Favourite Anime Quotes

I really love quotes.

Izaya Orihara

In the post, Why I Love Izaya, I talk more about the significance of these quotes and what they mean to me.

Naruto Uzumaki

Believe it!”

“I’m never going to run away, I never go back on my word! That’s my nindō: my ninja way!”

Naruto is a great character. He’s so positive and never gives up. I think he’s a great role model and inspiration.

Parasyte

Shinichi, upon researching the concept of demons, I believe that, among all life, humans are the closest thing to it.” – Migi

I recently started watching Parasyte, and this quote made me think a lot.

One Piece

I want to live!” – Robin Nico

“Stop counting only those things you have lost! What is gone, is gone! So ask yourself this. What is there… that still remains to you?!” – Jinbei

“I don’t wanna conquer anything. It’s just that the person with the most freedom on the sea is the Pirate King!” – Monkey D. Luffy

One Piece has taught so much about friendships and what it means to be alive. Luffy is an excellent captain and I love his views on life (i.e. on freedom).

Kaiji Itou

Things could still be worse! They could! I made it in time! I realized what was going on! This isn’t the worst! This is still better than what could have happened! I realized it…”

“My tenacity! My perseverance!”

“We all mess up time to time!!! No matter how much we try and get away from it, we all make mistakes!! Nobody’s perfect, that’s only natural!”

“When you’re under the most pressure you’ll probably ever be under either totally mediocre mistakes or heartfelt honest mistakes will happen! That much can’t be helped! There are always going to be mistakes! The problem is not the fact that mistakes will be made but when those bad instances do come up, how we decide to deal with them! That’s how we climb over them! How we get over the obstacle of our inevitable mistakes! Getting over the mountain range that stands in our way! If we can do that it will come to us! We will achieve victory!”

Kaiji is so pure.

Relatable Anime Characters – Part 2

You can read Part 1 here! Note that these are characters that I find relatable – it doesn’t mean that everyone will relate!

1. Morioka from Recovery of an MMO Junkie

We both stare at a screen all day.

We both have an appreciation/love towards lint rollers…

2. Usopp from One Piece

We’re both negative. If anyone has advice on how to be less negative, please write to me.

3. Mikazuki from My Roommate is a Cat

We both like cats, don’t like going outside, have an appreciation towards books, like to write, and don’t take very good care of ourselves.

How I feel when strangers start conversing with me…

Shorter list this time, but that’s all I have for now!

Impressions: My Roommate is a Cat

Japanese: 同居人はひざ、時々、頭のうえ。| Doukyonin wa Hiza, Tokidoki, Atama no Ue.

Episodes released thus far: 7

Genre: Slice of Life

My Roommate is a Cat is a currently airing 12-episode anime from this season (Winter 2019).

60% of the episode is told from Mikazuki’s point of view, while the rest of the episode is told from Haru’s point of view. The same events happen – it’s a retelling of the events but from the cat’s perspective.

Synopsis: Subaru Mikazuki is a writer who hates leaving his house and finds it overwhelming to interact with people. He encounters a stray cat and decides to take her home. He names the cat ‘Haru.’ Each episode portrays how Mikazuki’s life is impacted by Haru and his friends, and how Haru’s life is also changed upon meeting Mikazuki.

Thoughts: Two things drew me into this show: 1) the protagonist’s attitudes towards life and 2) the cat! I’ve been wanting to raise a cat for the longest time, but hopefully I will be able to in a few more years.

Mikazuki reminds me of myself in some ways. We both love reading, we don’t like going outside, and we don’t take very good care of ourselves. Some viewers might find Mikazuki to be unlikable because he isn’t interested in social conversations but I really like him. He loves reading books and enjoys being alone.

During the events of the show, Mikazuki is slowly starting to see that having company over isn’t so bad. We’re just a little over halfway through the show, and Mikazuki is already changing in small ways after living with Haru.

Personal story: I used to always say ‘no’ to my classmates when they asked me to study with them. I study best alone, so I thought it would be too much of a hassle to study with others. This year, I studied with a couple of classmates at a café and I was productive. We helped each other study and I found it really helpful.

Bottom line: There’s always room for personal growth. I don’t think that Mikazuki necessarily has to change, but meeting Haru is a really great thing that happened to him. It was also good for Haru as well.

We learn about Haru’s story and what her life was like as a stray. While Mikazuki won’t know her backstory or thoughts, we know Haru on a much more intimate level. She’s a really great character.

My Roommate is a Cat is an adorable, heartwarming story. Even if you don’t like Mikazuki, you’ll like the cat.

Manga Review: Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: Kazuya-hen

Tobaku Datenroku Kaiji: Kazuya-hen is Part 4 of the Kaiji manga series by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. For my review on Part 3, click here.

In the beginning of the arc, Kaiji reads a novel written by Kazuya. The story is ridiculous, but it was also extremely captivating. I was completely drawn in and couldn’t stop reading.

Kaiji plays a significantly smaller role in this part. Unlike the other arcs in which he is the main player, this arc is focused on three best friends: Mitsuyama, Chang, and Mario. The three friends play the Salvation Game. Kaiji and Kazuya watch from the sidelines while the three friends put their friendship to the test. Either all three friends will win the game and split up the prize money (millions of dollars) or one friend will betray the others and take all the money for himself. If the latter happens, the two remaining friends will have their skulls crushed and will die as a consequence.

Kaiji believes that Mitsuyama, Chang, and Mario will work together until the end and win the game, while Kazuya believes that they’re all frauds. He believes that betrayal is inevitable and that it’s inherent to human nature. I found that my own morals were put to the test because I felt that I had to pick a side. To be completely truthful, I kept going back and forth between Kaiji’s and Kazuya’s arguments. In the end, the side I picked lost.

Kaiji stands his ground and doesn’t suck up to people he doesn’t like!

Kaiji compares the players to his “friends.” This was a painful page to read. Not only did I feel empathy towards Kaiji, I was also reminded of my own experiences of betrayal.

Kaiji still protests, despite being punched and kicked on.

Kaiji isn’t involved in the game, doesn’t know the players, but still feels empathy for the players.

Why do I read Kaiji?

1. It makes me feel better about my own life. I reflect upon my own life and think, my life isn’t bad at all. I’m actually so lucky to have a supportive family and a roof over my head. I don’t have to worry about going hungry. I have clothes that will keep me warm. I have a bed and access to a hot shower. 
2. Kaiji inspires me. Yes, he’s a fictional character but he’s a resilient character.

Anime Review: Made in Abyss

Release year: 2017

Episode count: 13

I really love dark, twisted anime. I heard that Made in Abyss was disturbing, so I watched it. My verdict? Yes! I loved it.

Synopsis: The Abyss is a mysterious gigantic chasm that contains different layers. The further down you go, the tougher the monsters and the harsher the effects of the Curse. The Curse of the Abyss includes vomiting, hallucinations, internal and external bleeding, loss of humanity, and death.

Riko is a 12-year-old orphan who searches for artifacts on the first layer of the Abyss. She finds Reg, a robot who lost his memories. After Riko receives a letter from her mother that says she is waiting at the bottom of the Abyss, Riko and Reg leave the orphanage and journey into the Abyss. Riko wants to find her mother, while Reg wants to learn more about himself. They have to survive each of the Abyss’s layers.

Art: Just looking at the above photo, you probably wouldn’t think that Made in Abyss is a disturbing anime. It looks like it’s a show for children, but that’s an anime misconception. (I rant about that here.) I think the cute art style makes the dark scenes even more horrifying to watch.

The art is amazing. The art style is cute, but the backgrounds are a whole different level. There’s so much detail!

The tenth episode was disturbing. The thirteenth episode was heart-wrenching. The last few episodes (10-13) were so interesting! The first nine episodes were still entertaining. I didn’t feel like I wasted my time watching those nine episodes because they did world building so well. Each layer of the Abyss has its own monsters, effects of the Curse, landscape, etc.

Music: I was really impressed with the music in Made in Abyss. For a show that only has 13 episodes, the soundtrack is memorable and enchanting.

The bad: The main characters are children, and there are minor scenes that are inappropriate. I thought this was unnecessary. Fortunately, it does not happen often but I have to give it a lower rating because of it.

The anime ends at the end of a story arc, but there will be an upcoming movie that covers the next arc of the manga.

Rating: 8.5/10