Wednesday, November 25, 2015

T5W#15-Top 5 Things im thankful for in Anime


Well its that time of year again, when family gathers for good food and good company.  I’ll definitely be doing that on Thursday.  Since this is an Anime Blog, however, if figured id take a minute or two to jot out a list of things im thankful for in life thanks to Anime.

 

#5-Brand new worlds


So many years later and Anime is still showing me there is no limit to imagination.  Ive seen dragons battle tanks,  heroes from history in a battle royale, even a chibi cartoon set in a very dreary zombie apocalypse.  Point is, new worlds of possibility are still popping up to be my escape from reality for half an hour.  While I do have my franchise favorites, more on that later, fresh new takes and twists on genres are always welcome.  GATE and Aldnoah Zero have become some of my favorite original stories since Code Geass.  If it’s one thing im definitely thankful for its that Anime is never running out of stories to tell.

 

#4-Giving me a reason to smile

This goes more in line with a T5W I did a while back (http://gundamanimeblog.blogspot.com/2015/10/t5w10-top-5-f-yeah-anime-moments.html )

The moment of Anime when you’ve had a really, REALLY bad day and just want to take your mind off things.  But then that moment happens that inspires you, puts the biggest smiles on your face and just makes you go F*** YEAH!!!!  I had a moment like that with Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works’s finale this year.  And I can always look to a particular scene in Summer Wars to bring a tear and smile to my eyes, heck I might watch it again over the next couple of days.  It’s moment like these that remind me why I love Anime.  Because it can cure the darkness some days bring, gotta be thankful for that.

 

#3-Ongoing Franchises (For better or worse)


Im always game for original Anime (see #5 above).  But part of me will eternally have a soft spot for the series that got me into the genre to begin with.  This year we saw brand new material for Dragon Ball with Dragon Ball Super, a brand new Ghost in the Shell movie and 2 new Gundam entries with Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin and Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron Blooded Orphans.  Hell, there’s even a new Digimon series that just premiered.  And they don’t look dated in the slightest, standing tall with original works like Kill La Kill, GATE and Aldnoah Zero.  Bring on the new but leave some heart open for the old.  Without it, we wouldn’t be the fans we are today.

 

#2-New Dream Girls


Yeah I’ll be a little bit of a guy here.  While I drool over Supergirl on TV, im definitely grateful for the continued tradition of beautiful and amazing women in Anime.  This past year I finally got into the world of Fate/Stay Night, enjoying the adventures of Rin and Saber.  Aldnoah Zero has some cool heroines too, even if I cant remember their names. Plus the always pretty Asuna returning in Sword Art Online II.    They happily join the ranks of Sailor Mars, Misato and Revy as the girls we all wish were real.  Cosplayed properly, you could meet them at conventions and learn about the girl behind the costume and who knows, a long lasting friendship could form.  Keep looking good ladies and keep kicking ass.

 

#1-Conventions


This year I went to two big Anime conventions and without Anime I wouldn’t have found a wide world of enthusiasts who love what I love for different reasons.  Otakon 2015 in particular, came at the right time.  This year has probably been the worst for me in recent memory and there was a moment I didn’t think id be able to attend.  But I did and it was the best choice.  You don’t just meet fellow Otaku at conventions.  You make friends and some of those friends become very near and dear to your heart, becoming family.  Your horizons broaden, you learn about new shows and even end up watching one or two you wouldn’t have tried on your own.  Theyre events that begin with a bang of excitement and end in such a rush its hard to believe they happened at all.  So yeah im thankful for Katsucon and Otakon and look forward to both in 2016.  They are parties I never want to end, and a home away from home I cherish with all my heart.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone, spend it with everyone who matters to you
(And no I could not resist the Hamtaro pic, it's too damn adorable)
 

1 comment:

  1. An awesome thankful list. I've got to agree on #5 and #3. New worlds and universes have been fantastic in anime. From Gundam to GATE, anime worlds are as rich as my favorite scifi ones. Ongoing series with excellent shows are another one. Ghost in the Shell has been going strong with me liking the Arise newer shorts a lot, more than I thought I would. On top of that the old stories are still there as well.

    A wonderful list and great way to celebrate the holiday :)

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