Showing posts with label anime. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anime. Show all posts

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Top Ten of '11

2011 was not a really good year for me but I DID discover some awesome new series!

In no particular order, the top ten most awesome new discoveries of 2011
1. Homestuck
2. Doctor Who
3. Good Omens
4. Oban Star Racers
5. Tiger & Bunny
6. Sherlock
7. Tumblr
8. Pokemon Black/White (fifth gen)
9. Netflix (responsible for several of the above discoveries)
10. man you know i can't even pick a tenth thing

Well, the top nine should cover it. That's a well-rounded list featuring a webcomic, two live action shows, a video game, two anime, a movie rental/streaming service, and a blog. Not bad considering what a sucky year it's been!

I'd like to think I made a few great discoveries in my writing as well, but I'm still in the early stages of actually typing my story so it's hard to stay. I don't think I'll attribute success in that to any year in particular if I ever finish.

I'm working on a Homestuck post that'll be just a little late for my "Homestuck one year anniversary". Hopefully I can put together a comprehensive review without veering off topic too much.

I wonder if I'll have a top ten of '12... one can only hope.

Sunday, November 27, 2011

Currently Watching: Mawaru Penguin Drum (episodes 1-20)

POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT

As of late, I have been picking up new series based on how popular the are on Tumblr (especially with people I follow). I got into Doctor Who and Homestuck that way (both of which are two of my favorite series now). The most recent series I picked up is an anime called "Mawaru Penguin Drum", which, in summary, has been a fun ride so far.

When I stared watching, I knew two things about the series. One, in involved penguins. Two, many of the relationships between characters were... problematic? It sounded enough like plenty of other series I like (Bakemonogatari, DRRR!!, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and the more relevant Revolutionary Girl Utena).

Turns out, it shares a director with Utena. Aesthetically, they are very similar, although Utena's visuals are a bit dated by this point. I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call Penguin Drum a spiritual successor, but if you enjoy one you'll probably enjoy the other. There's a good balance of character development, slowly revealed plot, background wackiness, and various relationship drama that keeps things fresh and interesting.

I've gone so far without summarizing Mawaru Penguin Drum because that's actually rather difficult to do. It starts out with three siblings, fraternal twin brothers Kanba and Shoma (16) and their younger sister Himari (? 14... maybe?), living on their own in a small house in Tokyo. Himari is terminally ill, probably at home because there's nothing left being in a hospital can do for her. Sounds like a real downer... until the penguins show up. Then things just get weird.

I should probably wait until the ending to write up a full review. I've gotten a bit ahead of myself.

Basically, if you're into interesting visuals, heavy symbolism, and psychological drama, give Mawaru Penguin Drum (and Utena) a spin.