FreezeFrame / Manabi Straight!

FreezeFrame: Widespread Enjoyment

The eyes, look at me in the eyes

I’ve always liked Shrek for its approach on the “family movie” genre – Shrek seemed to be the first major piece of American animation that had elements catering exclusively to the PG-13 and up crowd. Say what you will about Aladdin and his phallus-palace, but Shrek was the first to have no qualms about dishing out the adult jokes. Similarly, Japanese anime studios are very keen on their audiences – as far as the past-midnight shows go, it’s not a concern of age group, but rather one of… “moe preference.”

Since Manabi Straight is an anime about grade-schoolers, that means it’s a kid’s show, right?

Heh.

FreezeFrame / Miscellaneous

FreezeFrame: Extreme Makeover Home-o Edition

It's a Trap!!

And so OtoBoku ended without much fanfare – nothing really happened besides a dance and some more blushed sighs of ecstasy – but it was consistently entertaining to the point that it left me satisfied, ending up in my “burn” pile rather than a reluctant trip to the recycle bin. As one that’s seen his fair share of hgame based animes, I knew I wasn’t in for much, but c’mon! It was the dazzling debut of the ultimate trap character! Couldn’t there have been some spectacular wardrobe malfunction in front of the whole school? Couldn’t Takako have abused her position of power to get…something extra? Since they’ve already contrived this crazy scenario with some estrogen-enhanced athletically-gifted academically-superior Pantene commercial-worthy guy reaching the upper echelon of an elite girl’s school worthy of Lobelia’s ranks (whew), why not take it all the way instead of just settling back into another typical sappy romance blushfest? Well, it didn’t turn out all that bad so I won’t complain – luckily we have another show to shift our focus to, one with no qualms about finishing what they started.

FreezeFrame / Otome wa Boku ni Koishiteru

FreezeFrame: It’s a Trap!!

It's a trap!!

Where else can you find a genre that shamelessly flaunts underage girls as an object of desire, where every girl fulfills some sort of perverse fantasy, where the only human with a pair is the nondescript main character? To some, the Harem genre has become the general definition for anime itself – and for good reason – by the sheer number of shows produced, the Harem has gradually worked its way up. One can’t help but think that anime has evolved (or degraded) into a visual showcase for cute animated girls.

FreezeFrame / Kanon

FreezeFrame: Kanon Mystique

Henceforce Leno never forgot to use protection again

…I just don’t get it.

The uncharacteristically short girls with gigantic chins, the mouths way too close to their noses, and that freak tendency to stand in random locations such to allow as much wind to blow through their intricately animated hair as possible. Oh, and the proverbial “call of moe” that never fails to dupe unsuspecting audiences. Uguuuuu~

FreezeFrame / Honey & Clover

FreezeFrame: The world through an artist’s eyes

“I want to open all these boxes…but a mortal life span is too short to do such a thing.
But, if I had someone to help me in my battles…if I had that person…”

As much as many people would like to deny, Honey & Clover has more or less revolved around the blonde munchkin known as Hagu. Who is this mysterious girl? Why does she rarely speak? And why is she so goddamn short?

FreezeFrame / Miscellaneous

One more to blow your mind

Will Satou-kun ever escape the conspiracy? Was Kyon really left with no choice but to kiss Haruhi? Will Hagu become left-handed? These questions intrigue me because I believe they are what make an anime memorable. You know what I’m talking about. It’s that huge sigh you let out at the end of Kaleido Star, satisfied that the ending did the show every bit of justice it deserved. It’s the chill you got when Kaede goes seed-mode for the first time in SHUFFLE! It can even be the look of morbid disgust on your face when watching some “spirited” fans do the Haruhi ED dance on Youtube. Regardless of how anime affects you, one cannot deny the essence of a great anime – an animated reality that draws us in and takes us on an emotional rollercoaster ride as we laugh, love, fight, and cry with characters that remain fondly tucked away in our memories forever.

I’ll be starting a new feature on Random Curiosity – FreezeFrame. I’ll be bringing to you memorable scenes from recent episodes, along with some thoughts and analysis in an attempt to spark discussion, whether it be in the comments section here or amongst your anime buddies at school. Watching an anime is only half the fun – to truly experience it, we must reflect. I love anime because of its wonderful depth and ability to stir the soul – I want to share this love with everybody.

Will you help me? I can initiate the discussion, but it is up to you all to continue it. I’m also open to any suggestions on topics – email me at jaalin AT gmail DOT com.

Yoroshiku!

-jaalin