My Stand on Manga and Anime Controversies

I got the idea for this post from Aria, who got it from another blogger, who got it from other bloggers.

Since this is similar to my How Do You Watch Anime? post, I thought it would be cool to do!

Anime vs. Manga

According to my AniList, the total number of anime I’ve watched and manga I’ve read are almost the same. I read manga that do not have anime adaptations. If an anime for a manga series exists, I prefer watching the anime. So my answer is… both.

Subs vs. Dubs

Subs.

Vintage vs. Modern

I prefer modern. I also watch airing shows every season, so this has to do with it. I’ve found that I have a hard time sitting through older anime (pre-2000s) but anime from 2000-2010 is fine.

Moe vs. Realistic

How realistic are we talking about? I’m watching the airing donghua, Scumbag System, right now and I was initially turned away by the CGI. However, the show is great and I recommend it. It took no time at all to get used to it but I still prefer something less realistic than this.

Considering the fact that seinen is one of my favourite anime genres, I’ll go with realistic. Think of Parasyte, Inuyashiki, and Rainbow.

Light vs. Dark

Dark. I like anime that will make me feel empty afterward. (For more context, see my post, The Void.) Terror in Resonance, Parasyte, and Rainbow are a few of my favourite shows.

I watch light-hearted anime too but it doesn’t give me the same amount of feeling I get with dark shows.

Continuous vs. Episodic Plot

It depends. I prefer continuous plot most of the time but some shows are better suited for episodic plot. I lost a bit of interest in Millionaire Detective Balance: Unlimited when they switched it from episodic to continuous in the latter part of the show. I know that I wasn’t the only one that felt that.

On the other hand, The Case Files of Jeweler Richard and Great Pretender (This one follows a 3 episode per arc format) did it wonderfully. The final arc of both series were longer than the beginning arcs but I never lost interest. In fact, my interest for Jeweler Richard grew when it reached the final arc.

While 95% of the shows I watch have a continuous plot, the episodic plot is nice for certain anime. The most obvious one that comes to mind is Detective Conan. I prefer the cases that are one episode in length, rather than two or three episode ones.

Series vs. Films vs. Shorts

Series. Watching movies is fun at the theatres but I’ll probably only watch a movie at home if the movie is a continuation of a show I like. The same goes for shorts.

Spoilers

I don’t have a spoiler-free policy. I don’t write that many spoilers to begin with, but sometimes I actively look for spoilers when I read other people’s blogs. As long as there is a warning, it is fine.

Weekly Watch vs. Marathon

Weekly watch. I don’t really have the patience to wait until an airing show is complete. Plus, I would rather watch as it is airing and know what everyone else is talking about.

When it comes to long series like One Piece, I prefer marathon.

Watching Alone vs. Group Watching

Both. I’ve watched shows in groups and really enjoyed it. The downside is that it takes a lot longer to finish because everyone has to be free at the same time. When I am alone, I can just binge it.

I watch most shows alone but watching in groups is nice once in a while.

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Hm, I’m not sure if any of this is controversial but I might do an unpopular anime opinion post. I think that would be more controversial, hahaha.

That Anime That Will Always Have a Special Place in Your Heart

Well, there are a few anime that are special to me. One of them is Death Note. Another one is Vampire Knight. I got into Vampire Knight in 2009, when I was 12 years old. It was also the first manga I bought. I’ve watched the anime and read all of the manga.

I will never watch or read Vampire Knight again. I rarely rewatch anything to begin with (Click here for more context) but I just don’t think I will enjoy rewatching/rereading it. It’s also because I hate Yuki Cross, the female lead.

Even so, this series has a special place for me. Because I didn’t like Yuki, I’ve read a ton of fanfiction where Yuki was a minor character.

I still love the art style of the manga. Toga Yagari and the entire Night class are so attractive, especially Kaname Kuran. The opening and ending songs are still amazing and the soundtrack is really good.

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Do you have an anime that has a special place in your heart? Let me know in the comments!

Books and Outfits

I decided to take part in the books and outfits challenge. This is not a cosplay, but my interpretation of an outfit suitable for One Piece. It is very simple and of course, I’m wearing Luffy’s straw hat.

In Defence of Kaiji

I read a blog post about Kaiji and the person wrote that Kaiji is an evil series that promotes sin and a bunch of other things. Yes, the characters lie and betray one another for personal gain and greed. Yes, some characters have died or are subject to inhumane human labour. Yes, some characters have lost limbs as a result of losing a gamble. Does the manga promote crime and murder though? I fail to see it.

It’s a work of fiction. Am I as a reader going to go and start deceiving people for my personal gain because I’ve read this series? Of course not. What I got from the manga is an intense and exciting reading experience. Most of the time, you read manga for entertainment. Am I a bad person for reading this series because some characters have died and other characters are in terrible life situations? What series doesn’t have something like this.

Kaiji Itou is a man thrown into unfortunate circumstances. He’s not particularly smart like Akagi, for example, and sometimes loses his gambles. What strikes me about him is his perseverance and desire to overcome his obstacles. This is why many people became interested in the series. I am caught up on the manga and do not think that this has changed. Kaiji still has obstacles he needs to overcome but he has been vigilant and cautious in Part 6 of the manga.

At least in my experience, I feel motivated after reading Kaiji. Seeing Kaiji so determined makes me want to do something. This “something” can be as simple as getting out of bed. Sometimes I look at my life and think, what would Kaiji do? He wouldn’t give up like this. There are many inspirational quotes in Kaiji.

As for the Tonegawa series and comedy spin offs, I think they are fine as long as they are separate from the Kaiji manga (and they are). I’ve read the spin-off manga and watched the spin-off anime. I know that spin-off Tonegawa is not the same person as Tonegawa in the Kaiji series. That being said, spin-off Tonegawa does not change how I view Tonegawa in the Kaiji series. Tonegawa is a separate series and should be seen as such.

Death Note: Special One-Shot 2020 Review

Death Note is one of my favourite anime and has been one of my favourites since I was in elementary school. A new one-shot was recently released. It takes place after the events of the series. Spoilers ahead, read at your own risk!

Thoughts: I thought that the idea of selling a Death Note was interesting, especially to governments across the globe. Not everyone is as righteous as Light Yagami. Some people are more concerned with money, this is reality. It was cool to see Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Shinzo Abe in manga. This made the reading experience feel more relevant to real life.

It was interesting that Trump was the one who ended up purchasing the Death Note. The payment method was also interesting. With so many people in that region, it would be nearly impossible to track down the seller. The seller had calculated that he would forget his memories of the Death Note so that he could spend his money worry-free. This would also make it difficult for the investigation team to track the seller. 

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Another interesting thing is that Kira is taught in schools and is mentioned in books. He left a legacy, but it seems like everyone is taught that he was evil. 

Another interesting thing is what Ryuk said about the changing times. He said that if Light did all the stuff he did, there is a higher chance that he would be caught now because of advancements in technology. Even posting things on the Internet is a lot more challenging. If Light picked up a Death Note in 2020, I wonder how he would utilize it and make his presence known to the world. 

I expected more engagement from the investigation team. They were nowhere to be seen when Ryuk met up with Trump. If I recall correctly, the investigation team worked for the government. They were powerless in this one-shot, which was disappointing. 

Another disappointing thing was the addition of new rules. It deviated too far from the original.

In the end, Ryuk kills off Minoru Tanaka. This was expected. I think Minoru was quite optimistic to think that he could sell the Death Note and carry on with his life like nothing happened. I don’t think his death was surprising at all. 

It is important to remember that this is a one-shot. Of the Death Note one-shots I have read, I definitely enjoyed this one of the most. There are page limits in one-shots; only so much can happen in 80-something pages. Despite a couple of disappointing things about this one, it gave me more things to think about. Honestly, I’m just happy that the original creators posted something Death Note related again. This is a series that people will never lose interest in. People will always come back to Death Note because it has that kind of impact on you. These are my personal feelings about this series. 

You can read the Death Note One-Shot for free here.

Tsundoku 積ん読

I was reading Kaiji Part 6, 賭博堕天録カイジ 24億脱出編 and these pages stood out to me.

Basically, Kurosaki owns a campervan that he hasn’t used. He tells Endo his dream of travelling all over Japan in his campervan. He has a pile of books he hasn’t read and plans to read them. Endo thinks that if Kurosaki hasn’t read a short 200-page book yet, then it won’t happen. Endo also thinks that this is all a fantasy; that Kurosaki will be bored of this kind of life in less than a month.

This made me think. I also have a pile of books I haven’t read yet. I keep buying books with the intention of reading them but I buy books faster than I can read them. There is a Japanese word for it and it’s “tsundoku.” Endo’s line, “Maybe you’re not even suited to reading books in the first place?” felt like it was calling me out on a personal level. I’ve probably read over 10,000 chapters of manga but when it comes to novels, maybe I’m too optimistic.

Sometimes I think about throwing my phone in a river and living in a cottage. I think about it again then realize that I would be bored in less than a day. I long for a simple life, but I think I secretly crave for something much more chaotic.

This is the kind of person I am.

A Love Letter to One Piece

Dear One Piece,

I admit that I did not like you when I was in elementary school. I was turned away by the art style but in my second year of university, I gave you another chance. It was completely a spontaneous decision, but it’s one of the best spontaneous decisions I’ve made.

I also believe that I did not have the maturity to understand some of the themes at a younger age. I would not have appreciated the series to the fullest extent. Some people think that anime is only for children. That is an unfortunate misconception.

While the 900+ episode count may be intimidating, I do not have to worry about “missing” the series. One Piece is always there for you when you are feeling down or bored. I’ve spent many hours watching One Piece. I had a lot of free time. Not so much now because I’m always working, but all those hours watching One Piece were well spent. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ve learned so much from watching One Piece. I would love to travel, like the pirates in One Piece. I’ll work hard so that I will be able to do that. ^^

I dislike rewatching things. One Piece, however, is an exception due to how long it is. Eiichiro Oda is phenomenal at telling stories. It taught me what friendships can look like. I’ve cried numerous times and laughed so hard that my stomach hurt. Some days I feel nothing. I’ve felt everything at once when I watched One Piece.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you One Piece. Thank you Eiirchiro Oda and staff for creating such an exceptional series.

Sincerely,

Rose

Related post:

My Love for One Piece

Buraiden Gai – Suffering Originates from Desire?

Buraiden Gai is a short manga by Nobuyuki Fukumoto. Fukomoto is well-known for creating Kaiji and Akagi. It’s a really interesting and intense manga. I recommend checking it out! One page in particular stuck out to me and it was about desire (Remember to read right to left).

This page reminded me of the following quote by Edgar Allan Poe:

“All suffering originates from craving, from attachment, from desire.” — Edgar Allan Poe

What do you guys think?? Do you agree with this notion or the quote? It makes sense to me, but I would love to hear what other people think. This makes me feel negative because of the bottom panel that says, “There’s only a few people who do achieve their dreams … the world has more people who failed.” Is this even true? At the same time, I feel relief from having a greater understanding about suffering.

I’ll leave you with this final quote from Buraiden Gai (Chapter 31)…

“Isn’t dream the same thing as desire?” — Nobuyuki Fukumoto

Deceiver’s Distrust in Psychological Anime & Manga

I was studying for an exam and the term, deceiver’s distrust, came up.

Deceiver’s distrust = When people lie to others, they often begin to perceive the recipients of the lies as less honest and trustworthy as a result.

I thought about it, and it does happen in a lot of psychological and gambling anime. Two examples of deceiver’s distrust in anime and manga are Kaiji and Liar Game. Deceiver’s distrust plays out often in these two series, but I’ll outline two specific scenarios. Spoilers ahead!

1. Kaiji: Ultimate Survivor

Kaiji is the best psychological anime I’ve seen. I highly recommend it. In a match against Middle Manager Tonegawa, Kaiji trusted Tonegawa. Tonegawa, who was cheating the entire match, believed that Kaiji had switched the cards for his own benefit. Because Kaiji trusted Tonegawa and because Tonegawa thought that Kaiji had switched the cards, he lost… bitterly.

2. Liar Game

Liar Game is a psychological manga. I highly recommend this series as well, but the ending was extremely disappointing. During the Contraband game, Nao and Akiyama promised to save everyone, even though it meant that they had to move onto the next round. Yokoya, who was secretly smuggling money into his own account, did not believe Nao and Akiyama’s good intentions. He called them losers, stupid, and foolish. Spoiler alert: he lost the match.

There are many more examples of deceiver’s distrust in anime and manga. Can you think of other examples? What about in real life? Perhaps believing that others are less honest and trustworthy reduces their own guilt. What do you think?

Update: October 2019

All of these pictures were posted on my Instagram, but I thought I would post them in a blog format.

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Can’t wait to read this book~

Thanks crew~

Katsu with soba~

My first Kaiji thing. It’s pretty much impossible to find anything from this anime in Canada… Thank you to my friend for the belated birthday gift! Those who watched Kaiji Season 2 will know about the dice… The ざわざわ wrapping paper OMG

Bought this Totoro mug cover

Mazesoba

Picked this up yesterday at the store

Shungiku Nakamura is one of my favourite mangaka ^^

Taiyaki~

Chirashi don~

Matcha ice cream

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Should I keep doing this kind of monthly update? Let me know. x)

🌸🌸🌸 Rose