kept me on my toes, but after seeing so many protagonists in hero stories having to work their way up, it kinda felt the same as the others. This is not to say that my opinion is a hard and fast one, feel absolutely free to change my mind lol I'm flexible, but I'm just saying it didn't absolutely knock my socks off. Then again, my specialty isn't in shounen hero shows really anyways? So honestly just discount my opinion. It's not hate though so please no flames this holiday season!
As we all know at this point, Boku no Hero Academia is about a little boy named Izuku. He lives in a world where abilities known as Quirks materialize in people in their childhood. Unlike the majority of the population, Izuku was born Quirk-less and is the butt of basically everyone's jokes. This young boy is heartbroken as he dreams of being a great superhero like his idol All Might. He wants to go to the prestigious superhero school called UA, but his chances of getting in Quirk-less are slim.
Being the fanboy he is, Izuku constantly watches different heroes and writes down all of his observations in notebooks he keeps on heroes. One day he runs into some trouble and is saved by his idol All Might. Desperate to get to know him better, Izuku ends up discovering All Might's secret. He's actually a critically injured hero that can only transform into his super buff self for 3 hours before having to revert back to his scrawny normie self. He tells Izuku that no matter what he does, without a Quirk there's no way that Izuku could become a hero. Heartbroken, Izuku almost gives up on his dream. However, he finds his frienemy Bakugo caught in the middle of a villain attack and rushes in to save him while other heroes stand back helpless. His heroic action inspired All Might to train young Izuku to inherit his powers.
One thing led to another and Izuku is now a student in UA's hero course where he's with a bunch of other super cool kids that have crazy powers like levitation or literally having your calves turn into engines. And each of their Quirks has limitations that keep them from being super OP...for now.
Most of the story takes place inside UA so there's no slice of life to be found. Not even any after school going to karaoke for these kids :(
The plot thickens as Izuku tries to control the power All Might has given him and everyone comes face-to-face with a group of villains that threaten the peace. Because it wouldn't be a spicy enough plot in a superhero comic if there wasn't a cohort of villains that are a looming threat.
I think as I watch the other seasons on BnHA it'll be interesting to see how things unfold in terms of how All Might's power decreases, how Izuku deals with his insane power, and how each of the characters introduced will continue to grow as heroes. One kind of gripe I have with these kinds of shows is the sheer number of characters. It's overwhelming when each of them is given their own little spotlight to shine, and then inevitably their backstories and their full character's won't be fleshed out. That in itself is pretty disappointing. Then there's the whole deal with names haha. I thought I was pretty good with names, but honestly there are too many characters each with their own Quirk (I can remember the Quirks better than their names though). To memorize them all would be insane. Props to you if you've done it though just after the first season.
In general I wouldn't say that the hype is undeserved. I do think that it was an engaging and very stimulating watch with the battle sequences especially. I'm curious to see how Bakugo changes as a character since he seems especially villainous I guess.
Overall I would recommend the series just for the hype if you're into that. Just know that if you're a completionist like me, there's 3 more seasons currently to watch so you've got that to look forward to/to be overwhelmed by. It wasn't anything special though. It's your hero story with a formulaic villain enemy and underdog hero trying to make it. What makes it more interesting is everyone's Quirks and how they're used. I look forward to how the plot continues to unfold and how the characters grow, but if you didn't get "glowing review" vibes from this, I hope you kinda get the gist of why it's not like that.
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
Wednesday, December 18, 2019
Manga Match 86 Refund High School
Truly I am writing this post in July in my sweltering hot room so that I for sure have enough buffer for when I actually die from stress this school year.
Recently, a lot of Line Webtoons have been ending. It's honestly a bittersweet feeling; on one hand I'm relieved because now I know I can write a review about it and lower the ridiculous amount of Webtoons I read on any given day, but on the other hand I'm sad to finish such a great story. You know?
{Spoilers}
So this was produced at least in part by LICO. You might know them from that Youtube series called A Day Before Us or from another webtoon they made based off of BTS called Save Me or something like that. Fun fact: I actually read the BTS one but because I'm not Army I literally had no idea what was going on so I didn't bother. So, if the art style looks familiar, that's why.
The concept of the story is really interesting with reincarnation and such involved. It follows a group of kids that all die coincidentally from the same accident and get brought to Reincarnation High. People that die and have regrets or died too early get to come here and earn their way to be reincarnated or go to nirvana. You have to go through 3 years of school this way that improve you and teach you skills that help you pass the final test at the end of your three years.
Along the way, each of the people in the program go through a lot of personal growth that ends up being a really fulfilling read. When it first starts, I was unsure if these people could really change for the better and really end up reincarnating or going to nirvana. There were definitely a lot of obstacles in everyone's way from wanting to only better themselves to being confronted with a demon that wanted to destroy everyone. And there was a lot of mysteries surrounding people like the homeroom teacher who's actually the Grim Reaper or Mook who's actually a sea serpent.
It was definitely a wild ride that left you hanging at the edge of your seat every week as you anticipated the next installment.
The most surprising transformation of all was definitely Mari. At certain points, everyone that read Refund High School hated her. She was so self-centered and treated everyone else like trash. But after she had learned what she was like in her past life and made friends in the afterlife, Mari eventually mellowed out. And towards the end, when we got to see just how much personal growth Mari had, E and I messaged each other constantly just celebrating how far she's come. It might be a little silly to some people, to be so happy for someone who's not even real, but that's just a testament to how real this Webtoon felt at points.
If you're looking for a Webtoon with multidimensional characters that go through an impressive amount of personal growth in a world of fantasy elements, this is definitely it for you. There's just the right amount of romance and a bittersweet ending that makes reading it all the way through so rewarding. I can only imagine how satisfying it is to be able to binge read it now!
Recently, a lot of Line Webtoons have been ending. It's honestly a bittersweet feeling; on one hand I'm relieved because now I know I can write a review about it and lower the ridiculous amount of Webtoons I read on any given day, but on the other hand I'm sad to finish such a great story. You know?
{Spoilers}
So this was produced at least in part by LICO. You might know them from that Youtube series called A Day Before Us or from another webtoon they made based off of BTS called Save Me or something like that. Fun fact: I actually read the BTS one but because I'm not Army I literally had no idea what was going on so I didn't bother. So, if the art style looks familiar, that's why.
The concept of the story is really interesting with reincarnation and such involved. It follows a group of kids that all die coincidentally from the same accident and get brought to Reincarnation High. People that die and have regrets or died too early get to come here and earn their way to be reincarnated or go to nirvana. You have to go through 3 years of school this way that improve you and teach you skills that help you pass the final test at the end of your three years.
Along the way, each of the people in the program go through a lot of personal growth that ends up being a really fulfilling read. When it first starts, I was unsure if these people could really change for the better and really end up reincarnating or going to nirvana. There were definitely a lot of obstacles in everyone's way from wanting to only better themselves to being confronted with a demon that wanted to destroy everyone. And there was a lot of mysteries surrounding people like the homeroom teacher who's actually the Grim Reaper or Mook who's actually a sea serpent.
It was definitely a wild ride that left you hanging at the edge of your seat every week as you anticipated the next installment.
The most surprising transformation of all was definitely Mari. At certain points, everyone that read Refund High School hated her. She was so self-centered and treated everyone else like trash. But after she had learned what she was like in her past life and made friends in the afterlife, Mari eventually mellowed out. And towards the end, when we got to see just how much personal growth Mari had, E and I messaged each other constantly just celebrating how far she's come. It might be a little silly to some people, to be so happy for someone who's not even real, but that's just a testament to how real this Webtoon felt at points.
If you're looking for a Webtoon with multidimensional characters that go through an impressive amount of personal growth in a world of fantasy elements, this is definitely it for you. There's just the right amount of romance and a bittersweet ending that makes reading it all the way through so rewarding. I can only imagine how satisfying it is to be able to binge read it now!
Wednesday, December 11, 2019
Manga Match 85 Tomo-chan is a Girl
Well, to anyone that looks at the MAL page and sees that this manga is over 900 chapters...jokes on you. Each chapter is only a page long so it'd moreso in the 4-koma style rather than in actual 35 page or so chapters.
{Spoilers, but it's a pretty short read so there's not too much to say}
Honestly I followed this on and off throughout its publication. Mostly because the chapters were so short and after a while I just found myself gravitating towards other things. However! Because I'm a completionist I just had to finish it and now here we are.
The story follows this clumsy tomboy named Tomo who seems a little rough around the edges. I mean that she has very little self-awareness and is wayyyyy too eager to have competitions and fight because her father owns a martial arts dojo and has taught her since she was young. She has a childhood friend (fave trope!!!) Junichirou who also goes to the dojo. The story loosely follows their developing feelings for one another. It's mostly Tomo pursuing Junichirou at first because he's dumb and only sees her as a sparring partner and friend. Hehe obviously things get more interesting as time goes on with an epic battle at the end.
Interspersed are stories about other characters such as Carol who is actually my favorite. She looks like a dumb airhead, but she's actually a savage I swear. And if you like kuudere girls that're also savage that basically sums up Tomo's other friend Misuzu.
Tomo, Misuzu and Carol honestly make the best trio. Name a more iconic trio, I'll wait.
There's nothing else I can really say. Sorry, I'm just not really good at writing about comedy manga and anime. Just trust me when I say that it's good and go ahead and read it!
{Spoilers, but it's a pretty short read so there's not too much to say}
Honestly I followed this on and off throughout its publication. Mostly because the chapters were so short and after a while I just found myself gravitating towards other things. However! Because I'm a completionist I just had to finish it and now here we are.
The story follows this clumsy tomboy named Tomo who seems a little rough around the edges. I mean that she has very little self-awareness and is wayyyyy too eager to have competitions and fight because her father owns a martial arts dojo and has taught her since she was young. She has a childhood friend (fave trope!!!) Junichirou who also goes to the dojo. The story loosely follows their developing feelings for one another. It's mostly Tomo pursuing Junichirou at first because he's dumb and only sees her as a sparring partner and friend. Hehe obviously things get more interesting as time goes on with an epic battle at the end.
Interspersed are stories about other characters such as Carol who is actually my favorite. She looks like a dumb airhead, but she's actually a savage I swear. And if you like kuudere girls that're also savage that basically sums up Tomo's other friend Misuzu.
Tomo, Misuzu and Carol honestly make the best trio. Name a more iconic trio, I'll wait.
There's nothing else I can really say. Sorry, I'm just not really good at writing about comedy manga and anime. Just trust me when I say that it's good and go ahead and read it!
Wednesday, December 4, 2019
Anime ATM 98 Aggretsuko S2
I watched this on the plane back from Vancouver and I think the girl sitting next to me was judging me. But that's okay!
{Spoilers}
If you've had a quarter/midlife crisis before, I think that this season really embodies that. I love Aggretsuko episodes because they're on the shorter side, but with the pace and the message behind each episode they really pack a punch and deliver a well-executed story. I mean, if you think about it, in 10 episodes they covered a really overwhelming theme answering the question of "what's my dream?" "what am I doing with my life?" that a lot of us ask ourselves. Is our daily life fulfilling? Are we living every day to the fullest?
This theme of self-doubt and questioning first appears when Retsuko's mom comes for a visit after nagging on the phone. She really wants Retsuko to go for an arranged marriage meeting, but Retsuko is strongly against it. She doesn't think she's ready for marriage. She does go for that first arranged marriage meeting, but she just doesn't know if he was the right guy. So she doesn't pursue that relationship, but when she finds out that he's moved on and found happiness with someone else she's also strangely melancholic.
This kind of pushy dynamic goes on with her mom with more proposed arranged marriage meetings and even a mingling singles party which doesn't go too well. But, because of one of her fellow coworkers, she realizes that marriage is something that she really does want.
Kind of unrelated, but ya know since Aggretsuko encompasses all of the aspects of life as an office worker, Retsuko has to train a new recruit. And he's terrible. He's also kind of the next generation. He's too sensitive towards other people's innocent comments towards him and is kind of threatening/intimidating. I don't know how she dealt with him being so crazy, but I'm glad that Anai finally found his place in the office as the bento guy.
Something unexpectedly deep about this season were the driving metaphors. As a ploy to delay anymore marriage meetings, Retsuko tells her mom she's going to get her license. While this in and of itself is a tool to achieve freedom, Retsuko realizes that while she can drive now that there's no real place she wants to go. And I think this is too relatable to the point that it's scary. I think because I just go with the flow a lot of the time, it's scary to get caught up in everything and to eventually realize that you don't know where you're headed anymore.
At the driving school, Retsuko meets this super cool guy named Tadano. Well, he's just kind of weird. He can't get past the theoretical portion of driving and he always seems sleepy. And for the longest time Retsuko thinks he's unemployed. Actually he's a super forward-thinking AI-developing CEO. And he doesn't want to marry Retsuko per say because he doesn't see the point, but he wants them to stay together forever. And because Retsuko is confused as to what she wants for a while, she blindly follows him and internalizes the thought that marriage isn't necessary.
Thank goodness she came to her senses and was able to realize what she actually wanted in life. Which meant goodbye to Tadano.
It was a little bittersweet. Especially since I really wanted Retsuko to be happy and you know get married and such. But, not everything in life is about romance. So, Retsuko's life will go on and she'll continue to be the queen she is.
But! If there's a season 3 you bet I'm rooting for smol boi Haida!
Overall, would definitely recommend. It's a pretty short watch with 10 episodes at around 15 minutes each. It's too relatable if you're going through a life crisis and are trying to find yourself. And it's just a really heartwarming watch.
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