theletucetwin-blog

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Why, hello there Miss Nakamura. Where've you been all this time?

#aku no hana #bound

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Getting stuck with my person of interest. It would definitely have made a great memory, had I only been able to think of the right words to say, and the right moves to make.

#random excess memory #subtitled #Genshiken

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The live action cast of Flowers of Evil. These are the actors who play the parts that are eventually rotoscoped.

Always thought the rotoscoped Nakamura Sawa looked unconventionally cute, but guess it turns out the actress who played here is just plain kawaii

#animato #aku no hana

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Yashica Electro 35 GSN - Here's to hoping I could still make it work.

#random excess memory #yashica electro 35

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Oh yes indeed, the flower has bloomed.

You’re a real pervert, Kasuga-kun.

#subtitled #aku no hana

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Aku no Hana (The Flowers of Evil) - Classroom scene + ED (by Tokiopopski) Beauty in the filth - There's just no other way to describe the last five minutes or so of episode seven.

#subtitled #aku no hana

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Finally got around to watching Evangelion 3.33. Finally, I also got to find the full version of video for "Sakura Nagashi". Now this song's stuck in my head (again).

#subtitled #evangelion 3.33 #sonic boom #lss #utada hikaru

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episode one: Aku no Hana / Flowers of Evil

For some reason, none of the really new anime releases have caught my attention. That is, until I came across "Flowers of Evil".

"Flowers of Evil", or "Aku no Hana" for the purists, is not a horror series. It does, however, seem to deal with a different kind of darkness - The darkness of an admiration that turns into desire and descends downright into obsession.

Upon watching the first episode, the first thing that'll be noticed would be how much different this looks compared to the other series coming out this season. No typical, "Moe" eyes, nor exaggerated expressions and body features here. In fact, other than the High School setting, you'll be hard-pressed to find any of the typical things found in Japanese animation. Instead, the series went for realistic, yet otherwordly effects of rotoscoping. The drab cityscapes, which can only be described as "Beauty in Decay", coupled with the sparse, often droning soundtrack, only serve to hightlight the solitude of the protagonist Kasuga Takao.

Oh, and speaking of the protagonist, I guess he (and the rest of the main characters) also the reason I got so much hooked to this series. Like Kasuga, I've considered myself to be a bit of an outsider back in High School.

(Hmmm, come to think of it, I actually still am up to this day and age.)

His few conversations with his so-called friends further underscore this fact, what with the fact that he can't really talk to them about the things he's actually hooked into. Then there's Nakamura Sawa, a fellow outsider who, unlike Kasuga, actually seems to bask in her "Outcast" status, not giving a crap about what her classmates and teachers think about her. Lastly, we meet Saeki Nanako, Kasuga's object of obsession. With her good grades, and great looks, she's you typical "Little Miss Perfect".

Oh, and to cap it all off, this series has got to have one of the most incongruously upbeat opening themes, backed by a closer that can only be described as a surrealist's wet dream .

So far, "Aku no Hana" is the only new series that I think would be worth watching right now and up to its very end. However, being so idiosyncratic, it's something I would only recommend to the more adventurous viewer. And there's not much of them that I know of.

#episode one #animato

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Post-Valentine takeaway

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got an awesome mug thanks to my cousin! #NGE

#nge

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EVA cup of joe! [the other side]

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EVA cup of joe! [the right side]

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Probably the most interesting way of confessing your true feelings for the one you love.

#talking pictures #genshiken

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episode one: Sankarea

Ever since "Twilight" became big, there's been a running joke between me and my sister about when someone's gonna come up with a zombie romance.

Well, I think someone has already come up with one.

"Sankarea" tells the story of zombie-obsessed high school kid Furuya Chihiro. How zombie obsessed, you say? Well, in the first episode, we see his room cluttered with all sorts of zombie related movie posters, collectibles, and other paraphernalia. And to top it all off, one of his biggest dreams in life is to fall in love a kawaii zombie chick. The other main character in the series is the titular Sanka Rea, a rich girl with some major daddy issues, and whose biggest dream in life is to just die and be reborn in an ordinary family, with an ordinary, loving parents. Their paths cross each other when they end up retreating to an abandoned bowling alley on late nights, where Furuya is attempting to resurrect his dearly departed pet cat, and Sanka is simply screaming her heart out, her only way of dealing with her problems.

There's a lot of potential going for this, based on what I've seen on the first episode. As to whether we'll be dealing with literal or metaphorical zombies in the future, that remains to be seen.

#animato #sankarea

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episode one: Dusk Maiden of Amnesia

Horror and comedy has always been one of the most commonly mashed-up genres in both film and literature. Thus, it's no surprise that there'd be at least one animé to feature it this season. "Dusk Maiden of Amnesia" ("Tasogare Otome × Amnesia" for you purists), is one of those animé.

For its first episode, though, the comedy is a lot more apparent than its horror (or perhaps mystery) elements. In it we are introduced to the titular "Maiden", Kanoe Yuuko, an amnesiac ghost who may (or may not) have been befriended by choice by middle schooler Niiya Teiichi. In a rather humorous and effective use of the "Same Scene, Different Viewpoints" technique, we see the clubroom for school's Paranormal Investigations club, where the club's resident scribe Okonogi Momoe, is busily reviewing the latest paranormal rumors circulating in the academy. Of course, she is completely oblivious to the fact that at that very moment something paranormal is already happening in the room. At first all we see are all the stuff floating around by themselves in the room, but in the replay of these same scenes, it is reveled that Yuuko is the one making all the mischief, all in an effort to amuse herself and try to get Momoe's attention.

Though largely filled with light-hearted humor, there are still enough hints dropped in the first episode about some darker stuff waiting for us in the latter episodes. At least enough to make me want to watch episode two, and perhaps beyond. Backing up an interesting plot is the flawless animation courtesy of SILVER LINK, and a soundtrack that manages to highlight both the serious and playful moments in the episode.

#animato #episode one #tasogare otome x amnesia

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episode one: Space Brothers

Remember when you were just a kid and you had all those big, sometimes even impossibly big dreams?

I do.

And mine was to become an astronaut.

Which is why among the new animé series for the Spring season, "Space Brothers" was the one that immediately caught my attention.

"Space Brothers" tells the story of, er, two rather closely knit brothers: Mutta, and Hibito. Mutta is the older one, while Hibito is the lucky one. Throughout the first episode, Mutta likes to remind himself that as the big brother, it's his duty to always be "one step ahead of the little brother". Which is why when his job at an automobile company is taken away from him after giving his boss a headbutt, the disappointment of his parents is more than a little palpable. I am the big brother in our family, so this is another plus point for this series, at least for me. Though not heavily underscored in my case, I can still feel that like Mutta, there is a certain amount expectation from me, to always set the standard for my sibling and make sure that I only positively influence her. Little brother Hibito, on the other hand, is the bigger dreamer of the two. He's the first to make a wish about going into space, and the first of the brothers to achieve that goal. He's gonna go to the moon, joining a Lunar mission jointly launched by NASA and Japan.

This time, the little brother's gonna be the one who'll blaze the trail for his big bro.

After learning of his brother's plight, Hibito nudges Mutta in the right direction, by bringing back memories of the one event in their lives that kick started their star-spangled ambition: a UFO encounter. And after convincing their mother to send secretly send Mutta's resume to the Japanese Space Agency, Mutta gets an invite to the official astronaut selection program. This time, for a mission to Mars.

At last, Mutta may finally have his chance to achieve his dream.

Though it may be the least visually and technically stunning among the series I'd like to watch this season, "Space Brothers" is the one animé that promises to be the most memorable for me. It reminded me of that big dream that I've clung to as a kid, that one dream that seemed more and more impossible to achieve as I grew older, took on more responsibilities, and simply became more jaded. Mutta's descent into mediocrity really hit me in the kokoro, despite of, or even maybe because of, its rather lighthearted and humorous portrayal.

"Space Brothers" is one of those series that gets you emotionally invested in the characters right at the start. Who Knows? Maybe by the time I reach the last episode, I may actually be inspired, and convinced, to try to reset my life and set out to finally, really, try my hardest to stop dreaming my dreams and to start living them instead.

#animato #episode one #uchu kyodai

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yumegiwa last boy [supercar | HIGHVISION]

yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI eien naru mugen ⌈The brink of dream's last boy, infinity becomes eternity⌋ yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI furete itai mugen ⌈The brink of dream's last boy, you want to touch those fantasies⌋ yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI eien naru yumegen ⌈The brink of dream's last boy, the limit of dreams become eternity⌋ yumegiwa no RASUTO BOOI yurete itai mugen ⌈The brink of dream's last boy, you want to shake those fantasies⌋ takashii SAPOOTO no rei ni takashii SAPOOTO wo rei ni ⌈Grateful for the enduring support, Grateful for the enduring support⌋ takashii mirai e no rei ni shizen to ai e no rei ni ⌈Grateful for the bright future, Grateful for nature and love⌋ katai chikai e no rei ni takashii SAPOOTO wo rei ni ⌈Grateful for the solid vows, Grateful for the enduring support⌋ takashii SAPOOTO no rei ni takashii SAPOOTO wo rei ni ⌈Grateful for the enduring support, Grateful for the enduring support⌋

It's tugish-takish time!

Man, this has got to be the perfect song to groove to on a lazy Saturday night. I need more songs like this. Hell, I need more songs from Supercar.

Too bad I only got to stumble over such a great band nearly seven years after their last gig.

#sugarpop nightmare #lss