What think you?

I noticed this challenge on one of my earlier Blog posts. I think it would be fun to do it again, but narrow it down to just Animated Cartoons/Movies/TV shows. If anyone is interested in doing this challenge with me, drop a comment! If not I might just tag a bunch of people anyway. 'Cause I'm mean like that. Either way, it would start tomorrow and last the rest of November. 8-D

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

I Did THE THING.

This is Anime, This is Anime, Anime, Anime, Everybody Scream in Pain!

Hey y'all! Remember how I watched Avatar (The Last Airbender) a few weeks back? 

Well, ever since then I've been on an animated Cartoon high. So I did something crazy. I looked up what to watch after you finish Avatar.

Guess what came up? An anime called Fullmetal Alchemist; Brotherhood. (Hereon referred to as Fullmetal.)

I've heard of anime before, of course. I always thought it looked weird. The animation was unlike anything I'd ever seen, and then the stories seemed strange.

However, I looked up Fullmetal on Pinterest and the first thing I saw was this pin:

EDWARD ELRIC.

Y'all know I'm a sucker for Bro stories, yar? I was like, Eh, I'll try it. No harm in trying right?

Oh. My. Gosh.

FULLMETAL. 

Tiny and I binged the show in about two weeks, and when we finished we were like.... what now?

We started looking up anime. 

And now, a month later, I have gone down the anime hole without much hope of getting out.

I have come to a conclusion: I like anime. Don't get me wrong, they can get pretty weird. (It's Japan, guys.) But there is something very charming and engaging about anime. I think I finally understand what's drawn so many fans to this particular genre of TV over the years. Anime is vibrant and tangible. The characters are very alive. So far I have watched six anime: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. (I LOVE THIS ONE!) Attack on Titan, Noragami, Hunter x Hunter (Still watching) and Puella Magica I'm not doing the full name, it's too long., and Avatar: TLA. All of these are pretty good. Puella Magica is odd. I haven't finished it yet, but I enjoy it. Hunter x Hunter is also taking me some time to get used to but I think it's growing on me. I've tried some others too, and it seems to me that there are two kinds of anime. It can be great, or it can be a flop. If you find a good anime, it's really, really good. But if you find a weird anime, it's weird. And not that great.

Also, some anime can get dirty. So that is something to be aware of.

But if you find that really good anime, it is well worth it. It might be silly. It might be dumb. The characters can be very dramatic and over-the-top. The animations can be seriously weird and random. But if you can get past that, the stories and characters are worth it. They're worth the silliness and oddities.

Some of the anime listed I'm still watching and haven't finished yet, but I'd like to mention the two that (so far) I find on par with Avatar. Like, I want to own them on DVD.

First, Fullmetal.

After a horrible Alchemy experiment gone wrong, Alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric must find some way to fix their disfigured bodies. As they search for some way of getting back to normal, they are slowly pulled down into a villainous plot which has taken root in their country, a plot that could destroy thousands of lives - and even the world.

I love, love, love Fullmetal. The characters are vibrant, layered, and interesting. The plot is amazing. The villains are great. The world is interesting. And it has Alchemy. It's like magic. But science-magic. 

It took me a little bit to get into this show. I'd never seen anime before, so I had to get used to the animation and the mood/feel of the series.  It could be so dumb and ridiculous, but it could also get downright disturbing and sad. It wasn't what I expected. Oh, and it has a kind of comic-book element which made me laugh. 

Animation VS animation. 

I think it was a comedy effect and I appreciated that they didn't do this sort of thing in emotional/serious moments. (When I watched other animes I noticed they would do similar things, so I think I'm right to assume that this is just how anime portrays comedy. The other anime I've seen aren't as crazy with their changes, but they will have funny comic-book like moments. I guess it's an animation style. 8-D It might have something to do with the fact that a good number of anime are based on magnas [Which are like Japanese graphic novels.])

Fullmetal gave me all the feels. You had weepy, romantic feels. You had brother feels.  Sad, shocked feels. Friendship feels. Family feels. You had THAT CHARACTER DIED??? feels. Happy Feels. Angsty feels. I hate that villain!!! feels. ALL THE FEELS! It's one of those shows that is super dopey and silly - like Avatar -  but there were several moments when the writers reminded you of the stakes and everything would suddenly be very serious. In fact it had more serious/sad moments than Avatar did. 

Something I really liked in Fullmetal was how well it handled failure and loss. I liked that grief was actually shown long-term. Like, if a comrade died everyone was affected and it made a lasting impression, right through the end of the series. If someone experienced failure or heartbreak, it often drove several of their actions in later episodes and seasons. Death, grief, loss, anger, betrayal, trauma - I really, really loved that things like that weren't brushed aside, but addressed and remembered. That's something you don't often see in shows, especially not to the extent that Fullmetal has it. I also really loved the character development and the emphasis on doing what was right, not what was easy. I loved that sacrifices were acknowledged and shown to be necessary. I loved that character arcs were built up in a believable way. I loved that villains and heroes clashed and fought, and it was actually realistic. I loved that characters had these epic moments where everything came to a head in the best way possible and you were like, BOOM! It was refreshing to see good story telling. Story telling that comes full freaking circle. 

I would definitely recommend Fullmetal to anyone who wants to try out anime. It's well done. It has a lot of heart, and even though the animation can be bizarre, and its really  dumb sometimes, It's also intense, emotional, exciting, and engaging. 

Some Things I would Warn Viewers About:

1.) There is a villain in the first season who wears a very low-cut dress.

2.) The content can sometimes be very dark and disturbing.

3.) There is lots of sadness.

4.) There is a good amount of swearing.

5.) There is a running theme through the anime concerning God. Some characters believed in Him. Some didn't. Some of the villains said things about God that I didn't like at all. But I don't think the writer was trying to be disrespectful. I think she was trying to show the contrasts in believers VS non-believers, and how people see God. I think she was also trying to show that even though there is a lot of evil in the world that doesn't mean there isn't a God - or at least some Divine Power - but not everyone is going to believe that. There were two episode near the end of the series that I didn't really like, but by the time I finished the finale I could see what she was driving at, and I appreciated what she was trying to do.  

The other anime I would like to own ASAP is Noragami.

cutest freakin' god ever.

I didn't know what to expect from Noragami. The plot on IMDB said it was about a minor god who was on a mission to get a shrine built for him. It didn't sound that great. But I saw a few gifs on Pinterest and I was like, Meh, I'll give it a go. 

Guys. There is so much more to Noragami than a god who wants a shrine. 

A better plot synopsis would be this:

          "Hiyori is a high-school girl whose life changes when she jumps in front of a bus to save the life of a teenage boy. After her encounter with him, her soul begins to slip in and out of her body and she doesn't have much control over it. Hoping that he might have answers, Hiyori successfully tracks down the boy she saved, and discovers that he is a god by the name of Yato. By saving his life she has become a sort of half-spirit, able to see the spirit world and those in it. Hiyori finds herself being drawn into the world of gods and phantoms, and gradually befriends Yato and his Regalia, a spirit which acts as a god's right-hand man. However, Yato has some frightening secrets, and slowly but surely his dark past begins to reveal itself."

Too fabulous.

So. What can I say about Noragami?

It. Is. Fabulous.

It reminded me a bit of Percy Jackson. The Percy Jackson I loved before Rick Riordan betrayed me.  It was like... Percy Jackson meets The Eight Days of Luke. There are gods in the story, but they seem more like demi-gods, like Loki and Odin in The Avengers. I wasn't bothered at all by the god element. It is handled very well. Besides, they never said God didn't exist. They only said that gods existed. And who's to say there couldn't be beings of great power which were created by God, and could battle evil spirits and stuff? It's not completely unlikely.

Just my thoughts. 8-D

I really love Yato. He's a minor god that gets barely any recognition. He wants to be known and loved throughout the world, but it's hard for such a little god to get noticed. So he runs around doing the most insignificant tasks and granting the smallest wishes, just to make people happy, just so that people will give a nod in his direction. It's kind of adorable.

Yato is ridiculous. He reminds me a lot of Howl. He is basically Howl as a god. He acts like such a giant dope, and that is a big reason I love him so much. The more you find out about him the more you realize he just really wants to be liked and make people happy, so he presents himself as funny and as un-threatening as he possibly can. I like that about him. But he's also incredibly dramatic. Like, Fainting-Because-Someone-Doesn't-Know-My-Name dramatic. He's a dork and he does such stupid, ridiculous things that sometimes you forget he's a god. I think that's part of why he does it. He makes you forget he isn't just a giant goof. He makes you forget he has another side to him, a dark, cold side.

 I am the Night, I am Vegeance... I am a Drama Queen.

-Yato, probably.

I like tormented protagonists. They are my weakness. Yato is definitely a tormented protagonist. He's such a cool character! Like, he's hilarious, but if you hurt someone he loves, if you wage war with him - you'd better watch out. He's dangerous in a fight. He knows how to win. You don't want Yato as your enemy. You really, really don't.

This is the land of the rising sun. Your desecration shall not be allowed!

Like Fullmetal, Noragami has some great character development. It even manages to pull off character perception. (And I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.) It had some good friendships, including a cute friendship with Yato and his little Regalia, Yukine. At first I wasn't sure I'd like Yukine. He was the spirit of a twelve-year old boy and he still had the issues a boy of that age would have. Like... ehm... dirty thoughts. You know. The joys of Puberty. On top of that he was a bit of a train-wreck, what you might call a very troubled person. But he grows up a lot and I got attached to him in season two. Especially after THE THING concerning a certain goddess and a sword fight.

Yukine.

Hiyori, Yukine and Yato made a good trio, and I found myself really liking their dynamic. I also liked the soft, sweet romance with Yato and Hiyori, 'cause that crap was adorable. The overall plot was fairly good and the whole anime was well worth the watch. Even the side characters got their own arcs and there were some good relationships/friendships there too.

My favourite thing about Noragami was the Christian element it had. I don't if this was intended, but there was a pretty strong Christian parallel concerning the relationship between a god and Regalia, and how the god bears the sufferings/struggles of his Regalia. If the Regalia feels pain or sorrow, the god shares in it. And if the Regalia does something bad, the god get's hurt. The god is the one who suffers for the wrongs of his servant.

It seemed very Christian-esque.

Things I would Warn Viewers about:

1.) There was one goddess who ran about poorly clad for most of season 1 and 2. She basically just wore a bra and skirt. It was awkward. I liked it when she got into full armor. I was like, "YAY! YOU'RE DECENT! Why don't you dress like that more?" (It was sad, because I ended up kind of liking this character, and I was annoyed that she didn't dress better.)

2.) In season one, Yukine is struggling with puberty and all the wonderful baggage that comes with being a twelve-year-old boy. He has some dirty thoughts/ideas and it can be inappropriate. He does grow out of this near the end of the season.

3.) The content can be disturbing and dark at times. It can also be surprisingly sad.

Now for some questions!

Have any of you watched Anime?

Do you like it?

Is there a particular Anime that you really, really love?

Can you recommend any good Anime for me? (Especially ones with friendships.)

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella

I found some new things. Now I must share.

Thing One:

I binged on Avatar: The Last Airbender last week.

FRIENDLY MUSHROOM!

I'm almost finished with Season Three. And I'm a total fan. I'm not even ashamed.

There are five basic stages to becoming a fan of this show.

Stage One: Hmmm. This is kind of fun. But really dopey too.
Stage Two: Sokka is so funny!!!! And Katar is super cool. And Aang is really cute! And tough! These characters make me very happy. I think I even like Toph!
Stage Three: AAAAAAAAAH. What?? Why the cliffhangers??? I hate villains!! WHO NEEDS SLEEP? Sleep is for the weak!!
Stage Four: ZUUUUUKOOOOOOOO
Stage Five: WATER. EARTH. FIRE. AIR. *sings along to the theme*

This show is actually quite good. Is it dopey? Yes. Is it silly? Yes. Don't get me wrong. Avatar: TLA is definitely a kids show. It can be really silly and ridiculous. The animation is horrible. But if you are looking for comic relief, goofy story-telling, good characters, and a fun, interesting premises, Avatar is a good show to watch. The episodes are only like, fifteen to twenty minutes long, so it's really easy to binge on them.  Plus, there is some surprisingly good character development that goes on. (Zuuuuukoooooo)

Thing Two:

I'm sure you have all heard about Hamilton by now. It seems like it's the biggest thing since Les Miserables. I've held a lot of prejudice against this musical because A.) It's Rap and B.) It's the Founding Fathers. I have a problem with the Founding Fathers being turned black, especially George Washington. This isn't racism. This is historical fact. They were white. I also have a problem with the Founding Father's singing rap. And dancing to the rap. It seems a little ... disrespectful? However, I finally decided to give it a go. I shouldn't judge something until I know more about it, right? I sat down with a couple of my sisters and listened to the whole thing.

A Rap Musical

I didn't hate it.

But I don't know if I liked it. The music is very catchy. It's easy to sing along to, even the first time around, and after you listen to it once, you have all these lines from different songs that play in your head. The characters were fine. George Washington as a character was fine. I liked a lot of his lines, and how he put Hamilton in his place. He was fairly close to historically accurate, at least as close as you can get with a modern twist and rap involved. The story itself was also fairly accurate... again, as accurate as you can be with rap.

There were some songs I really liked. There were some lines that were pretty cool. For instance, there is one point where Hamilton says "I am just like my country, I'm young scrappy and hungry, and I'm not throwing away my shot!" I like that line a lot. It stuck with me fast.

I don't think I like the rap angle. The rhythm wasn't bad, the lyrics weren't bad, the characters and songs weren't bad. It was a decent sort of musical to listen to and I think if it had been anything but the Founding Father's, I would have been like - "Yaaay, Hamilton!" As it is I'm more like - "Hmmmm. Hamilton." I did enjoy listening to it. If you can get past the rap (which I'm not wild about anyway) the modern language, the mis-representation of the Founding Father's, and the fact that Hamilton is not that great of a person, it is fun. Aside from some awkward duologue/scenes, and language, it's also pretty clean. Sometimes you hear something and you're like "Well, that was inappropriate." But I don't think you actually see anything dirty. Maybe I'll even watch it at some point, but it will be a bit before I try that. I've seen gifs, and I don't like the dancing, or how the actors portray some things. (Did Washington just high-five Hamilton? What? ... What are they doing, the twist? No. Why?? Uh oh. Here's comes the swagger... no. Please.... Uhm, what is with Philip? Perve.) I think I will probably listen to it again, mostly because it's annoying to only know a handful of lyrics; but also because it is very catchy and it makes you want to listen to it more than once. I still maintain it was a bad call to turn historical men black just to show the America dream of everyone being equal. It's like turning Fredrick Douglas white. I don't think blacks would be very happy about that.


Thing Three:

I did find another musical though, and this one I really like. It's called The Light on the Piazza. It's about an Italian boy falling in love with a cute American tourist. It's super sweet. It has a good message about love being difficult but worth fighting for, and how important family is. It shows that everyone has flaws and you should never underestimate people just because they're different. The music is beautiful and the singers are amazing. Oh, and you get to hear Matthew Morrison sing in Italian!! What could be better?

Clara and Fabrizzio

As usual, I listened to the Original Cast first and it is pretty fabulous. Kelly O'hara has a beautiful voice. Her notes makes me happy. When she and Matthew Morrison sing together lovely things happen. They blend so well! Their love is precious. It's simple and innocent, and even though they fall for each other fast it doesn't seem silly. They get to know each other and their relationships develops in a gentle, natural way. I really liked how their love story saved other people's love also. It's like they inspired their families to not give up on marriage and that was a nice touch. And I love that after Clara meets Fabrizio she gets instructed in Catholicism, cause that makes the Catholic in me squeal. The Light on the Piazza is something all musical geeks should listen to it. It's beautiful, clean, classical, it sends a good message.... the only thing wrong with it is that in the first Act there is a kiss that goes a little too far. Like, it could become a scene if someone didn't walk in. Completely unnecessary. But other than that, it is fantastic!!!

Thing Four: 

I'm almost done with the Inkworld trilogy. That series is goooood. 8-D I think my favorite book will probably be Inkspell, but Inkdeath has been really well done too. I'm sort of afraid to finish it. I'm afraid of the ending.

DON'T KILL THE ANYONE. PLEASE.

The Last Thing: 

Before I sign off, I have a sort of announcement. My idea of Writers Camp seems to have attracted a lot of people. If I can get at least five other writers to officially sign on with this idea, I'm going to make it happen. It will probably start the first week in August sometime. I'm not sure how long it will last. Maybe a couple weeks? We can be super flexible with time and activities.  Basically, we're just going to take time and explore different writing styles and ideas, share some of our favorite authors and stories, discuss things that no one writes about even though they SHOULD be written about, and share ideas with motivation, the importance of writing, and how to get inspiration. There is plenty of time to juggle ideas, as well as which topics are Very Important and should be covered.

If you think Writers Camp is for you, leave a comment and tell me if you're officially in! Feel free to share this idea with other writers you know. The more the merrier.

Peace out y'all!!! God Bless!!

*swings around cape and leaps off stage*

Bella