Dec. 26th, 2016

Fall anime

Dec. 26th, 2016 02:15 am
lucathia: (fishbones: flower background 2)
Fall anime I recently finished watching (or am almost done watching). Haha, 5 out of 7 of these series have exclamation points in the title.

Natsume Yuujinchou Go
I love that more Natsume is getting adapted, despite the gap between season 4 and this new season. It makes me hopeful that there will keep being more Natsume anime. Also, it's just really touching seeing how far Natsume has come since season 1. My favorite episode was the one with Touko. The Fujiwaras are just great~. Getting to see Natori's past was also a pleasant surprise. Sometimes though, the episodes with the ayakashi and fleeting human lives were a bit heavy for me, so I didn't watch the episodes right away.

Haikyuu!! Karasuno VS Shiratorizawa
Even though the entire season was focused on a single match, it was beautifully done and kept me on the edge of my seat. Also, Tsukki. ;asdkf;adf This season was so good for Tsukishima fans like me! He really got to shine. :D I'm not following the manga weekly, but I did end up reading ahead of the anime in the middle of this season. And then I went off looking for Tsukishima fic.

Yuri!!! on Ice
The first episode was beautifully animated. The skating in the rest of the series couldn't compare to the first episode, but each episode sure was packed with emotion, and I almost can't believe how many different skating routines we got to see. All the research that must've gone into creating this series! Although there were tons of characters, I found them all pretty memorable and likable. Even JJ grew on me, haha. My favorite was Yurio though~. Gotta love how he can skate so well while pissed off. XD I especially loved the flashback in the last episode, finally showing his POV of what happened in episode 1. So much happened in just 12 episodes. Also, I absolutely love Victor with long hair. XD

Uta no Prince-sama Maji Love Legend Star
I liked this season more than season 3, and I liked that we got more of the dancing in 2D, with the 3D looking a bit more natural than the previous season's. I didn't like Ren much before, but I gotta say, I loved his outfit this time. A suit plus a ponytail! The duet project was fun, though even after it, I don't feel I know the Heaven's members very well. But it did give more development to STARISH. And dang, Otoya's episodes were dark. Haruka has pretty much faded into the background, with only a cursory thought given to her in the 1st and last episodes. As for the final songs in the concert, I did actually like STARISH's the best. I liked Heaven's previous song better than their new one.

Magic-Kyun! Renaissance
Even after watching the entire series, I still don't get it. What exactly is a magical art, and what use does it have??? Is it just for showing how good you are at your art? More sparkles = you're really good at your chosen field? It doesn't seem worth it for Kohana to risk her life over it. The pacing of the series was weird. I thought the festival thing would be the final goal, but nah. And the staircase. All that buildup about the staircase, but they don't even really go on it. Weird little series. :'D Aoi was cool though. Voiced by KENN even~. Also, Minagawa Junko voiced Kohana's very handsome roommate Juri. XD

WWW.Working!!
This was so fast paced, with couples everywhere, but the pacing was actually pretty refreshing because things were definitely not dragged out. I really liked Adachi's character design. XD (It's the ponytail, hahaha) Higashida was a funny protagonist with how deadpan he was. The skits with Saiki (who doesn't know much Japanese) were great fun. Hosoya did such a great job with Saiki, and his English wasn't bad. :D Nagata was cute, and good for her for scolding both Higashida and Miyakoshi. XD

Hibike! Euphonium
I have one episode left of this, though episode 12 already covered the final performance. The animation is beautiful~. This season seems to be more about other people than Kumiko, yet she's in the middle of everything. What a meddler. XD;;; Or, what convenient timing she always has, to be in the middle of everything so we get to see what's happening. XD I didn't care much for Asuka in s1, but this season changed that, and I loved how Mamiko's story connected with hers. Also, Kumiko was such a cute kid, so excited about music, wanting to be just like her sister. Looking forward to the last episode.

Detective Conan: Episode One - Chiisaku Natta Meitantei
Conan special~. I definitely didn't feel we needed a remake of episode 1, but it was still kind of nice to see episode 1 with updated animation, and to have it fleshed out more. It's cool seeing more of Shinichi before he shrank, though he actually felt younger to me. XD I guess he kind of is, since he hasn't had to become more mature because of danger. It was cute seeing Shinichi and Ran interact so naturally without any worries. Also, it was really funny seeing Shinichi in those clothes again. No matter how many times we're shown the amusement park date, it's always that green jacket. By now, it must be a traumatizing outfit for him. I also still can't get over how bloody the roller coaster case is.

I watched 2 episodes of Trickster. Don't know if I'll continue. I still might give Udon no Kuni no Kiniro Kemari, Sangatsu no Lion, Watashi ga Motete Dousunda, Girlish Number, and Fune wo Amu a watch.

Yuletide

Dec. 26th, 2016 11:29 pm
lucathia: (fishbones: flower background 2)
I received a gift and a treat! Both are lovely and have such beautiful prose and characterization.

A Breeze, Through Bars (1037 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime & Manga)
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Kaizuka Inaho, Slaine Troyard
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Depression
Summary:

Slaine may believe he deserves to die, but six months ago Inaho promised Asseylum they would save Slaine from himself.



self confidence and trust (514 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: orange - 高野苺 | Takano Ichigo
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Suwa Hiroto
Additional Tags: Epistolary
Summary:

Naho is the orange warmth of the sun.
Kakeru is the cool, dappled shade.
Hiroto wants to be the branches that connect them, but isn't sure he has the strength.



I also thoroughly enjoyed this Akatsuki no Yona fic. It definitely gave a canon feel, with such a good mix of heartrending and lighthearted moments. I wish I could write such a well developed story like this!

Not All Chains are Forged of Iron (let me go ~ don't let me go) (31231 words) by Anonymous
Chapters: 4/4
Fandom: Akatsuki no Yona | Yona of the Dawn
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Characters: Yona (Akatsuki no Yona), Jae-Ha (Akatsuki no Yona), Zeno (Akatsuki no Yona), Ensemble, and some special appearances I'd rather not spoil
Additional Tags: Ghosts, Past Child Abuse, Canonical Character Death, Possession, Hand injury, Spoilers (through manga chapter 108), going for canon feel, no ships are sunk, supports Yona/Soo-won, supports Yona/Hak, Healing is Messy, Healing is Awesome, Green Dragon Village, Original Dragons memories
Summary:

A search for an ancient relic leads Yona and her friends to Green Dragon Village. Jae-ha refuses to go with them — it’s enough for him to have broken his chains and moved on — but ghosts from the past have other ideas, and they will force Yona to confront the chains binding her own heart.



I have one fic in the collection that I'll be posting here after author reveals on January 1st. o/