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April is the cruelest month1. March comes out like a lamb and the advent of my Easter holidays herald the oncoming exam season. Not unlike those fateful encounters typically seen in anime, Stilts’ recruitment post caught my eyes. Although at first I didn’t intend on applying, these encouraging words convinced me to try out:
“If you’re interested in writing for Random Curiosity, I encourage you to apply, even if you’re not 100% the ideal person I described above. Passion counts for a lot, and in the end our decision will come down to both who we think will do a good job, and who we want to work with.”
I always assumed that all this talk about signing a contract was some kind of elaborate prank. Then I signed my soul over to Stilts, which I suspect is only where my suffering begins. ／人◕‿‿◕人＼ Show Spoiler ▼
But really, the pleasure is all mine. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would end up becoming your newest writer. Yet here we are dear readers. The stage is set and the curtain rises. You will be stuck with me, for better or worse.
I believe I have yet to properly introduce myself. Perhaps you may know me as that washed up commenter whose best days are behind them? Yeah, I thought not.
Moshi moshi, Zaiden desu! Despite having lived in London for almost my entire life, there are very few British stereotypes that are applicable to me, though I can vouch that there’s almost no one around these parts who does not love a good cuppa. Interests include anime and manga, reading poetry and prose, and a lesser commitment to gaming after starting university. Speaking of university, my studies entail a pursuit of Law. This is so that I may uphold a veritable “OBJECTION!” to your questionable taste, in contrast with my objectively SUPERIOR TASTE2!
Let me tell you more about my superior taste in anime. I cannot deny having an affection for romance, isekai (Mushoku Tensei!!!) and steampunk, as well as having a bizarre allergy towards samurai3. But there is a quintessential aspect I’ve found to be commonplace across all my favourite anime: they are profoundly character driven and seek to extensively explore the human experience. This probably means that my favourite genre is Bildungsroman – stories about coming of age. Seeing a character growing up by learning from their mistakes and working hard to overcome their limitations is a truly rewarding experience. For instance, my favourite shows from the most recent season were 3-gatsu no Lion and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu S2, while going beyond recent times, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Shin Sekai Yori and Eureka Seven are masterpieces in their own respect that rank among my favourite anime of all time.
However, it is without a shadow of a doubt that Clannad: After Story is my favourite anime. Ever. Because of Clannad, I became utterly convinced that anime was the ultimate medium of entertainment, in its capacity to bring about life-changing epiphanies. My views of the world around me were changed forever as I came to appreciate and realise how family and friends matter so much. I also dared to hope and dream again – of finding happiness in simple ways. Life is too short, so you might as well make it worth your while.
For now, I will settle on making it clear that I am open to all sorts of comments, particularly constructive criticism and feedback. Every little bit helps and there is no need to sugar-coat words – I highly doubt it will match the savagery of Stilts.
Never forget, a believing heart is your magic.
ザイデンデス。よろしくおねがいします!
Zaiden desu. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!
_________________________
1 Opening line of ‘The Wasteland’ – T.S. Elliot
2 Feel free to add me on MAL!
3 Achoo
Welcome!
Thank you Tonameki! I will work hard to live up to everybody’s expectations.
I hear the guy you’re replacing was pretty cool. You got big shoes to fill, but I’m sure you’ll love it. Welcome Zaiden!
I could never replace the guy before me. He was as cool of a cat as you could get.
Your words mean a lot to me, and there are big shoes to fill indeed. Good thing I’m already loving it! Thank you Samu! 🙂
Welcome to the fray, Zaiden!
I look forward to following your shows 🙂
Hey drunkenveggie (interesting username xD)
Can’t say I’ve decided exactly what I’m going to do but I’ve got a pretty good idea of what they will probably be.
But you know what, for now it will remain a secret 😉
Thank you for your words. I look forwards to providing posts for you to enjoy! 🙂
I will tell you a secret.
It’s named after a plate I saw at a Thai restaurant. I laughed really hard at “Drunken Vegetable.” That turned out to be too long of a username for most places…thus Drunkenveggie was born.
#originstory #angst #yoloswag
Welcome, Zaiden! Good to have you on board. I was going to say you won’t regret joining us, but lying is a sin. Incidentally, have a complimentary red shirt. It’s uniform.
Thank you Passerby! Good to be on board the ship. I hope that red shirt isn’t actually a life jacket, because the boat is sinking unbeknowst to me.
Otherwise, the red shirt is the home kit of my beloved local football team so I don’t think I could say no. Look forwards to working alongside you 🙂
haha pretty sure the red shirt is a star trek reference– red shirted characters always seem to be the first to die 😮
It’s the kouhai life, first into the fray, first to suffer.
Zaiden is still new, he’ll learn soon enough 😛
Welcome aboard!
I hope your brain doesn’t fry from overthinking anime for your posts. I mean, you’re green in that picture above, so I just instantly thought of you receiving the torch of One For All from Stilts-sensei or Samu-sensei (also blond, if that profile pic is any indication). So just chill, relax, be yourself, and PLUS ULTRA! XD
Seriously though, welcome aboard. I look forward to your posts.
I could go into some colour symbolism here.
The green does show I’m not ready, but also that I am full of life, ready to take on life’s challenges. The black hair gives off an air of mystery, and inner darkness. That’s about as far as my sleep deprived brain will go for now, if you’ll pardon me.
My height in comparison to the two titans of Stilts and Samu, who believe it or not would make the perfect gaijin villains in a basketball manga, would suggest I’m way more of a Deku than an All Might. Nonetheless, I’m perfectly happy to do all the things you mentioned about chilling and whatnot, including PLUS EXTRA!! XD
Thank you very much for welcoming me aboard. I hope to provide posts that are fun to read, and worthy of being followed.
May the torch burn bright.
I will work hard to make sure it does!
Over the years I’ve seen numerous writers come and go, and it’s always a pleasure to have someone new come on board, bringing fresh, unique perspectives to the site.
To Samu: I bid thee a fond adieu, will miss reading your posts, and wish you all the best for the future.
To Zaiden, welcome! May thy perspetives be a wellspring of insight.
Thanks Zen! Becoming a wellspring of insight would be nice. With some way to go, hard work is required to make sure I’ll get there in the near future!
I like you already.
Welcome, Zaiden!
Thanks Quack, I already like you too 🙂
More people who love Shinsekai Yori and Rakugo are a-okay in my book. Welcome, and good luck! Since you seem to love the type of shows I love, I will be keeping a close eye on shows you blog!
Thanks Nikki!
Glad to know other people of SUPERIOR TASTE exist out there too, though mine will always remain SUPERIOR of course.
For now, I will focus on covering the shows I have an opportunity to cover. And by that, I mean I will be writing a fair few introductory posts for a wide variety of shows this season. After establishing myself some more, I certainly hope I will get the opportunity to blog shows of a similar style that I would associate with my favourite series.
In the meantime, it is my hope that people will be curious enough to check out some of the stranger, more obscure series I will be writing introductory posts for. Definitely keep your eyes out for that!
Hi Zaiden, welcome to the team!
Just want to let you know that this is the first time I saw a new RC writer that I felt might be my hidden doppleganger. Clannad: AS is the series which confirmed my absolute attachment to this medium (both to Anime and VN). Rakugo and 3gatsu are definitely my favorites of this season (along with Konosuba actually), and I shared most of your other favorites as well.
However, my friends jokingly call me a “time loop guy” since it’s prevalent in both my all-time favorites and my own writing as well, so I’ll pick it as my favorite trope instead of isekai (and I never sneeze when I read Vagabond so that’s another difference of us).
So yeah, I hope I could read your post in any new romance/coming of age/isekai next time so I could confirm that you are a man of culture as well. See ya!
Hi zeroyuki, thanks for the warm welcome!
So happy to see that other people with SUPERIOR TASTE exist out there too. Though of course, my taste shall always remain truly SUPERIOR in comparison. MWAHAHAHA.
Konosuba had a brilliant finale, but I’m not sure I could put it on the same tier as 3-gatsu or Rakugo.
Time loops are respectable, so power to you! Regarding my samurai allergy, I actually really enjoyed reading Vagabond. It’s possible for someone with a samurai allergy like myself, if you pretend it’s a load of prehistoric neckbeards running around with swords challenging each other.
Look forwards to establishing that I’m a man of culture *achoo*! My attempts at poetry for this grand occasion got shot down. Maybe another time, I will get to prove my worth.
Make sure to enjoy yourself.
Don’t worry, I’m already having a blast! Hopefully this is more than just a honey moon period, and I hope I can remain around these parts for a long time to come.
I like Mushoku Tensei too! Welcome and good luck on your reviews, Zaiden.
Another Mushoku Tensei fan! It’s not often I get to meet one!
Thanks for the warm welcomes One Pinch Man, and it’s too bad I probably won’t review the upcoming series where you score: https://myanimelist.net/anime/34823/Souryo_to_Majiwaru_Shikiyoku_no_Yoru_ni
your name is DOPE. . . .Best of luck! have fun with it
Thanks for the compliment, BROOKLYN otaku. This was actually name I came up with for commenting on RandomC a few years ago, and has stuck with me through the ages.
I already had the best of luck in getting the opportunity to be your newest writer. Look forwards to my first episode post in the near future!
Good luck and looking forward to your write ups!
Thanks for the warm welcome Jeffers, and I also look forwards to my write ups 🙂
Welcome, Zaiden. I’m always interested to hear a new voice and perspective on anime and will definitely look forward to reading your posts on the shows you’ll cover.
Had a look-see at your MAL just to compare my “questionable” taste with your SUPERIOR one, and was glad to see we share some favorites.
Clannad After Story remains in my heart as one of the most beautiful portrayals of the trials and tribulations of young adult life. Till this day it still seems to bring on those damn onion-cutting ninjas into the vicinity even by just recalling some of the scenes from memory. Also, anyone who appreciates Legend of The Galactic Heroes anime is definitely someone I can trust to give the lowdown on a series or episode to help me judge if it’s a show I’d be interested in or not.
And to top that all off I see that you’ve also seen the first season of Gintama and seem to be following the manga. Not keeping my hopes high as you don’t seem to have watched the subsequent seasons and movie and the manga chapters in your list don’t seem up to the latest chapters, but I would be so thrilled if we will finally get some Gintama coverage on my favorite anime blog. Especially as we seem to be nearing the end of the story and I’d feel it’ll be a great loss if RandomC never covers one of my personal favorite anime series of all time.
Finally, just want to wish you luck and hit the ground running through the new season and hopefully you’ll be staying around for a long time.
Thanks for the welcome Gandalf8. Regarding those onion cutting ninjas, I have a quote from a certain wise wizard that feels relevant:
Good to hear there are also others with SUPERIOR TASTE around these parts, and I wouldn’t quite go as far as trusting myself yet. Joining RandomC is part of the trials and tribulations of my own young adult life, and I look forwards to jumping through all the hoops with flying colours!
With Gintama, the way I’d put it is that I’m invested in the manga because it’s easier to keep up with. Falling behind on the anime requires a lot of time and motivation to catch up. I’ve stalled for the same reason on mega anime series with a couple of hundred episodes. It’s not completely out of the question, but I don’t want to make any promises I might not be able to keep. Will see what I can possibly do about it if I can find the time.
It is also my desire to hit the ground running, but expect to see a lot more of me in the Summer. It is also my hope to stay around for a long time to come, considering I’ve been following RandomC for such a long time!
Long live RandomC!
Welcome Zaiden! Glad to have you as a new writer on RandomC. Looking forward to seeing what you choose to blog for the coming season.
My pleasure AzureDivinity, and thank you for the warm welcome, AND the MAL Friend Request! I’m pretty active on MAL, so I would encourage people to add me on there. Hehehe.
Let’s just say some of my choices for writing introductory posts are fairly unusual. Hopefully, with the wide variety, I will get to exhibit and further develop my writing qualities! That is my hope 🙂
Welcome to the slaughter Haha kudos mate good luck :p
No slaughter. Can’t exploit that which is dead :/
Unless you meant lambs. Poor things.
Thanks for wishing me luck Maverick! 🙂
Superior taste
Space Bros is only a 9
IT IS WORTH THE 10.
Welcome, dude~ Looking forward to your writing!
Hey Crunchie. 9/10 is an impressive score considering I only have 4/780 rated as 10/10. Space Brothers was really amazing and spoke to me on a very deep level, only my 10/10 shows managed to speak to me on an even deeper and more spiritual level XD
And never forget. MY TASTE IS SUPERIOR. The End.
Thanks for the welcome, and I will do my best to make sure that it is justified for people to look forwards to my writing!
For me it doesn’t matter someone new join or someone old gone. What matter to me is the old randomc that 1.had many comments,many viewers. 2.easy to meet green color comments (20+ upvote) Look at old day randomc and randomc nowaday, it’s so different.It’s sad that the old day gone.
Anyways I welcome u to join randomc as new writer,Good luck guy.
I feel you Topboy, the old days were pretty cool after all. But with competition elsewhere on the internet in terms of providing a platform for anime fans to gather and discuss, I could draw a parallel between the decline of rakugo as examined in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu and the decline of anime blogs. As such, I feel it’s not particularly fair to blame the new RandomC.
Behind the scenes, the writers are working hard to bring quality content to the front page day after day, and I feel your criticisms are rather disingenuous towards them. That would be like blaming Yakumo for the decline of Rakugo, in spite of his efforts to keep the artform beautiful and alive.
It is my belief that upvotes are an arbitrary way of assessing the quality of a content, and I don’t believe the quality of content has gone down at all. It has remained consistent throughout the past few years, though maybe proactive steps could be taken to adapt to changes in modern trends. That can be quite difficult when people’s attention is always grabbed by the latest/newest things!
Not to mention, quality of the fans I can interact with (like the well wishers commenting on this post) matter far more than quantity! Better to have a few really awesome fans that my words can get through to!
At the moment, I’m more or less preoccupied with being at the top of my game so that I don’t let my RandomC sempais down! That will be my priority for now.
Anyways, hope that helps people see another side of things. Thanks for welcoming me, and wishing me luck Topboy!
You know… There’s a saying, and it goes…
“Set limits are steeped in intrigue born from the depths of the psyche, to break free then is to detach from the rules and overpower them through unabashed, unapologetic strength of mind”
Do you know what that means? It means that I’ll come back for the THIRD ATTEMPT, only that this time the limits are broken and you will be overwhelmed- so much so that you either embrace the madness or reject in outright disgust.
But enough of that… On to other matters, specifically YOU, Zaiden…
The lighthearted Brit. Well of course I remember~~~ Read through what you’ve left behind on this site from time to time and I must say, I am most amused and pleased. You’re a pleasant man. I’m sure the rest would get along with you just fine. This vernal season, sorely lacking to me. I am of the utmost belief that I am quite capable of writing more interesting and varied stories according to preferences in comparison to what we have been provided with in the upcoming weeks, but nevertheless I will still be around… reading- most especially if the posts are entertaining. I just hope you’re ready to remove your limiters, for the best of our creations are born in spite of them, even more so if such limits are saturated in irrationality. Now show us what you can do, and remember- DON’T. HOLD. BACK.
Hey Nishizawa!
Never heard of this peculiar saying before, but I will take your word for it. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought that you made the quote yourself!
Keep on trying though, that’s the stuff that hopes and dreams are made of! Seeing a person making it by never giving up is always worthy of an anime story. If you haven’t tried asking for feedback, definitely do so. Other than that, I wish you luck in your future endeavours!
Your insights are always wacky and fun, and I look forwards to seeing you comment about your thoughts and opinions on my future posts.
Welcome aboard! I Friended you on MAL and like the other writers I will look to follow you on Twitter too. Also have to say it is nice to see someone using the full MAL scale. I know I’m a culprit of ranking things high too so I’ve been trying to improve. There are probably a ton of 7s I can go rewatch and make lower, if I had the time or inclination to go watch them. Also, if this post is any indication of your writing style I must say I like the verbose use of a variety of vocabulary. (Also London is such a great city so jealous…)
What can I say GoukaRyuu. Can’t be going around using 1-10 like a four point scale. After all, I have my SUPERIOR TASTE to uphold.
Let’s say that prior to editing, my writing style was a lot more verbose than this. Probably more on the negative side of verbose. The refinement of my post could not have been possible without the help of my RandomC sempais, so huge props and thanks to them! Love y’all! <3
Another thing about my writing style, It’s actually a conscious thing, trying not to use the same words more than once or twice per post! Really happy to see that you noticed the variety of vocabulary ^_^
London is indeed great. Being raised and shaped by the culture and values within such an amazing city has been my privilege.
Welcome and congratulations on passing!. Looking forward to your posts.
Thank you for the congratulations, Ashur! I also look forwards to seeing my posts, when Stilts is done with checking them over ;_;
Nice to see a new writer joining RC
Zaiden has joined the party ‘Random Curiosity’.
Wonder what kind of RPG roles we would all be. Geomancer from Final Fantasy III always looked so cosy and fun, even if it wasn’t the strongest! 😀
WELCOME!!!
Your introduction as more than peeked my interest; what a strong entrance.
Although I didn’t know who Random Curiosity would acquire for new reviews. I did have my doubts honest, Zaiden, When it was announced new writers were needed I feared this perspective author would lean to much towards argumentative or persuasive opinion(s) instead of being informative. (Though the point of a review is to persuade the viewer your thoughts and to ague why…)
Although after reading and realizing how organized your thoughts are I will look forward to your wonderful critique on each title and episode; on our dorky–eh unique entertainment~ (^_^ ;; )
This will probably be my final reply for a while before I take a break from replying, but I will be back on it afterwards. It means a lot that there are many voices welcoming me into the community that deserve replies and answers to questions.
Thanks for the welcome renasayers, and of course it’s quite natural to feel uncertainty and doubt over unknown factors. Glad to see that my introductory post has assuaged your doubts for now!
Happy to see that you think my thoughts are organised. After all, I’d probably be doing the wrong degree if I couldn’t do that. Even then, the RandomC team had to finetune this post here and there. Really wouldn’t have been possible without them, so again, much love to y’all! <3
I will be mixing up my style, but will be trying to provide critique where necessary. Look forwards to providing the Zaiden brand of unique entertainment ^_^
If anyone is curious enough, here is a link to some of my MAL posts on 3-gatsu that might give you more of a taste in terms of what you could be expecting from my analytical/insightful approach: https://myanimelist.net/blog/Zaiden
Welcome to the party! I really like your taste and I hope to like your posts too, from your introduction I assume you’re at least decent guy 😉 and you got me anyway with the Clannad, as it’s also one of my top shows, that had a huge impact on my ‘watching anime’ career (and is the main reason I am now a devoted KyoAni fanboy). Hope you’re gonna enjoy it here!
If you like my taste, your taste must be of the SUPERIOR kind too. And of course, anyone who watched all of Clannad and liked it must be a decent human being. Same on being a KyoAni fanboy. They’re definitely my favourite studio, though I think they could have done better in recent times.
Violet Evergarden looks like it has all the qualities I would love to see in a show, so I’d definitely be interested in giving that a shot! Though maybe my experience may not be enough for a series of that caliber. The best person should be in charge of writing for that one.
Anyways, thanks for the warm welcome. I’m already enjoying myself, if that offers any kind of indication! ^_^
Congratulations! And will look forward to your posts in the near future!
Thank you Lunacha! I would just like to say, never give up, and never forget that a believing heart is magic.
Look forwards to delivering posts worthy of people’s anticipation in the near future too!
Welcome Zaiden! New writers always give another nuance to the already established colour of RandomC, so I’ll look forward to your reviews, too.
After skimming through your MAL page, I’d like to ask one quick question, though. What’s your take on older anime classics, like NGE, or SE:Lain? I saw that you gave them a six which is not that bad of a score in a scale of ten, but people usually really hate or really love these shows so this kind of indifference baffles me a bit. And I’d do consider both of them as a somewhat weird look on the Bildungsroman genre so considering your favourites I expected that you’d have liked them more.
Thanks for the warm welcome Faolin Eye! I will try my best to answer your questions.
With NGE and SE:Lain, both series presented complex and interesting ideas that unfortunately left me rather uninspired, but not to the point of hating them. In fact, I had to recognise that a good attempt was made even if it was ultimately lost upon me.
My biggest problem with NGE is probably Shinji. People have often tried to convince me that Shinji has a well-constructed character. Although I will agree that Shinji’s character is well-constructed, he is not well-developed. I’m not looking for a perfect character, rather they need to be relatable in some respect. At the end of the day, I could not quite connect to Shinji for various reasons. Not to mention, did Shinji ever come of age? That’s difficult to say. From my perspective, I could not attribute development that indicated Shinji’s growth, though I concede that his character is fleshed out.
As for Lain, I need to give it a rewatch. But from what I remember, characters started doing things I considered contradictory to their construction, and the ending itself felt problematic to me.
Sorry to have baffled you. I can see the angle where you are coming from regarding the connection to my favourite series, but these are the reasons why I think ‘indifferently’ of NGE and Lain. Despite the fact I enjoy stories that have deeper meanings that are not visible right away, NGE/Lain had problems for me that detracted from the overall viewing experience. They wanted to create art and they certainly succeeded. But I also think they went too far.
Bienvenido y espero mucho de tu trabajo!
Mucho grazias, Pachi!
Welcome!!! I quite like you already (anyone who likes Shin Sekai Yori gains my instant approval, lol) ^^ I look forward to seeing what you write.
((On a random note, I’m also a uni student who lives in London, so we have that in common as well, actually-though I’m studying psychology. ))
Thanks for the welcome Aki-chan! I also approve of people who like my favourites. I do think it’s a rather natural inclination. I will try to meet people’s expectations of my writing!
While I’m a university student, I probably want to point out that I don’t actually study in London. To quote Pancakes, some dreams just weren’t meant to be :/
Oh no! Σ(ﾟﾛ､ﾟ;)
You signed a contract with Stilts?
Your life is bound to be doomed!
Hey Croos!
I’ve actually always been a big fan of yours since back in the days when you used to comment a lot more often. Not to mention, your profile pictures is Kyousuke, who is one of my favourite anime characters ever!
My life was bound to be doomed either way. Better to be doomed doing something enjoyable.
Welcome to RandomC Zaiden! RandomC is my go-to place to read anime post since last two season iirc, so I’m happy to see another writer joining the party. I also added you on MAL, and glad to see at least we agree that Shinsekai Yori and Clannad After is a great anime! Again, welcome, and hope you’ll stick around for a long time 😀
Hey Raxar!
I used to get pretty excited when a new writer joined the party, but now that it’s me, I feel so weird. Accepted your request on MAL, and also glad to see that another person of SUPERIOR TASTE hang around these parts.
Thanks for the welcome, and I also hope I will be sticking around for a long time!
Seeing your introductory post, I seemed very excited for them to have you as the newest writer of this amazing website! I hope that you will do well as much as Samu-san did on his time. And I hope your first seasonal post in the summer will be memorable. I will put equal hope to you as much as everyone in RC that it will be a great blogging website for me to check out everyday.
P.S. Stilts? Good luck.
P.S.S. My summer focuses on that ballroom anime I’ve been raving about for the past couple of months, and I think it would be a good blogging choice for starters. Not that I force you, but I just like it.
– Jeff2x
Believe me jeffyplaysandwatches, I’m also really excited, and think that RandomC is an amazing website!
If I manage to do even half as well as Samu, I would be happy. However, my aim is to live up to the expectations and to generate my own legacy.
Come summer, I should have a lot of time to work on blogging. And as luck would have it, Ballrom e Youkoso was definitely on my radar!
– Zaiden
Welcome aboard! Glad to see you have great taste (Mushoku Tensei and 3-gatsu no Lion are among two of my favorite light novel/anime in their respective genres, loved these). Looking forward to your reviews, try not to burn out from all the work haha.
Hi, welcome!