You Guys Need to Try This!

Do you want to hear something coo coo for cocoa puffs crazy? As we get older, we change. Yes, shocking, I know! As we meet new people, become more mature, and experience new things, our beliefs, perceptions, and preferences change too. OK, OK, I’ll admit that everything I just said is actually common knowledge… But I think that this stuff is so obvious, that it had kind of slipped my mind. That’d go some way towards explaining why my most recent brush with the Fruits Basket franchise has taken me by complete surprise… 

I Want to Go Camping…

One of my all-time favourite things about anime is its ability to introduce you to new pastimes by engaging you in the pastimes of the characters that you’re watching. I’ve been strong-armed into caring about so many things that I’ve otherwise never spared a thought for as a result of this, the most recent of these things being camping. 

I’ve never been a fan of the great outdoors. Why would I when everything I love can be found indoors? My Ps4, my nice, comfy bed, my wireless router… The thought of abandoning all of these things to share a tent with spiders and mosquitos would make me break out in preemptive hives. That is, until I watched Laid Back Camp. Laid Back Camp is about a group of high school girls and their ongoing quest to find the most scenic spot in which to pitch up a tent, enjoy good food, and, better still, good company. This feel-good anime made camping look so good, it even brought a city slicker like me ‘round to the idea… 

Five Reasons to Watch Demon Slayer

Spring certainly has a lot going for it in terms of anime. It’s packed with promising standalone shows, shows that began in winter but are continuing to maintain an impressively high standard, and long-awaited sequels, many of which are actually exceeding everybody’s expectations. But one of the strongest contenders for anime of the season would have to be Demon Slayer. Its story, one of an older brother who sets out on a quest to restore his sibling’s humanity after a brush with the forces of darkness, has been done before *cough* Fullmetal Alchemist *cough*, but perhaps never this stylishly! In addition to its peerless style, this show delivers in so many different ways. Below I list five of these in the hopes that it will convince you to give it a try, if you haven’t already!

What to Do If Somebody You Love Has Terrible Taste in Anime – a Survival Guide

Imagine this: you’ve just started working, living, or studying someplace new and you learn that your colleague/neighbour/classmate, like you, loves anime. Great, you think, we have something in common! Based on this common interest, as well as other important factors (like them actually being a decent person), you soon become firm friends. Heck, maybe you even start dating! But as you get to know them better, you learn that *gasp* their taste in anime is terrible. We’ve all been there! Below is a handy guide on how to navigate these rocky waters without shipwrecking your blossoming friendship.

Run with the Wind – Passion vs. Practicality

Bar Jojo Part 5 (natch), Run with the Wind is probably my favourite anime this season. As I’ve said many, many, many times before, I love sports anime! It also helps that the show’s characters are extremely entertaining and that there’s awesome chemistry between them. During episode 5 we see King wrestle with his commitment to his newfound hobby, running, as he struggles to find paid employment. This got me thinking about a recurring theme in anime: passion vs. practicality. What do I mean by this? Well, anime about plucky characters with heads full of dreams are a dime a dozen. Maybe they want to be recognised by other people, go to nationals with their sports team, or make it big with their band… But what happens when life, with all of its obstacles, gets in the way of these dreams? Today I wanted to devote some time to exploring this conundrum, using Run with the Wind as a springboard for discussion.