posts tagged “Self-indulgent nostalgia”

01 Apr 2008

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Posted by Martin [Tags: blogsturbation, community, Self-indulgent nostalgia]

Wellbutrin SR For Sale, Two years. TWO YEARS I've been doing this, Wellbutrin SR from mexico. Buy no prescription Wellbutrin SR online, From my first post waxing lyrical about Monster, through the gender-bending Kashimashi, kjøpe Wellbutrin SR på nett, köpa Wellbutrin SR online, Wellbutrin SR street price, my stubborn refusal to fanboy about Haruhi and my stubborn refusal to not fanboy about Mushishi, right up to the move to Wordpress, Wellbutrin SR price, Online buying Wellbutrin SR, the ABC dorama and beyond, it's been fun, buying Wellbutrin SR online over the counter. Purchase Wellbutrin SR online, I cautiously dipped my toes into a whole subculture of aggregators, IRC humour, online Wellbutrin SR without a prescription, Buy Wellbutrin SR online cod, editorials, episode summaries and Wordpress upgrades precisely 731 days ago today and I haven't regretted it one bit, purchase Wellbutrin SR online no prescription. Wellbutrin SR without prescription, Okay, it's very tsun-tsun of me to say so but sometimes I get a bit baffled and exasperated at the aniblogosphere and your antics, buy Wellbutrin SR without prescription, Herbal Wellbutrin SR, but what can you do.

Happy birthday to me...

Actually, the precise date is probably lost in the mists of time since I arbitrarily set the timestamp of the first post to April 1 when I did the move to WP, but it's as good a day as any, Wellbutrin SR For Sale. According to my stats this blog, Wellbutrin SR overnight, After Wellbutrin SR, when updated regularly, gets upwards of 500 hits daily, Wellbutrin SR without a prescription. Online buying Wellbutrin SR hcl, Admittedly this is way more than I expected or deserve but it's all thanks to you, the reader, Wellbutrin SR results. Generic Wellbutrin SR, I write because I feel like it but the motivation to keep going has come from the comments, trackbacks, purchase Wellbutrin SR, Wellbutrin SR from canada, e-mails and other words of constructive criticism and encouragement from everyone who's visited, commented, Wellbutrin SR used for, Taking Wellbutrin SR, flamed and helped in some other way. You have my heartfelt thanks, where can i buy cheapest Wellbutrin SR online. Wellbutrin SR For Sale, I couldn't have done it without you. Buy cheap Wellbutrin SR, Actually, I possibly could, Wellbutrin SR coupon, Wellbutrin SR steet value, but it wouldn't have been nearly as awesome. You get the picture, online buy Wellbutrin SR without a prescription. Wellbutrin SR description, As for the other big blogosphere event today, I only have this to say:

GOTCHA!
Just as planned!

My new 'net connection was only activated this afternoon so I didn't get the chance to see the results of those conspiratorial e-mails that have been flooding my inbox in recent days; it was fun observing it all periodically on the sidelines but I've been almost coughing up blood with laughter this afternoon, Wellbutrin SR natural. Wellbutrin SR gel, ointment, cream, pill, spray, continuous-release, extended-release, It's just another reason why I love you guys. Seriously.*

Chibi Sadako
Totally irrelevant I know, but the concept of chibi-Sadako amuses me greatly

Coming up this week will be my true tears and Spice and Wolf retrospectives, more belated editorials and an epic three part Saikano review, Wellbutrin SR For Sale. Thanks again for all your support so far - it sure feels good to be back, buy Wellbutrin SR no prescription, Wellbutrin SR maximum dosage, in my own place IRL no less.

QFT
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In Memoriam

Blogs come and go but sadly this includes some important individuals who contributed a lot to the community, about Wellbutrin SR. I hope will someday return - you ruled and I miss you.

Hopeless Sensei: originally Attack of the Pink Robots, Hopeless moved his blog to Wordpress and turned me into a convert of the said blogging platform that I use to this day. In addition to this he recommended me Kare Kano Wellbutrin SR For Sale, , provided other irreplaceable pieces of advice and discussion and had excellent taste to boot. You sir are sorely missed and I hope all is well, wherever you are.

Mangaminx: The one person above all others who got me into blogging in the first place (along with the warning "Blogging is addictive!", which I didn't fully understand until it was too late). Surprisingly, her blog is still online so while it isn't updated any more you can still browse the archives; a lot of it has quite a strong yuri slant but her excellent writing skills were inspirational and I owe a lot to her in anime/manga knowledge too.

Epic Win: It was short in terms of longevity but as far as humour, good taste and solid writing are concerned the unconventional approach and endlessly entertaining banter of Orion and Guff made up for its brevity by truly living up to its name. They may have come across as the Aniblogosphere's own Statler and Waldorf but those guys know a good anime when they see one - I hope to see its magnificent revival.

Ten: I remember YSP: Duh! as a fantastic aniblog that sadly ceased to be quite recently after months of retirement. Fortunately her non-anime blog, The Park, is still alive and well.

*That was my dere-dere breakdown there in case you missed it.

[18 Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

30 Dec 2007

Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription

Posted by Martin [Tags: Evangelion, Gainax, Hideaki Anno, Over-analysis, Self-indulgent nostalgia]

Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, On a number of occasions I've alluded to my somewhat unconventional (albeit not unique) introduction to anime fandom. While it hasn't exactly changed my entire outlook on life or anything, it certainly set the course that my viewing and appreciation would take and even to this day shapes my views on many of the aspects that make up the reviews and editorials on this very blog, for better or for worse, buy no prescription Allopurinol online.

A token group shot

I'm doing this review partly because Neon Genesis Evangelion hasn't had a full review or editorial here dedicated to it; also it's a way of putting my current opinions on anime in general into context. Two of these are those of the Apologist and Elitist stances, Allopurinol samples, which hopefully will be accompanying posts in the coming weeks. Everyone's hobbies and interests have to start somewhere, even if that somewhere is a little embarrassing and inappropriate; this was mine, and I'll leave it to you to decide how embarrassing and inappropriate an introduction it was, Allopurinol class.

To understand where I'm coming from here, try to imagine for a moment how I felt back in 2003 or so, Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription. At that time my anime viewing pretty much began and ended with having seen Miyazaki's Laputa on TV at the age of nine or thereabouts. My knowledge and experience as an anime fan was a completely blank slate, Allopurinol without prescription, although I was exposing myself to the genre of world cinema in a big way for the first time. I was in the middle of a pretty unpleasant course of antidepressants and in the second half of my university degree so my views on a lot of things were in a state of flux and, looking back now with hindsight, in a state of confusion too, cheap Allopurinol. Two good friends of mine at uni were into a lot of musical and film/TV stuff that I was into and perhaps because we had so much common ground they took it upon themselves to show me some more eclectic parts of their DVD collections.

With a certain something playing on his PC in one corner (I later deduced that it was an early episode of the second season of Naruto Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, ), my uni buddy passed me a cup of coffee and declared "this is a science fiction show about some kids who fight alien-like creatures called Angels in giant robots. Let me know what you think." The DVD in question was a R1 import of NGE (at this point the only way to get hold of the box set in the UK was via import and a multiregion player). Buy Allopurinol from mexico, I watched the first episode, and was intrigued. I watched the rest of the first volume and politely requested to see the second. At approximately eight am the following morning, australia, uk, us, usa, with the final "Congratulations!" ringing in my ears, I felt that I'd seen something extraordinary.

In the months that followed we'd chill out and watch the opening ep of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi that was on a free DVD on the cover of Newtype, an ep of two of Najica Blitz Tactics (one of us thought it was great, while the other two of us rolled around with laughter), or the full series of FLCL (which is another story), Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription. Allopurinol brand name, Sometimes we'd listen to some Our Lady Peace or Counting Crows, or play Operation Desert Storm 2 with the OST to Black Hawk Down as BGM but aside from good memories of good times, I remember those days as being a Eureka Moment when one of my biggest interests first took hold. Granted, Allopurinol recreational, I never saw much of it coming. Joining the UK-A forums, Allopurinol schedule, getting an e-mail from Bateszi with a request to be a reviewer for his fledgling fan site, starting an anime blog of my own. I couldn't imagine any of this happening, nor can I guess where it would lead in future, Allopurinol natural. Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, To Rob and Seth, I know we stay in touch but you guys probably don't read this blog. If you do, you have my sincere thanks; here's hoping we can meet up and hang out together sometime in 2008 and have a laugh like the Good Old Days. Purchase Allopurinol online, The Review

So, Evangelion. If you didn't go all tl;dr by now, you'd realise why I've found it so hard to look at it objectively that only now have I dared to review it, Allopurinol photos. Since certain aspects of reviewing are anything but objective, I hope you can at least understand why it's important from my own perspective. Moving away from my own point of view into facts and hard evidence though, is it still an important show, Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription. Order Allopurinol online overnight delivery no prescription, If only from the perspective of understanding why it's such a talked-about series, you can't help but take on board the significance of the strained relations among the creative team and the mythology and rumours surrounding its production. Taking the most simplistic view, the studio ran out of money and did an ending few were satisfied with, Allopurinol without a prescription. The promise of a second chance (and/or a cash injection) prompted a theatrical remake of the ending, which was also controversial. Allopurinol dangers,

Unit 01 in darkness

Ignoring this decade of furore and cash cow milking on the part of Gainax (through excessive merchandise) and ADV (excessive reissues of the episodes on DVD and VHS, although the Platinum Edition is the one worth having), the series itself is an outstanding one, if flawed in places, Allopurinol maximum dosage. Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, When memories of seeing it for the first time are as rose-tinted as mine, overlooking its faults requires a conscious effort to avoid; when making an effort to be objective though, I'm still temped to say it's a well-done piece. The old problem of hype is a root cause of it here, because newcomers are all too often made aware of either its shortcomings or strengths, Doses Allopurinol work, but rarely both.

I didn't like EVERYTHING about it, mind, and still don't, rx free Allopurinol. The animation quality was uneven throughout, as was the pacing. Allopurinol from canadian pharmacy, It seemed to make lusting after 14-year old girls somehow acceptable. Many of the characters had traits that were exaggerated to the point at which they were representations of archetypes than well-rounded people we can relate to, Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription. It might not even stand up to what came later if it were to be made today: the likes of RahXephon, Gasaraki and Eureka Seven are more skilful in terms of portraying how real people would behave, in a believable manner; they are also more consistent in quality, Allopurinol canada, mexico, india. The perennial Rah/Eva debate brings up the question "would NGE be the more famous of the two if it wasn't made first?", for example. Where can i buy Allopurinol online, I suspect it wouldn't, but since it WAS made first, that point is purely academic. I will say though that Rah looks prettier, Allopurinol overnight, has more believable characters and is a more consistent product overall, so if I were to stick my neck out and make a choice I'd say Rah is the more enjoyable series - I'll get around to reviewing that properly in due course too. Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, In getting back to the main point that makes up this latter half of this post, NGE is nevertheless still worth watching and still worth respecting - even though, to put it into the simplest of terms, certain bits of it suck. After Allopurinol, The story isn't as original as it might seem at first glance: the religious imagery and subplots were intended to be superficial but only became topic of discussion when certain viewers (namely overseas ones with a working knowledge of Christian and Jewish lore) read between the lines and sought deeper meaning in aspects that had no deeper meaning. They ignored the simpler messages of facing up to responsibility and, like their Japanese otaku cousins, argued over trivialities such as who killed Kaji, Allopurinol online cod. As I discovered with ef-a tale of memories, which incidentally uses artistic techniques and plot devices similar to Anno-isms, Buy cheap Allopurinol no rx, there are very few *new* stories; the fun comes from seeing old ideas being blended together and told in a new and refreshing way. In that sense NGE did indeed reinvent the mecha genre and offered an exciting alternative approach to storytelling in sci-fi.

Unfortunately an ‘emo’ lead, a blunt approach to presenting its ideas that came across as clumsiness, obtuseness for the sake of being obtuse and sidestories that made themselves out to be more important than they were obscured this by making it fundamentally flawed in several areas, Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription. It makes for frustrating viewing at times because it was at first playful and pandered to the drooling otaku (as exemplified by the promises of fan service in the next-episode previews) but later on moodily dared you to enjoy or even understand it; the creative mind's thought processes acted like a tsundere's character development working in reverse.

I lay my praises and criticisms alike at the feet of Hideaki Anno, Allopurinol from canada, who I see as being prone to bad judgement but also prone to being a genius. He knew his storytelling approach was risky and self-indulgent; I don't necessarily think he should have done all of it in the way that he did, Allopurinol australia, uk, us, usa, but he had personal reasons for his semi-deliberate mistakes. The bottom line is that I love his daring and the Anno-isms: the odd camera angles, the abstract animation styles and the self-confidence in his direction that enters the realms of over-confidence, are not the core of the story but get the messages across in a way that had not been done before; the thing is, buy Allopurinol from canada, they often worked and when they didn't, you can't help but admire their inventiveness. Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, The groundbreaking mecha designs (which are awesome partly because they aren't mecha at all), Sagisu's excellent soundtrack and Sadamoto's iconic character designs all work together to make it great. Allopurinol description, The one aspect that makes it both epic win and epic fail simultaneously is the creator's brazen and deliberate attempt to make an animated science fiction series into not only a successful commercial product but a successful artistic one and a ‘fuck you’ aimed at the fan culture he both worked for and derided. Anno is a complicated man but he's a gifted film maker too. I can't NOT respect him, even when I don't like what he's doing at the time, Allopurinol results.

In Closing

NGE isn't perfect. It isn't even original or the best show of its type; it is however an important and therefore worthwhile viewing experience, Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription. For me personally, Comprar en línea Allopurinol, comprar Allopurinol baratos, its mystery-thriller elements made me appreciate stuff that makes you think, and made me into something of an elitist. Its combination of glaring faults and moments of brilliance taught me to overlook the negatives to appreciate the positives, and enjoy something that was both flawed and brilliant; this was the beginning of my life as an apologist, Allopurinol street price. It made me the fan I am today but also did the same for others. I can sympathise with newbies who got into anime through NGE as I did: those people who declare it to be ‘the best evar’. Buy Allopurinol Without Prescription, It isn't. Real brand Allopurinol online, All I can say to those people is, give it time and you'll see other shows that do the same thing, perhaps more effectively: Rah did the mystery and epic scale better, Gasaraki handled the politics more convincingly and Eureka Seven had a more likeable lead with a more engaging romantic subplot, purchase Allopurinol online no prescription.

NGE is however a landmark of its respective genres, if not the best one; it formed for a number of us a springboard to a wider and more varied experience of the medium as an alternative to Pokemon, Studio Ghibli and Shonen Jump. I don't recommend it because it's the best; I recommend it because it shows how an animated story can succeed and fail, how a sci-fi drama can be told. Controversy aside it still matters and I'll still look at it as something special.

From the point of view of you, the reader, this is either the best post I've made to date, or the worst. I honestly don't know which.

[6 Comments]

[Manga Reviews, OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

23 Nov 2007

Differin For Sale

Posted by Martin [Tags: realistic fiction, Self-indulgent nostalgia]

Differin For Sale, Everyone has a title or two that, against our better taste or judgement, we can't bring ourselves to dislike. Whether it's that derivative parade of shiny mecha, overlong Shonen Jump cash cow or high tech girls-with-guns offering, real brand Differin online, we all have one that we hate to love. Differin trusted pharmacy reviews, I can even name a title from each one of those example categories: I've followed the early episodes of Naruto and will continue to do so until the DVD release catches up with the filler arcs, Bubblegum Crisis is a classic and I can't wait for Macross Frontier either, even if it turns out to suck; nevertheless, buy cheap Differin no rx, I'd like to think that my collection is a worthy collection of artistic and intelligent entertainment...more or less. Where can i cheapest Differin online, Back when I was only just getting into manga, shortly after my in-at-the-deep-end introduction to anime proper (another story), Tokyopop were only just beginning to get a reliable and varied stock on UK shelves; the almighty Death Note had yet to arrive on our shores in paper form and I was still finding my feet (even moreso than now!) as a fan, Differin canada, mexico, india. I also had the brain-melting grind of university with the memories of all-night study sessions, Comprar en línea Differin, comprar Differin baratos, coursework deadlines and frantically legging it to the bus stop to get to the exam room on time fresh in my mind. Maybe this is a valid excuse for reading every volume of the Love Hina manga from cover to cover...read on and I'll let you weigh up the evidence for yourself, Differin For Sale.

Love Hina, sakura blossom edition

At the time I wasn't fully aware of the likes of Tenshi and the harem genre; maybe I just felt that I could relate to the premise of a shy, where can i buy cheapest Differin online, nerdy, Differin blogs, flat-broke student suffering from problems associated with girls(!) and studying for uni. With the anime's final volume having just been released in the UK, it was one of the new talked-about UK releases at the time too, order Differin no prescription. Oddly, Differin alternatives, I didn't watch the DVDs, and still haven't - for reasons I can't remember now, I started collecting the manga volumes instead, Differin from mexico. Maybe they were just cheaper or something. Differin For Sale, The series was not without its flaws of course - stereotypical character profiles aside, the plot was stretched to breaking-point with countless teasing "will they/won't they?" incidents, near-misses and filler segments that padded out what could have used half as many trees to reach its conclusion. Buy Differin online no prescription, Corner-cutting such as re-used backgrounds cropped up time and time again (although the author's explanations for doing so are reproduced as an extra feature in the last volume) and certain gags, invariably involving scantily-clad females, an embarrassing misunderstanding and the male suffering some form of physical abuse as are result, Differin natural, were recycled ad nauseam. Differin results, With these in mind, plus the fact that formulaic romcom fluff never has been my thing, I still can't bring myself to dislike it, Differin photos.

The reason why I sat through so much filler and over-used humour is that, Differin pharmacy, deep down, Love Hina has a great deal of warmth, a sense of fun and an addictive concept that states that with bloody-minded perseverence and a bit of dumb luck, Differin images, even the clumsiest and most average of us can achieve our dreams. Differin australia, uk, us, usa, Leaving the romance and comedy aspects aside for a minute, it's a heartwarming story of a childhood promise that our hapless hero Keitaro has carried around with him for so long that he can't remember the face of the girl he made the promise to; the whole series is all about the prospect of resolving that issue that's been nagging at him for so long. There's a lot of hijinks going on in the meantime, of course, but the overall driving force behind everything that Kei-kun does is to reach that distant (and, it has to be said, unlikely) goal of getting to Tokyo and meeting that special ‘promise girl’ of his youth, Differin For Sale.

Ah yes, discount Differin, good old Keitaro. Differin online cod, He's repeatedly kicked, punched, abused by the army of females he lives with and forced to the brink of a nervous breakdown by intense studying (jeez, Differin gel, ointment, cream, pill, spray, continuous-release, extended-release, Japanese schoolkids have it rough). Differin over the counter, Although the girls perceive him as a feeble, perverted loser, we the reader can see that he's a fundamentally good-natured guy with honest intentions: the simple fact is, cheap Differin no rx, he's misunderstood but crucially never gives up on the promise he made. Effects of Differin, It's single-mindedness that borders on stupidity - I mean, how many times would it have been more prudent for him to attend a local college without all that hard graft, and spare himself the pain of being knocked skywards just for taking a bath, purchase Differin. Differin For Sale, This brings me onto my only significant criticism of the series, apart from the repetitive gags: the somewhat simplistic and male-centric perspective (I wouldn't go as far as calling it borderline sexist - it's too harmless to qualify). This is a manga geared towards a young male readership for whom hormones and girls are still an exciting novelty, Differin steet value, which adds to the whole formulaic argument thanks to cramming fan service into as many frames as possible. I'll give Ken Akamatsu credit where it's due in this department though - he sure knows how to design and draw a varied array of cute girls. After all, Differin maximum dosage, if you're going to surround your (male) protagonist with a myriad of attractive available females, Cheap Differin, you might as well make them interesting.

And they really are varied and interesting. You can argue all you like about how he's created a cute lass for every taste, and you'd be stating the truth; nevertheless, you can't deny him the kudos for succeeding, Differin For Sale. The trick was, Differin from canada, in addition to having every conceivable personality type and quirk, Differin price, coupon, they'll be at least something to endear each one to the reader. ‘Favourite Love Hina Girl’ polls were rife across anime message boards and forums (fora?) and during the course of the series, as with Lucky Star more recently, canada, mexico, india, you got to know them as characters rather than cut-out archetypes and grew attached to them too. Generic Differin, Initially there was the question of "which one will Keitaro eventually end up dating?" but as time went on the series actually began to drift away from the harem premise as a love triangle began to emerge, then the issues of the one-on-one fledgling relationship later on.

I can't just write Love Hina off as a harem comedy because it didn't just set up a situation and let the reader guess for a while as to whose arms Keitaro would land in: it also followed a bunch of likable young people through a pivotal time of their lives and actually worked towards a satisfying resolution, is Differin safe. Differin For Sale, The epilogue chapter makes a big jump forward but looking back on the series as a whole they did actually grow up and change - it's a little detail commonly referred to as ‘character development’...remember that, people. It's important. Purchase Differin for sale, Shinobu in particular really grows and develops (I'm on about her personality, you filthy perv). When we first meet her she's a quivering schoolgirl who's dealing with family issues and painful shyness; being younger than the others, where can i buy Differin online, she endures a more marked growing-up process during the course of the series. Motoko too faces up to her own problems (with the help of the rest of the Hinata household of course), offering another enjoyable and occasionally moving side-story as she (sometimes comically) comes to terms with her femininity and, more seriously, her own family-related hang-ups. Kitsune doesn't change a great deal, but that's all in keeping with her laid-back and stubborn, devil-may-care persona; in a way, she's more of a man than Keitaro - the amusing best friend who drinks, gambles, is embarrasing in public and won't change, Differin For Sale. Ever. Su is an odd one but is the perfect comic relief character: always on hand to spice up the mix with some bizarre mechanical creation that, like Tama-chan the turtle, sets the series just outside the fringes of realism.

The winter edition

While the prospect of Keitaro ending up with any one (or none) of the girls is dangled in front of the reader's nose at numerous points, it's pretty clear that he's only really suited to the delighfully clumsy Mutsumi, who doesn't harbour an ounce of bad nature, or more specifically the fiery tsundere Naru. Quite honestly, a decent resolution could have come from either scenario but it was an open secret from the outset that Naru and Keitaro would end up together in the end - they're so mismatched that they're ironically perfectly suited. Differin For Sale, In an act of fan service on an epic scale, the resolution arrives - with a truly happy ‘warm fuzzy feeling’ ending and a predictable parting shot that's perfectly in keeping with the rest of the series, for better or for worse. Having read through fourteen volumes to get there and becoming sentimentally attached to every one of them, the final chapter feels like Akamatsu's way of thanking the fans for their loyalty; for sure, this ending is placating the readers but when it's harmless, escapist fun like this, who the heck cares.

And therein lies the greatest strength, which is in a way the inevitable limitation, of Love Hina. For some it's humorous and wacked-out portrayal of real life; for the older and more jaded among us it's more of a throwback to the good old days of student life when the future was the future and the present was fun. Either way it's good old fashioned escapism; wrapped up in cheeky humour, cute artwork, a cast of characters who you can really root for and all the other stuff that makes for an enduring rom-com. This is far from original by any stretch of the imagination but it's still an enjoyable ride that I will always look upon fondly.

[12 Comments]

[OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

06 Sep 2007

Haibane Renmei and me

Posted by Martin [Tags: iyashikei, realistic fiction, Self-indulgent nostalgia, Yoshitoshi ABe]
I'm trying a little experiment with this post. This won't be my usual reviewing - outlining what's good and what's bad, basing the degree of how recommendable it is on that and so on. I want to add a bit of me-ness into this one even if the quality suffers - not just saying what I think about this series based on the usual criteria, but giving a more in-depth explanation as to why it's so special. I'm adding a lot more lyric quotes too...just to see if I can do it. I won't dwell on the beauty of Kou Otani's soundtrack here, nor talk too much at length about the otherworldly artistic style of the show, as much as they lend a lot to the its unique atmosphere. Interestingly though Yoshitoshi ABe was the screenplay writer as well as being behind the overall concept: unlike Texhnolyze and Lain, his input was thematic as well as artistic. Looking at how powerful Haibane Renmei's messages are, I feel this to be significant: it really feels like he's drawing inspiration from personal experience which gives the show much greater authenticity, although individual impressions will probably differ slightly from viewer to viewer.

"Angels with silver wings shouldn't know suffering/I wish I could take the pain for you..." The idea of the main cast being 'reborn' with no memories of their previous life is an important one to me: friendships, life experiences, everything apart from practical things such as walking and talking have to be re-learned in an environment that's new to them, which means they start their lives again from scratch. This 'blank canvas' worldview is intended to feel like it's 'somewhere else' but little details such as clothes, furniture, mechanical and electrical items are the same as in our own, which offers small amounts of comfort and familiarity. Initially I thought the central character was Rakka since she was a newborn whose experiences make up the first half of the series - it's a typical growing-up story at that point. In a sense she's the 'tour guide' to the series' setting as we learn about the place and people along with her; Reki's situation takes on greater importance towards the end though and Rakka becomes a very instrumental, but nevertheless supporting, character who helps bring closure. For all its pretty backgrounds and hints of fantasy, this show is in the slice-of-life vein (an issue I've covered before) and concerns itself with a number of real-life issues and situations. What set it apart from similar series is how the particular issues addressed resonated so deeply: not just the concepts and symbols but the more tangible aspects spoke very clearly in a way that I'd never experienced before. Rakka's encounter with the Circle of Sin for example is a great portrayal of how guilt and doubt can build up in one's mind from the smallest beginnings - it's a recurring sense I had that in this unfamiliar setting there are numerous moments that have parallels with our own world. Her symbolic descent into the well in the search for answers, followed by the return to her friends and a new, more optimistic, chapter of her life, is drenched in meaning; it feels like a metaphor for overcoming depression and guilt which makes Evangelion's take on emotional catharsis look heavy-handed in comparison. Dwelling on past events that you can't change drains and hampers you like a sickness; sometimes though you have to be prepared to overcome your fears in order to put it all behind you and move on. "Things get damaged, things get broken/I thought we'd manage but words left unspoken..." The shift in focus towards Reki deals with interaction and relations as much as emotional angst: her stubbornness, pride and inability to let go of past events had caused problems with Hyouko and Midori for a long time. The funny thing is, they shared these foolish sentiments so all three are equally guilty: an all-too-common situation that keeps families and groups of friends the world over on bad terms with one another for months or even years. Another favourite moment of mine is the realisation and resolution when they finally reach an undertanding, being able to forgive one another for things that are best left in the past where they belong. Far from being downbeat, such moments are nothing short of inspirational - and no doubt many viewers can relate to similar events from their own lives. "I pray you learn to trust, have faith in both of us/and keep room in your hearts for two..." The finale of the series takes events into the darkest territory of all as Reki has to confront her past...and herself. The Circle of Sin crops up again but this time it deals with the difference between how we perceive ourselves and how others perceive us; the old adage that a man is judged by his actions means that intentions make us feel a certain way but making a physical effort to change things for the better is even more important. For all her guilt and self-hatred, Reki's lifelong attempts to compensate for her faults and to prevent Rakka repeating her own mistakes actually becomes her true nature, but naturally she is unaware of this. The final moments drag the viewer through the emotional wringer as she falls into a downward spiral of hopelessness and self-pity - only to be saved by a friend who believes in her, and ironically can see her true nature better than she can herself.

Two good friends

If you've had the patience to read this far you've probably picked up on the fact that this is a very special piece of anime for me. Thanks to the work of Hideaki Anno and Satoshi Kon, I was already aware of how the medium of animation can convey everything that conventional film and television can but in a much more inventive fashion: Haibane Renmei was another milestone in my viewing journal. It's a series that may be lacking in resolving minor plot points but its core messages - or at least the messages I took from it - contain profound and eloquent observations of human nature. It also asks (but not necessarily answers!) fundamental life questions about who and why we are; an instance in which all this occurs is a Precious moment indeed.

[10 Comments]

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Haibane Renmei and me

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