Re-watching my favourite anime during this lengthy shielding lockdown period seems to be paying off. On a personal level it is just a happy thing to do, it reminds me of what they mean to me and allows me to revisit all those amazing feels. I watched many of these so long ago it’s almost like watching them for the first time.
It also reminds me of what it is I like about them and how they inspired me and continue to inspire me. As a result, I’ve started writing my story again and trying some online courses. This includes Latin which could be interesting!
In concentrating on creative writing, and my pursuit of re-engaging with some really influential stories, I’m fuelling not just my own creativity but also my evaluation of life goals and the energy I put into them.
Anime always inspires me. I could cry a river when I hear the assumption that anime is just a load of cartoons. It really isn’t. I believe this assumption must come from lack of experience and all I can say is, watch some. Not just the obvious ones that appear to be aimed at a younger audience – but the ones that are for an older audience, which can explore darker and/or more mature themes and will more likely have very beautiful art and engaging characters.
This is a show about a shogi (sort of Japanese chess) player, Rei Kiriyama, who finds himself alone and depressed in the world at a young age. All he has is shogi and he is very good at it. He also hates it but it really is all he has. He is a person lost. A person in need of some sort of connection outside of shogi. He finds this connection when he befriends a family of three sisters and their grandfather (plus a couple of lovely kitty cats) and they address his loneliness through genuine concern and friendship. The anime follows his growth as he battles with isolation, loss and depression. The premise sounds like it might be a little gloomy, but overall it is about his recovery and how he recuperates, little by little, with the new found support of the Kawamoto family. Sometimes it is humorous; sometimes it is sad, but as the story progresses you really get drawn in. Season two is slightly better as the characters have all been introduced and the storytelling becomes more indepth. So much happens – it left me wanting more. I will soon turn to the manga for that much needed closure as apparently it is finally getting printed in English. Happy days!
The artwork is very appealing to me – the character art is a little strange looking and I like it. The art is so striking – and it works, as it looks rather elegant, and I could learn a lot from those expressively beautiful hands. The colours, the light, the water and reflections – it’s gorgeous. The movement and style in the animation is very eye catching, the mood is romantic and melancholy, and really quite beautiful. There is so much detail, so much work with light and with those watery reflections and all featured beautifully in the opening and end credits. I love the opening and ending art and music so much for repeatedly reminding me of the absolute awesomeness of this shows aesthetics; they tell their own beautiful story.
This is one of my favourite anime. I’ve watched it countless times and I’ve put off re-watching it countless more because I can’t bear the thought of finishing it. Even as I begin to watch I start feeling this impending sorrow as I know it must soon come to an end – basically, missing it before it’s gone. I can’t express how much this anime means to me – I like sports anime a lot but this anime is something else – so much more than that – it’s such a warm journey; sweet and relatable. It’s full of flawed and realistic people – they are all so human, all of them flawed. Some are dealing with injury, and some are not particularly sporty or even fit. To watch them try; that is all, just to watch them try – and they try so hard. They are such an inspiration because of that.
There’s a lot of good sports anime out there – I like a lot of them, but this show? I don’t know – it’s got something going for it. It’s not just a sports anime, it’s not even about winning. Perhaps it’s a slice of life more than anything. It’s about people. It’s a peek at some folks with a goal to do something incredible. The storytelling is excellent – it’s from a Japanese novel by Shion Miura and I would love to read it if it ever gets published in English. The story plays out around a group of college students and their aim to run the Hakone Ekiden relay marathon. Most of the characters are so likable right from the start and as you learn more and more about them you start appreciating what each of them adds to the team. They just crash your heart, and you never want them to leave. I found myself in awe at them as a group. They are so real and so fragile. I think that fragility is what appeals to me the most as they all grow into stronger people – not so different from who they were at the beginning – they just found what was already there.
The artwork is gentle. It has a calm and pretty palette – not overbearing or chaotic. Its clean, fresh, natural tones reflect, and even enhance, the feel of story. I like the use of light, the skies, the landscape, the character art – the whole mood and it has an energy to it that is refreshing. Different locations are presented well – the ocean, the mountains, the city – it looks beautiful. It’s so lovely, it makes me yearn to go – especially to the mountains. There was a good range of weather conditions featured due to altitudes and locations – it practically show cased the diversity of Japan!
Sometimes you just need a show that makes you really feel something. Something that makes you look at the world a little differently, and I think both of these shows do just that.
The soothing qualities of anime; or a case for re-watching favourites during lockdown or any time, continues…
My previous post touched on the unfortunate nosedive my art motivation has taken due to lockdown. It’s harsh, but this has also enriched my ongoing efforts to pursue a source of research and inspiration in the form of anime. I mentioned the soothing qualities of a re-watch because revisiting old and faithful friends not only cheers and comforts, but you get to look at it again from a fresh perspective. I probably recall a lot of the story, so I see another viewing of the show as a good opportunity to really look at the finer details and probably (hopefully) pick up on things I’ve missed. I prefer to watch in the original Japanese, or Chinese (usually Mandarin) if it’s a donghua, so reading and watching at the same time will inevitably have you miss some of the finer details, but I don’t let this sway me.
If I first watched it in the original language then I have found switching to a dub feels a little weird, but to be honest it can go the other way – if I watched something dubbed it takes a bit of getting used to watching it in the original language. Ouran Highschool Host Club is an example of that, and I’m re-watching it in Japanese right now.
I really enjoy keeping a visual record of what I’ve watched using Pinterest which is a lot of fun in itself. I think I am one of life’s collectors, to be honest. It’s also very obvious as to which anime might have a special place in my heart as the number of pins I save can be a bit mental – or disappointing, if the anime was not the hit I was hoping for.
I’m going to talk about four more of those favourites now. I’ll keep in mind my plan to do some fan art as a kick towards getting back on the arting track but maybe that’s for the future given the current limitations of spacelessness due to lockdown. I made that word up, by the way.
I have chosen these examples as they all have a pretty and elegant feel to the art and so make visual sense to me. They are not chosen for any similarities within the stories but mostly for their visual mood; they are very quiet and gentle to the eye which lends to the soothing and calm quality of the story telling, and that is all.
Ouran High School Host Club is just excellent. It is a romantic reverse harem parody and very, very funny. I think it is the go-to anime for me when I need some cheer. The characters are each and every one of them a wonderful part of that “ridiculous bunch” in their own way. Each character shines – each adding their own individual lunacy to the humour and I love them all.
The art style is soft and cute, fun and flamboyant. I have watched this many times and I’m aware of the ending being brutally incomplete. Incomplete but surprisingly fine (for me) although I wouldn’t say no to another season. I collected the manga to address the lack of closure and I have no regrets.
The manga cover art is actually shown in the ending credits which I think is a great touch. I think the manga’s cover art is to die for, actually. The entire collection is so pretty! The manga is just excellent – such gorgeous closure. I might take forever finishing this piece as I’m going to go re-read it…
The original Fruits Basket from 2001 is darkly adorable because for something so merry it has some rather dark undertones. It is a story about a family with a secret; and a story about friendships and romance. It is a tranquil experience which really connects with me and makes me feel soothed and calm. Its quirky humour is just wonderful. The inclusion of a best bits recap along with the delightful music at the end lends the show a unique feeling of warmth.
The story is, however, incomplete. It is frustratingly incomplete, but this has been addressed by a re-make which expands on the characters and the story in more depth. I love that show, too. The art is a lot fresher – dare I say, more sophisticated – the story more in depth, but it has not spoiled the original for me. There is definitely room in the world for both.
I decided I’d like to collect the manga some time ago but I don’t really have the ability (in terms of space and finances) – it feels like a must for me, though as this anime is incomplete and from what I understand it doesn’t exactly follow the manga, either. Because of all these differences there has to a place for all the formats we now have available.
Its opening and ending music is dreamy (both the Japanese and English versions) – the score goes from tinkling, sleepy music, to downright chaotic madness, throughout the show and the story is carried forward by this and we are happily taken with it. Just watching this slightly flawed, incomplete series is warming my heart all over again. It’s quiet, peaceful imagery with it’s cool muted colours feels like a sunny winters day. It’s like a dark fairy tale.
Kase-san and Morning Glories is such a sweet, warm romance. A story about the blossoming romance between two girls who are quite different from each other.
It’s a story about the shy, self-conscious tentative steps at the beginning of their relationship, the threat of separation, and their sweet innocence – all delivered with a light airy sense of tranquillity. The short film’s opening credits summarises the development of their relationship where we see their confession has already taken place, and we are then taken directly to ‘the what happens next’ stage. The story looks at their hopes, romance and their insecurities and, as the end song finishes, it explains the meaning behind morning glories which I think adds to the closure of this brief but important episode in their lives.
I have watched this film a few times now – its so charming! Its whole mood is light and airy, and the art really supports this. The background art feels like a gentle watercolour painting. Its soft painterly quality is so aesthetically pleasing – with occasional sprinkles of warm light and vibrant flowers, its like drowning in Spring.
Tsuki ga Kirei is another extremely sweet romance. The characters portrayal is quite realistic, and they are innocent and precious and flawed. The story lets us take a gentle stroll with them as we experience their shy and careful approach to dealing with young love, school, friends, and family. The artwork seemed a little plain to me to begin with – it seemed a little too “pale”, a little too naive. But it really did grow on me – it became totally fitting – not plain, at all – just pure. It added to the charm and I came to appreciate its simplicity. I really can’t find an explanation as to why this story works so well – it really is just beautiful. The story also provides a lot of closure to what happens next during the end credits. I probably re-watched and paused that part way too many times than I’d care to admit but, in my defence, there was a lot of texting to read through and my only real complaint is they should have made that into another season or at least a special episode.
And yet – this is the difficulty a slice of life anime fan must endure. It’s a small, detailed fragment of the life of the characters we grow to love. Neither the beginning nor the end. It’s like some kind of torture if you really think about it.
The soothing qualities of anime; or a case for re-watching favourites during lockdown or any time
My opportunities to illustrate anything and everything took a nosedive when the steady introduction of lockdowns took over all our lives. I just don’t have the physical space to work anymore and that in itself is demotivating. I live in a small flat with very little space – certainly no dream art studio! Setting up my workspace just to have to put it away again is very frustrating. So, I turned to my favourite source of inspiration and took to visual research via anime. This is not new to me – I have often made something according to how an anime made me feel but lockdown has really brought it home about how important that it is to my creative research as it’s all I’ve really been capable of.
It’s also very soothing. A bad day can be soothed away by a sure victory of a good re-watch. It’s not a waste of time – It’s visual comfort food. I tend to do this alongside watching something new, too, so my ongoing research doesn’t suffer, but revisiting old friends – who you know make you happy! What bliss!
I use Pinterest as a visual record of my viewings and MAL (MyAnimeList) database I use for logging, voting and research. I think I enjoy Pinterest because it is so visual – I have four main collections so far – the aim is to collect 100 and then make a new board – it works for me as I like my list to be visual and contained, and finishing a board is seriously rewarding. I’m on my fourth list right now – some of what I’ve collected are definitely on the “wish I’d never bothered” pile but some are turning out to be real favourites.
I’m going to talk about four of those now. I think I should also do some fan art but maybe that’s for the future given the current limitations.
Mushi-shi
Tanaka-kun is always Listless
Natsume’s Book of Friends
Non non Biyori
Mushi-shi is an episodic supernatural, dreamy, ethereal show that is just wonderful visually. Each episode focuses on an unsettling mystery with every day folk. Its beautiful art and serene atmosphere are otherworldly and provides a real sense of tranquil escapism. The mushi are strange, often transparent creatures that thrive free from the human eye (mostly) but have an impact on the human world (sometimes). The Mushi-shi – a man called Gin – travels the quiet and dreamy countryside dealing with the problems that can occur when the mushi and human world collide. Watching the show is like taking a gentle stroll with him. An anthropologist’s dream, maybe – because you most certainly wouldn’t want to interfere or get in the way. Probably wise, because the mushi are not unkind – they are not wired that way, but they can hurt you.
Tanaka-kun is always listless is charming and funny and probably the most forgiven lazy boy you could meet. He just likes to sleep. The entire show feels calm and sleepy. The art is calm, the music is calm. His life is calm. The only time it isn’t calm is if he is forced out of his sleepy bubble to do boring things like life. The story within the anime is wonderful! The characters that surround this boy are total enablers – his friend, Ohta, especially. But I forgive them all – the experience is just too restful not to.
Natsume’s Book of Friends is another supernatural show with nice art but it’s the characters and the feel of the story that feel comfy and relaxing to me. Natsume’s background is a sad one but his present situation feels like the beginning of a happy ending in some ways as we watch him grow and become more confident and trusting in the people in his life. Some of these ‘people’ are Yokai. Most of them are helpful or become helpful as the story twists and turns and as they get to know and appreciate each other. Most people can’t see the yokai and this often gets Natsume into trouble – but he is a very kind person who is quietly heroic and always tries to help even if it comes with risks. The music helps carry the mood and it’s a very addictive experience. I really like the character art – its soft and gentle, like the story and all of these elements carry Natsume’s Book of Friends into a very soothing and rewatchable experience.
Non Non Biyoriis a show that centres around the countryside. It’s beautiful rural scenery is complemented with really adorable characters, focussing on the school children of the village and the people and situations they connect with. It is funny and it is such a gentle experience. It is extremely sweet to follow. Every little adventure they have is delightful and nostalgic. These tiny little childhood moments bring a certain nostalgia with it and I find myself trying to remember the silly, important things I used to do as a small child. The big danger with this show is the desire to go back for a do-over but I get that a lot with anime. Anime certainly does come with its wishful thinking perils!
A real tell-tale sign to a new favourite (for me) is when I start obsessing over the music – I have many favourite OP’s and ED’s (i.e. opening and ending songs) – all providing another way to revisit the charm of a favourite show. As a person with a goth culture background this should be difficult to admit but I can assure you it isn’t. If music speaks to you then one really shouldn’t waste time denying it – for to deny that is to deny yourself and apparently, I’ve had plenty of practice with all the strange stuff I used to listen to (and still do when I have a mind to). If I’m not listening to anime intros then I listen to metalcore and 80’s, mostly – just in case you are interested.
I think all of these shows deserve a re-watch whatever the state of the world but revisiting them during trying times is a form of therapy for me. Nostalgic, relatively risk free and pure comfort.
I will leave it there and start planning my next four escapes.
paynes grey illustration 