My RPM Challenge 2013 submission
How time flies. It’s been ages since I updated this place; one reason being, I’ve been hellishly busy during the last few weeks. I was on holiday for most of January, and for the whole of February I...
View ArticleNadia, the Secret of Blue Water
Here’s a simple piece of advice for when the enthusiasm for one of your hobbies or interests starts to wane: seek out something that represents why you were a fan in the first place. The time I could...
View ArticleKara no Kyoukai revisited, part 2: "undisclosed desires"
The second chapter of KnK may seem like one of the weaker sections since it’s so heavy on exposition and concepts that don’t gain much from the transition from print to screen; even in novel form it...
View ArticleMy thoughts on Kalafina’s new album, ‘Consolation’
I realised I never said anything on here about Kalafina’s 2011 LP After Eden, despite going into the official shop in Shibuya and picking up a copy on release day. It’s a really nice record with some...
View ArticleKara no Kyoukai revisited, part 3: "comfortably numb"
Although I was intrigued by the first two Kara no Kyoukai movie outings I wasn’t totally sold until I’d seen the third one. The brutal and shocking opening scene made me sit up and take notice, but the...
View ArticleWhy Boris are relevant to my interests, and yours
If you are interested in ‘alternative’ Japanese contemporary music (as in, stuff that isn’t in the charts or a tie-in to an anime show) you may have heard of Boris. I heard their songs for the first...
View ArticleAku no Hana, lily of the Uncanny Valley
Now that the initial controversy has subsided I finally feel able to form and voice an opinion on Aku no Hana. The art style didn’t put me off, surprisingly. I actually had reservations about whether...
View ArticleKara no Kyoukai revisited, part 4: "The Hollow"
It’s interesting that, considering the numerous minor criticisms of the individual parts, I still cite Kara no Kyoukai as something special. There’s not the action and gore of earlier chapters, but I...
View ArticleAn update for regular visitors and old friends
First, an introduction. I’m Martin and this is my blog. I thought I should point that out since, until now, I’ve had more than one. Back in the mid 2000s I had an anime blog called The End of the...
View ArticleI’m here to kick ass and eat potatoes. And I’m all out of potatoes
Out of all the reasons for watching something, this took some beating. I’m usually drawn in by the director, soundtrack composer or – shock, horror – other people’s opinions, but for Shingeki no Kyojin...
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