Miscellaneous

Katawa~

tssk…at first I was going to write my introduction as a bunch of lyrics mimicking COOLISH WALK (Working!!’ OP), but then I realized it was already midnight. I’ll spare the awkwardness for another time…another post :3.

‘so, I am Zanibas, one of the new writers! Some of you may recognize me, as I’ve been on and off of RandomC for years now, all the way back to when Omni was writing. Random Curiosity may be full of history, but I particularly remember Jaalin’s posts, whose semi-silly examinations of anime aspects were appealing (perhaps you’ll see a similar style in some of my future posts…). To be part of the blog that has introduced me to great anime is a HUGE honor, so let me say, “I am in your care, dear reader!” ^^’…please don’t hurt me >_< .

Coobie’s contract says I shall be a “specialty writer” who focuses on Romantic Comedies and obscure shows. Heard of Taishou Yakyuu Musume? Obscure and light on comedic romance, it’s one of the shows I often recommend. However, popular or obscure, you’ll see me hanging around these genres. As my first assignment, I will be covering the rest of Amagami SS+, starting with the 2nd half of Sae’s arc and then most likely pick up a romantic comedy for the spring. Comment if you have a recommendation!

In terms of my anime portfolio, romantic comedy has always been the dominating genre. I started off with Love Hina about seven years ago, then moved onto Chobits and Mahou Sensei Negima. Although Sakagami Tomoyo and Ushio from Clannad will forever hold a place in my heart, new challengers vying for a spot come every season! That doesn’t mean that I don’t watch other genres! This anime list probably illustrates it best.

Romantic comedy starts aside, I’ve found philosophical anime to be a good genre to watch. Kino no Tabi tops that genre in my opinion – it was a show that depended heavily on challenging the audience every episode, which made its emotional conclusion all the more striking. (I’ve never felt more bad for Kino than any other character.) Welcome to the NHK was also a great watch for refusing a happy ending and teasing the audience every episode. Lastly…Eve no Jikan..sequel plz. ;_;.

Nichijou, Clannad After Story, REC, Seitokai no Ichizon, Level E (the first 3 episodes, arguably the last 3), Hourou Musuko, Sora no Manimani, Elfen Lied, Colorful, Oreimo and Hare+Guu are some of my other favorites…though so many others are still on my waitlist…examples being Cross Game, FMA:B, Princess Tutu…

Outside of Random Curiosity, I attend the University of California, Berkeley as a student and undergraduate researcher. I am an open anime fan (Cal Animage Alpha shoutout!) who cycles through three anime tote bags to carry around textbooks. I’m majoring in Cognitive Science with hopefully another major in Computer Science. I also work as a volunteer online counselor on the topic of “crushes” *wink*. Anime/Vocaloids, Katawa Shoujo, the Japanese language, travel, and playfully wrestling with my floormates are some of my interests, but the thrill of trying new things is what I live for! Feel free to talk to me and say hello! If you’re curious about something, feel free to ask it here or ask me personally. I’m not a closed book, you know! ^__^ I also like to make references to a certain character. If you noticed the easter egg in this post and yell it out in the comments, I will love you…within my capabilities as a writer. :3

However, to conclude, I would like to say that I am truly excited about writing for this community. Perhaps one of the most supportive anime blog communities, if not the best, resides here, and I am grateful to work for such a group. As such, I highly value comments and discussion. The more you make your voice heard, the more it shall inspire my writing! Also, let’s be circle buddies!

I shall leave you with a quote from one of my favorite games, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, which I have reversed because I think sums up my feelings as of now.

…i think this feeling correlates close to what you humans call…

Happiness…

Our partnership is coming to a beginning, and even as we speak, i feel my desire to write waking up. Before I enter the blog that calls me to the pen, I wish to relay to you the words that i will record many times over the course of our journey. Many have said them to you thus far, but now i wish to say them for myself, before our journey begins…

…thank you, dear reader.

P.S: Specifically, thank you Xumbra for encouraging me to apply :3, thank you Bucephalus ahead of time for not scoffing at me for this D:, and thank you again reader. Let’s get along, shall we? ^^

131 Comments

  2. Might I recommend Tasogare Otome x Amnesia for your blogging delight. The PV seems more like a horror anime but it is just a supernatural anime with a love story in it as well. I am currently reading the manga and it is awesome! I am hoping someone chooses to blog this. But other than that I would be happy to be the 1st poster of many to welcome you to RC! Here’s to good times with great people and anime!

    Zero
    Reply

  6. Welcome to RC! I see you have a Katawa Shoujo pic. Who’s your favorite KS girl from the bunch? Or is Kenji (FEMINISTS!!! XD) your favorite character from said game?

    The_Magus_Killer
    Reply

    1. I’m tempted to say Rin (I use her pic the most), but her story was less emotionally satisfying and more “WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY LIFE!? D:”.

      So I’ll say Emi, just because she has that “let’s try stuff!” air around her, something I really appreciate in people. NO, I am not referring to “that” scene. Also, I landed Emi whilst trying to get to Rin, so that counts for something, right?

      Zanibas
      Reply

    1. If I were seriously considering to join, I would shadow a series for a season to see if I’m up to the workload, which is my main worry. I’m not sure if I can churn out a quality post per week with my schedule.

      But I’m open to trying out in the future. We’ll see.

      Xumbra
      Reply

    2. Which is why I’m asking: Stereoman is obviously male. Zanibas feels unisex.

      The reason for that is because I want to see if their opinion about a show would be that significantly different from that of the males, as how many have been saying(or hoping).

      The Moondoggie
      Reply

  16. Congratz on becoming a writer here! Sadly the easter egg flew right past me. Romcoms also tend to be my favorite, no matter how generic they are! It just never gets old! It’s always good to have really interactive writers also! Looking forward to your posts!

    +1 follower btw!

    PeepQ
    Reply

      1. Will save informal conversation for IRC so readers can see your answers as well.
        IRC regulars lets get along? I’ll be a regular (or attempt) from today onwards!

        Q1: Aren’t you watching anything this season? (From your MAL)

        Q2: What’s your proficiency level in the Japanese language?

        Q3: Kirino or Kuroneko?

        LightnDark
        Reply

      2. 1) I don’t use MAL that much: I just update it every now and then. I’m watching Mirai Nikki, Papa, ASS+, and catching up on Nise and if I’m lucky, Black Rock Shooter.

        2) I don’t know where I am, but when I finish this semester, I should be able to write 200 kanji and recite 40*28 vocab words or so. As for grammar…find a copy of Elementary Japanese Vol 2 and you’ll find your answer there.

        3) Kirino (sorry >_<). Kuroneko has a smarter tongue, and Kirino can be a real female dog, but I feel at her core, she's a good person waiting to show her sisterly dere :3. It's the fact that I am able to relate to Kirino and Kyousuke's sibling dynamic that makes her more appealing as a character, at least to myself.

        Zanibas
        Reply

      3. You can get the MAL Updater app for PC if you want to seamlessly and automatically update your list as you watch your shows. All you have to do is specify the folders you keep your anime in and the app should do the rest 🙂

        DCLXVI
        Reply

  21. First comment ever on this site. I just had to correct you on the name of our fine educational institution, the University of California, Berkeley (you got it backwards). I wonder if we’ll figure out each other’s real identities at CAA. Either way, good luck and Go Bears!

    GeoFreak
    Reply

  26. Yowza! You write loads! Looks like more fresh blood for us to feed on! I’ll be sure to thoroughly dissect each and every one of your posts. =D

    Alright, so I’m not that sinister. Congrats on getting the position! So you want to write about romance… Let’s see some scores for those titles on that MAL list of yours, then. It’ll be a good way to let other see what kind of writer you’ll be. Unless you’re planning to surprise us? Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing what you’ve got for RC!

    And anyone who can appreciate NHK ni Youkoso! is good in my book. =D

    Junglepenguin
    Reply

  32. Congratulation! I’ll be waiting for your Amagami coverage!

    As for spring anime, I don’t see any romantic comedy but you might want to look into Tasogare Otome x Amnesia. The manga is quite fun.

    Serapita
    Reply

  33. Welcome Zanibas! I had to reread your post since you mentioned an easter egg of some sort. Unfortunately I’m not familiar with Katawa Shoujo. For a minute I thought there’s hidden message of some kind somewhere around here for readers to guess. It felt like a puzzle *Professor Layton senses tingling* and reminded me of those fun seiyuu quizzes RandomC used to put in the sense of letting readers play along. And…Taisho Yakyuu Musume is one of your recommended shows? COMRADE!!

    Zhinvu
    Reply

    2. COMRADE! This mention of a puzzle reminds me of a puzzle:

      Shuu stirs from being unconscious and finds himself tied to a chair. He finds he is part of a circle arrangement with Shinji and Yukki in similar situations. Inori, Asuka, and Yuno have each placed a blue dot on their respective partner’s forehead. The girls tell the guys that they have used 3 dots from a set of 3 blue dots and 2 red dots to put on each of their heads. The girls then say that the first person to guess what color dot is on their forehead will finally prove their manhood. As the three boys start frantically spazzing and having breakdowns, they almost don’t hear that the game is setup fairly.

      Using logic, what could be a logical approach for any of the boys to figure out the color dot they have?

      P.S: About the Easter Egg: https://randomc.net/2012/03/13/introduction-everyday-im-fightin-the-power/comment-page-1/#comment-795393

      Zanibas
      Reply

  34. Welcome. Haven’t finished Katawa Shoujo myself (Hanako’s route sapped me of my will to reply it. It was just that good for me) but it seeing another fan is nice. I noticed you like Oreimo and Seitokai no Ichizon. Which girl is your favorite from each?

    Jason
    Reply

    1. Sorry for the late reply, but for Seitokai no Ichizon…all the girls are fairly equal. Perhaps that’s what I found interesting about that show, because there isn’t a set “lol main girl always wins” feeling. Everyone is in Ken’s harem (and my favorites). Everyone :3.

      Zanibas
      Reply

  37. Welcome dude and congrats for achieving a writer status in RC! So nice to see that we pretty much have the same favorites and oh I too wish we had a sequel for Eve no Jikan(hands down one of my favorite movies). You might be interested in this though, not a sequel but a new work from the director of Eve no Jikan.

    Looking forward to you blogging the rest of Amagami SS+, especially Haruka’s arc!!

    Nhelraios
    Reply

    1. Oh hey Beedle, I didn’t know you paid attention to anything else besides biking for your life and that bug of yours to even notice Fi was gone. :3

      Btw, here’s 2000 rupees. Give me a leather pouch I could’ve made myself.

      Zanibas
      Reply

    1. I liked the preview that Cradle Song setup and I imagine it’ll be amazing once it comes out. Don’t Take it Personally, Babe, It Just Ain’t Your Story is another excellent one I suggest, purely for the usage of “broest of bros”. However, I’m not a big VN player. I have only played some of the popular non-Japanese ones.

      Zanibas
      Reply

      1. +1 to the return of Jaalin-style hilarious tags 🙂 I shall forever remember Saki story as told by Jaalin, especially episode 22:
        “for the record, omni picked the caps for this week”
        “thats why theres no feet or ankle shots even tho there were plenty in this ep”
        “dammit omni how do i caption this shit”

        Kit-A-Ron-Ron-Kat
        Reply

  46. I feel already a true Comrade in your words. A Katawa Shoujo pic ? Remembering Seitokai no Ichizon ? “Maru ! Maru ! Maru !” as Madoka would say it !
    Next season has a pretty good lineup of manga-derived romantic comedies. I have high hopes for Sankarea, Tasogare Otome x Amnesia, and especially Nazo no Kanojo X.

    Now that I sit back and think about it,
    Show Spoiler ▼

    Guess I am more drawn to weidoes 🙂

    In any event, Welcome to RC.

    Kit-A-Ron-Ron-Kat
    Reply

  49. zanibas… familiar name on IRC channel… awesome 🙂
    I can’t believe I missed two writer intro post just in one stressful night?!
    now, I really need some more dosage of RC… welcome on board 🙂
    hope to talk to you more on IRC and I am sure I will enjoy your post 🙂

    jrj
    Reply

  50. UPDATE YOUR MAL 🙂 I want to see what other animes you’ve seeeeeen. Just pointing it out, you have the least from animes watched compared to the all the new writers here. Heck, I even have more than you.

    hush hush
    Reply

  54. Welcome aboard! I just got around to watching Kino no Tabi last month to stave off a friend’s pestering, and boy was I glad that he kept at me about it as it wasn’t very high on my backlog list. Good philosophical anime are always amongst my favorite, and I wholeheartedly agree with you that Kino no Tabi reigns supreme over anything I’ve seen so far.

    Looking forward to your future posts! While finding positive things to say about Sae’s character or arcs (maybe aside from the black dress in the first season :p) from me is like pulling teeth, I commend your first post for making me focus on the spirit of the ASS franchise that it embodied rather than focus on how she grates on my nerves 🙂

    Xin
    Reply

  56. You’re the only new writer whose introduction-post isn’t riddled with grammatical errors (I’m surprised you chose so many new “writers” with such poor grammar, Divine). So with that out of the way, I look forward to your posts, if not for the fact that you actually know how to write, then for the fact that you have an exciting style. Welcome 🙂

    DovahkiinGGGGG
    Reply

    1. Funny you should say that, because out of all the new writers, I have one of the weakest grasps of grammar. Just because it may look pretty here, doesn’t mean I’m getting a beating behind the scenes! *wink*

      Zanibas
      Reply

      1. If there was some way to make things [b]bold[/b] (did it work?), then I’d be happy to highlight the grammatical errors in your introductory post. Hmm, perhaps I was too harsh. It’s not that your introduction didn’t translate well, or that what you wrote wasn’t interesting. The post just had a lot of grammar mistakes.

        DovahkiinGGGGG
        Reply

      2. For starters, you shouldn’t be using semi-colons to list things (refer to your “passions and interests”). Since I can’t highlight, it’d be redundant to continue on. But yeah, there’s tons of errors like that in your post. Sorry 🙁

        DovahkiinGGGGG
        Reply

      3. Cherrie, I didn’t notice any hideous or atrocious grammar mistakes in your post. I’m sure there are more attentive readers, but your writing is fine by me.

        If you really wanted someone to edit your post, you can seek out peer review from the other writers. I’m sure they’ll be glad to help you out.

        Xumbra
        Reply

      4. Dovahkiin-
        Maybe, just maybe, you are bieng a little to critical? I think Cherrie will produce posts that are fun to read. Do you not give people a chance before jumping on them Mr. Captain Right? Relax a little =)
        （╯ಠ_ಠ）╯︵¡ɥɔʇıq zǝןnɹ ɹɐɯɯɐɹb buıddıןɟ ɯ,ı

        Timelessness
        Reply

  65. Congratulations, nice to have you with us! I see that you enjoy non-traditional shows with a philosophical bent, alongside your usual romantic comedies- I guess that makes you something of an intellectual empath; which is quite rare, and very interesting. Looking forward to your first posts, and seeing your unique point of view on things.

    Zen
    Reply

  68. If your looking for romantic comedies to cover next season I recommend “Nazo no Kanojo X” and “Sankarea” both are two of my favorite mangas right now and I hope they’ll be great animes too
    oh and welcome to RC I look forward to your posts.

    poseidonhands
    Reply

  71. Welcome to RC Zanibas, been here for a while and glad to see more and unqiue writers adding to this site’s fantastic roster. Looking forward to your posts, was ur title a gurren lagann reference?

    voidgenesis
    Reply

  76. Liked Kino no Tabi? At the risk of sounding cliche (these two series are so often mentioned in the same breath), I recommend watching Mushishi. Both are pretty good, but I liked Mushishi more.

    Anyway, welcome welcome!

    N
    Reply

  78. welcome! I hope you enjoy you staying.
    sorry, but I would like to say if, you pick up a show please don’t drop it like Ben-To or Casshern SINS even though Casshern SINS was never pick up here. I think divine wrote a post? no sure, but for me is sad when show are drop that is why I don’t pick up a lot and right now I am surprise of how many I am watching maybe I am going to be a little bit sad of the emptiness this season is going to leave.
    sometime, I don’t watch a particular anime however I come here and read the post and the comment, example would be Bakuman. I have never watch a single episode nor have I read the manga.
    sorry I lost the thought:( ages is hard to deal with 🙁 I have been a long time here is where I come for help to decide which show I will watch.

    oscuda
    Reply

  79. sorry for my spelling.
    I meant (I have been a long time here is where I come for help to decide which show I will watch.)I have been visiting the site for a long time and is here where I come to see what is going on or what will I choose to watch.

    no pressure.

    oscuda
    Reply

  80. Hell, yes! A possible successor to Jaalin…I miss learning about ankle fetishes I didn’t know I had.
    I’m really into the Negima manga, but I’ve never checked out the anime…would you recommend it?

    Cloud is Not Amused
    Reply

    1. The original show was okay for it’s time, but it didn’t break any real ground. If you have nothing to do, I’d recommend it :P.

      However, I haven’t watched the Negima!? version, so I can’t give an opinion there.

      Zanibas
      Reply

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