Boku Wa Tomodachi Episode 7

This was the very first episode that wasn't dictated by what was in the manga. Now that I know the manga won't be cranking out releases I'm curious if the next chapter will be about the cell phones... Still the manga could have chapters stacked, still I'm curious if they'll branch out now.

This was all about the gang and hanging out at the club during Summer vacation. How can Kabato stay in that maid outfit!? I barely survive in the shorts and t-shirt I wear during summer, which kills me since I don't get cold and Summer is especially abusive. Even more interesting is how the group is allowed to meet up at the school during the Summer. Our cultures must be so far and away. I know just to attend a football training camp and to use our field was expensive and full of painstaking red tape. A friend that went there(Japan) told me he didn't leave the school with his live in sister and brother until hours after school ended as they stayed doing club activities and such. I always regret not having that experience as school there must be so entertaining! School is a huge part of their day more so than here in the states where the clubs are half-a$sed and don't do much phenomenal work. As for poor Maria.... Its like Kodaka said, Yuki is taking the club TOO seriously and yea I know its a cool club(better than Americas) but suicide for meal making and arriving late? Still it made for one good screen cap(or squee cap), that is Maria getting force fed a protein shake which looked liked something ELSE all over her face.... Yea...

I also found it hilarious how none of the characters had anyone in their contact list for their dusty cell phones they never used haha! I related a lot not having a Facebook or a twitter or a cell phone myself I don't even HAVE one HAHAHA! But in all fairness I do have an iPod touch I use for Internet, texting and most other things(still my contact list is filled with close friends and not acquaintances). I like how Yozora and Kodaka had no idea how far technology's come. I felt the same way about my iPod nano when I found out it could pause radio stations! That infrared thing is also very intriguing to me and I'll have to find out more about it. They mentioned it in Persona 4 when Naru uses it to get Amagi's number(that sly dog!) I wonder why we don't have the same thing. They also don't text but send e-mails, so interesting the discrepancy in culture.

Man I felt bad since, expecting Kodaka
to be with her as she left but stayed
behind, her plan back fired!

Also, in the episode not only does Sena feel out of the loop not having a cell phone but Yozora is taking advantage of this and teasing Sena, Yozora feeling like she's getting the upperhand in her relationship with Kodaka triumphing over Sena. Yozoras even showing more interest in Kodaka openly(showing displeasure at Sena rubbing on Kodaka at the beginning and being all thrilled, twitterpated, and flirty over cell phone address exchange). Sena is taking revenge too by confiding in Kodaka which Yozora has yet to do. If the hand touching at the end wasn't indicative enough of what's to come I don't know what is. Yozora is getting fed up with it I feel, and soon I think Yozora will finally make more attempts at vying for Kodaka's attention, with Sena doing the same theres bound to be more friction and sparks(friendly competition?)!

-Relic P.S. I HATE the heat BUT how would you like to step outside to THAT scenery?! My GOD, what a sight...

Persona 4 The Animation Episode 7

This weeks theme REALLY delves into something I don't come across often in anime(or any other media for that matter). And that would be one's sexual orientation. Lets face it, in both reality and media, homo-sexuality has a certain social stigma attached to it. I myself don't have any problem with who someone likes as I barely have enough time to care about my own life let alone somebody else's and don't feel it is my right to criticize someone when I have my own share of faults. It's a topic that rarely comes up, and when it does always generates a bit of "talk". The only video games and shows that give this topic justice and an honorable portrayal(or even come to mind) is Indigo Prophecy, True Blood, Tokyo Godfathers, and Milk with Sean Penn. It doesn't comd up often enough, so when it does I really find it interesting. That THAT show or game is willing to touch which most everyone else won't. It adds another fold to an already dynamic narrative! So with that said I found this episode of Persona impressive for taking steps in the right direction but never really capitalizing on it...

While never DIRECTLY stated that Kanji is homo-sexual there are implications but ultimately it's up to the viewer. Personally I think that Kanji is really just confused by how he should feel with affection. His Persona grossly twists his emotions to extremes like indicating how Kanji feels towards the opposite sex. Kanji has just had bad experiences with women though hopefully he doesn't give up on them. It was nice to see the subject touched upon though if only the surface.

So BADA$S!

Amagi was pretty cool, getting to see her in action with the whole Persona summoning thing I loved it! That scene with Sato and Amagi in slime and the two boys just look'n at them with their minds full of dirtiness haha, they didn't even offer to help but instead wanted to film it for when the imagination isn't enough.

Now there were two cop outs I felt in the episode. One was when on the velvet room Morgan or something like that and The sharp nosed master offer they're help when Naru is ready and needs it. My thinking was this help would come WAAAAY later! Little did I know it would happen just 17 min's later THAT episode haha! Not that I'm complaining THAT much. I mean those snake hydra like beasts that took out Kanji Persona in it's uncontrolled form was cool but I wouldn't have minded more of a build up in music and animation and of how the beast is formed. Imagine if everyone had the "wild card" ability, they'd be pretty stacked on talent. My second complaint is the characters' interaction with Kanji. They mostly just provided us with the stereotypes of how people interact with the idea of homo-sexuality that are already out there. The awkwardness Naru and Hana showed towards seeing another guy that it is implied likes guys and them being immature about it, not wanting anything to do with seeing Kanji like that leaving it to the ladies, just proving how Kanji already felt about people being judgmental. The girls really were no different being happy he'd have no interest in them and Sato being annoyed by how Kanji's Persona acted and everyone bringing out their Personas instead to shut up alternate Kanji. Now I'll admit it was hilarious AND that Kanji was acting annoying as that was kind of over-done in regards to how over dramatic Kanji was acting. Still I wouldn't mind sacrificing the comedy and characters' reactions in favor of truly delving into the issues someone confused with their sexual orientation would experience. Still, a step in the right direction. And at the least we now have Kanji on board with the team to stop the perpetrator from throwing people in the television.

-Relic P.S. How would you like that big feller looming over your bed while you sleep?

Lesson from anime #1

O.K. this lesson comes from Hell Girl which is one of my favorite anime ever, in my tp ten easy, top five though I'd have to think about it. Anyway the art is SPECTACULAR the story hooks me like a fisherman hooking a gold fish the idea is so original it hurts AND theres so much of it to watch! Now that Anime Network fixed their App after like 8 months I can watch season 2 and 3(last anime I marathoned was Soul Eater and I'm telling you that ending isn't that bad, I liked it) now, I'm so excited! With that back story to the post, it helped me to learn THIS. If you have a girlfriend(first off good luck because if its like anything I've experienced first hand or heard about, your in for a rough ride)that will only have sex with you if your in Hawaii......... You need a new girl friend. THAT sir is RIDICULOUS! HAWAII!?!?!?! Oh man once you know its going to cost you a few grand for a bit of nookie might as well put a down payment on some gold bricks and give her a shovel, because you sir have just caught yourself a gold digger. And what guy needs sex so bad he is immediately willing to get a job just for a trip there. Oh my God that poor stupid son of a b*tch! If it ain't mutual make it platonic is my motto. And the girl WAS two timing him. Now though this doesn't happen often, if it does, run the other way and don't look back, because you might end up dead. His soul mate(while definitely pulling a Yuno from Mirai Nikki with how crazy she was) was right there waiting to love him too! Its not ALL about looks right!? Then again his soul mate is who killed him, though accidental. Eh, you can't win in this world, do what feels right, your odds are just as good as they are bad!
source: -Hell Girl season 2 episode 3-

food for thought: Girls wonder why its ok for guys to two time but not girls. Imagine a key that can open up every lock. Thats a pretty good f*ckin key right? NOW, imagine a LOCK that every key can open.... Thats a pretty sh*tty lock ;)

-Relic P.S. I was joking, never two time or buy women tickets to Hawaii for sex that is the moral!Unless you can afford it.

Boku Wa Tomodachi Episode 6

Things are getting VERY interesting especially for me who is also following the manga. Now if I remember correctly it went like one manga chapter a month but suddenly I feel I read 2 in like a months time. I bring this up because I winder if the manga will start cranking them out one a week or not? I highly doubt this, and feel as though the manga will have no longer be the decider in story direction since this episode OFFICIALLY caught up to the latest maga release. But I wonder, is the mange quite a few chapters ahead and decides to release basically one a month? Because if the anime was following it how could it have done the karaoke episode almost exactly like the manga(the anime focused alot more in how Sena and Yozora are in love with Kodaka and are especially cruel to eachother more so than in the manga)when it just came out? There's no way they just quickly made an anime episode version of the chapter? Is the anime finished before release or are people in a studio working their a$s off to make an episode a week or two before it comes out? I find that hard to imagine. So there might be one or two more chapters the anime is aware of and then it will go on it's own path, but stick with the same premise and plans the manga has or at least I imagine this to be the case. Its exciting because I get to see what happens next and not half to wait a month. Anywho, it was quite the episode. It was strange though, because I'd just read it, I felt like I'd already watched it, very uncomfortable de javué. I even imagine the voice actors when I read it now that I know how they sound. But they speak english and when I think about Japanese I understand it in English, I wonder what it's like to be bi-lingual but before I get too off topic I'd like to say the brain is amazing!

Rika was notably trying to get some alone time with Kodaka which Yozora also liking Kidaka tactically avoided their possible alone time with a group trip. I don't get why Yozora us going about this the way she is... She doesn't have the courage to be with Kodaka Alone or tell him how she feels but Rika is making an attempt(even Yuki seems like he is.... Probably just adoration) to be with Kodaka and win him even making clear how she likes him but is so open with her feelings it is less of a built up awkward confession where rejection can result but simply stating a fact that Kodaka can only be flattered by, allowing the relationship room to blosom. Even so I think Yozora doesn't want to make her self vulnerable and take the risk BUT at the same time still kind of have Kodaka to herself. You can't gave it all, it's not fair to anyone.

Now don't get me wrong since they are childhood friends(Kodaka is a foo!) I want their coupling, you know, the whole destined love thing... Yea, I guess I'm an ideal romantic oh well haha. But I hate when people don't convey their feelings, or at least in such a dysfunctional fashion. But now that Sena is flaunting the two of their future alone time(Sena and Kodaka's personnal hangout under the pretense Kodaka is visiting Sena's dad, which is probably all there is to it for Kodaka, him being the tender foot he is) I'm thinking a jealous Yozora will rise to the occasion feeling that Kodaka is slipping away or it could take a tsundere like route which I will despise... Either way good stuff.

LOL! those words were said by Rika in another room, she
was talking about a microphone!

Oh yea and who goes to a karaoke bar place to sing alone just so they feel that they're beating the man?! In comparison to the manga it was VERY depressing to see them alone and it wasn't comical like it had been... I hate seeing people sad especially when it's due to lonliness because it's the easiest problem to fix. Get up and engage someone(your not as misunderstood as you think, trust me, everyone brings their own pile of sh*t to the table ;)) And one more thing..... Why after talking with someone or feeling embarrassed to people in anime run away in either the opposite direction OR even the SAME direction!?!??? Is it just me? Am I the only one not running from girls after I am done talking with them slightly blushing and skipping away or running away from my buds. I'd say "why are you running away?" Even funnier when they run ahead, why not stay and walk with the person and talk? I run in 3 circumstances. I'm playing sports, I'm being hunted by something(hasn't happened...yet) or three the walking dead is coming on. People in anime run too much. And Sena was no exception, panting like a buffalo after running for like.7 seconds! I am a huge burly animal and even when I was hauling a$s after a runningback who got past my line I'd huff, puff, and regulate my breathing again. Oh well it's not that big a deal, I'm just a sick-o! But my favorite part of the karaoke place is when Yozora and Sena inadvertently sing a very cute duet together which had lyrics, that when accompanied by a montage of moments each shared with Kodaka, implied they both had fallen in love with him. Very touching scene.

-Relic P.S. need I say more than AWWWWWW!