The Week in Anime Winter 2015 #1 — Catholics, Incest and Forehead Flickings

Week in Anime,

I think I’m only going to stick with three shows this season. Instead of doing a fourth series, I will do a weekly Week in Anime post. Except this time, you know, actually do it. At least that’s the idea. It will be Wednesday. So if I don’t do it on Wednesday please yell at me.

I’m going to play around a bit with the format. Instead of a one liner for a ton of series, I’ll try to limit it to a few series and at least write a paragraph or so about each.

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Maria the Virgin Witch: Check out the excellent discussion on iblessall’s post on the anti-Catholicism in Maria. I wrote a lengthy comment there proposing that Maria is more along the lines of the common “You could call it… God! Let’s kill it!” with Catholicism awkwardly transplanted on top rather than being expressly anti-Catholic in the Western sense. Also, how did that little girl who probably hasn’t even had her first communion yet smuggle the consecrated host out of church… Continue reading The Week in Anime Winter 2015 #1 — Catholics, Incest and Forehead Flickings →

Yuri Kuma Arashi 03 — The Invisible Storm

Yuri Kuma Arashi,

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I’m… not entirely sure what’s going on with the main two bears. Now they’re actually trying to save Kureha? Or are they saving her so they can eat her themselves? Their testimony at the trial didn’t make any sense. Which I can only assume is intentional.

Otherwise, though, the symbolism seems to be playing out as I speculated last week. Continue reading Yuri Kuma Arashi 03 — The Invisible Storm →

Aldnoah Zero 14 — Slaine Still Sucks

Aldnoah Zero,

Now Slaine has Newtype powers. Next thing we know he’s going to be doing dropkicks across the room…

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Part of the reason I hate Slaine so much is, he’s kind of smart. But he’s smart with the small things and completely misses the big picture. He can understand how the Aldnoah create a society where the powerful control all, and compassionate enough to understand why that’s a problem and seek to change it. Even though the people he’s helping utterly despise him. But, to solve this problem, Slaine is happy to go to war with Earth, killing and displacing countless more people than even live on Mars in the first place. He can see the root of the problem on Mars, but is utterly blind to the fact that his “solution” is far worse.

Similar thing with the princess. He’s “in love” with the princess and whatnot, but he has no respect for her. He imprisons her, both literally and figuratively, and decides for her what is best for her, even if it actively goes against everything she believes in. He doesn’t respect her at all.

Which is why it’s interesting when the new princess comes in. Her stated goal is to steal everything that’s precious to her sister. But she doesn’t seem to know her sister well at all. If she were to steal Slaine from Asseylum, Asseylum would merely be happy for her. Same with her position as princess. I doubt, when it comes down to it, whether Asseylum really gives that big a fuck. If her sister did a good job at it, she’d be “eh, good luck!” Her personality doesn’t really allow this kind of vengeance scheme to succeed. Continue reading Aldnoah Zero 14 — Slaine Still Sucks →