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)
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.
ReplyDeleteA wonderful list and great way to celebrate the holiday :)