Tuesday’s Top 5: Males with Silver Hair

Posted on by Karandi

Here’s the list of my top 5 male anime characters with silver hair. I’m going to admit, this was a far harder list to put together than the female one. There are so many silver haired males out there that I wanted to include. Plus, splitting the one and two spot this week was all but impossible so I finally went with overall good looks which means I now feel really bad about number 2. Anyway, my primary criteria, other than having silver, white or gray hair, was that they are an interesting character that I enjoy watching. Still, this one was really difficult. I’d love to know who you would have included so please leave me a comment.

Also, next week I have a Top 5 list suggested by Kendra Ressler who is one of my patrons. As part of their reward tier they get to suggest three post topics in a year and this is their first one and it is focussed on My Hero Academia. I’m really looking forward to writing it and even though the post will come out after I’ve gone on break, I’m hoping everyone will enjoy it. Thanks to Kendra for the great suggestion.

Please Note – There are spoilers below. You have been warned.

Honourable mentions go to Undertaker (Black Butler), Tomoi (Kamisama Kiss) and Lag Seeing (Letter Bee).

Number 5: Hitsugaya from Bleach

 

 

It feels kind of wrong for Hitsugaya to be so low on this list given I absolutely love him as a character but when I thought about why I liked him, his hair doesn’t feature very high. his attitude, his sword, his eyes and his very cool ice power featured heavily, but his hair style and colour were more of a side note. Still, Hitsugaya is an amazing character so I’m glad he didn’t fall off the list altogether.

Number 4: Zero from Vampire Knight

 

 

As much as I do tend to mock Vampire Knight and its storyline, I have to admit Kiryuu Zero is a really fun character to watch. That’s probably slightly mean to say given most of what you are watching is his descent into depression as the vampire hunter transforms into a vampire and feels incredible guilt over sucking the blood of his crush but I just enjoy him as a character. As for his hair colour, other than providing a strong contrast with the other love interest, I really couldn’t imagine Zero with any other colour. He always seems a little washed out and detached from the world and his hair kind of helps give that impression.

Number 3: Weismann from K

 

 

This issue with Weismann is that we see so very little of him. Flashbacks are all well and good but given his body is snatched before the events of the first episode of K, we really don’t see much of him. That said, his silver hair, given he’s the silver king and all, is kind of important and I really enjoy his character (what little we see of it). Brilliant and detached with a slightly off-beat sense of humour, he remains an enigma even after he regains his memories and I absolutely love every moment of screen time he gets.

Number 2: Allen Walker from D Gray Man

 

 

I know. I can’t believe Allen isn’t number 1 on this list either. Much like Zero, Allen is a pretty tragic character to watch and I can’t get enough of it. He’s one of my favourite characters of all time. Want a strong and loyal character who will literally fight to the death and even beyond for what he believes to be right but isn’t exactly a saint? Then Allen will entertain you for hours (and hours and hours given the run time of the show now). Though I definitely have a preference for his character design in the original series rather than Hallow (too colourful in Hallow).

Number 1: Victor from Yuri on Ice

 

 

I did warn you at the beginning I split 1 and 2 by overall looks and as much as I love Allen as a character, Victor is pretty impressively charming. I think it was the fact that for once there was an anime character who was actually in his late twenties that was being treated as desirable by pretty much everyone rather than as an old man (typical of high school anime) that really got me focussed on his character. Then, of course, there’s his talent, charisma, and developing relationship with Yuri, and all and all I really did fall in love with his character during Yuri on Ice – even if I know that in reality his personality would drive me completely crazy.

So there is my list of silver haired anime males. Who would you include on yours?

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Females with Silver Hair

Posted on by Karandi

Okay, I’ve already covered blonde, red and blue hair so today I am tackling silver hair (though I won’t argue if you want to tell me some of these characters have white or gray hair). Next week I’ll share me list of the guys with silver hair and I had a lot more fun with that list but there are still some great female anime characters with silver hair to be found. My final decision this week came down to characters that had silver hair that I found to be kind of adorable on a character I found to be interesting. As such it is entirely subjective and I’d love to know who you would have included on your list.

Please Note – There are spoilers below. You have been warned.

Honourable mentions to Villetta Nu (Code Geass) and Eucliwood (Is This a Zombie).

Number 5: Anju from Karin, Chibi Vampire

Anju1.jpg

Anju is arguably the most interesting character from Karin despite how little she talks. A great deal of the plot is pushed forward by her small moments of interference or her suggestions to other characters. She sits in the background a lot but she is very motivated and driven. What I like the most about her is that despite the fact that she is very attached to her sister, she isn’t trying to hold her sister back but is really trying to push Karin into a life of her own. It is refreshing to see a sister complex that results in actually helping the object of your affection rather than trying to control them. All and all, I really liked Anju as a character and episodes that had more of an Anju focus were very enjoyable.

Number 4: Togame from Katanagatari

Togame is a fascinating character and her journey throughout Katanagatari with Shichika is adorable. Her hair plays a fairly critical role in the development of their relationship early on and later in the series gets cut, so not only is her hair beautiful but it also has a purpose in the plot (though I will admit it is probably more white than silver).

Number 3: Sylvette Suede from Letter Bee

I haven’t got around to a review of this show yet but it is adorable from start to finish and Sylvette is one of my favourite characters. She’s the sister of a missing letter carrier and has a strikingly similar appearance and colouring. Throughout the show she develops a close relationship with the main character as he goes on his journey. She’s wheelchair bound and her cooking is fairly toxic but she’s most definitely the most resilient character in the show and the one who regardless of circumstances knows that they have to keep moving forward in whatever way they can. Utterly adorable character and the heart of the show for a lot of the characters.

Number 2: Kanade from Angel Beats

Kanade is just adorable. Even when Angel Beats first started and she was set up as the antagonist, I loved her character from the opening as she played the piano. As the story developed, we found out she was just kind of dreadful at communicating and she was actually trying to help everyone move on. She’s just such a sweet character and I really wanted her to be happy at the end of the series, which is why I always end up in tears pre-final credits and then smiling like an idiot post-final credits.

Number 1: Yin from Darker Than Black

So what beats Kanade? An emotionless doll who actually has more agency than it first appears, apparently. Yin is undoubtably my favourite character on this list. While early in the series, she really is just a doll, as the story progresses you see more and more often the small things she does because she wishes to and the way she builds her relationship with Hei. She’s a crucial part of the team and the only reason Hei managed to succeed at anything, so really should get the title of most valuable player for Darker Than Black. Plus, she’s just beautiful.

Alright, that’s my list of silver hair female characters. Who would you have included on yours?

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Anime With A Colour in the Title

Posted on by Karandi

This week’s list is a bit strange but I started wondering about how many anime actually used colours as part of their title and that took me down a meandering mental path that I won’t bore you with but the end result was this list. Essentially my favourite 5 anime that use any colour in the title. Now, to simplify things, I went with the English name of the anime (assuming they have one). Otherwise, my only other real consideration other than enjoyment was that the colour actually served some significant point in the story (symbolic or literal) and wasn’t just a random word thrown into the title. That, and I tried to avoid multiple titles with the same colour but that gave me a real headache trying to decide between Black Butler and Darker Than Black.

I’d love to know your favourite anime that uses a colour in the title so feel free to comment below.

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable Mentions: Red Data Girl and Black Butler (sorry Sebastian, but I just couldn’t pass over Darker Than Black on the list).

Number 5: Blue Spring Ride

Blue.png

While I’m not a hopeless romantic I really did enjoy this story. The main character is kind of pitiful at the beginning as she endeavors to fit in by essentially denying her own character and then she kind of gets crushed when she reveals herself and is rejected, but the slow build-up from that low point is kind of sweet and the romantic element of the show is kind of adorable. Plus, when deciding between this or Blue Exorcist for the list (which were the two blue titles I narrowed it down to), Blue Exorcist just didn’t seem to have enough of a reason for the name other than the whole blue flame thing (though there might be some deeper reason I just overlooked).

Number 4: Golden Time

banri and koko

It might be hard to claim I’m not a hopeless romantic with some of the titles on this list, but I loved Golden Time. Banri was great as the lead and I liked that even though he was kind of the every guy he wasn’t a complete push over. He did break up with Koko when he realised she was using him, which actually slapped some sense into her (metaphorically) and allowed their relationship to progress more naturally after that point. Okay, he is a convenient amnesiac and the story doesn’t really work if you start applying too much logic to it (and what about Linda), but that doesn’t stop it being really kind of sweet.

Number 3: Snow White with the Red Hair

snow_white_red_hair_cast_characters_summer_2015_anime_bentobyte

Okay, I like romance and romance apparently is full of anime with coloured titles. Besides, you had to know this one was coming on the list and it takes out two colours simultaneously, so points for being an over-achiever. Zen and Shirayuki are quite possibly my favourite anime couple ever. Basically, this one is adorable from start to finish and I’m completely in love with this anime which means the two anime coming are ones I am even more insanely in love with for various reasons and despite their flaws.

Number 2: Darker Than Black

darker3

As might have been obvious from my choice of this anime for my 100th review, I really love Darker Than Black. It is one of those anime I never get enough of rewatching. There are some cool characters with awesome powers and a storyline that makes you think (just don’t over think it because it won’t hold up to the scrutiny) and it is fun. The other thing I love about this anime is that it appeals to non-anime fans and I’ve managed to convince quite a number of people to watch it with me over the years given there are minimal moments where you have to use the “it’s anime” excuse for something on the screen. Considering all the other anime out there with black in the title, this should have been a hard decision but Darker Than Black is not just one of my favourite anime with a colour in the title, it is one of my favourite anime of all time.

Number 1: D Gray Man

Allan

But what beats Darker Than Black? Allan Walker and one of the most misery inducing stories I’ve ever watched and loved every single minute of. D Gray Man ran for 103 episodes before leaving us mid-narrative, completely stranded. The story returned in D Gray Man Hallow with new character designs and a brighter colour scheme in general but it just continued on as if 8 years hadn’t passed. And then it was only 13 episodes and gone again barely progressing the plot. Despite all of that and everything this show has done to drive me away, I’m still in love with this story. Partially, it is because I watched it when I hadn’t seen such a huge amount of anime but mostly it is because of what the show puts Allan Walker through and how he responds to it. He isn’t the happy-go-lucky protagonist who occasionally snaps. He isn’t a shouter. He isn’t a calm and collected genius. Nor is he simply a crazy berserker. Allan is a person in every way and a person who has been through some of the worst experiences imaginable and somehow is still mostly nice but has an undeniable dark streak (just try playing cards with him to see that in action). Following Allan, I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve stared in stunned shock at the screen, I’ve yelled at him, I’ve supported him, and to be honest he is a character that I will never get over. The show has its rough edges and doesn’t appeal to everyone, but it is most definitely one of my favourite anime ever.

So there’s my list. What would have included on yours?

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Girls in a Shonen Anime

Posted on by Karandi

I was inspired to write this list after watching My Hero Academia episode 22 on the weekend and then seeing this tweet:

Tweet - Shonen.JPG

It got me thinking about all the female characters in shonen anime and how usually they get sidelined or end up in support roles (healer, archer, etc). So I started thinking about my favourite female characters in these shows who defy the odds and actual get to be a front line fighter (even if only in the lead ups to final battles where the male protagonist of course steals back the show – it is shonen afterall). My other criteria for a spot on the list was I actually had to like them as a character. Just being a crazy fighter didn’t quite cut it if I couldn’t stand them whenever they were on screen.

Anyway, this is my list and I’d love for you to tell me who you would have included on yours.

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable Mentions: Mikasa from Attack on Titan and Morgiana from Magi.

Number 5: Lenalee from D Gray Man

I really wondered about Lenalee and whether to include her or not. Mikasa was looking fairly tempting given she’s undeniably a better fighter, but Lenalee wins in terms of mostly having an actual personality other than save Eren. So what makes Lenalee awesome? During the early half of D Gray Man, she’s a very active fighter. She shows Allan the ropes of being part of the order and she holds her own in some pretty horrific fights. The first battle Lenalee and Allan have against Road Camelot takes a massive toll on both Lenalee and Allan but Lenalee is in that fight all the way. The second half of the original 103 episodes Lenalee gets a couple of exceedingly cool moments with a fight that literally destroys her innocence and ends up encasing her in crystal. She’s pretty much out of active combat at that point until we get to the final battle of that particular run of episodes where Lenalee’s innocence evolves and she gets a brand new power up just in time to help Allan win the fight. Admittedly though, you are just as often going to see Lenalee serving various characters cups of tea.

Number 4: Rukia from Bleach

Rukia is another strong female character that suffers from having her power broken/stolen/whatever in order to allow the male character a chance to actual grow and catch up. It would be lovely if we could just a female character strong and not need to be crippled for a good chunk of the plot for narrative convenience but apparently that is asking for a little too much (back to Mikasa, she hasn’t been crippled physically but emotionally she’s pretty stunted). Anyway, Rukia doesn’t get to show us how amazing she is for pretty much the entire first three seasons given Ichigo takes her power at the end of episode 1. Still, if you make it past that point, when Rukia comes back into the show you see the very capable shinigami that she is and her sword definitely does have one of the prettiest attacks in the show, if freezing your enemies solid can be considered pretty. What I really like about Rukia is her versatility. She uses her sword but she also uses a range of other attacks and thinks through her fights.

Number 3: Uraraka from My Hero Academia

Okay, one tournament fight does not make her an awesome fighter but seriously, Uraraka has been hanging in there right from the beginning. Despite a pretty timid personality she has stepped up to every challenge so far. She’s also a nice person. We’ve recently learned how fierce her desire to be a hero is and yet she still tried to give away her spot to Midoriya after the entrance exam. That’s a pretty impressive move for someone who is desperate to succeed. However, nice or not, hanging in there through every challenge including villains attacking the school, none of that is the reason for her place on the list. That one tournament fight is enough to show us that this girl is deadly serious about becoming a hero one day. She may not be there yet but her tenacity, skill, and focus were amazing and this girl really needs more attention on her.

Number 2: Akari from Hitsugi no Chaika

This one might be a weird choice and I will admit her weird brother focus does kind of make her a weird character at times, but Akari is fantastic. As a saboteur she’s got a fair range of skills at her disposal. I know most of the focus is on Toru, but Akari is in pretty much every fight and the majority of them wouldn’t have succeeded without her presence given the two siblings plan and one acts as bait or a distraction while the other usually either sets up the trap or pulls off whatever goal they are currently working towards. Also, there are two occasions where Akari turns on Toru (once for fun and once after brain washing). Both times, Akari pushes Toru hard. If you think Akari is just there for comic relief or rival love interest, think again. She’s a cold fighter and you better not be her opponent.

Number 1: Maka from Soul Eater

Okay, this was a given from the get go. Maka is not only an awesome fighter, hard worker, and academic, she’s also one of the few girls on the list who doesn’t lose her powers midway through a series and gets to be the main character and doesn’t lose out to the main guy in the show. Admittedly, she does go a little mad during one of the story arcs, but crazy Maka is kind of fun too (and a significantly stronger fighter due to a lack of care for personal safety). Actually, Soul Eater gets a double hit here because I’d love to also add Tsuabaki (Black Star’s weapon) to the list. She doesn’t get the spot light much but when she does, she really shines (plus she deserves a medal for putting up with Black Star).

Tsubaki.gif

So that’s my list this week with my top 5 girls in shonen anime (okay, technically 6). I’d love to know who would have been on your list and which girls stand out to you.

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Fight Sequences

Posted on by Karandi

I thought this list would be pretty easy but then I ended up with a short list so long I couldn’t even begin to figure out where to go from there so I’ve narrowed the field. This is my choice of top 5 fight sequences that involve a blade of some description. So magic fights, gun fights, hand to hand fights, and random other weapons are being ruled out before this list even begins (though if one person in the fight is using a blade, I’ve kept it in the running even if the opponent isn’t). I’ll have to go back and do a list of fights that involve some of those at some point but that’s not today. Pretty much what I am looking for in a fight sequence is that it looks good, is entertaining, and serves some purpose in the overall story.

As always, I’d love to know what you would include on your list so please feel free to leave a comment below.

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions this week go to Angel Beats (Yurippe vs Tenshi) and Attack on Titan (pretty much any time Levi is actually fighting).

Number 5: Higurashi (Rena vs Keiichi)

For an anime about school children, Higuarshi regularly get’s quite dark. However, there aren’t all that many direct fights as the characters are more prone to acts of torture, drugging opponents, setting traps, and generally go about things in a less direct but still fairly lethal manner. That’s kind of what makes the fight between Rena and Keiichi on the rooftop of the school extraordinary. It is one of the few stand up fights of the series and is an excellent way for the first season to draw to a close. Now I’ll be the first to admit, Higurashi is not a good anime to look at. Characters are off model a lot and the animation is awkward at times. That didn’t interfere with this fight being very cool to watch as it really brought out the characters, addressed some of the ongoing questions about what was going on, and it certainly had high stakes given the situation they were in. All and all, this fight was a great mid-way point in Higurashi’s ongoing story and one I thoroughly enjoy watching.

Number 4: Sword Art Online (Kirito vs The Gleam Eyes)

As much as people like to criticise SAO, I really enjoy it and one of the fights I never get enough of is Kirito vs The Gleam Eyes. Partly its the impossible situation the characters are in. Neither Asuna nor Kirito were looking for a boss fight and it was only because the other group of morons trudged into a boss room unprepared that they get involved at all. partly its because we finally see Kirito use the dual welding skill and the sword that he had made. But a lot of the reason I like this fight is it is just fun and dramatic to watch. Okay, we know Kirito is going to win the fight from the beginning, but that does not take away from the way this sequence builds excitement and tension. Although, from a visual point of view they really do get a bit excessive with the light show at times and I’m guessing if you look at fights for actual technique this one probably won’t do much for you. Mind you, a lot of the credit has to go to the music in this scene. They really nailed it.

Number 3: Soul Eater (Maka vs Jack the Ripper)

The very first episode of Soul Eater delivers one of the best fight sequences I had ever watched (when I first saw the episode). It was the reason I fell in love with the series and Maka as a character. She’s cool, confident, and she is rocking that scythe. Anyway, if you’ve never seen this particular fight, you should check it out (it is literally all over YouTube or you know, watch the anime). Though I still love this fight, Soul Eater is full of interesting battles between characters, and some fairly interesting weapons, and really ends up being visually fascinating to watch.

Number 2: Bleach (Gin vs Hitsugaya)

Alright, you kind of had to know Bleach was showing up on this list sooner or later, and here it is. The reason for this fight over most of the others is that even though both Captains use their swords there are no bankai going on here, no over the top silly powers, just a nice simple fight between two characters, that may or may not end up involving bystanders, Gin really does fight dirty. Part of me loves this fight because Hitsugaya really has lost his cool entirely and part of me loves this fight because even though Hitsugaya has the upper hand most of the way through the fight, because he doesn’t consider that Gin will use underhanded methods, he still technically loses. It is great fun to watch and in a show filled with epic, ongoing and long winded fights, this one is short, brutal, and fairly effective (even if not quite as spectacular as some of the others).

Number 1: DanMachi (Bell vs the Minotaur)

Given the series starts with Bell getting cornered by a Minotaur, the turning point for the story and Bell as a character is when he finally is forced to take on a Minotaur single handedly in order to buy time for others to escape. Eventually other adventurers show up but by that stage Bell is pretty committed to taking the thing down by himself and what follows is one of the best fight sequences I’ve ever seen. Tiny dagger and character against very large and strong minotaur, it literally takes everything Bell has got (speed, magic, endurance, as well as a lot of tenacity) to win the fight and it is so worth it. It is one of those moments you can’t look away from. For all the silliness that DanMachi has littered through it, it is the moments like this one that really make the show shine. This sequence is cool to watch, it has a lot of memorable moments, there’s some real tension and fear for the protagonist’s safety (though you know he’ll live there’s definitely the question of how injured they’ll let him get), and the pace is fantastic. All and all, this is a fight that I love rewatching.

So that is my top 5 fights (using blades of some description). What would you have put on your list? Looking forward to your responses.

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Sailor Moon Episode Villains

Posted on by Karandi

While I was a big fan of the 1990’s Sailor Moon, I remember how useless some of the individual episode villains were (and how ridiculous some of their costumes looked). I guess when you are a throw-a-way villain of the week it doesn’t really matter. Still, here’s my list of top 5 Sailor Moon episode villains. My criteria here are that they had to be introduced and killed in the same episode, they came from season 1 of the original 1990’s anime, and they made me actually remember them. As an added bonus, their outfit had to be totally ridiculous (though that more or less goes without saying).

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions this week: Murid (because of her dream or illusion ability) and Petasos (because she looks ridiculous).

Number 5: Ramua

Ramua

Early in the series, Serena and Ami are investigating some cursed clock and they end up encountering Ramua who apparently has the ability to control time.  What’s interesting is that while Sailor Moon gets transformed into a child at one point, Ramua doesn’t just cause her to die of old age instantaneously which is what I would think an effective villain would do at that point in time. Anyway, Ramua makes the list because of her striking facial features, and because they make such a big deal later on about Sailor Pluto being the guardian of time and yet here’s a villain playing with it like it is nothing.

Number 4: Garoben

Garoben isn’t exactly spectacular as a villain and her appearance is pretty cliché, though that weapon attached to her hand looks pretty deadly. The reason she’s on the list is because she was the first villain who made me realise even as a younger viewer that Sailor Moon wasn’t your typical girl’s cartoon. She literally grabs Ami by the head and shoves her face at the computer screen. That kind of hands on violence was almost unheard of in 90’s shows aimed at young girls. Whenever I think monster of the week, Garoben is one of the faces that immediately comes to mind.

Number 3: Cameran

Cameran.jpg

Not entirely sure if I got the name right and googling this one got me more confused as I saw more variations. While she was a later villain in the story and wasn’t particularly noteworthy, except for the part where she foolishly zapped herself with her own power which kind of makes her memorable, Cameran is on the list for the sheer ridiculousness of her design. What is with those shoulders? I honestly had to wonder if she would actually be able to even move her arms properly.

Number 2: Blizzar

Blizzar

Okay, take in that outfit for a moment. Are we actually supposed to take a villain literally wearing snowmen that look like they are screaming in pain seriously? Despite that, Blizzar was actually a pretty decent villain of the week. She transformed from a skier who was very fit so actually had some good moves on her. Plus the scouts were separated so it wasn’t like they could gang up on snow-ball girl.

Number 1: Shakoukai

Shakoukai

I don’t know if it is the fact that she was a villain who didn’t resort to screaming or empty threats, or whether it was because she’s covered in clam-shells that somehow shoot clay, but Shakoukai (or the English name: Polite Society) was always one of my favourite villains. I liked that even mid-battle she felt the need to correct Sailor Moon’s grammar and was so upset by getting conflicting commands she literally just stopped fighting and waited for Sailor Moon to heal her. All and all, she was an interesting villain though not perhaps the most effective.

Okay, that was my list of Sailor Moon monster of the week villains. Who would you have chosen from Sailor Moon or who is your favourite monster of the week villain from any anime?

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Questions I’d Like To Ask While Watching Snow White with the Red Hair

Posted on by Karandi

There’s a mouthful of a list name and I know I recently did my top 5 Zen and Shirayuki moments from season 1 after doing a rewatch of the show. However, while watching I also came up with a lot of questions for the characters that I’d just love to ask so I finally decided to put them in a top 5 list.

Any question you want to ask of this show? Or is there another anime that’s just left you with a whole bunch of questions you would like answered?

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions this week: Why is every sunset picturesque? Seriously, every single one. Secondly, where is the king of Clarines? Izana is a Prince and Zen is the second prince, but where is the King and why isn’t he having any say in the goings on in the palace?

Number 5: Why does Shirayuki’s hair never get any longer?

Shirayuki

I get that she cuts her hair in episode 1 (through the extremely silly method of tying it up, pulling it over her shoulder and then snipping it – does she know how uneven and lopsided that would make the cut) but after that her hair never grows an inch. I’m never entirely sure of the time frame for the events in this anime but realistically she should either have to keep trimming her hair to keep it that length or it should be growing back. Yet, nothing. Magic hair.

Number 4: Why is Obi never injured after jumping and or falling so far?

Obi2.png

Given this show fairly realistically limits the character actions to things humans are actually capable of, and injures them appropriately for even minor falls and scrapes, how does Obi not have multiple broken bones. Is it like he’s the only character who gets to apply standard anime physics to his actions? Because, more than once, he is either knocked off of or jumps off of a roof, castle wall, balcony, etc and he pretty much never sustains an injury from the landing. As much as I love Obi, a few times I just kind of wanted to see him at least sprain an ankle.

Number 3: What happens to the other apprentice herbalist?

HerbalistWhen Shirayuki did the exam there were two apprentices taken on. Shrayuki got assigned to Ryu and the other one… Do we ever even see him again? Possibly he just works in another wing of the medical building but as far as I can tell we just literally never see him again. Why even have a second person pass the exam if they aren’t going to do anything in the story?

Number 2: How does Shirayuki pay for her room and board while in Clarines?

Shirayuki2

Shirayuki arrives in Clarines and she’s boarding in a room. She says herself she needs to find work so that she can afford to eat and goes to the local herbalist. There she finds out about the exam and we know she then studies for that. In the meantime, what is her source of income? We only really see her going with Zen to various places and studying herbs. Is she working? If not, how is she eating?

Number 1: Why doesn’t Prince Izana understand how sleeves work?

Seriously, if Izana wants a cloak or a cape, why not just wear one?  I don’t think he ever wears his jacket as a jacket in the entire first season. The sleeves are just hanging off the side, completely ignored and useless. This is really impractical and fairly silly when you think about it. Okay, I got a little distracted by this particular choice in fashion by the first prince. But really, why?

Your turn. What questions would you like to ask of Snow White with the Red Hair, or any anime?

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Karandi James.

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Anniversary Special – Top 5 Blog Posts

Posted on by Karandi

As part of the 1 year anniversary special posts, my Top 5 this week looks at my favourite 5 posts that I have written since starting the blog. By favourite I am looking at the posts I had fun writing or discussing and I’ll explain my reasons in the list below. This was an enormously hard list to narrow down but I had a great time revisiting old posts (and flinching a little at just how many typos I let slip through particularly when I’m tired).

I’d love to know which post you liked the most on my site or what you would like to see more (or less) of. Please feel free to comment below.

Please Note – There are no spoilers this week.

Honourable mentions this week go to:

Number 5: Natsume Yuujincho Series Review

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This one is actually a review of the first 4 seasons of Natsume after I did a rewatch in preparation for season 5’s release last year. I genuinely love Natsume as an anime and I really enjoy writing about it so this post was just really fun to write as it made me think about all those moments in the show that made me smile and the reasons I loved it so much. Admittedly, this isn’t the most critical of reviews and could probably use a do-over at some point, but that’s fine. I’ll take the excuse to revisit Natsume any day.

Number 4: Friday’s Feature – On Overpowered MC’s

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This post was kind of written in protest to the ongoing criticism of shows that the MC was overpowered. I happen to like strong and competent main characters so simply telling me that the main character is crazy strong is not actually going to deter me from watching or enjoying a show. While I respect the opinion that many people have that an overly strong main character does take some tension from certain parts of the narrative, I feel this feature kind of points out why a blanket declaration that overpowered MC’s are bad is probably not the best approach to take either. Anyway, it was fun to write simply because I just wanted to get that idea out there and feel I’d had my say on the issue.

Number 3: Assassination Classroom Episode 46

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Okay, don’t click on the link if you are worried about spoilers for Assassination Classroom. This is the second last episode and there’s a clear spoiler warning on the post for a reason. This was a post I had to write. No filter, no rewrite, just get the words down. The episode hit me that hard emotionally I just had to get it out and writing the post really helped in stepping back from the events and thinking about the show a little bit more objectively.

Number 2: Friday’s Feature – Beneath the Squeals What is Driving Yuri on Ice Fans

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While I could easily have filled this list with my Top 5 Yuri on Ice posts I decided to limit myself to just one and of all the episode reviews, lists, discussions and features that have focussed on Yuri on Ice, this is my favourite. The show hadn’t ended but it gave me a chance to reflect on what was actually drawing me into this show (amazingly enough good looking anime guys isn’t actually enough of a reason for me to keep watching a show – not that it hurts). Anyway, mostly I just loved writing about this anime and there are probably more Yuri On Ice themed posts in my future.

Number 1: Tuesday’s Top 5: Totally Narcissistic Characters

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Okay, this list was never intended to be taken seriously but it list my favourite narcissists from anime. It was great fun to write and some of these characters are hilarious. This may not be the best post I’ve written, but as I said at the start this list was about posts I had fun writing. I must admit, the more odd my list topic is, the more fun I have writing it.

Over to you: Which posts or topics do you like on 100 Word Anime? What don’t you like so much?

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Karandi James.

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Harem Leads

Posted on by Karandi

It’s a truth universally acknoweldged that the lead character in most harems is an empty shell designed only for self-insert purposes. And yet every now and then we’ll come across a lead character in one of these shows that actually has something resembling a personality. As always, this list is entirely my own opinion and I’d love to know what you would have included on your list so please comment below and get the conversation going.

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

No honourable mentions this week (probably because I don’t watch enough harem anime and the vast majority of characters I could think of had no personality).

Number 5: Hayate from Hayate the Combat Butler

Now Hayate’s main personality trait is that he’s bascially a nice person, however he shows enough moments of actual self-interest and responds reasonably human like to the antics of the girls around him which is why he gained a spot on the list. Also, it is hard to see him as a strictly self-insert character when he has a serious need to clean.

Number 4: Kodaka from Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukinai

The guy with the two toned hair and a seriously bad reputation (totally undeserved of course) seldom comes over as personalityless. He does come across as easily lead and fairly apathetic about most things but he has enough moments of actual human interaction that you can see there’s an actual character in this lead. My favourite moment was when he told Sena off at the pool. He did do the cliche male lead thing and saved her from the punks but then he called her on her rubbish. Go Kodaka. Unfortunately that just got him yet another admirer.

Number 3: Ayumu from Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka

Alright, Ayumu is a zombie and can also transform into a magical girl who shares his house with a necromancer, an ex-magical girl, and a vampire ninja. That in and of itself makes him kind of interesting. Aymum is on the list because unlike so many other protagonists, he has a goal. He wants to find the person who killed him. Admittedly, this gets lost at times amongst the usual harem/comedy antics but he is at least working toward something and not just kind of existing for the sake of the girls fawning over him.

Number 2: Tigrevurmud (Tigre) Vorn from Lord Marksman and Vanadis

Tigre gets a place here because unlike so many other male harem leads, he actually knows how to take advantage of the situation (not that way). Even after being taken prisoner, due his skill with the bow he wins his captor’s approval and then convinces her through some plot contrivance to lend him her army for a little bit. There is a fair exchange for that service however with Tigre essentially surrenduring his territory to her but given the options he’s got its a fairly solid move. That’s probably why I like him as a character. His choices are always restricted by the circumstances he finds himself in and yet he finds logical ways to approach each conflict and in the process he wins quite a few admirers.

Number 1: Haruhi from Ouran High School Host Club

Yeah, I get its a she and this is technically a reverse harem, but to be honest Haruhi is probably my favourite character from any harem style anime ever so I had to give her the top spot. What I like about Haruhi is she’s just so straight forward about her approach to everything. No horrible moments of paralysed indecision or being dragged along without complaint. That isn’t to say she has no weaknesses (typical female fear of thunder coming through as well as just generally being naive at times) but she’s a great deal of fun to watch.

Okay, so over to you. Which harem lead would you have on your list.

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If you like this site and you like what I do, please consider becoming a patron.

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Karandi James.

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Tuesday’s Top 5: Anime I’d Like to See Rebooted

Posted on by Karandi

Clearly this list is just a personal wish list. Essentially, there’s a lot of anime out there with great premises and interesting ideas, but so many anime just don’t make use of that potential or end really badly. Like, incredibly train derailed into mountain pass before sliding into a chasm badly. So this is my wish list of 5 anime I feel could be really amazing if redone (and by that I don’t mean following the manga or other source material more closely, but I mean they actually think about the story they want to tell and just tell it without all the clutter or distractions and with a clear purpose and end point).

I’d love to know what is on your wish list for anime reboots so please leave a comment below.

Please Note – There will be spoilers below.

Honourable mentions this week go to Higurashi, Sword Art Online, and Gilgamesh.

Number 5: Vampire Knight

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As much as I have mocked vampire knight when talking about it (the anime version of Twilight) there is actually something quite interesting about the idea of a vampire hunter starting a school where humans and vampires co-exist. And the pure blooded vampire with his own agenda living at the school is kind of interesting. As is the child of the hunter family who has been bitten by a vampire and is slowly turning into one. I’d love to see this story redone with a little more focus on the darker aspects and a little less on Yuki’s indecisive love triangle (okay, every Vampire Knight fan now hates me).

Number 4: Claymore

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I really loved Claymore. Until we got to the end which was rushed and inconclusive. Seriously. This is a great concept for a story and the characters are interesting. The world building was well done. Why did we get that ending? I’d love this anime to be redone with a clear focus on where it is going and an actual ending.

Number 3: Fruits Basket

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My issue with this one is I did go and read the manga. The story in the anime was so inconclusive. We still knew nothing about the curse or why Akito was such a psycho or anything. There’s so many interesting characters and the central story around the Souma family is fascinating but the anime is happy to just follow Honda around on her daily life. Reboot please with the focus on the cursed family. It may not be the happy healing experience that the current anime is, but there’s definitely a good story to tell here.

Number 2: Soul Eater

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Soul Eater has been showing up a lot lately. As much as I love this anime, that ending was bad. Inexcusably bad. That and there’s probably a lot of padding that the series could afford to lose. I’d love to see a much tighter focus on the main villain rather than all the other villains they face off against and actually just watch the students and teachers prepare for and fight that battle. It would be different but I think the show could really benefit from a much stronger focus and a conclusion that doesn’t leave people stunned by how lame it is.

Number 1: Bleach

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It had to be. As much as I am in love with Bleach as a series and as much as Bleach is a big part of the reason I became an anime fan as an adult, there are some real issues with Bleach as a story because of its excessive length, scope, and endless rounds of filler. Now that the manga is finished can we decide what the main point of the story is and just tell that story. 50 episodes. Bleach in 50 episodes. Really trim everything unnecessary from the mix and just tell the core story with the characters you actually need. I would absolutely love to see this. Either that or give Hitsugaya his own show. I’d be pretty happy with that (joking – kind of).

Okay, so over to you. What would you like to see rebooted?

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If you like this site and you like what I do, please consider becoming a patron.

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Karandi James.

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