Anime

The Complicated Answer to “What Is Anime?”

/ thesakurasunrise / 2 Comments

What the hell IS Anime? Maybe you think the answer is obvious but the topic of the term’s application seems to be a heavily debated one. It makes perfect sense when we are talking about shows from Japan but in the same discussions about shows like Fullmetal Alchemist or Naruto, you could easily hear someone bring up American animated shows like Avatar or Voltron. There are countless arguments online as to the valid application of the term and just as many debating if the term’s use should even matter.

To me, the term “Anime” can be misused in a way that, by no intent of the person who misuses it, can paint a false image of Anime and perpetuate certain ideas about the medium of animation or the sub medium known as Anime. So today I want to lay out exactly what I consider to be Anime, how I rationalize this, and why I even give a shit.
Continue reading →

What Am I Watching? August 13th, 2017

/ thesakurasunrise / Leave a comment

Hey look, it’s one of these things again. Haven’t done one of these since April so the question remains, what the hell am I watching right now? I’ve specified which of the shows I’m watching are seasonal, as well as created categories for shows I’m rewatching and even shows on my backlog I’d like to continue (and hopefully finish) soon. Let’s dig in!

Concrete Revolutio: Superhuman Phantasmagoria

I remember seeing previews for this show back in the fall of 2015 and thinking it was a bit too weird for my tastes. Now with the benefit of hindsight, I can see that this show is an underrated gem, like many of my favorite shows. A Studio Bones show with some of the most exhilarating cuts by Animator Yutaka Nakamura and some extremely fun characters. The story seems to jump between two distinct timelines frequently which can be a tad confusing, but I can say with certainty that I’m hooked. Expect a review when I’m finished.
Continue reading →

A Review of Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Season 2

/ thesakurasunrise / Leave a comment

As I said in my review of season one, it isn’t often that Anime fans are blessed with a period piece drama aimed at a mature audience. To be honest, given how typically shows like this don’t get a lot of attention, I’m amazed we got a sequel. Now that I’ve found a peaceful Monday morning to finish the series- exactly the type of peaceful scene I think the creators intended this show to be viewed in- I can’t resist talking about this series.

Much like the first season, It feels a bit difficult reviewing this series because it is so much quieter and more reserved than most other shows I watch- even shows that are also dramas. It is a melancholic jaunt through the lives of artists, performers, mothers, fathers, saints, sinners and the children who carry on the legacies of their families. It is one of the most unique Anime I have seen in years and I can tell you right now, it is one that everyone should check out.
Continue reading →

Darker Than Black: Gaiden And My Closing Thoughts on the Series

/ thesakurasunrise / 2 Comments

My last two posts focused on seasons one and two of Darker Than Black, a niche action Anime that I’ve been obsessed with over the past month for its flaws just as much as what is good about it. However, since the OVA is only four episodes, I may as well make the review short and sweet and then finally assess this series as a whole. If You’d like to read my other reviews to catch up, I will link them below.

A Review of Darker Than Black, Season One

A Review of Darker Than Black, Gemini of the Meteor

With that squared away, let’s get to the good stuff.
Continue reading →

A Review of Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor

/ thesakurasunrise / 2 Comments

I think I may have been a little too harsh on the first season of Darker Than Black. Sure, the story’s structure was a bit unusual, the stories themselves weren’t always that enjoyable and there was a conflicting tone that wasn’t well balanced, but it pulled through for me because the action and characters were very well done and the themes of the story, while open for interpretation, filled me with a sense of real satisfaction at the end of the series that I don’t often feel when analyzing a show. I ended my review of season one calling it average, but after watching season two I almost want to give the first season higher praise.

If you haven’t read my season one review, check it out here…

A Review of Darker Than Black, Season One

When we get sequels to popular Anime, the results can be mixed. You either get a sequel like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig or you get a sequel like Psycho Pass 2. The former expands upon the original’s premise and delivers an altogether superior product while the latter is a mess, plagued with new additions at the cost of what made the original so enjoyable. Sadly, Darker Than Black: Gemini of the Meteor is the latter rather than the former.

Continue reading →

A Review of Darker Than Black, Season One

/ thesakurasunrise / 3 Comments

Do you ever try to find out why you love a show and then are dissatisfied with the reasons you come up with? Not because the reasons themselves aren’t sufficient, but because it doesn’t feel like those reasons are what typically justify praise when it comes to narrative mediums.

One popular school of thought places the narrative and writing at the forefront of what makes a story good. For me though, it is only the most common reason that people universally agree upon the quality of a story. Visual mediums are the most meaningful to me when the end result is a culmination of effective writing, visuals and especially music.

So what happens when I’m confronted with a show that flaunts a strong visual presence and great music but falls short in consistent writing and narrative. More importantly, why do I love 2007’s Darker Than Black, despite it falling into that category? Continue reading →

My Take on Sexualization in Anime

/ thesakurasunrise / 2 Comments

[Update as of 5/17/2023: lol I wrote this and I don’t agree with most it. At the very least there are some things I could have phrased better. Also, talk about dating myself – half of these videos don’t even play and the YouTubers in question are like a time capsule of content I consumed in high school before outgrowing them. Good fucking lord. Anyway, if you’ve stumbled upon this post, I’ve got more recent posts that express my views on these issues… better? Kinda? Look I’m a cis male, my credibility on these topics is already dodgy at best.]

Anime is often accused of having way too much sexualization to truly take the medium seriously. So what do I think, having been invested in this medium for so long? Well, I take to this topic the same stance I have on most discussions about representation and content in media. Sexualization itself is not the problem. The problem, if you feel there is one, is in the execution and frequency of said sexualization.

I’m of the mind that sex appeal is a necessary part of media because sex and the wide array of emotions tied to it make it a great emotional appeal in a narrative. Of course, it has other, more obvious uses as well, but I don’t think we should be afraid of sex in media, we should be afraid of not having enough variety in our media to balance out that sex.
Continue reading →

Genocidal Organ and Project Itoh

/ thesakurasunrise / 1 Comment

On July 12th and 13th, Genocidal Organ by Geno Studios will be in US theaters by Funimation Films for a limited time. It is based on the 2007 novel of the same name, written by the late Satoshi Itoh, who went by the name Project Itoh. This will be the third and final film adapted from Itoh’s novels and released in the US.

This man’s work is incredibly special to me and his story is one I believe should be shared. In preparation for the release of Genocidal Organ, I wanted to do my part to spread the word about the film as it is one of my most anticipated movies of the year. Simultaneously, I want to tell you all a bit more about Itoh and his other works. I hope you all fall in love with his works like I have. Continue reading →

A Review of Attack on Titan, Season Two

/ thesakurasunrise / Leave a comment

After four years, several fake sequel announcements, 5 OVA’s, a weird middle school spin off and two crappy live action films, Studio WIT has finally delivered us the long awaited sequel to one of the most internationally successful Anime of the last decade. Is it burdened by having only 12 episodes this season? No. Does it answer the questions we were left with at the end of season one? Kinda. Does it improve upon the first season’s flaws? Absolutely. Continue reading →

A Four Year Late Review of Attack on Titan, Season One

/ thesakurasunrise / Leave a comment

With Attack on Titan’s second season now completed, it is the perfect time to look back on the first season and give it a formal review before giving its sequel the same treatment later this week. Attack on Titan holds a special place in my heart as it was the Anime that made me fall in love with Anime back in January of 2014, thus kickstarting a three and a half year obsession that has introduced me to entirely new facets of entertainment I never knew I wanted. I’m surprised I haven’t given this show a formal review before, so without further ado, here is my review of Attack on Titan.

Continue reading →