On Anison

A list, if you please.

• With the coming AFA ‘09 in neighboring country Singapore (starring /m/ deities like Yoshiki Fukuyama and Ichirou Mizuki), I am once again reminded of the sorry state of otaku events in my own country. I have never ever heard of a Japanese guest appearing in local cons and it will probably stay that way until I am a senile old man. As for the AFA itself, I would need to rob a bank before I can make the trip. At least we have this. Only in the Philippines!
• The new K-ON album is an ingenious product. It’s enough to make you pick up an instrument (if you haven’t already), and learn Cagayake Girls. The second disc is all about playing the aforementioned song, and there’s sheet music at hand if you’re not a dirty pirate. The show itself can be dissed for various reasons, but the musicality of the songs can’t be denied–and Pony Canyon knows this.
• I miss old-school anison. You know, the kind of anison that is tailor-made to the anime itself, one that cheesily calls out the anime’s characters/robots/themes. And cheese is fantastic. We need more anison today in the vein of Kanjite Knight. I’m not saying that the current breed of anison (performed by seiyuu or mainstream artists) is bad–it ’s great for the majority of anime, but I believe that old-school works best for mecha.
• If ever I get a 3D flesh-and-blood girl, the ultimate test of our solidarity would have to be this, (replacing the song of course)

Ihttp://www.afa09.com/

The End of K-On

I’m surprised how I liked the final episode so much, considering that it was fairly uneventful. A lot of it has to do with how the girls live their personal lives through the winter, which shows some insights on their character.

I’m glad that the show reminds us that these are girls after all–Ritsu’s plot thread was by far the most interesting, even if I saw it coming from a mile away. I just wonder why she doesn’t ditch the headband for good… The others were just lol in the sense that the show tried too hard, and failed at it (like episode 11).

Overall, I think of K-On as a decent show. I had fun watching it weekly, and was pretty low-maintenance (meaning you wouldn’t be so pumped to get the latest sub floating around), compared to, say, Eden of the East.

Carry On, K-On

The idea of a band anime resonates well with me, moreso in a high school setting. To give you a background, my high school was a breeding ground for aspiring musicians, and a good number of students lugged guitars around, playing simple rock songs during their free time (me included). I even belonged to a group of friends where a good half were in the band club.

So, I’m very interested in K-On. These girls aren’t Mary Sue-good, but I want to see their development, not just on the musical level. Being a band is not just about making music, it’s also a support group that’ll give some flavor into your life. It’s something our little protagonist Yui needs, and by the end I hope to see what she’s truly made of.

Difference in musical styles aside, K-On also reminds me of ZONE.