Tag Archives: slice of life

The secret life of the otaku

Posted on May 29, 2010 by dengar

As I grow up, I don’t want to lose the things that were important to me as a kid. But I also want to address my shortcomings, have relationships, get a job, and (eventually) be an adult. I may not accomplish everything I want, but I won’t let the fear of failure deter me from trying in the first place. Continue reading →

Posted in Anime, Editorials | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

“Next time, let me see a Matsuri Special.”

Posted on May 11, 2010 by Celeste

Something about the transience of adolescence never fails to inspire. More often than not we wake up, 20, fully grown, and confused as to how we got there. For this reason, mangaka like Kamio Youko are a particularly rare breed. … Continue reading →

Posted in Manga, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

People with cold hands have warm hearts (Air Doll review)

Posted on April 6, 2010 by bateszi

Two years is a long time. Just two years ago, I’d seen very few Japanese live-action films, only to eventually realise that my interest in anime was linked to a broader fascination with the whole spectrum of Japanese art; what … Continue reading →

Posted in Live action, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Bitter sweet school days; All About Lily Chou-Chou

Posted on August 14, 2008 by bateszi

Back in June, I reviewed a Japanese live action film called Linda Linda Linda. It was a great movie, so great, in fact, that it encouraged me to dig deeply into the depths of Japanese cinema. Since then, I’ve been … Continue reading →

Posted in Live action, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 18 Comments

Linda Linda Linda; slice of life done good

Posted on June 23, 2008 by bateszi

While I’m fairly confident that I’ve built up some decent knowledge of anime over the past few years, I can’t say the same for Japanese live action. Sure, I’ve watched many of the cult classics; Audition, Azumi, Battle Royale, Ringu, … Continue reading →

Posted in Live action, Reviews | Tagged , , , | 27 Comments

Don’t cry… it was Only Yesterday

Posted on November 20, 2007 by bateszi

In a very profound way, our memories define who we are; their sudden recollection can be empowering or haunting, yet we can’t control what we remember or the sudden feelings they conjure inside. The emotions we feel at these times, … Continue reading →

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“If I told you that I came from the future, would you laugh?” Review of The Girl Who Leapt Through Time

Posted on August 27, 2007 by bateszi

If a good movie is hard to come by, surely a good anime movie is like one in a million; what a relief then, because for now, my long search is over – The Girl Who Leapt Through Time is … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 20 Comments

Hataraki Man – Entering the hard boiled wonderland

Posted on April 11, 2007 by bateszi

While the spring season blossoms with new anime, I’m still frozen in winter wonderland with Hataraki Man. This is another show that, for whatever superficial reasoning, I had managed to avoid until this past weekend. Fate conspired to bring us … Continue reading →

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Nodame Cantabile – Big fluffy clouds and endless blue sky

Posted on February 11, 2007 by bateszi

Honey & Clover was a great show, and a cherished, personal favourite of mine. That was what first attracted me to Nodame Cantabile. They share the same animation studio, director and character designer; a.k.a winning formula. I’m trying to emphasize … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the NHK [END] – And so dies the NEET

Posted on December 24, 2006 by bateszi

It was cute to see NHK end with a role reversal between Misaki and Satou – there are big differences between a lazy hikkimori and having a genuinely mixed up life. In spite of his personal problems Satou was always … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Welcome to the NHK! – (Never) Learning to Fly

Posted on November 21, 2006 by bateszi

Having just finished watching episode 19, this must be the first time I’ve left off Welcome to the NHK feeling happy! It was fantastic to see a smiling Torotoro-san biking around and about the streets of Tokyo; you can see … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the NHK! – 17 – The pyramid scheme of dreams

Posted on November 7, 2006 by bateszi

Just once I’d like to see Satou out smart someone. Now I know that he is a hikkimori with zero self confidence, but by the end of this episode – in which he is heartlessly conned out of precious rent … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the NHK! – 16 – The Ultimate NEET

Posted on October 30, 2006 by bateszi

There was always going to be a twist behind the real world identity of Mia. “She” was too perfect, Satou loved her too much, and NHK! isn’t about Satou being in love. I certainly didn’t see it being Yamazaki though … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the NHK! – 14 to 15 – MMORPGs destroy lives… mmmk?

Posted on October 21, 2006 by bateszi

The relentless waves of depression continue unabated with these two episodes as Satou (hardly recovered from his suicidal exploits) stupidly falls foul to the life sucking world of MMORPGs. These highly addictive and never ending online games are undoubtedly one … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the NHK! – 13 – In a word, depressing

Posted on October 7, 2006 by bateszi

For some odd reason, I was expecting Satou to be the hero of this episode, but today I doubt he will ever be a hero – just like Yamazaki says, people “like him” aren’t suited to dramatic ends. In a … Continue reading →

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Honey & Clover II – Wallowing in the aftermath

Posted on October 2, 2006 by bateszi

It was always going to be one of those dreaded moments when Honey & Clover finally finished up – an empty feeling, my mind swirling in miscellaneous doubt and irritating confusion. What do I watch now? I had my ups … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the NHK! – Anime or manga? Yawn

Posted on September 27, 2006 by bateszi

Anime or manga, one is inevitably better than the other – whether it’s just another case of elitism or not, you can always bet on the jumped up manga fans hating the anime adaptations of their favourite stories. This is … Continue reading →

Posted in Editorials | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Welcome to the NHK! – 9 – Sparkling festival fireworks

Posted on September 13, 2006 by bateszi

An unusually positive and uplifting instalment of NHK!, I wasn’t planning on commenting on this episode but the sparkling festival fireworks always get me. So bright, so beautiful, so romantic. Even Yamazaki gets some lovin’. This is so far the … Continue reading →

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