Dying in Another

(This post is brought to you by my frustration the guy in the last episode didn't commit ritual seppuku)

Maybe I should have had titled this post as such : "How death grows old pretty fast in Another" but the pun was really bad and I didn't really want you to have a bad impression of me from the start. (Though now you do but that's beside the point.)

The real point is, people die in anime, that much is obvious and each and every one of them has its own way of dealing with death. Take Death Note or any kind of post-apocalyptic anime or manga, death is just there, it doesn't get any special treatment, it's just there as a tool to make the plot advance. Now take a Gundam, or Code Geass, people die and their death is treated as an example a tool of emulation to created heroism, in short, propaganda. Unless they're villains. Obviously. Because villains only get what they deserve.
Only rarely do we see anime (or manga) dealing with everything that surrounds death, be it ante-mortem (like in Ikigami or Bokurano) or post-mortem (like in Ghost Hound, or even Tiger&Bunny). I like this kind of anime because it makes its characters more human.

Now, what's the matter with Another you ask? First, let's go over my reaction to the four deaths we've seen so far and I'll explain what really bothers me.

Remember, episode 3, the first person dies.

My reaction : FUCKING AWESOME. So much blood and so ridiculous yet so dramatic I'm totally in love.

Now, the next one.

My reaction : Damn they're imaginative, I am definitely going to pay more attention to elevators now but damn was it awesome and all the details and *insert random fangirlish noises here*

Here comes the less impressive.

My reaction : Well, a heart stroke, it was needed to keep up the realism.

And the last.

My reaction : The first one was to complain he didn't commit proper seppuku.
And then I started to think and it started to bother me.
Putting the curse aside and the fear of dying that happens to pretty much everyone when someone close to them dies, why do they care so little?
They don't seem sad, they barely seem to keep thinking about it once the initial shock has passed. Damn it, the people who died were all people they knew. Classmates, parents, friends.

For convenience I'll say that it's the survival instinct kicking in, and I guess that in the end the thing that really bothers me is that I really, really liked Another as an horror anime.
And now I'm disappointed.

I'm disappointed because dying in Another isn't dealt with as something that really matters. All that matters is survival of the greatest number. The ones who died are just unlucky cursed people. Why bother with those you can't save anymore?
In the end, it doesn't scare me at all anymore because I'm not made to care about the dead people, because I'm not attached to the alive characters.

Dying doesn't matter I just want to solve the mystery.

Kuuki's anime shocks Weekly #1

Hello and welcome to the first edition of Kuuki's anime shocks Weekly!
Am just going to share the things that shocked me during this week.

First and above all, I started a job! It kinda killed my anime drive a bit but I should manage enough energy to follow what I decided to follow, and, let's face it, I need a new laptop. Dotachin has lived a good life but he's way past the expiration date.

Anyway!

- I gave in and started Aquarion Evol. I don't really like it, what I like is that it keeps on making me think dirty, and that for once it's not even my brain acting up but the anime that's like that.
Best of it all? There's stuff to think about for everyone!

- Guilty Crown got cliché again.
But I got Daryl in glasses. Daryl who's totally blocked inside that Gate thing of sort. Because of people that are supposed to be his allies. Daryl who really might be Gai's brother.

- Hiroaki Hirata finally appeared in Another. His character looks like Tiger&Bunny's Yuri Petrov. Minus the glasses.

- Oh and the more it goes the more I think I'll remember Persona 4 as a mediocre anime.

[1st episode] Another

When you realize you've nearly watched all the shows you wanted to watch for the new season and the only thought you have in your mind is : "Already? But it feels like I've watched only two shows", you know it's time for you to get your head checked. I mean, my MAL currently watching list is at 35. And there are still new stuff I want to watch.
At this point, I can't seriously go into a withdrawal syndrom can I?

Anyway, back on tracks, what's Another? Well, it's another anime (didn't see that one coming did you?), an horror anime about a girl who's apparently a ghost and a class full of creepy people who might really be all dead considering how creepy they are. Didn't catch much about the general storyline from that first episode but they did tell the story of Misaki Mei, the probably-ghost-girl, guess we'll follow the adventures of outsider-kun (noticed how it's always an outsider who creates trouble?) as he uncovers the truth behind that story.

I guess I shall start by the only thing that really bothered me, mainly, the character design. If it's an horror anime it would have beneficied from a character design a bit more unusual, less big eyes, more creepy. See the main protagonist? If the picture was a little clearer she'd look like she came straight out of a moe anime.
Thankfully the really dark atmosphere of the anime makes up for the character design.

Some people mentionned the lack of character depth and their non-reaction to things, but I didn't see it. I guess that's something I'll have to see on the long run but so far the characters seems fine to me. Except maybe for outsider-kun but I don't even expect anything from main male protagonists anymore so ...

There are probably a lot of bad things to comment on, I didn't notice them.

To be honest I went out of these 20 something minutes screaming for more. (Well, minus the OP, I really don't like it). So far, this anime has everything I love. I really, really hope it'll keep up because if it goes on with such a creepy atmosphere and intriguing settings, it'll become one of my favorite anime of all time real quick.

In any case, even if by chance it'd end up bad, there's a limit to what you can do in 12 episodes in terms of mystery and horror, I won't drop it before I get to hear Hiroaki Hirata King of Fried Rice.
I am just hoping he won't voice a villain because there's no way I'll take him seriously.

In short : GO WATCH THIS!

Winter 2012 - What will I watch?

Suddenly I realized Un-Go was already at its Ninth episode and that in two weeks it'll be already finished. Where did my Fall go? (Granted, it doesn't feel like Winter at all yet but nevermind)
As such I thought it was about time to decide more or less about what I'll watch next season. (Instead of working on my Anime Blogger Choice Award post, damn procrastination ^^)

On my watch list for sure! 
- Kyousougiga : In the hopes of finaly getting what it is all about I shall watch it.

- Black Rock Shooter : I liked the OVA and I'm curious about how they'll continue the story and how they'll balance the two worlds.

- Another : Horror story? Yes please!

- Nisemonogatari : Love Bakemonogatari a lot so I'll obviously watch this.
And they look like they're wearing a fried egg on the promo picture so ...

- Natsume Yuujinchou Shi : Well, it's Natsume Yuujinchou! <3

- Brave 10 : Sengoku Jidai is always a must. And I heard it had Kamiya so ...


Will at least check out (and probably end up watching anyway)
- Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou : Well, I usually trust Sunrise when it comes to adapting gag manga (*cough*Gintama*cough*) BUT I really don't want to see Kimi to Boku n°2 and Sunrise is either really good or painfully average so we'll see.

I think something's wrong. Usually my first list has at least 10 shows, I'm at 7, and I don't even know what's continuing.
Well, guess I won't have to feel guilty and suppress my urges to check more things when the season will start