The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Dio – Round 1 – Polls 1-8 “Analysis”

By TheBigN

Still slipping a little, since the first four polls again are completed, but what the hey. This is my second favorite named bracket, by the way.

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Charlotte – Round 1 – Polls 1-8 “Analysis”

By TheBigN

Very late with this one, as the first four polls have already closed, though I was a little busy with other things, namely having a good time at Otakon 2013. That being said, let’s get into the swing of things again. 

The Anime Music Tournament 2013 Bracket Alpha Polls 5-8 “Analysis”

By TheBigN

Second verse, same as the first. The songs here don’t grab me as much as the first set, but there are about 240 more songs to get through, so hey.

12 Days of Anime, Days 1 and 12: New Beginnings

By TheBigN

I had missed Day 12 earlier, but since it comes from the same moment as Day 1, I decided to put them together to finish up this series of events.

If there was an anime that I could say was my clear favorite of 2010, K-On!! would be it. The further adventures of Yui and friends were expanded from their manga sources nicely. Plus, the slow progression of the four seniors trying to figure out what they wanted to do in the future post high school made for impactful, poignant moments at the end of the show. But this season all started with a little riff:

Yui playing her portion of “My Love Is A Stapler” said a lot of things to me. As it was interspersed with scenes of fellow students, including the rest of Houkago Tea Time coming to school, it was the sign of a new term of school, and with it, all new potential for opportunies and adventures to have for everyone. The fact that Yui spent her morning getting to the Music Club room early and ended up practicing the song (while humming it as well) indicated that we might see a new Yui more dedicated to working hard on improving her playing which in turn would lead to a more improved band. And the fact that they decided to use my favorite HTT song rather than others that they played for that moment meant that at least for me, the moment would remain in my mind that much more effectively. But as we see Yui end her playing with a guitar windmill , it’s a good realization that despite all the other indications that the previous playing had provided for something different, this was still the group of fun-loving girls that we know, and that was a nice moment as well.

My other notable beginning for K-On!! actually comes after a notable source of tension in the show had ended.

‘Music Reflecting Yui’, or ‘Something Vaguely K-On!-related…’

By TheBigN

If anything, this might give you a look into how bizarre my mind can be sometimes.

It took one very well-done Hidamari Sketch MAD (please watch on 480p for best effect) video to bring my attention to the sub-genre of music that apparently is Shibuya-kei two-years ago-ish through the magic that is capsule.  Besides that band, which I don’t feel like I know that well at all , I haven’t been listening to many other artists that “fit” into the amalgamation of electropop, jazz, bossa nova, and other influences that help make up Shibuya-kei (and if you wanted to know more about the music style as well as some of the artists that make it up, someone like wah or marxy would be a much better person to talk to). But thanks to capsule, I’ve been more likely to try to But thanks to capsule I got introduced to Hazel Nuts Chocolate, a move which I’m still trying to figure out if it was a good thing or not.

Playing Games With Cans In K-On!! 5

I’m liking how things are flowing in the second season of The Adventures of Houkago Tea Time, as the anime-only material has been executed in a way that moves better than it’s 4-koma sources. That it seems like there’s now a “purpose” to things (keeping the club going while dealing with moving on and leaving Azusa behind) probably makes things seem more focused as well. And if there are more mix-ups with the “normal way of things” like the focus on secondary characters in this most recent episode, than the possibilities feel endless.  But even the same old group having fun like the senior class field trip in episode 4 feels more polished than the first season, easier to relate to, and so on.

At the same time, some people who don’t particularly feel good things for the show yet are still watching the series still have variations on the same complaints that they have as well.  But one sequence from episode 5 makes me think that KyoAni notices these complaints as well.

Liquid refreshment with a smile.

I think the only thing that’s disappointing about K-On!! so far is that…

Lelangir probably isn’t going to try transcribing any of the new songs that appear this season. A loss, for sure. And granted, it’s not like I haven’t left things unfinished either. :v

You’re going to have to carry all that weight, Yui.

By TheBigN

I’m definitely not the first to find and link to this K-On! MAD (yes, I know some of you are probably saying “Not another one.”, but meh), but I think it’s an awesome combo enough that it needs more exposure.

Coming off the recent episode, I’ve also found that whenever KyoAni tries to add in some melodrama to the show, like in this previous episode with Ritsu and two episodes ago when Azusa was wondering if the club was where she really belonged and stuff, it comes off as awkward to me. Not bad, but awkward. Some of it is probably due to me reading the source material beforehand (which will make me really enjoy this next and last broadcasted episode), but I also think that a certain pace/feeling has been set for K-On!, so breaking it up is a little disorienting. Granted, Ritsu’s situation was much more so than Azusa’s which made sense given here character, but to me it was still noticeable.

And as for the series ending broadcast next week, if there’s more K-On!, that would be nice, but it definitely wouldn’t be nice to see the overzealous fans and detractors (especially the “bandwagon hater” types) come with it. Just saying. 😛

I've been tired for a while myself.