Anime Character Challenge [ Day Eleven & Twelve]

I'm going to flip the days because I want to end the post on a positive note, not a negative one.

Day Eleven: Least Favorite pairing. 

Let's face it. In anime there are some pairings that are just not that great. But since I only tend to watch anime with good relationships, this is tricky. Obviously I hate it when fans pair friends together - 'cause no. Especially since friendships in anime usually consists of two girls or two boys. *Sighs* However, if I'm stick to actual canon pairings, than I think my least favorite would be Zuko and Mai.

"I don't hate you." - "I don't hate you too."

I don't have anything against Zuko and Mai. I think they're a good ship. She makes him smile. She makes him happy. That's all that really matters, right? I like Zuko and Mai! I will say though, that they're relationship didn't have enough screen-time to build or flesh itself out. I know Mai liked Zuko even when they were little,  but the whole arc with their story seemed a bit underdeveloped for me. For a while I really hated Zuko with Mai because I felt that she was holding him back, or that she was a bad influence on him. I also thought that Mai only liked Zuko because he was a prince. I mean, where the heck had she been when he got banished? It wasn't like she was there for him! *SPOILERS* And where does she get off, coming back into his life only after he was accepted back home?? *END SPOILERS* Ehem. As I saw more of their scenes together I realized that Mai really did love Zuko, and he actually helped her be a better person too - but I still would have liked Zuko to end up with someone a little less surly. Someone who would make him laugh a lot, someone who was a little more of a balance when it came to his serious attitude. Someone like that cute girl that took Zuko to see the lights.

So yeah. Zuko and Mai are my least favorite pairing, but I still like them. They were cute, in their own weird way. They just wish they'd had a little more growth and depth.

Day Twelve: Favorite pairing:

Roy Mustang and Riza Hawkeye.

"I can't afford to lose you."

I love ships that start out simple. "Oh, so they're co-workers. Oh wow, they make a really great team. Holy crap, they have a long history together. Oh my gosh, they've helped each other through so many rough spots. Oh my gosh, they're so close. Oh my gosh, they can't loose each other. Oh myyyYYY GOSH, THEY LOVE EACH OTHER.

What I really appreciated about Roy and Riza is that their love story is the sort that sneaks up on you. And it's this strong, loyal type of love that you don't see too often. It's the type of love that has it's bases on a long, fierce friendship which built itself into love. Quietly, without either party realizing it. Roy and Riza served in the army together, they went to war together, and they schemed to keep their country safe together. They are each other's support and moral compass. They keep each other standing when life gets hard. They help each other be the best that they can be. They keep one another on the right path.

"There's someone I have to protect."

Roy and Riza are a beautiful pairing. Even if you don't see them as a couple, their friendship alone is amazing to watch. They are so protective of each other. It's adorable 8-). And Riza is one of the few people who can get a laugh out of Roy every now and then. They're perfect. They're canon. And I love them.

Anime Character Challenge [ Day Eight & Ten]

Day Eight: The Character that Drives you crazy.

In other words, a character that makes you wonder 'Why are you a thing???'

Probably the character that annoys me the most in the anime I watch, who isn't a bad-guy would be Leorio from HunterXHunter. Not only is he pointless, but he is Obnoxious and pointless. He is also a bit of a perve so. 8-P I don't think I'll even grace him with a picture. He doesn't deserve one.

I'm skipping Day Nine because it doesn't apply to the shows I've watched: 

Day Ten; The Character who has the best arc. 

I want to cop out and use Prince Zuko again. He had a beautifully written arc, one of the best in animation history. He didn't change easily. He had to make a ton of mistakes. He fought for what he wanted, however flawed it was, and he had that hard, shocking realization when he saw the how wrong he was about so many of his beliefs and ideas. His arc was incredible!!!! I love it. Every time I watch Avatar:TLA I love his character and development more. However, since I've already done a post on him, I won't rant on and on about Zuko or how fabulous he is. Instead I will talk about Roy Mustang. Because he is proof that a character doesn't have to be an antagonist to have an arc. You can be a good guy and still have depth and development! IT CAN BE DONE!

Flame Alchemist.

Roy Mustang is freaking awesome. He is a Flame Alchemist, as well as a Colonel in the Amestris Army. He served in a bloody, horrific Civil War, but instead of letting that crush his desire to be a soldier, he simply vowed to be the best soldier he could be, a soldier who does more saving than killing. A protector.

I loved how much Mustang grew through the duration of the story. When Fullmetal first began, Mustang just seemed like another angsty, detached soldier. He was hard, cold, and he could be a jerk. At first I didn't know if I'd like him too well. But gradually more of his whole self was revealed;  A man who cares an awful, awful lot. A man who would put his life before the life of his followers. A man who loves fiercely, is steadfast, and is loyal. He was rough at first, but the more you get to know him, the more you see that the roughness is just the first, thin layer of who he is as a person. And he grows so much. He starts out distant and hard to understand, but he doesn't stay that way. He lets himself be wrong. He wants to learn, and he is always striving to have a better understanding of the world around him. If something is broken he wants to fix it. He's a small pawn when the story begins, but by the end of it he has made himself one of the strongest pieces on the board. Not only that. His rough edges are smoothed. He starts to be more gentle, more understanding, more of a guardian, a mentor, and a defender. Mustang has a big heart. He has a lot to give. And he has more fight in him than any one man should have.

"You have been the most troublesome of all the State Alchemists." - Pride to Roy Mustang

Roy never surrenders. The enemy scatters his army and 'isolate' him? He comes back stronger with more men than before. He is clever and intuitive. He constantly messes with the enemy, foiling their plans and creating problem after problem for them to deal with. He is a thorn in their side, one that causes concern, annoyance and even, for some, fear. He is freaking cool. It hard to explain how fabulous he is without spoiling his arc and development. To really understand you'd just have to watch FMAB. Watch it dubbed. It's better that way.

Which 'good guy'  in animation has the best arc in your opinion? Can you think of some heroes that have incredible arcs? It doesn't even have to be a "Wrong to Right," or an "Antagonist to Protagonist," arc. It can just be a "Really good Protagonist to Fabulous,amazing Hero," Arc.

*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