There’s a genre of anime i like, usually under slice-of-life or iyashikei, where the main character’s dissatisfied with their life and wants to make a change. They want to make friends and stand out from the crowd. With Yura in this series, it’s her first day at a new school, and she’s failing to make an impression. Maybe joining one of the official school clubs is the solution!
Continue reading →In a discussion over on urusai.social (mastodon anime instance), I got the idea to watch Hirogaru Sky Precure (new 20th season) and Futari wa Precure (1st season) in synch, and compare them. I’d watched quite a few magical girl anime series, but I was reluctant to try Precure because there were over 600 episodes at the time, and I’d heard that it was aimed at 5-8 year old girls. My … Continue reading →
Here’s an OVA you’re not likely to find outside of youtube or a streaming site: Dragon’s Heaven. (It took me a while to find it, because I’d heard the title as “Dragon Seven” :p It’s the story of an AI mech, created to work with a human pilot to fight a war against rebellious AI robots. After his pilot died and the war ended, he was left behind and put … Continue reading →
For a decidedly different anime series, try Spice and Wolf. It’s set in a medievalesque world, but it lacks the staples of magic swords, elves, orcs, or bratty princesses. Instead, it’s the story of Kraft Lawrence, a merchant who’s working as a traveling trader to gain funds, experience, and contacts to eventually open his own shop. One evening he meets Holo, an ancient wolf goddess from the North. Generations ago, … Continue reading →
In part 3, we finished our discussion of what you might find at a typical literary con. Now it’s time to plan our visit! In previous posts, I mentioned that conventions promote themselves by going to other cons. They throw room parties, leave flyers, and sell memberships. Volunteers who work at one con may help with others too. Con committees and staff network with other cons, and they always have. … Continue reading →
I’ve decided to add recommendations for anime series I’ve watched (got to do something during my lunch at work). They won’t be full reviews, just some quick impressions to pique your interest. The first one is a collection of 4 series in the Space Opera genre. It starts with Crest of the Stars, followed by Banner of the Stars (I, II, & III). The series features young Jinto on his … Continue reading →
Penguicon is my favorite convention. For those of you who have only heard of media SF cons (meet the stars of your favorite show!) or comic cons (meet stars, cosplay), volunteer-run SF/Fantasy cons are an entirely different experience, and I haven’t heard of any other conventions quite like Penguicon. It started out as a hybrid SF/Fantasy and Linux/Open-Source convention, but it’s expanded since then. I will write more about it … Continue reading →
