Happy Birthday to Me! Year Two!

Posted on January 1, 2013 by draggle

This blog is now two years old. I can’t believe I stuck with it this long. No plans to stop anytime soon either.

Useless Statistics

Last Year:

43,500 Visitors
~350 Visitors per Day (at end of year)
~60 RSS Subscribers
1738 Comments
437 Posts
- 262 Episodic Posts
- 61 First Impressions
- 78 Reviews

This Year:

210,000 Visitors
~700 Visitors per Day (at end of year)
~155 RSS Subscribers
3947 Comments
456 Posts
- 241 Episodic Posts
- 95 First Impressions
- 60 Reviews

If success can be quantified, I think we’re succeeding. Continue reading →

The Big Question: Guilty Crown vs. Sword Art Online vs. Who is Imouto

Posted on December 31, 2012 by draggle

2012 was filled with unforgettable anime of dubious quality, most notably Guilty Crown, Sword Art Online, and Who is Imouto.

It’s hard to say which of the three was better or worse, and I’m not sure such a comparison holds much value. So I’m going to ask a simpler question: which show did you find the most entertaining this year? Which made you so absorbed you couldn’t tear your eyes away from the screen? It could be because of the huge number of severed limbs, the siscon mindfuckery, the thinly concealed sexual innuendo, or any other criteria of your choosing.

If the winner gets at least a hundred votes, I will write a review giving it the high rating it deserves and explaining why it is a quality show, in the vein of my praises of Queen’s Blade: Rebellion.

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Draggle Invades Europe de geso~~~

Posted on November 28, 2012 by draggle

I bought tickets to go to Europe next Friday. This has nothing at all to do with anime, aside from the fact that I will not be keeping up with current shows for a couple weeks while I’m gone.

I’m starting in Zurich and ending in Stockholm two weeks later (I have friends in both cities). But I have no idea where I’m going to go in between! This is pretty exciting, since I can go anywhere and do anything I want.

So: where should I go? I’m going to be taking the train. My rough plan is I’ll pass through Prague, Berlin and Copenhagen on the way to Stockholm. My friend from Stockholm may meet me in Berlin. But any of this could be changed.

To all my European readers, I’d be happy to meet with you if you live somewhere along the way. So convince me to come where you live! Or if anyone has experience travelling in this area, tell me what I should go see! Thanks in advance.

What Should I Blog? (Fall 2012)

Posted on October 17, 2012 by draggle

What should I blog this season? I asked this question last season, and you guys chose Sword Art Online. That worked out pretty well, although perhaps not for the reasons everyone expected. So, what should I blog this season? Pick up to four.

What shows should I blog this fall? (pick up to four)

PSYCHO PASS (45%, 45 Votes)
Zetsuen no Tempest (30%, 30 Votes)
Shin Sekai Yori (30%, 30 Votes)
Robotics; Notes (29%, 29 Votes)
Chuunibyou Demo Koi ga Shitai (28%, 28 Votes)
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (26%, 26 Votes)
Magi (25%, 25 Votes)
K (24%, 24 Votes)
Jo Jo's Bizarre Adventure (21%, 21 Votes)
BTOOM! (21%, 21 Votes)
Little Busters! (17%, 17 Votes)
Girls und Panzer (17%, 17 Votes)

Total Voters: 100

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In the end, I’ll blog whatever I feel like based on the second episodes, but this gives me a feel for what people are interested in. I’ll choose four or possibly five shows to blog in addition to Sword Art Online. I’ve prefiltered the list to only include shows I’d consider blogging in the first place.

Fetal Anime Syndrome in Clannad

Posted on August 24, 2012 by draggle

I recently read redball’s excellent post on Clannad. An excerpt and critical image:

I have the distinct pleasure of reviewing a strange story of tolerance and acceptance of those with disabilities. It is set in a town with an excellent program for the multiply handicapped and follows a protagonist who is one of the less disadvantaged students. As the story progresses we are shown the humanity of these children and we learn that the golden rule still applies – even to the handicapped… I am, of course, reviewing the 2007 – 2008 Key series, Clannad.

The article is an excellent setup, go read it. But I was disappointed that redball never got to the punchline I had been eagerly anticipating since reading the title! I’ll help him out:

Two visual novels explore themes of overcoming disabilities and can change a 14-year old boy’s life forever: Clannad and Katawa Shoujo. One is a misogynistic fantasy about a sex-starved boy knocking up defenseless disabled girls at a school for those with special needs. The other is an eroge.