The Real Neat Blog Award 2: Electric Boogaloo

Yeah, boyyy, that’s what I’m talking about! This is actually the third time that I’ve been nominated for the Real Neat Blog Award, so, hey, maybe I should stop doubting my blog and my writing capabilities quite as much? A big thanks to Voyager over on Galvanic for the nomination (and the much-needed confidence boost)! Sorry that it took me so long to get ‘round to writing this, December’s my busiest month, blog-wise, what with the 12 Days of Anime posts and my Year in Review. I’ll answer those burning questions of yours just as soon as I list the rules of this challenge! 

12 Days of Anime 2019 – Chihaya Is Back!

It doesn’t happen nearly as much as I’d like (probably because of my fondness for kooky, off-the-wall anime), but every so often it seems the anime gods hear my prayers and bless me with more of one of my favourite shows. Hearing that Chihayafuru was getting its third season after six long, agonising years was one of those rare times. If you didn’t already know, Chihayafuru is an awesome series. This anime takes a sport that very few have heard of (and even fewer have played), karuta, and, through its characters’ passion for it, gets you invested in it too. Who knew that a card game with no magic, monsters, or ancient Egyptian gods could be so exciting? Not to mention that its characters are all perfect little cinnamon rolls! Thankfully, Chihayafuru’s third season is proving to be more than worth the wait and is helping to ensure that 2019 ends with a bang! 

Here are some of the things that I’ve liked the most about Chihayafuru 3 so far… 

12 Days of Anime 2019 – Ty Gets Motherly

Many of you already know this, but for the benefit of the few of you who don’t, I’ve been an anime fan for a long time. An entire decade, to be precise. And while my love for anime hasn’t wavered in the slightest, a lot of other things have changed in that time. I’m not just talking about my taste in shows, but my life circumstances and how these have influenced the way I relate to what I’m watching… 

When I first started watching anime I was but a 15-year-old girl. Chronically unpopular at school, I found myself drawn to shows that featured large casts of characters, shows that made me feel like part of something. I was also desperate for love, for my first “proper” boyfriend (who just had to be tall, dark, and mysterious. Hey, I grew up during that awful Twilight craze!). This meant that when I chanced upon an anime character who met these criteria, I would fall head over heels for the guy and spend hours wishing I could meet somebody just like them… 

Thankfully, I’ve grown up a little since then! I’ve made peace with the fact that I’ll never be Little Miss Popular and I’ve been married for nearly three years now. My husband’s not the tall, dark, mysterious vampire that I longed for in my youth, but I’m still pretty keen on him! Now that I’m older, wiser, more mature and just starting to settle down and start a family of my own, I no longer look at anime characters, particularly boys, with heart-shaped eyes. No, I now view them in a way that is far more motherly. This has never been truer than during this year, when a great number of anime characters have sent my motherly instincts into overdrive… 

12 Days of Anime 2019 – Ty Gets a Pet

2019 has been full of exciting developments, many of which I mentioned during another 12 Days of Anime post. Among these exciting developments is the adoption of my husband and I’s very first pet, Fuzz the cat. Fuzz is an extremely vocal, 17 pound Norwegian Forest Cat. His hobbies include: gnawing at our houseplants, waking my husband and I up at four in the morning every morning for his breakfast, and making a nest for himself in the bathtub when he thinks we aren’t looking. If that doesn’t give you enough of an insight into what it’s like to be a pet owner, consider watching winter 2019’s “My Roommate is a Cat”. 

12 Days of Anime 2019 – I Become the Newest Member of the JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Fandom

I first began my very own bizarre adventure with the JoJo franchise back in 2015 (only 29 years after its manga first debuted, so, you know, not that late to the party). And, while I wasn’t immediately hooked by the anime adaptation of part one, Phantom Blood, with each new instalment in the anime series, I found myself more and more invested in the franchise. Ironically, what first turned me off of the series, its ugly character designs (I like my men elf-like and willowy, but these guys had muscles on top of their muscles) and unbelievable plot twists, became the exact reasons why I love it most.