thoughts from tsujirii

 I see a kimono, I click.  Animax's description said "Japanese culture gains popularity in the West", which was grossly inaccurate of what actually transpired. So let me break it down for you real quick: 8 year old* Japanese child moves to Paris in hopes of 'studying abroad' all things French. Instead, she becomes an au pair (domestic helper who is typically unpaid) to a working-class family on the verge of bankruptcy. Every episode is filled with culture shock, subtle racial discrimination, and abuse from her host family. Whether you choose to watch this series is totally up to you, and there are many parts that are enjoyable - but I feel all viewers should be aware of the above, instead of being completely deceived like I was. Honestly, the initial description led me to expect affection and admiration of Japanese culture. And Japanese products to be in high-demand by all of society. Which already happens today in certain niche social groups as we know - and may ...

 If you've ever seen Karneval and Avatar the Last Airbender...  Thorfinn (the protagonist) is like a perfect combination of both Gareki and Zuko. Extremely traumatizing past, leading to a lot of *unresolved* emotional angst and insane fighting skills. He has so much potential, and it's because of this, I really liked the story, but thought it could've been better. His character depth doesn't develop or transform the way Zuko's does, which is disappointing.  Overall: Would recommend Episode 1 - 11 Episode 12 and onwards is optional - it's addictive to watch, and the political / action elements keep you in suspense. But the emotional depth of characters, while touched on, still wasn't enough for me, and Thorfinn's original goals (like family) are quickly lost in the scuffle of other character plots (Canute's, Askeladd's). Long version: Thoughts in bullet points, no particular order: - Lots of characters with gray morales (e.g. Askeladd), constantly...

I never thought I'd find another anime that hit me as deep as Natsume Yuujinchou did. And then I came across this treasure and was in love from the first episode. It's hard for me to even begin describing it, because it's such a powerful and inspirational series - not to mention highly relatable.  I'll start there: Who it's for, and who I would recommend it to: - Aspiring artists - Creative souls - Stigmatized, marginalized, or minority folks (define minority how you like, I am using the term liberally here). The more you have been discriminated against (or faced extreme hardship) to pursue your life's passion, the more you will be able to relate to, and enjoy this show.  - People who enjoy strong female characters - Friends of those mentioned above. If you don't fall into one of these categories above, I'd still encourage watching it, but I can't guarantee that you will like it. This is not a light-hearted story like Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, where ...