Blossay #2: Anime and Me

Anime and Me: Alli Hemp's anime adventure

The start of my experiences with anime...
 

My involvement in anime began young. As a child in elementary school, I was exposed to Pokémon, Sailor Moon, and some Dragon Ball as I watched morning cartoons with my brother and cousins before school. I very much enjoyed Sailor Moon the most along with my female cousin and remembered getting little Sailor Moon and Mars figurines to play with together. My brother and male cousin had a great time with Pokémon and traded cards and played some video games revolving around the Pokémon stories and characters. As much as I enjoyed anime then, by no means was it super important to me in any way—I had as much interest in it as I did any other cartoon on television because I treated Sailor Moon, Pokémon, and Dragon Ball as normal cartoons. The term ‘anime’ was something that didn’t exist for me. When I got to middle school and stopped watching cartoons and television, I had closed the book of anime and moved on with my life until high school.

Flash forward to ninth grade. When my circle of friends had started discussing anime and manga in front of me (Vampire Knight and Kuroshitsuji to be exact), naturally I was interested in this new thing that seemed so fun. It sounded like any other story or comic to me, but when I came to realize that Sailor Moon was also an anime it took me no time at all to re-visit Sailor Moon as well as check out anime and manga my friends recommended to me. I had always loved books, but I also loved art and drawing. I had never been a fan of normal American comics, but I absolutely loved the artwork that Japanese anime offered as well as the amazing stories that went with them. I had found the best of both worlds.

My first anime and a world of others:

Black Cat, the first anime I watched since discovering the term.

The first anime I watched since finding this new world of cartton was Black Cat, a series I took interest in because of the main character’s unusual name (Train). Episodes were shown weekly on the Funimation Channel and I was joined by my best friend each week religiously to indulge in the newest episode of our favorite story. We were in love--there was so much action and suspense with the perfect amount of comedy to keep us entertained. Although Black Cat was my favorite anime to watch, the Funimation Channel had a few other anime to offer including Kiddy Grade, Slayers, Mushishi, Galaxy Railways, Slayers, and Aquarion to name just a handful. My favorite shows however were Revolutionary Girl Utena, Hunter x Hunter, Peach Girl, and xxxHolic.

As I began to expand the library of shows I had watched or previewd and manga I took interest in, I realized that I was attracted to a great variety of shows. I did not find myself limited to a single genre--I was interested in anything from magical girl to mecha, romance to horror. Still to this day, I do not rule out any genre because it does not immediately appeal to me. I'd much rather sit through a few uninteresting episodes or chapters than miss out on a really great story.

Involvement of friends, family, and strangers

My parents handled my interest in anime very well (as compared to the grief my friends get from their parents, or so they say) as did my grandparents and the rest of my family, although they didn't really know much about it nor did they care. I'd never really questioned my interest in this field or considered it something to be 'weird' by any means. For me, anime was just another thing I liked, just the same as music, swimming, and drawing. At times my family did make fun of me for it, but it was all in good humor. My brother actually took some interest in Black Cat and watched a good deal of it with my friend and I. He never got into the anime scene though and quickly returned to his world of Magic cards, Nintendo games, and chess. I'm sure if I asked him to watch with me he'd entertain the thought, but in the end he's definitely not interested in it as much as myself.

Most of my friends were really the ones who introduced me to manga and anime, so I never got any negative feedback form them at all. The only trouble I ran into was misunderstanding from my teammates on the swim team. The age old tentacle porn question/comment popped up from time to time and dove me insane, but like my family most of the time it was all in good fun or genuine interest/lack of knowledge. People never judged me for my interests or thought less of me for being into something so foreign to them, however there are some individuals who don't miss the opportunity to give me shit about it just to tease me.

This is a thing, why is this a thing?

More times than not, there are some fans of anime and manga who outwardly display their love of the genre with buttons, shirts, and key chains. This makes it very easy to spot potential friends--whether its taking the train to NYC or waiting in line in a store, the possibilities of meeting new people and making friends through mutual interest are indeed great. I have met a lot of people, some of whom have become great friends of mine, through mutual interest in an anime or manga series. It's a really great community to be a part of because there's so many different people from all walks of life as well as many, MANY different kinds of anime and manga to take interest in and explore. Anime and manga has brought me more friends than grief from relatives or teammates.

But...am I an otaku?

I do not consider myself an otaku or anything of that nature.Though I do have a great interest in anime and manga, by no means is it my only interest. I was never completely 'hardcore' about it (dressing up in cosplay, owning much merchandise, taking courses about it in college, shit...) and don't really have much of an opinion or know what people are talking about when they get into those 'which show/series/fandom is the best' arguments discussions, but I do genuinely care about anime as a genre open to my interest. 

Since Black Cat was really my gateway back into anime and my love for Japanese culture, it holds a special place in my heart. I admit it's not the best anime (or manga) out there by any means, but I suppose everyone has that one series that takes hold of them above all others. As a result of this, I ended up investing in the series of twenty volumes to support the author, Kentaro Yabuki. Though it comes out to a good deal of money, it is the only series I have purchased (and plan to have purchased) in full. I own no other merchandise involving Black Cat or any other anime/manga save for the Sailor Moon figurine floating around somewhere in the black hole I consider my bedroom. 

This is not what any part of my house looks like. I cannot begin to fathom the cost of this.

 It is, however, glorious. Props.

I have considered cosplaying many times, but never really got the chance or had the ambition to do so. I had wanted to dress up as Sailor Saturn at one point, Princess Zelda, Lucy from Elfen Lied, and a few others, but I never moved forward with any of my plans. My friends (the same ones who got me back into anime) go to cons all the time in cosplay and still do today. If I'm being honest, I really do envy them. There's nothing I love more than to dress up for any reason, go out with my friends, and have a great time. Hell, I've never even been to a con without a costume! However, I've never indulged in such endeavors and therefore have to lose some points on my 'otaku card' if I were to have such a thing. 

In the end...

I really think anime and manga has had a positive effect on my life. I've followed a lot of really great stories, learned some lessons in life, made friends, and overall had a really great time so far with everything I've encountered. Anime has opened up the doors to my current major, East Asian Studies, and showed me at times a totally inaccurate depiction of Japanese culture, but enough to make me want to find out the truth, move away from animation, and into the real world with language and culture galore. I do not want anime or manga to become my entire life, but it has indeed shaped who I am and what I stand for today. I don't plan to stop reading or watching--I'm always looking for another great story to indulge and lose myself in for a bit of time.

Blossay #1: Anime Review: Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro: An Anime Review

For my first blossay, I chose to do a review on the anime Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, also known as Demon Detective Nougami Neuro or Neuro: Supernatural Detective.  Originally a supernatural/horror/murder mystery manga (http://www.mangareader.net/640/majin-tantei-nougami-neuro.html) written by Yuusei Matsui, the series was adapted into an anime directed by Hiroshi Koujina. The 25 episode series differed slightly from the original 23 volume manga as it began to outpace its production however, both productions focus on the adventures of Nougami Neuro and Yako Katsuragi. Neuro, a demon from hell who feeds on mysteries, comes to earth seeking sustenance after having consumed all the mysteries from the underworld. Forcing forming a partnership with Yako, a high school student turned detective after the murder of her father, the two solve mysteries together with the promise that Neuro will one day help Yako unravel the mystery behind her father’s death. While Neuro is the brains and information gatherer behind figuring out the mysteries, Yako’s role is that of a puppet serving as the lead detective while Neuro does all the work and gives her the credit after eating the mystery. In each episode/series of episodes, an individual mystery is investigated by the team.

It's a team dynamic, right?

Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro (MTNN) is a thrilling and playfully thought provoking anime with tons of comedy stemming from interactions between characters. Fueled by Neuro’s ruthless sadistic tendencies, the comedic violence that occurs is both entertaining and hilarious. While there is no real ‘plot’ or ‘final goal’ to this series, the character development is amazing to watch, and interactions involving Neuro are always sure to floor you either from laughter or amazement.

Because no anime would be complete without needless and realistically impossible to survive violence.

In my personal opinion, I enjoyed the manga a bit more than the anime (big surprise) for a few reasons. While the art in the anime stayed fairly true to that in the original manga series, I feel the expressions were better represented in the comic book versions. I also took to the final plot in the manga a bit more than the one in the anime, but was still thoroughly satisfied with the anime. It was very enjoyable to see the interactions between characters animated and in color. Another awesome point was the dynamic between the two male and female characters that was able to exist without the presence of romance, as in many anime and manga. The relationship between Neuro and Yako was purely platonic, and was extremely enjoyable that way. There was no need for anything more than that, which is typically very hard to pull off in my eyes. But onto the actual anime...

Episode 1: (http://www.gogoanime.com/majin-tantei-nougami-neuro-episode-1)

                When the Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro series begins with the first episode, Yako and Neuro’s relationship has already been established as well as Yako’s reputation as a well-known detective. The episode begins with Yako eating at a restaurant with one of her high school friends. It is here we discover Yako’s obsession with food as well as her fame in the detective field as reporters and curious by-standers look on. Yako’s meal is interrupted by a summons from Neuro, who she has already met and been working with for some time, who needs her at a meeting with a client looking to solve a mystery.

The client is the head chef at a well renowned restaurant, Shiroto Supreme, who has recently been receiving anonymous threat letters directed towards his cooking and restaurant. Shiroto, the head chef, is explaining the situation to Neuro, Yako, and police detectives Sasazuka Eishi and Ishigaki Jun when there is a crash and scream from the kitchen. When everyone ran to the scene, Shiroto’s top chef was found dead on the floor.

While the two detectives go on speculating the possibilities of the nature of the murder, Neuro begins some investigating of his own as Yako is allowed to sample some of the food at Shiroto Supreme. Even as a lover of food, she decides that she finds no enjoyment in Shiroto’s cooking, enraging him. In his anger, he fires all the detectives and retreats to his private kitchen, vowing to concoct the best dish ever. Using his demonic power (777 Tools of the Underworld), Neuro investigates the contents of Shiroto’s cooking and declares to Yako that he has figured out the mystery.

Of course it was, Neuro.

Teaming up again with the two detectives, Neuro and Yako approach Shiroto explaining they have discovered who the murderer was. [Spoiler alert] The murderer was, in fact, Shiroto. Neuro then explains the process of how the act was sneakily pulled off, adding simply at the end of the long spiel ‘is what my master says,’ referring to Yako. What’s more, is Shirito’s so-called ‘ultimate dish’ is actually a cocktail of enhancement drugs, allowing the user to shoot up steroids virtually undetected. But then what happens next is what makes MTNN a little unique.

Shiroto, now crazed and enraged (again) that he has been found out, begins to ruthlessly take this mix of super drugs until he becomes a kind of hulk-like, drugged up hot mess of angry lunatic, and dives at Neuro. Shrouded by a cloud of steam, Neuro devours the mystery that surrounds Shiroto and leaves him as a shriveled husk of his hulk power, a frail old man. The incident is treated as a side effect of taking all the drugs, and Shiroto is taken into custody without further questioning.

At the very end of the first episode, we are given a peek at how Neuro and Yako first met as well as some of  Yako’s personal life regarding the murder of her father.

Unlike the manga, the chronology of the anime is mixed up and totally not linear. The order of events in the manga goes thusly: Yako’s father is murdered à Yako meets Neuro à Neuro begins to solve cases with Yako àYako becomes famous. In the anime, the background information is divulged after the latest events: Yako is famous à Yako has been working with Neuro to solve cases àYako and Neuro met àYako’s father was murdered. So in the end, the information and circumstances are both the same, but the way the information is introduced is different. This can be confusing to some people who have read the manga and then the anime because the first episode doesn’t seem like the first episode since all the relationships have already been established. To a new watcher, this setup is probably fine and actually makes for a nice little piece of mystery surrounding our main characters for a while.

Artwork:

                The artwork was nicely done, staying fairly true to the original manga style character wise and adding some lovely background art similar to that seen in “Legend of the White Snake”. Important close ups of the character’s faces were beautifully detailed while comical depictions of the characters were purposefully less detailed and goofy. The entire series had a very cartoonish look and feel, making it much more lighthearted than Patlabor 2 or Ghost in the Shell. The characters were all very ‘anime style’ with large eyes, odd body proportions, and unnatural hair. One thing I really enjoyed about Patlabor 2 and Ghost in the Shell was definitely the realistic artwork that matched the dark, heavy, but important messages that they sent and allowed watchers to really take it seriously and not get distracted by cartoony art. While MTNN did have some important messages to send, overall the artwork/animation toned down anything serious.

He'll haunt you in your dreams, but hey, at least the art looks great

Or you could just remember him as this sadistic clown. Your choice.

Soundtrack:

                For someone who pays explicit attention to the soundtrack and puts a lot of weight into the quality of the anime based on it, I really wasn’t ‘wowed’ by the soundtrack at all. It was just background sound to me, and although it did set the scene and the mood, it was done in the most minimal way possible. I also have to take into account the fact that this is a mystery/horror anime and not an intense action with that bass down low like in Macross, Ghost in the Shell, or Patlabor 2, but I did feel there was plenty of times the soundtrack could have been better. It had almost a ‘James Bond’ feel without the splendor of guns and Bond’s suave character.

Characters:

                One of the most redeeming and engaging qualities of MTNN is definitely the characters. Not only was each character unique and beautifully crafted, but the development of each character (namely Yako) was very smoothly done and extremely addicting to watch unfold. At the beginning of the series, Yako was almost completely a doll and tool to Neuro.  Often, Neuro refereed to Yako as ‘louse’, ‘wood louse’, ‘slug’, and finally ‘top slug’. As the series progressed though, Yako began making discoveries of her own and making bolder attempts at solving mysteries. In the end, Yako’s relationship with Neuro became that of playful companionship rather than the slave and master trap at the beginning, and Neuro began to see Yako as more than just a tool and more of someone standing closer to the same level as him and more deserving of respect. [Spoiler alert] After Neuro returns to the underworld, Yako continues on as a successful detective and carries Neuro’s teaching with her, keeping up with bettering herself and searching for mysteries to solve. She is able to be independent from him and live her life in a purposeful way as a result of their companionship, however short.

Ship it all you want, kiddies, it's not canon.

                Overall, I really enjoyed this anime for its comedy and character development. I think if the story was trying to convey some sort of message to the audience it would definitely be to think outside the box and work to improve yourself and your skills with the help of others. I would recommend this anime to someone who loves to laugh, enjoys a bit of mystery, and watching characters develop over time.

((All images and gifs were found off Google and Tumblr))

Testing This Out

Just trying to post for the first time to make sure it works and see if I have some small idea about what I'm doing. This is the first time I've ever made a blog, so please forgive me if it's awful--I'll be doing my best anyway!

I look forward to posting here soon. Maybe if I can actually function well using this blog, I'll start making personal blogs too, hahaha :)