Ano Natsu de Matteru — First Impression

Impressions,

This is another romantic comedy by the creator of Please Teacher! and Please Twins! And it’s much along the same lines.

These shows aren’t anything amazing, as, well, they are romantic comedies, after all. But still, they’re definitely some of the most solid romantic comedies. They know what they want to do, and do it well. Set up some romance, toss in a bit of drama, a hint of overcoming limitations, and a touch of nostalgia, and we’re good to go. Continue reading Ano Natsu de Matteru — First Impression →

Anime Carnival: What Makes an A+ Anime

Discussion,

du5k decided to hold a “blog carnival” among anime blogs, in which we all discuss the same topic for a week. The idea is that we’ll all publish a post on the topic today, discuss, other people will join in, and everyone will do a wrap-up post on the last day, January 15th.

So here’s the topic:

What makes an A+ anime?

The Answer

I could say that an A+ anime needs detailed and memorable characters. I could say it needs an interesting story. I could say it needs to entertain me. I could say it needs beautiful, fluid animation and an exquisite soundtrack. I could (and do) say it needs to revolutionize the way you view the world.

But all these “answers” simply raise more questions. What is a good character? What is a good story? What entertains me? In the end, we won’t be able to come to any set of criteria (much less objective criteria!) to define what an A+ anime is. So I can’t really say what makes an A+ anime.

But all is not lost. An A+ anime is much like obscenity. I may not be able to define it, but, in the words of Justice Stewart,

I know it when I see it.

Or equivalently, an A+ anime is

Simoun. Continue reading Anime Carnival: What Makes an A+ Anime →