Almost wholesome

Lest the reader think that this blog is only for going on and on and on about weird Japanese manga and anime that play around with otaku and fujoshi ideas of sexuality and gender expression, plus the academics who are geeked on the same…

I’m as much of a fan of good-hearted fluff as the next fan, I too want my “iyashi“. I’m a sucker for it, even though sometimes I find it hard to turn off the difference engine. 

Lookie what is heading down the pipe:

From the same folks that brought us AnoHana, We have “The Anthem of the Heart” [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anthem_of_the_Heart] Get your hankies ready.

For those of you who somehow missed AnoHana, Have some Crunchyroll: [http://www.crunchyroll.com/anohana-the-flower-we-saw-that-day/episode-1-super-peace-busters-607075]

Gush! Snif, snif, snif…

Meanwhile, one of my all-time faves has made it past 100 chapters, and everydude and his girlfriend are finally going out on a date. Jitsu wa Watashi wa (実は私は^?, lit. “Actually, I am…”)       [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitsu_wa_Watashi_wa] is sooooooo cute!

As an almost-harem highschool romcom manga featuring an overload of espers, aliens and time-travellers, plus one hapless guy smitten with a half-shinso vampire girl (hick accent, ever-rumbling tummy) I can forgive the author for dragging it out for a hundred plus chapters when they haven’t even nerved up for a kiss yet. I can even forgive the vampire stuff, as they are such well-behaved, serious, shy creatures.

However, even nice shy girls get strange feelings when they fall in love…

His neck, his neck… What are these feelings?

Sooooooo cute!

I could burn some theory powder on this one, but screw that. You go hunt down your own IRL references to “perhaps I am…” in Tokyo, if you so care.

Another update: I Don’t Like You at All, Big Brother!! ( お兄ちゃんのことなんかぜんぜん好きじゃないんだからねっ!! /Oniichan no Koto Nanka Zenzen Suki Janain Dakara ne—!!^?,lit: “It’s because I Don’t Like Big Brother at all, isn’t it!!”), [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_Don%27t_Like_You_at_All,_Big_Brother!!]
continues to load on the pantsu-shots along with extra-large helpings of cringe-inducing comedy. It may be a collection of tired clichés, but the way it runs them has had me laughing my guts sore on more than one occasion. And it just keeps ramping up the cringe factor. In case you missed my earlier mention of the series, fret not, there ain’t no “actual” siscon or brocon in this mess – we are being trolled. A cautionary tale of teenage male fear of real women and the dangers of excessive porn consumption. Enjoying your harem yet, ‘bro?

Buddy Boy needs to find himself a nice sensible girl to get sweet on, and stick to like glue for his safety and his sanity’s sake. Someone level-headed, like the rotten girl who needs to dress in a guy’s school uniform and put a paper bag over her head before she can talk to him.

As usual, the anime tries too hard, too fast and screws up. Fail!

On the not-iyashi front, I’m keeping an eye open for the latest iteration of the Ghost in the Shell Arise franchise, Ghost in the Shell, The New Movie [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_in_the_Shell:_The_New_Movie] which, you gotta admit, has a certain way with its branding.

As well, the Project Itoh [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Itoh] trilogy project looks fascinatingly dire. Of the three, the steampunk The Empire of Corpses [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Empire_of_Corpses] looks the most promising. The last big steampunk anime that I can remember was a bit of a meh, whatever. I guess I didn’t consider the others on this list to be steamy enough.

Empire, Watson, the Great Game, a bishie zombie Friday, Victor Frankenstein, did they leave anything out?

In other news; I just used up my last Japanese curry brick pack. The temptation to run off to Japan again is overwhelming.

Bonus: No Babbage, no steampunk!