I am currently (but very liberally) going through all manga/Manhwa/Light Novels from the AniList top 100 highest rated list (From December 2024). I have read some of these before but I will re-read them and rank them when I do.
December:
Well there was only one thing I read that month from the top 100 and it was The Return of the Blossoming Blade. Knowing completely nothing about it I thought it would be the perfect jumping off point for this whole escapade, sink myself entirely into the depths with a series that somehow gripped me from the cover. I thought it'd be a high eight out of ten.
Return of the Blossoming Blade
The first chapter came and in all honesty it appeared quite interesting, following a re-incarnation plotline where the main character Cheongmyeong a great warrior dubbed the Blossoming Blade (ooh ooh he said it!) was reborn in a beggars body with the sect which power he consolidated now being reduced to a lowly financial and social position.Now Cheongmyeong must learn from the mistakes from his past and guide the new generation of his sect back into its previously wealthy and well respected position. Honestly an intriguing premise, there is a lot to explore especially with Cheongmyeong and perhaps his struggles with being a teacher or misunderstanding his students.
But herein lies the problem. Cheongmyeong is always right in a roundabout way. Everything just works out most of the time due to pure luck (However in certain cases he does show a large amount of strategy) and a majority of the tie his successes don't feel earned. The story shows him working hard to become stronger, highlighting experience as the main factor which places him above his opponents, however this doesn't feel earned as he is never truly tested. Whenever Cheongmyeong encounters some difficulty he simply brute forces his way through the fight as easily as the last. I can't even call this aura farming bait because he doesn't have any. He would if he actually struggled but he never does.
In all honesty i he ever lost a fight this would've ranked much higher but oh Kero Kami-Sama reading this made me feel like I was getting blue balled out of a good fight each chapter but there's never anyone strong enough to defeat the great and mighty Cheongmyeong.
Despite this a way how the author could've woven a real fear of defeat into the narrative whilst still keeping Cheongmyeong as some overpowered glazed (harder than Shinobu's Mister donut donut glazed) paragon of epicness and coolness is via the side-cast.
However I barely remember them past their base character quirks. You have guy who looks like Suguru Geto, Bargain bin Stark, prideful tsundere dude and woman who acts like Osaragi without any actual defining role other than being the only woman of importance in this series. I apologise for the references if you don't get them but thats the easiest way I can define them. It's currently 2:13 in the morning cut me some slack and I want to finish this and go to sleep.
Also they're also overpowered compared to 95% of characters in the story, somehow due to Cheyongmeyongs perfect training routine.
Maybe it would've got better if I didn't drop it, but really reading this when I could move on to better things made me kind of depressed.
Sorry for the informality of the review but I really am not a fan of this one. If you want something like this just watch Scissor seven. Shits peak.
January:
After taking a break from the top 100 and the disappointment that was the Return of the Blossoming Blade (And after speedrunning Sakamoto days in 2 days (and after rewatching Call of the Night, realizing it was the perfect vampire story I was looking for, reading it in the span of less than a week and declaring it my top manga of all time despite a rushed ending and lose hanging plot points)) I sought to return to the top 100. In all honesty I forgot I had tried to commit myself to this. So starting from the middle of the month I set this back into my iron sights, deciding I'd shoot my second shot into the dark, towards the Apothecary Diaries manga adaptation. And by jove did I strike gold.
The Apothecary diaries
- Live view of me striking gold -
Also this is the reason I want to learn japanese. Translations come out too slow. :(
The Brazilians are also two chapters ahead. It's always the Brazilians.
For no real reason I had high expectations for the apothecary diaries manga. I had heard that it was a period piece murder mystery set in Imperial China which is an intriguing premise, stirring thoughts of some sort of medicine toting Sherlock Holmes rocking about and solving cases. Therefore I decided to be overly optimistic and gave it a predicted rating of 10/10 not really expecting to flit up to my high expectations. Somehow it did so.
The Apothecary Diaries follows the lowly, medicine-obsessed and recently sold into servitude, palace maid Mao Mao (Cat Cat) as she is roped into the internal politics of the Emperor's harem due to her good nature in providing information that saves the life of one of the consorts children. Despite hiding her intellect from everyone as a way to keep herself out of her spotlight, her intelligence is found out by the oddly high ranking Jinshi who spots something in her tht many would not have. From then on Mao Mao becomes a private servant to one of the four esteemed consorts of the Crystal Palace, Lady Gyokuyou, tasked with keeping her and her child safe. That's the core of it, but the plot evolves and changes in so many ways going forth whilst keeping the same formula that it'll be hard to go through and list everything out. Therefore now we can move onto the most intriguing aspect of the Apothecary Diaries.
CHARACTERS
1. Mao Mao:
As the main character of the Apothecary Diaries Mao Mao is unsurprisingly the anchor for the th first few chapters and arcs. In recent times, mostly due to the sheer incompetence of Hollywood writers in producing a half decent script bar a few exceptions, the idea of a female lead has not been looked too favourably on. Take for example the Mary Sues that are Rey Skywalker, Captain Marvel and Galadriel. In order to feign a facade of female empowerment they create a magic concoction of: girlboss energy, a personality plainer than an unseasoned chicken breast, perfect skill, *Smirks* "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I can't do what men do" and such an overblown superiority complex that would even make even Idi Amin say that they should step down a peg.
Mao Mao is an exception to this. Even though she is exceptionally smart, being able to solve almost any case thrown at her, she never approaches the level of a Mary Sue. She can be outwitted, she can be wrong and most importantly she is not invincible. Despite her intellect being immense it is one of the only tools at her disposal. Physically she is realistically weak as is demonstrated in a scene at the end of the first full-fledged arc of the story. Mao Mao knows her place in society, both as a commoner and, more importantly to the narrative, as a woman. A large part of her character in earlier chapters is formed by her hiding the true extent of her intellect and beauty in order to not draw any unwanted attention to herself, something she had to learn as she spent her childhood growing up in a red light district. One of the ways she does this is by painting freckles on her face in order to make her less attractive. It's not that she is a flower that does not want to bloom, rather a flower that when she blooms she will be taken and abused.
Furthermore Mao Mao is not fully conventionally attractive to the beauty standards of the Emperor and more importantly the time (Something that will be discussed later in Jinshi's segment). Unlike the "badass" female leads of Hollywood, Mao Mao is to some extent insecure about this.
Most importantly to her role in the story, Mao Mao is a prodigy in medicine and is completely obsessed over all types of herbal remedies, poisons and the ilk. In many ways saying "obsession" is a complete understatement. The ways of an apothecary is her way of life and quite literally the only thing she takes interest in. As soon as poisons are mentioned she switches from a monotonal manipulator into the most ecstatic gremlin on the planet. In my reading of it I'd say that this is implying she has some sort neurodivergency and honestly it is an exceedingly well written representation of it even though it is played off mostly for laughs. Never does it come off as disingenuous (Unlike the predator remake) or something annoying like how other characters are obsessed with something, take for example Nami and her relationship with Beli in One Piece. It's just fun just like Mao Mao in general. It's hard not to love Mao Mao and if you do you will love the Apothecary Diaries.
Whilst still on the topic of poisons an essential element of Mao Mao's character is that she investigates the effects of them upon herself. This further feeds into the themes of confinement and womanhood within the Apothecary Diaries as potentially the only thing she is able to be in a control of in a society that values women simply for their purpose as beautiful objects. The only agency she has over her own body is via her experiments which directly harm her outside beauty. Even though Mao Mao likes doing them she still does not enjoy looking upon her scars. However this harkens back to the main point of the Apothecary Diaries. Despite what role society demands you to fit into you can still oppose that and try to be what you're really meant to be. If women are meant to be flowers then they must bloom and be beautiful however they are not that. They are human and in many ways so much more than their exterior entails. The true beauty of an individual is found within and not on the exterior.
2. Jinshi:
Just like Mao Mao the entirety of Jinshi's character stems from the idea of beauty, instilled into him by his royal upbringing. However unlike Mao Mao he conforms to the standard set out by society. Jinshi is the most revered eunuch due to his beauty, which exceeds even that of most women. It has been stated multiple times that his looks are in many ways dangerous, appealing to the predatory aspects of men who live on the base instincts of their sexual desires. Most of the time Jinshi seems to be ignorant of the danger he poses, often getting Mao Mao to attempt to drag him back into reality. However that may be his intention, possibly as a way of getting her to prove to him that she cares, behaviour like that with an inferiority complex. A complex that could stem from his seeming infatuation with Mao Mao.
Throughout the early chapters Jinshi starts to become more and more interested in Mao Mao. The first instance was his observation of her hiding her intelligence from him. Second, when he saw the scars she gained during her experiments and her seeming regret of doing so. But most importantly is Jinshi seeing her in make up. The sudden shift in Mao Mao's sex appeal was probably what drove him into having a crush with her alongside the fact that she was the only woman that resisted his charms. In fact she could see though his obversexualised bravado upon their first interaction. Even though his demeanour is not directly sexual it can be implied to be so, like a suave con man but in a way more submissive however only in a sense that seems to flaunt his power. He only breaks his persona only when he's trying to bring Mao Mao out of harm's way where he takes upon a more dominant presence.
Despite him trying to keep her safe it is Jinshi that keeps bringing her into the politics of the court. He sees Mao Mao as the only female presence he is interested in, the only flower in his garden that refuses to bloom. He desperately desires for he to flaunt her beauty and reach her full potential as a woman possibly not only for his own eyes but for everybody to see. In this way they are foils with Mao Mao dulling her individual beauty whereas Jinshi wants her to embrace it like he does with his own.
Furthermore, Jinshi always desires to keep Mao Mao about him as he think her the only person who will be able to keep his secret, apart from Gaoshun. The true reason why he wants to do this is rooted in spoilers so... just skip the next section if you don't want to be spoilt.
A large part of Jinshi's character revolves around his masculinity and his repression of it. As Jinshi is faking being a eunuch he is unable to engage in physical entanglement with women and so is forced to suppress male urges. additionally he takes remedies to aid with this. As a result of this he has a large amount of pent up sexual rage which he is unable to act upon in order to not blow his cover but more importantly as it would go against his morals. Jinshi doesn't want to be another one of those men who act upon the base instinct of their urges, instead one who acts upon his own rational thought and respect for those in the same position as him. However when Mao Mao doesn't fully return his pleasantries a kind of wrath builds up in Jinshi which similarly to his previous sexual urges he bottles up inside of him. However what is in the dark will be eventually brought to light, in...
THE FROG SCENE!!!!!
Or at least in the manga bc apparently in the anime they toned down the forcefulness of Jinshi in the situation removing the entire point of the scene in the first place. Unlike how certain people may claim this in fact did hurt the story rather than improving it.
At it's core the frog scene represents Jinshi's breaking point. All the repressed sexual urges and feelings for Mao Mao come to light as she uncovers that he was in fact not castrated. Finally what Jinshi wanted had come to light, Mao Mao now knew his secret and he could tell her everything like he always wanted to. From then on they would confess their love and live happily ever after. However the Apothecary Diaries is not a romance series but a social commentary. Both the narrative and Mao Mao are too intelligent for this to happen. Mao Mao understands that if she knows Jinshi's secret she may be roped into a whole new web of conspiracies that would put her life in danger, therefore she pretends not to notice. It is in this moment that Jinshi snaps and becomes dominant with Mao Mao but not like before where it was to keep her out of harm's way, now it is to directly fling her into it without her consent by showing her his genitalia to her in a way that would've likely progressed into rape if the search party did not find her in time. He became now one of those men who acted on the base instincts of their urges, something that he desperately avoided becoming throughout the story.
It is obvious that he heavily regrets his actions shortly thereafter but the fact still stands that he did not factor in Mao Mao's consent. No matter what Jinshi says that relationship will remain strained going forwards. Unlike what the anime thinks the Apothecary Diaries it is not a romance rather a social critique. Jinshi's actions are supposed to be a red flag not a self insert rape fantasy. The scene is meant to be uncomfortable as Mao Mao is still unsure of how she feels about him. What this scene may be supposed to represent is the difference of power in their dynamic reflective of the message of the story as a whole. Jinshi has power over her physically but more importantly in class. It goes to show how easily a woman can be exploited and used and the true powerlessness they have. This is the exact reason why Mao Mao is reluctant to show herself, because she is wary of what men would do with her. Furthermore this scene represents how her and Jinshi's romance is doomed to fail, at least in the state that it is in now. Jinshi simply stands in position that is too powerful for Mao Mao to handle. As the emperor's current successor Mao Mao would be put in levels of danger so incredibly high that it would be almost impossible for her to live out her life. She would become a flower able to bloom but only for Jinshi, locked up indoors for her own for protection. However if such a flower stays out of the sun for too long it will shrivel up and wilt.
On a lighter note:
3. Xiaolan:
Xiaolan is just quite literally chill like that. Some much needed comic relief, an important gateway into slice of life moments and the main source of palace gossip. Her dynamic with Mao Mao is especially endearing, especially where she teaches Xialoan how to read. Chef's kiss.
Still not sure why she got a segment but imma let it slide because, again, she is quite literally chill like that.
PLOT (but still basically characters)
One thing that the Apothecary Diaries does perfectly is with it's intricately woven plot and the use of exposition that first seems only relevant to the current chapter but relates to the central conflict of the current arc. Every small mystery has a greater payoff later down the road, take for example the very first one about the face powder that made one of the Emperor's concubines have a miscarriage. In any other story it would be thrown away as simply the first case, one that would not be further elaborated upon but it returns as part of the grand conspiracy that seems to be the main conflict of the whole series at the moment.
Additionally the circumstances of individual cases serve to mirror and foreshadow the main objects of the two major arcs so far, Lakan and Shisui. This not only serves as a clever way to streamline the story, cutting out exposition as it has been established earlier in the series leading to more of a fast paced plot, but also imposes a new layer of complexity upon the characters. This is especially the case with Shisui and her indirect mirroring to Jinshi.
1. Lakan:
Lakan's introduction into the story is that of a villain, the first of the series. A military genius renowned for his strategy serving as a match to Mao Mao's intellect. Parallels between the two can be drawn. Where Mao Mao is a cat, representing curiosity and self servedness, Lakan is a fox, who whilst still self-serving, is cunning and malicious. Furthermore his eccentricities mirror Mao Mao's presenting them both as autistic savant's able to excel in their intellect. However, unlike Mao Mao, Lakan seems eager to flaunt his image, something that she is unable to do due to fear for her own safety. It is clear that Lakan has not much to lose because of this.
However Lakan is not a villain, he just simply wants to protect his daughter, Mao Mao, and give her the love he was unable to give to her mother Fengxian.
The way how Lakan sees the world is the most compelling aspect of him. As he has prosopagnosia he had always had problems with relating with other people, not really being able to distinguish one person from another. This changed when Luomen tried to help Lakan by making him recognise others by their other characteristics, eventually winding up in Lakan recognising people as chess pieces. Despite this being helpful for him it can equate to being a detriment. By this Lakan only perceives others by their role and class in society, essentially removing the human aspect from them. Lakan is exceptionally good at games as in his daily life as he is playing one manipulating others like the chess pieces he is forced to perceive them as.
The only exception to this is Fengxian who was able to match him in a game of sho, the one that he excelled at. However Fengxian is in the position as Lakan, with the only thing she was able to do to pass the time as a courtesan between meeting clients, was to play sho. In this way they mirror each other (You know its good when everyone is a fucking mirror). Lakan is imprisoned in his manipulative mindset whereas Fengxian is bound to her place in society as a courtesan, both things they were forced to accept at birth. Despite Lakan's perception of others being strictly set into their role in society he refuses to view Fengxian in that way due to her internal beauty, a dynamic that seems somewhat similar to Mao mAo's and Jinshi's. Lakan promised Fengxian that he would be the one that would save her from the confines of the brothel, however he is unable to do so. After 3 years away serving for the military he finds her gone.
The true antagonist of Arc 1 of the Apothecary Diaries is the society of Imperial China itself and the way it suppresses it's people to maintain power.
2. Shisui:
Shisui is one of the palace servants introduced quite late in the story shortly thereafter Arc 1 in chapter 42. Where Xiaolan has a younger sister dynamic with Mao Mao, Shisui seems to employ a dynamic more akin to an older sister. In many cases she has knowledge where Mao Mao doesn't such as her extensive knowledge on bugs which borders into an obsession similar to Mao Mao's love for poisons. This (say it with me) effectively mirrors the two characters. She is also able to read and helps Mao Mao with teaching the palace girls how to read (creating Shisui's school for kids who can't read good and want to do other things good too). So just a fun character.
Oh wait... No she isn't. She is one of the most important parts of the story being the princess of the mountain clan and conceptually one of the key villains of the story. However she isn't.
Even though Mao Mao is her captive she still treats her as a friend acting the same way she did towards her as she did in her days in the palace. If anything she seems disheartened that Mao Mao doesn't reciprocate her feelings. it is clear that Shisui enjoyed the simple life as a palace servant rather than that of her royal status. Even though she came from a place of wealth, she still wasn't free of the role that society forced upon her. She isn't meant to have joy or to have knowledge like that which she has on bugs. To the eyes of her clan she isn't a person, rather a tool to forge political alliances.
By being a servant she is able to fully express herself and have freedom to chase her desires and try to have a normal life. She is able to help people like Xiaolan and the other servants by teaching them to read, however she is aware that this cannot last. It seems the way the story is going she will help Mao Mao escape and potentially go with her but I can't be too sure yet because her arc of the story is not yet finished.
But the most interesting thing about Shisui is how the reveal that she was Loulan was foreshadowed. It was a lot of little things such as her being able to read, how she randomly entered the story in chapter 42 and so many more little bits down the road. It was a twist that was actually unexpected for once.
ART
The only thing I can say is that Nekokurage cooked. Their art style works perfectly with the series, especially with how much detail she puts into the intricately designed clothes, that as to my knowledge, fit the time period especially well. Additionally the characters hair is especially well rendered. The character design is also especially immaculate.
I don't really know why but Mao Mao's design in the wise words of Todd Howard "just works".
But when Mao Mao is dressed up it works even more. It is exceptionally hard to display makeup in a manga artstyle but somehow Nekokurage does it. They are quite simply one of the goats.
As for Jinshi, there is a lot of pressure when drawing a character that is canonically the peak of beauty. For example in One Piece Boa Hancock is the most beautiful woman in the world. Do I really get that off of her design. Not really.
But with Jinshi I do. The guy is built like a manhwa protagonist.
Lakan's design is so clean as well. He just looks like a piece of shit and also so much like a fox which is fitting because he is one when going Chibi.
Speaking of chibi I'm not always the biggest fan but in Apothecary diaries I like it. It just looks fun.
The backgrounds are also pretty clean. Not too complex but not too simple. They work well for what they're meant to be.
Overall this series is near perfect. It says a lot of things that many stories try to tell however a lot of the time they fail. But the Apothecary diaries rarely fails and when it does it's something so inconsequential that it doesn't really harm your experience. If I had to say something bad about this series is that it can take a long time for plot elements to come together making it a bit of a slow burn. But who cares when it leads to some incredible moments.
9/10
February:
Now going from the masterpiece that was the Apeakithary Diaries I decided to lop myself into something a bit different. Maybe some kind of fantasy or adventure series luckily for me the next thing I would read was (kind of) that.
Made in Abyss
- Me after looking at those inner cover pages (I'm not angry, just disappointed). -
I didn't really know what to think going into Made in Abyss.
Now all that I think is that this would be my second favorite story of time if it weren't so horny.
Now enjoy 2 GIFs of kids crying.
That's what reading Made in Abyss feels like in quite literally every single way that can be interpreted. From reading one of the best written scenes in fiction to seeing Riko piss for the 592nd time.
At it's peak 11/10
When horny and unreadable 1/10
Overall:
10/10
Goodbye Eri
Hmm... I had read this one a few times before and I have to say that this is my favorite short story of all time somehow beating out I have no mouth and I must scream and the collections of many more writers, ie HG Wells, Lovecraft and Stephen King. I know exactly why but it's hard to express everything in words. It deals with so much in so many ways including themes of loss, the nature of love, one's relationship with media and so much more.
And it has the best use of a page turn I have ever seen.
Plus it did something that I never would've thought would have worked which was doing found footage in a medium composed of still images. It just works.
9/10
March:
After the events of February (Made in Abyss glazing month) something less weird was needed. Something grounded in real life. Maybe something about sports. Maybe something like...
Haikyuu!
Pending till I actually finish Haikyuu.
Umm Shiratorizawa match is peak sports but...
7/10
April:
I was meant to finish Haikyuu this month but i decided to read a light novel for a change. Only one book like Kizumonogatari. I had to read the Monogatari series at some point so I might as well read one book and finish the rest later. Well in the end I read more than one book.
Amount of tables flipped = 25 (As of Nademonogatari)
Kizumonogatari:
-Nom Nom-
Eating it heels and all.
Kizumonogatari is your classic vampire story, exploring themes of humanity, evil and sexual desire, similarly to my favorite manga of all time Call of the Night. However, despite the two being largely similar particularly with Kou Yamori + Koyomi Araragi and Hoshimi Kiku + Kisshot, it is the slight differences between the two that give each of them an unique edge.
Whereas Call of the Night is steeped in exploring the concept of love, Kizumonogatari refuses to care about that, similarly like how Koyomi refuses to accept being human. Anyways love is a concept to be explored in Nekomonogatari when he matures slightly. After all love is an inherently human construct, but paradoxically Araragi rejects it to preserve his intensity as a human. In order to remain a purely "Intense" human he also denies himself human connection to others, accepting life as a washout which he shoved himself into after not being able to compete academically with the rest of his classmates. It is important to note, like the story does multiple times, that Araragi is not a delinquent. A delinquent actually has something going on in their lives.
Araragi instead has nothing going on in his life.
That is until he learns of a rumor from his classmate, Tsubasa Hanekawa, of a blonde vampire, paramount in beauty, who had seemingly arrived in their small rural town. Araragi dismisses this as folly and leaves to buy himself some porn mags, driven by his lust for Hanekawa after he caught a gaze of her underwear. He tries to justify this by pretending to do this to put the image of her out of his head. Ironic how the one who claims he doesn't need anyone developed an obsession with someone he had barely met.
But then...
under the soft glow of the lamplight...
There was the great vampire Kisshot Heartunderblade laying on the floor with all her limbs gone, no more than a torso and a head.
She asks him to "save her" by drinking his blood to restore her strength.
Araragi runs. Feeling truly alive for the first time, reduced to his primal human instinct: Fear. But as he runs he recognises that his life is not worth living anyway. There is no joy, no compassion within it and so he decides to make his life mean something by giving it to Kisshot so that she can continue hers, not taking into consideration that what he is saving is a vampire, something inhuman that is incapable of love.
An aberration as it would be later called by the balancer Meme Oshino.
A bloodsucker.
A monster.
However to Araragi a monster's life is one better than his own. Anyways the monster screamed in fear, calling out to him in desperation, crying. And so Araragi sprints back to the vampire, ready to give his life to save her.
-Oh hey! Look, Araragi-Kun. That star is called sexual assault-
-Please stop touching Hachikuji-
8/10
Nekomonogatari:_Shiro:
-Hmmm... Hanekawa just went from bot tier to the goat of all time.-
-SUBARASHI-
"I don't know everything, I only know what I know"
As is clearly apparent.
Simply a character study in the truest sense actually being a dissection of a complex topic rather than following the regular hollywood meaning of the phrase, which is let's just use that one to excuse bad writing. Hollywood could never create a character as rich in her own complexes of self-hate and imperfection as Tsubasa Hanekawa because they would just choose to neglect the most human aspect of her, that being that she is the villain of her own story. It is debatable if Hanekawa is a good person, something that she debates with herself, and that is what makes her so interesting. Monogatari as a whole dissects the greyness of morality in general rather trying a more humanist approach in writing. Everyone contradicts themselves, what they speak contradicts with their actions often being unable to accept the truth, like in this book that Hanekawa's want for a family is only applied to herself and not her parents. After all the fallacy that she must face is that if she is the center of her world surely she should be somebody else's like Araragi's.
The story also dissects self help in a way that is actually reflective of the real world. At the start of the story as first shown in Nise-Monogatari it seems that Hanekawa has changed for the better, now having changed her appearance, wearing contacts and cutting her hair short, an act of rebellion against the establishment. She had decided to embark upon a "journey of self discovery" after she finishes high school but in reality she has no idea of what that really means or where she's going to go. Only after she accepts the negative parts of herself and gets rejected by araragi does she finally get some relief, not closure as it is something which I doubt her or many people in general will ever get.
It is so hard to write something so intensely human but Nisoisn has done it. I can only hope the anime adapted this well.
This may be more rambly than all the other notes so far but this is one of if not my favourite novels of all time for a very good reason.
10/10
May:
This was supposed to be mecha May where I read 86 and other mecha on the list if there are any but Monogatari got in the way again.
Not the love story I expected and not the love story I deserved.
Kaiki is best waifu. Sorry Speedwagon.
Speaking of that sick ass guy I believe him to be one of if not the best written characters in animanga if not literature in general. The way how monogatari constructs is narrative is in many ways emblematic of classical literature and Kaiki encompasses all the strengths of those aspects. He is an unreliable narrator at their best with the audience having to comb through his prose in order to identify what is real or a lie, however the conclusion that I came to is that in the whole book Kaiki did not lie to the reader in the slightest, rather lying to himself. This is the perfect conclusion to season 2 of monogatari as it manages to tie up everything neatly whilst still leaving intrigue. in ters of the true nature of Ougi Oshino. In it's core elements the second season is a about uncovering ones sense of self but in Kaiki's
it's about re-defining it. His identity is tied to something quantifiable, quite literally treating material as fact. This a story about him discovering that his mind is not ruled by money but rather his desire to help others and himself as is proven by Nadeko.
Her arc within this book is especially real to me. Big up Nadeko, become a manga artist you weird hat wearing gamer girl. You a real one fr fr.
This is in my opinion the best book written in the past twenty years and is most definitely my favorite novel of all time.
10/10
Well this is nothing short of a masterpiece.
9/10
June:
Monogatari strikes again as basically all that I read this month was it's final season and it did not disappoint.
Quite simply the peak of fiction.
Book 1 is perfect, book 2 ties a very neat bow on Shinobu and book 3 would have been perfect if it wasn't for Antarctica.
This week on Top Gear:
Sodachi drops her contacts in the most roundabout way, Shinobu reads yaoi and Ougi is a fan.
10/10
July:
From Monogatari to rip-offmonogatari. This is where the Snafu journey begins and sadly ended. At least I read Frieren and the peak of Yuri.
Even though SNAFU states itself to be both a grounded and introspective story it fails in both of those aspects. All the stories told have potential if developed further but it feels almost as if the author puts in the bare minimum. Everything is surface level observations fro someone who never really grew out of being a loner in high school, or at least thats what I see.
3/10
Frieren can be really amazing sometimes and push you emotionally in a way barely any shonen can but is it the best thing ever... not really.
I think that due to the severe bloat of isekai and little original fantasy stories in the main stream it is a really strong breath of fresh air.
The plot with the demons is the peak of Frieren in my opinion, however it can take a decent stretch of chapters to actually get there.
9/10
Just read it.
It's good.
10/10
August:
This was the month of Yuri somehow. For week I somehow managed to finish a yuri a day and then capped it all off with Three Days of Happiness which just so happens to be one of the strongest novels I had ever read. But the Yuri can definitely still compare.
Nothing more than the best look at relationships I'd seen in all of media. Bloom into You somehow is able to portray both the beauty and and danger love has on ones psyche. The struggle to find love, to confess, to love one's self and the realisation that love is not how it is oft presented in other media.
When it comes to love this has it all.
10/10
:(
This is one of the emotionally devastating stories of all time both in novel and manga format. Plus it also help that it has my favourite ending of any story I have experienced so far.
9/10
September:
Well this was Slam Dunk September where I was to read the entirety of Slam Dunk (However it seemed to metamorphise into Silksong September). I had extremely high hopes going in. After all it was an Inoue Manga on my favourite sport and as such I had predicted it in my number 1 spot.
I have nothing to say except that Haikyu did it better.
This was fine.
5/10
October:
Not spooky in the slightest but highly introspective. Firstly I started out with the deep existentialist narrative presented by the largely Buddhist work of Land of the Lustrous, then delving into traditional Shintoism with Mushishi before ending it off with the greatest Shonen of all time Fullmetal Alchemist,
When looking at both modern and postmodern philosophy Land of the Lustrous ought to be remembered as the piece that encapsulates it's core tenets. At it's core it is a piece that hates humanity and moreover the jealousy that people hold within them. The need to create animosity between one another is a necessary act to differentiate the individual from the mediocre crowd or so Ichikawa asserts via the Lunarians and Dia.
Similarly to Zapffe's theses one cannot find happiness whilst concious as the mere act of living means that one will always desire more. In fact during Phos' quest to be fufilled she changes herself to better fit her own ideals and the needs of others but never reaches the state of mind that she feels is entitled to her. She wishes to be like the other gems but fails to realise that they are not as perfect as she sees them as. They are just like her, flawed beings. She becomes the ship of Theseus, changing parts of herself bit by bit until she becomes something completely different.
However the series does not end without hope.
Not for the human race but that life will still prosper without us. We are not as essential as we think ourselves to be.
10/10
Mushishi is undeniably beautiful in how it interweaves the core tenets of Shintoism into it's narrative. Everything serves to prop up a romanticist ideology. Nature, despite how people may try, will long outlast the likes of man.
Despite that Msuhishi is not divorced from humanity, it merely looks at them as products of circumstance. People destroy but they can also create. Love is a flaw but also our greatest strength.
One of the greatest anthology series of all time, up there with The Sandman, Cowboy Bebop and the X - Files.
9/10
I've got nothing to say that hasn't already been said.
10/10
November:
Nothing too much I just started ORV.
PENDING!!!
January:
Even though I read Goodnight PunPun much earlier than I should have, only fifteen at the time, I never thought it beyond my comprehension both literally and thematically. Part of which is by it attuning directly to those express teenage feelings at least those which I experienced at the time. As my mind changed to perceive the pessimistic drive in the world, the optimistic lens I once viewed people with now shattered. Then came the part where I saw myself as greater than I could ever be. My inherent inability to sincerely talk to another person now was justified by fantasy. It now not due to my incompetence but rather the opposite. My inadequacies were part of be being a loner by choice, one who could not engage with other people. Afterall I beheld the ablility to understand the capacity of my own evil and others "obviously" did not. Whenever I did speak to others I did so merely with the intention of making them laugh. Like the term crowned in Osamu Dazai's 'No Longer Human' this was "clowning", a simple distraction from the "complexities" of my mind. However I have long subsumed that way of thinking into one which proves far more healthy.
The main reason why Goodnight PunPun stuck out to me when I read it originally is because of how accurately I found it to depict my reality or at least what I fantasied it to be. This was a comic detailing intrinsic truths, or so I claimed. People and their actions with in the manga were one to one with how humans acted. The only part that I thought unrealistic was how Pun Pun's mother seemed to be in part redeemed by her exit point from the story.
However if now I could meet the version of me back in 2023 I think I would slap him silly. Mother Odonera's plotline shows that no matter what people can change from the confines that they had caged themselves in, something that upon my second reading I found especially evocative. In those simple five or so chapters I felt my opinion on her to differ drastically as with Father Punuyama. Asano does not innately write his characters as good or evil but rather utterly broken. If you look close enough you can see exactly how and why they had become the people that they were.
Where in my first reading I saw all as gospel and dictated truth, in my second I looked upon the work with it being a play on fantasises and desire. The comic itself is panelled in a dreamlike fashion.
Hyperealism and absurdist expressionism collide in the artwork making the unreal both set in and apart from the palpable. This hyperbole is what I find to be the key of an effective horror (take into account Alien for childbirth, or Made In Abyss for the pain of living) where a human concept it exaugurated into something so unrecognisable yet believable. The adults are comically aloof and incompetent, completely unreal. However this is a clearly intentional choice. Punpun is a story that operates within the realm of delusion. All expressed is the struggle which PunPun fights between himself and his fantasies, the latter of which always manage to win in the end.
Aiko on the other hand uses her fantasies as her only escape, commanding power over others to stop the wounds she received from her mother hurting as much as they would otherwise. However she ventures too far and she ends up falling a victim to those delusions she threw out to the world.
Honestly I think I also fear the same fate.
9/10
Frogs
Frogs!
10. Fredo
Be 5p again you twat. 35p! That's just not economically viable anymore.
8. Franky the Frog
Kermit's grandchild. Loves golf. Would be higher but he's just too horny.
7. Keroro Gunso
Stand proud. You are afro sergeant.
6. Eureka Frog
Best soul eater character. Even beats out my buddy Stein. She would be higher but is not actually a frog.
5.Baron Silas Greenback
He was right.
4. Aogaeru
Love this little shit. Chase that bag my G. Be the vehicle for the themes my great, green, moist and mucusy cunt.
3. Tsuyu Asui
Best MHA character. Froppy and floppy.
2. Pepe the Frog
Feels good man.
1.Eight-Handled Sword Divergent Sila Divine General King of Curses, the Honoured and Exalted one, Destroyer of worlds, Heavenly Angel: Kermit the Frog
The undeniable goat
A Silly Selection of Poetry
Dunno why I'm watching this weird ass show...
Anyway I will watch 1 episode a day then write a haiku about it for no reason at all. I guess this'll be a monthly thing now with a different show each time..
Episode 1:
I went to fiddle
A cute woman's crotch, sadly
She had a penis
Episode 2:
There's so many nosebleeds
Enough to swim in a pool
But I am not a fool
Episode 3:
What is in that bag?
Wouldn’t you like to find out,
You big fat snide hag
Episode 4:
The cat stays indoors
But the dog likes to go out
So it got ran over
Episode 5:
The bag is now back
However god is coming
To come look for it
Episode 6:
Same as the toilet
Two twins revolve in reverse
Right down the shitter
Episode 7:
Wow this simply was
Just Suruga monkey but,
Jeremy Renner
Episode 8:
I want to cosplay
A cute lolita angel
With my dear senior
Episode 9:
Dear Panda Chan who
Art in heaven deliver
Me from my trauma
Episode 10:
Suddenly without
Any warning of this, here
Came the Berlin Wall
Episode 11:
My student is so
Motherfuckin hot can’t lie
Haiku haiku funs
Episode 12:
I've lost all the will
to write all of these haikus
Despite Tchaikowski
There has been a threat growing for the past few weeks, one stronger than could be contained by any mere vassal of mine. It has been encroaching deep into my psyche as it entombs me in a constant onslaught. When I close my eyes I see it there and hear the sped up Nightcore Europop songs playing on repeat. That threat is the 2000's Moe series Lucky Star.
Now I have sinned.
I have started watching it...
Episode 1:
Aye she licked a cream puff, she did, aye
Hair blue an' cheek marked, spouting truths one could naught but deny
One said to eat it whole
Another said to take it end upon end like a rotating mole
But she said "It's not that deep" *sigh*
Episode 2
Me and the boys cramming so hard we get an illness
Listen to the Cure because we have a sickness
Oh shit we failed the test
So off in order to kill myself I go to fondle the chest
Of the monster Loch Ness
Episode 3
“So yeah just imagine this” said the man at the bar
Speaking to the twin lawyers who failed to pass the bar
“Like what what if I dressed up in a frilly dress”
Then spoke the twins, “that’s not the Summer uniform so you’ll be in distress
Suddenly they all got run over by a car
Episode 4
You know that one friend who’s always late
That swears that they don’t procrastinate
Truth is they’re rapping
No sorry o meant napping
I don’t think that had happened yet Mr Andrew Tate
Episode 5
The hell you mean,
The blue Hawaii is best not a melon that’s green,
Melons are overrated,
Oh sorry your dog got castrated
- quote Taylor Swift, ft Neil Breen
Episode 6
You know that feeling when you bring a seashell to your ear
Only the sounds of the waves shalt thou hear
but then your auntie flings the car around a tight bend
you fly out the windscreen thinking this is the end
but you return your thoughts to that old summer cheer
Episode 7
That’s the spiral within a cornet
Spinning again and again like hornet
Cuz that’s how a drill works
We change to it hurts
Or so it says on that carpet
Episode 8
The intros long to fit the opening monologue
So many emotions we need a travel log
Nowadays I’m the only one doing a rap verse
All the others are dead away in a drab hearse
What a slog
Episode 9
There was a woman who gamed all night
game after game after game, no end in sight
However exam season came again
So she hated men
that triggered flight or fight
Episode 10
Autocorrect just told me I pulled
Just when I was having wine, ‘Twas mulled
But oh no my policing aunt caught me drinking
The store manager caught me drinking
Wahahaha I’m so culd!!!!
Episode 11
There’s something so special about sleeping on trains
Though today I found my coat had some strange stains
So crusty and white
I was scared of what was on the news, a terrible sight
The guy next to me was fucking ancient Mesopotamian grains
Episode 12
They went to a festival
I don’t know if I told you that they went to a festival
I don’t know if you know
Curiosity might grow
If I told you they went to a festival.
Episode 13
We love the twin drill
Man singing on a hill
Hearts in his his eyes
Impossible wall can’t pass no matter how many tries
But he died without writing his will
Episode 14
Woah there’s a new girl
Stand up and give us a twirl
Spin spin spin
Like a twin drill with a grin
Spinning so hard she might hurl
Episode 15
Oh hey its April fools
This show drools
Im so bored
And I’m floored
Jk I’m lying got you, tools
Episode 16
Shes just killing time waiting for someone
Like Yuno miles getting a honeybun
Her grandma too called her a ******
Honestly she says it’s a result of her figure
Apparently it’s not her fault for getting so tan when looking at the sun
Episode 17
No not the curry powder
You don’t use that to make chowder
You get the saffron but it’s all gone
Eh can you repeat that again but louder
Episode 18
Oh damn they caught me drawing Yuri
And reading manga yeah it’s me
My beloved meatball
Took a very great fall
Now it’s being eaten by a flea
Not exactly a business or market person. Though it sounds like a very fascinating brand strategy to me, it avoids making its own brands compete where one already clearly “owns” the market. Smart, I guess. But I could be wrong in grasping it as a whole.
I was a bit surprised to learn about it's British origins. You know how they market stuff and make you think it's some local brand. I used to drink the green tea because it was sold as a reducer of belly fat, quite foolish of me to think of it as some magic solution.
Really? Why? I don't know how they distribute it in the Indian market these days, but I used to purchase the Honey Lemon one with tea bags. I think it's still accessible with tea bags.
Hello, hello NouycEats! Thank you so much for the gift! I noticed it's your first time participating in secret santa so I hope I've been a good recipient! I only had time to watch a few episodes of your recommendations so my thoughts will be pretty short. So far, I think you hit the nail on the head with Heavenly Delusion, I love the animation and the plot is so intriguing! Though the "BL" is a little too roundabout for me to consider it as BL lol. As for Onimai, I've heard of it before but I never would have thought of starting it myself. I don't have much to say about it since I'm only two eps in but it's definitely an interesting pick!
Thanks again for taking the time to write the letter, and happy new year!
Before delving into what you wrote, I have a couple of thoughts: I rated Bake as 7/10 even though this doesn't reflect the true score I would give the show. Having a "closed" arc structure, each arc should be evaluated as a unique work, and giving a general score is difficult, and I am only speaking as someone who has seen the anime and only the first part.
One of the most painful points of the anime, for me, is precisely Arararararagi: I have a bias against harem or pseudo-harem shows, so mine is obviously a subjective opinion, but, as you also said, Araragi is a blank canvas with only one black mark which means "immature and horny." It's certainly intentional, and its goal is surely to create a point of connection between the characters and the events, but I find it (in all works) a bit of a "meh" thing; he is never explored in depth, he is always left suspended, he is often inconsistent with what he represents, and the dating sim structure means that the events of one arc are almost ignored in the next arc, and this leads the viewer not to connect with him, to see him more as the means to get to know the other characters and to completely lose interest in him.
The only moment of Araragi's development is if you look at the show as a general narrative, so from "I will save everyone" and "I prefer to return a favor over our friendship (in Tsubasa's narrative arc)" to an individual moment of self-awareness, especially when Araragi was willing to be killed by the cat just to save Tsubasa and come out as the "savior", only to ask Shinobu for help after gaining that self-awareness.
I put Crab, Cat, and Monkey in the Top 3 only because I found them to be the "deepest" arcs, although Hanekawa's arc has somewhat inconsistent writing and is only aimed at introducing the events pre-Bakemonogatari.
I can say that I don't really appreciate Meme's abandonment, whom I personally considered the best-structured character without having an in-depth focus or an arc of his own, and I'm afraid that leaving everything in Araragi's hands is just a device to make the entire work a "philosophical harem" with him being the final savior of Spirits' War.
I couldn't say who my favorite character is; probably Hitagi. She is the one whose development I appreciated the most and the one who has the most potential for total growth.
All in all I appreciated Bake, probably if it wasn't the adaptation of an LN it would have been much more criticized since it has some excessively verbose episodes, like the first of the snail arc or the second of the cat arc, not because I don't like dialogues, but because it has, deliberately, often redundant lines that can lead the viewer to exasperation if he doesn't know what awaits him.
I’m interested on what you think of the later arcs when everything starts developing. Out of Bake my favourite is probably the third arc
So, my fav arcs in top-order are: Crab(1st), Cat(5th), Monkey(3rd), Snake (4th), Snail (2nd). Actually Monkey and Cat could be both second.
Crab is the first arc in the show, probably the most catchy, while Snail, the second one, turned me down so much that I stopped the show back in the days :P
I like the show for what it is, the visuals are amazing, but the I didn’t find the story so interesting; last episodes let me know there is much more thus I will continue Monogatari series. I’m not a big fan of “static” dialogues, while Shaft saved the whole thing with its unique style, the show is still yapping, I did’t want nor expect a battle shonen, but I prefer shows that use eyes more than ears :3
YES i know for a certainty that you'll enjoy furuba!!! there are so many great shoujo anime and manga out there! if you want, i could give you some recommendations every now and then :) start with furuba, nana, and cardcaptor sakura! all three are effusively praised shoujo that you shouldn't have much trouble completing. btw i just peeped your list and some of your notes are pretty funny lol.
my top 5 anime/manga of all time? tough one, but on the whole furuba (fruits basket) is proooobably my favorite piece of fiction. so furuba takes top spot, followed by umineko, monogatari, hunter x hunter, and made in abyss (these 4 are totally interchangeable, but i'll just go with this order for now). nana and cardcaptor sakura would be my honorable mentions (shugo chara and kodocha deserve a shout too). in any case i love all of my animanga faves almost equally i'd say and so i can't definitively say whether i prefer one over the rest, but my heart keeps telling me it's furuba 😭😭😭 i just really love the concept of the chinese zodiac and the way it's incorporated into the story. my initial impression of furuba was positively favorable. it didn't just spontaneously grow on me or anything; i've been a huge fan of the series ever since i first watched it. every aspect of furuba, from the various themes explored to the struggles and the vulnerabilities of the characters, resonates heavily with me even now. by the end of the series i'd become so deeply attached to the characters, including the supporting ones (all of whom were adequately fleshed out imo). i've yet to watch an anime or read a manga that has made me cry as much as furuba did 😭😭😭 i'm a highly emotional person (but cunning and decisive when i need to be 😏😏😏), and so when a book or a show appeals to my emotions i can't help crying. even as i type out this message and recall all of my memories with furuba, i feel like i'm on the verge of tears 😢😢😢 i could literally write a 20-page paper on what makes furuba so uniquely special in the eyes of many. i'll always be a passionate defender of this brilliant and intellectually engaging series :)
ayeee history is a great major. i took a couple of american studies courses during my time at CSUF and performed very well in them. i thought about minoring in history but ultimately opted for philosophy. however i dropped my minor altogether toward the end of my senior year so i could graduate as soon as practicable ... i'd run out of steam and so all i wanted at that point was to graduate and get my diploma. during my junior year (when i had enough motivation to take 6 classes per semester) i felt i could delay my projected graduation date by a few months, and so i was like, "maybe i should variegate my coursework by declaring a minor in something that's of personal interest to me." but little did i know, i would grow desperate to get outta college as soon as i could. dem sleepless nights, staring at my computer for hours on end 💔💔💔 i'd had enough 😭😭😭
yeah referencing is a bit of a pain. creating a works cited page which includes all of your references, having to cite sources in strict accordance with your instructor's inordinate demands ... tell me about it 😤😤😤 the importance of referencing can't be overstated, but boy is it a hassle sometimes...
hiii thanks for the friend request! pleased to meet you :) yeah college was one hell of a ride for me, both emotionally and psychologically. it ain't easy in the least, but you grow so much throughout and genuinely become a much sharper person all around. even though i suffered quite a bit and hit a bunch of roadblocks along the way, i don't regret having gone to college at all. looking back it was probably the single best decision i've ever made for myself. i wouldn't be the woman i am today had i decided instead to pursue something else entirely. i'm stronger, smarter, and a lot more disciplined now as a result of all the challenges and hardships i've surmounted over the years. it was anything but a bed of roses, but even so i'm glad i went to a reputable college and got a good education. i'm really and truly proud of myself for having come this far 😭😭😭 anyhow that's enough about me. are you a current college student? if so, how are you liking college so far? or did you graduate not too long ago?
All Comments (36) Comments
Really? Why? I don't know how they distribute it in the Indian market these days, but I used to purchase the Honey Lemon one with tea bags. I think it's still accessible with tea bags.
How're you?
Also, is that lipton green tea?
I'm in love with this show and if they will maintain the same quality in writing and visuals it will be my 10/10 this season!
Makio is an amazing woman :3
Thanks again for taking the time to write the letter, and happy new year!
One of the most painful points of the anime, for me, is precisely Arararararagi: I have a bias against harem or pseudo-harem shows, so mine is obviously a subjective opinion, but, as you also said, Araragi is a blank canvas with only one black mark which means "immature and horny." It's certainly intentional, and its goal is surely to create a point of connection between the characters and the events, but I find it (in all works) a bit of a "meh" thing; he is never explored in depth, he is always left suspended, he is often inconsistent with what he represents, and the dating sim structure means that the events of one arc are almost ignored in the next arc, and this leads the viewer not to connect with him, to see him more as the means to get to know the other characters and to completely lose interest in him.
The only moment of Araragi's development is if you look at the show as a general narrative, so from "I will save everyone" and "I prefer to return a favor over our friendship (in Tsubasa's narrative arc)" to an individual moment of self-awareness, especially when Araragi was willing to be killed by the cat just to save Tsubasa and come out as the "savior", only to ask Shinobu for help after gaining that self-awareness.
I put Crab, Cat, and Monkey in the Top 3 only because I found them to be the "deepest" arcs, although Hanekawa's arc has somewhat inconsistent writing and is only aimed at introducing the events pre-Bakemonogatari.
I can say that I don't really appreciate Meme's abandonment, whom I personally considered the best-structured character without having an in-depth focus or an arc of his own, and I'm afraid that leaving everything in Araragi's hands is just a device to make the entire work a "philosophical harem" with him being the final savior of Spirits' War.
I couldn't say who my favorite character is; probably Hitagi. She is the one whose development I appreciated the most and the one who has the most potential for total growth.
All in all I appreciated Bake, probably if it wasn't the adaptation of an LN it would have been much more criticized since it has some excessively verbose episodes, like the first of the snail arc or the second of the cat arc, not because I don't like dialogues, but because it has, deliberately, often redundant lines that can lead the viewer to exasperation if he doesn't know what awaits him.
I finally finished Bakemonogatari :3
So, my fav arcs in top-order are: Crab(1st), Cat(5th), Monkey(3rd), Snake (4th), Snail (2nd). Actually Monkey and Cat could be both second.
Crab is the first arc in the show, probably the most catchy, while Snail, the second one, turned me down so much that I stopped the show back in the days :P
I like the show for what it is, the visuals are amazing, but the I didn’t find the story so interesting; last episodes let me know there is much more thus I will continue Monogatari series. I’m not a big fan of “static” dialogues, while Shaft saved the whole thing with its unique style, the show is still yapping, I did’t want nor expect a battle shonen, but I prefer shows that use eyes more than ears :3
So now I can ask you, did you like Bake?
yeah referencing is a bit of a pain. creating a works cited page which includes all of your references, having to cite sources in strict accordance with your instructor's inordinate demands ... tell me about it 😤😤😤 the importance of referencing can't be overstated, but boy is it a hassle sometimes...