I Can Explode With Sunshine Now

By TheBigN

Now I knew about Hidamari Sketch × ☆☆☆ when it came out, and I’m eagerly waiting for it to debut soon, which makes it good that I currently have the x365 specials to tide me over, and the fourth volume of the manga coming out soon. But hearing that the show has been licensed in the US puts a lot more pep into my step. Of course I’ll be buying it when it comes out this January (who do you think I am?), so now I’ll just be waiting with bated breath a little more. Thanks, ADV Fil- errr…  Sentai Filmworks! errr… Section 9 23!

Now I’m  thinking this might be one reason why a certain someone started blogging again(suuuuure…). Maybe I should finish up those x365 posts soon.  😛

And this is not that bad, though it might leave bad memories for some.

Wasshoi! \o/

Impressions on a Year 2008: Happy Action Fun Time

By TheBigN

Part 1: Interesting People
Part 2: Awesome OP/EDs
Part 3: Fun Phrases
Part 4: Scintillating Soundtracks

And so I finish with moments that made an impact on me in some way, shape or form. It makes me realize just how much has gone on this year that’s been interesting and fun to keep up with, and it also reminds me about how many moments that I haven’t seen yet. Things keep on moving, so hopefully this next year keeps up with the trend of interesting shows, though I might not be able to keep with them as much as I did this year. Ah well. As always, if you have selections of your own, please say them. :3

Impressions on a Year 2008: Awesome OPs/EDs

By TheBigN

Part 1: Interesting People

This year was insane with the amount of anime openings and endings that I liked, and it was hard to narrow down the amount to a “reasonable” number… so I didn’t really attempt to. But these ones here (coupled with Youtube videos) are the ones that stick in my mind the most over the year visually, aurally, or both. That being said, there is a list of Honorable Mentions at the end of the post to include OP/EDs that were also good, but stuff I could easily leave as well. I’m much more critical of music than I am of anime, but doesn’t mean that I have standards. 😛

Unfulfilled Expectations or a Drastic My Anime Blog 2008 Primer

By TheBigN

So according to others, I was apparently supposed to be part of the “12 Days of Christmas” craze that’s sweeping the blogosphere, and I’m kinda confused on how that impression came to be. I’m planning on doing what I did last year with the “Impressions on a Year 2008” coming soon after Christmas, but nothing of the sort was happening before the holiday. At the same time, I feel guilty when I see links from other blogs saying that I’m participating in it when I’m not, so I figured that I should go and do something about it. And from the outset be lazy and selfish about it. So, instead of covering my thoughts on the year of anime that I saw, I decided to write about what I thought were the best posts on DMAB this year, even though December isn’t over yet. Of course there’s bias involved here (yay self-horn tooting!), so if you have different favorites than I do, please feel free to say so. Nor is this post itself going to be the pinnacle of good writing (as I’m tired and lazy right now), but I feel that this helps people who haven’t bothered to check out the blog before, and at least it gives me some time to reflect on things.

A mix-up almost as bad as this one?

Thankful for Anime, 2008

By TheBigN

When I did this last year, I thought I was a little unique for setting it up the way I did. Turns out that this same format (and the title even), had been done for years past by one Jason Miao. Goes to show you how originality is hard to come by (orz). But it still is a good time to be thankful for yet another fun year in new anime series.

Thoughts on Hidamari Sketch x365 Episode 9: Girls on Film

When I see Yoshinoya-sensei in action, it makes me feel guilty, since I feel like a kindred spirit on some senses. In terms of things that “matter”, things that she “needs” to do, she’s a chronic procrastinator.  I totally understand having priorities that take personal preference over responsibilities, and knowing that there’s work to be done even though one would rather not do it. But I feel like that’s where the similarities end, since it’s the intention of those priorities that matter over everything else. While I’d consider myself a selfish procrastinator, Yoshinoya-sensei is more like a selfless procrastinator.

He will watch you in your sleep if you do not behave, so be careful.

Vote for Miyako Redux!

By TheBigN

While I thought that Miyako might be able to get past Rena in the last round of Saimoe, I was surprised when the result actually turned out to be so (lol @Rena taken home). Against Tomoyo, I still have faith that she can come through, but I’m not sure that others believe as well. If you don’t know Hidamari Sketch or don’t care about Miyako, why not continue to make Saimoe interesting and not a bland coronation of CLANNAD characters (I’d say KyoAni, but Kagami’s still there. <3)? Besides, Tomoyo’s indeed awesome, but Miyako’s much more so. In my heart at least. (I do realize that I haven’t really enumerated reasons for why Miyako is better than Tomoyo, but fanatacism is good enough right?) 😛

The roses always know.

And continuing along the original vein, vote for Kirino! You know you want to. 😛

Thoughts on Hidamari Sketch x365 Episode 8: Fly Like An Eagle

By TheBigN(ooooooooooooooooo!)

From my limited experiences in my 22 years of life, I’m always surprised by how sports take a hold of our lives.  It tends to be an instant starting point of connection between people, a source of collective joy and agony, and probably one of the more politically correct ways to classify people into groups and do battle against them.  For example, as a Washington Redskins fan, I have no love lost for the rest of the NFC East, so the Giants, Cowboys and Eagles can all crash and burn as far as I care. And of course alliances and the like can form, such as the collective dislike of the New England Patriots as they “smugly” pursued their quest for perfection last season. But as seen in the previous sentences, sometimes sports can get too serious business, and I fear that sort of attitude moves into other areas, based on how obsessed people can get with politics as if political parties were playing for the World Cup and not for the whole well-being of the country. So when seeing things like, say, a high school’s Field Day, it’s a nice change of pace to observe some positive aspects of sports. But I sort of digress from here. 😛

In a world where you must fight to survive, an unlikely band of heroes came together...