Saddest Manga You'll Ever Read

Photo found:

http://a.mpcdn.net/manga/p/17516/414058/5.jpg

Property of Kodansha Comics and Yoshitoki Oima

I've seen some pretty sad things in my life, red light flashing on my internet modem,  an empty tray of pumpkin pie and a live action Dragon Ball Z movie directed by James Wong starring Justin Chatwin. Although all of these things left a hole in my heart, there was one story that did that and then filled that hole up at the very end. I'm talking about Koe no Katachi  (A Silent Voice), this story is so sad, but yet so good. The story revolves around Shoyo Nishimiya a hearing impaired elementary school girl. She one day meets a boy named Shouya Ishida who out of boredom begins to bully her. It's incredibly hard to see the class shift from accepting Nishimiya to later on ostracizing her.

Photo found:

http://i1.minus.com/irazzY1I5pgy2.png

Property of Kodansha Comics and Yoshitoki Oima

The things the boy does to her are so mean and you can't help but to hate him more and more each chapter. Although the class treats Nishimiya like crap she never gets angry but rather she apologizes thinking that she's at fault. Ishida bullies her so much that eventually she transfers schools and he becomes ostracized and bullied himself. He grows up the rest of his life being bullied, having no friends, or ambitions for the future. He then takes it upon himself to find Nishimiya and apologize to her before he commits suicide.

Photo found: http://www.mangareader.net/koe-no-katachi/4/21

Property of Kodansha Comics and Yoshitoki Oima

I read this Manga last semester during finals week of all times, and I just could not put it down.  The Manga runs at 62 chapters and it feels like so much more because each chapter packs so much content. this Manga has great character development especially with the main character Ishida. I hated his character at first so much with a passion, for making Nishimiya go through so much. But as we see him older sincerely trying to redeem himself to Nishimiya and new friends, as a reader you can't help but to be won over. As far as Nishimiya goes, her character was spot on. Due to hear not being able to speak, the author focuses a lot more on her facial expressions to convey her feelings to us as the readers. She does communicate with a notebook at first and then sign language, so we do know what she is thinking but really her facial emotions really drive home in some scenes. I especially loved how even though she goes through so much crap you never see her sulk or cry, but always happy and smiling. So the few times she does get upset or cry you can't help but to fight back the tears.      

Photo found: http://www.mangareader.net/koe-no-katachi/4/21

Property of Kodansha Comics and Yoshitoki Oima

I was actually reading the first couple of chapters at the Library when I was supposed to be studying, so I had to hold back the tears as I was reading. That was the first time a Manga made such a deep impact on me. It's that good guys definitely worth the read, you won't regret it trust me. 

Photo found:

 http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/db/Koe_no_Katachi_Vol_1.jpg

Property of Kodansha Comics and Yoshitoki Oima

All About the Fights

Whats better than a good ol fashion fist fight?

No really I'm curious because I can only think of  free food as a close second.

Since the beginning of mankind we've loved to watch two dudes or dudettes  duke it out. It's one of America's favorite pastimes, boxing, wrestling, or the increasingly popular MMA (Mixed Martial Arts). We love to watch people beat the heck out of each other, but guess what so do the Japanese. No one loves a fight more than the Japanese, from Boxing, to Sumo Wrestling and Martial Arts that can be traced back to the legendary Samurai of Japan. This love for fights clearly spills into the small screen in the form of Anime. Anime includes so many different fighting styles, every style used in anime is derived from some form of real world martial arts. The fighting styles can be clean and technical or outright crazy and imaginative. One thing you will get in anime that you don't get anywhere else is over the top crazy beat downs.

This scene is from the anime Naruto is outright crazy and a perfect example of a good ol fashion Anime beatdown enjoy.

Video found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaU9Oj-0ylE Property of Studio Pierrot and Masashi Kishimoto
My oh my, pretty sweet right? This one fight scene alone did so much, everything was great from the choreography, animation, music and a use of flashbacks that established the relationship between the two characters. Gold. The world of Anime is a goldmine of action and fight scenes you won't find anywhere else trust me. 

Best Websites to Watch Anime

I've ran my mouth about anime and why you should watch it, but you may be asking yourself

where would I find this holy grail of entertainment you call Anime

There are tons of places you could watch it on the internet, for free or for a fair price. when I say free I don't mean the plethora of pirated anime websites there are on the web. I mean licensed websites that are nice enough to let us watch their content for free. So with so many websites to watch anime which ones are the best.  Fear not I will guide you through this journey  and direct you to the best destination possible.... Come on.

                   

Netflix, alright so it's safe to say that most Americans today have Netflix, it has become increasingly popular. So if you find yourself with a Netflix account you'll see that Netflix has an Anime section. Is it worth getting a Netflix account just for anime, well let's look at it. As of writing this article (February 20, 2015) Netflix has only 20 different Anime. Out of the 20 Anime only 9 are worth watching in my opinion, which include Death Note, Soul Eater, Deadman Wonderland, Blue Exorcist, Samurai Champloo, Psycho Pass and Attack on Titan. But as you may know Netflix gets rid of shows quite often so these are subject to change. So if you find yourself with a Netflix account check these anime out. Short answer, no do not get a Netflix account just for Anime.

These are the websites you should check out if you do want to watch anime.

Hulu- Of course a lot of us of are also familiar with Hulu's large selection of shows and movies. Hulu also provides a HUGE library of anime, both in Japanese and English. That's one of its strongest qualities, you can find almost any Anime you want. When I did a search I was amazed to see old and new anime that were part of the Hulu library. With the expectation of a few anime I couldn't find, it is still very impressive to say the least. The downside is, even though its free to watch the Anime, you have to watch commercials and Hulu has so many commercials. It seems like since the last time I got on they've added more. But who can complain right, your getting to watch a show for free, but even if you get Hulu plus for $7.99 you still have to watch commercials. Hulu does this in order to keep their prices low. Personally I wouldn't pay for Hulu plus if I wanted to just watch Anime, I'd rather just watch it for free and go through the lengthy Ads.

Crunchy Roll- Crunchyroll is another website that just like Hulu streams free anime. Crunchyroll has considerably fewer ads and a smaller library than Hulu. But that's not to say that Crunchyrolls Anime library is weak, not at all. Crunchyroll has an amazing library of Anime and is constantly having content uploaded. Crunchyroll is an Anime and Japanese Drama only website, this is a good and bad thing. Good because unlike Hulu, Crunchyroll has exciting anime news, figurines, and forums with an awesome community. Bad because it lacks in the English dub department (narrated in English). Also I really wish Crunchyroll would offer older anime series, they do have a couple and are starting to upload more but still they are lacking. Still Crunchyroll is worth the $6.95 you pay, because they're no commercials, you get Anime in HD, you can also read the latest Manga available (Japanese Comic), you receive discounts on items sold from their website and you get to watch the newest episodes of your favorite anime as soon as they premiere in Japan.  

An honorable mention would have to go to both Funimation.com, they have a decent selection of anime available for free as well. Not to mention they have a Youtube channel available with handful of anime for anybody to watch.    

So if you want to watch Anime, check out these websites, you don't have to pay but if you become a hardcore fan these are definitely worth the price.

Valentine Blues

Are you lonely on Valentine's day.... me too......

But don't worry I'll recommend you 3 different anime that will be sure to make you say valen what?

so grab your heart shaped chocolates, a box of tissues and strap in for

LIANDRO'S AWESOME TOP 3 ANIME THAT WILL MAKE YOU FORGET HOW LONELY YOU ARE ON VALENTINES DAY, UNLESS YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT OTHER, IN THAT CASE WATCH IT WITH THEM AND BE HAPPY YOUR NOT ME....... LIST.

Kimi Ni Tokode (From Me to You)

Oh I love this anime so much, in fact I've watched it twice and have plans of watching it a third time. The story revolves around a shy but sweet girl name Sawako, who due to her long black hair and introvert personality is shunned by all the other students in her class. She desperately tries to make friends but always comes across as creepy. Her life changes when she meets a boy name Kazehaya who is the first person to acknowledge her and her efforts. This anime runs at 38 episodes and is well worth the watch. This anime has great pacing, comedy and very sweet moments between all the characters. It's very good trust me

Picture found at https://iblos3om.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/knt1.jpg 

Property of Production I.G and Karuho Shiina

Next we have a movie named 5 cm per second, what can I say about this movie other than that it's fantastic . Sad yes, beautiful  of course,  dull, never. I've watched this movie every year for 5 years in a row. That says a lot about a movie, but this movie can speak for itself and it speaks volumes in term of quality. The story revolves around two individuals who grow up as very close friends and separate as they get older. The emotional struggles the characters go through are very realistic and the backgrounds drawn in this movie almost seem as if they were ripped out of real life in some scenes. Seriously Makoto shinkai is a master when it comes to drawing  backgrounds, and his recurring theme of lost and distant love is strong in this film. So if you're in the mood for a story that's not your typical love story watch this film 

Check out the trailer 

Video found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdM7athAem0  Property Of Makoto Shinkai 

Alright now if you want to talk about hidden gems, this is one of them. Over shadowed by the increasingly popular anime Parasyte The Maxim, and Tokyo Ghoul . Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April) Premiered in fall of 2014. It is still ongoing and is scheduled for 22 episodes, so I cannot give a full review of it yet, but what I can say is that, THIS ANIME IS AMAZING. Seriously the art, the story, the characters, the music is all spot on.  The story revolves around  Kosei Arima a prodigy pianist who has a mental breakdown after the death of his mother. He is no longer able to hear the sound of the piano and the notes he plays. He later meets a girl named Kaori Miyazono who is a free spirited violinist that brings Kosei back into the world of music and teaches him how to play the way he used to, or even better.  This is a prime example of why anime should be considered art, each person can relate to one of its many themes. This is truly a hidden gem in the world of anime.

let your senses have a taste

Video found https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lFfrip-e3U Property of A-1 Pictures and Naoshi Arakawa 

So there you go, even if you don't have anyone to hug on valentines day you can always pop one of these suckers on the T.V, and let your emotions run wild. Whatever the case may be these anime are incredibly good, and should be watched regardless trust me.

Sit Through the Credits

So now that you know the difference between anime and cartoons how about you pop one of those suckers on the T.V. and watch it with me

Okay sure Liandro

Hey, hey, hey what do you think you're doing?

..........Skipping the opening credits

No, no, no my hypothetical soul brother you can't do that, opening and ending credits are just as important as the anime itself.

See the opening and ending sequences in anime are unique because they serve more of a purpose then to just showcase the creators. They have become an integral component in anime for animation studios and fans alike. Animators use the credits to set up the tone of  current arc or series of events that are occurring in the story. They do this with awesome animation and music, in fact for most Japanese musicians and bands, it has become a way to get high publicity for their songs and group. A lot of songs and musicians have acquired great success thanks to anime. Anime Opening and ending sequences are always 1 minute and 30 seconds, (with a few exceptions) changing on average every 20 or so episodes. They really are great, sometimes the openings themselves can tell a story about a certain character or the series itself, other times they become instant classics that may even become more popular than the anime itself, but they always hype you up for the show and give you a good idea of what you're getting into.

This opening is a prime example of when animation studios get it right, the soft voice that draws you in with a mix of great visuals and a little story telling. Suddenly it picks up tempo and keeps you hooked. It's pretty awesome

Video found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCHrSjm02l4&index=2&list=LLb9EJVJZhH-BAQRlH_uHhSg  Property of Bones and Hiroshi Onogi But just like openings, ending credits can be just as entertaining in anime. This is a great example of how ending sequences can be used to tell a story and make the audience sympathize with certain characters. In this case it makes the audience sympathize with the villain of all people how bout that. Video found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1LBSCzmbD8 Property of Studio Pierrot and Masashi Kishimoto  So how about you rewind that video and lets watch it from the beginning  Sure....... remote ran out of batteries 

Anime What's That?

Is it a bird, is it a plane, no it's a cartoon. Wrong, Anime is its own unique art form that differs from cartoons in more than one way.

How is anime any different from cartoons Liandro?

Well good question my hypothetical friend, I will tell you.

Number one, presentation. Just by looking, one can notice a lot of differences in the presentation. For example the biggest and most noticeable trait difference are the eyes. Anime characters tend to have very large and colorful eyes, this is done because facial features of anime characters are very simple and similar. To set anime characters designs apart creators focus on their eye's and hair. That's why most of the time you'll see anime characters with crazy or colorful hairstyles. Another key difference would be backgrounds, unlike the simplistic face design of the characters. Anime backgrounds tend to almost always be very detailed, colorful, and unique.

Pictured found  http://geekrevolt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Mazui_Hyouka_-_07_078F97DC_Jun-3-2012-9.58.05-PM.jpg
and property of Koyoto Animation

Picture found http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20101023031941/teentitansfanon/images/c/cc/Superman_Justice_League_Unlimited2.jpg
and property of D.C Comics 

Number two storyline

Cartoons usually don't have a defined storyline, they are usually compiled of single random episodes that serve primarily to entertain instead of pushing the story along. Anime always has a defined story line that takes the viewer from point A to B with a lot of stops in the way of course. Cartoons are also usually always original pieces of work, by this I mean they are not very often adapted from books or comics. Anime on the other hand is almost always adapted from some other source material, such as video games, light novels and the biggest one Manga (Japanese Comics). Another big difference in the storylines between the two is that anime tends to cover much more adult themes than cartoons. There is also a blur line between good and evil in anime, a lot of times villains turn into heroes or vice versa. Lastly there are tons and I mean tons of different genre of anime, from sports, music, romance, drama, horror, sci-fi, adult, adventure, action the list goes on. Not to say that cartoons don't have a wide selection of genre's it's just much more apparent in anime, trust me.

Number three animation

Anime unlike cartoons, uses a different style of animation called limited animation. This method uses less frames to create movement but does it in such a way that it tricks the viewers eyes into thinking there is more movement than there actually is. Cartoons use traditional animation which is just simply drawing each frame individually, the end result is very smooth and fluid animation. Which you can imagine takes a lot more time, money and man power to accomplish. I say this because cartoons run at 24 frames per second, while anime does not re-draw entire frames. Instead it reuses common parts between frames, this takes less time, money and man power. To further compensate for this anime creators focus on backgrounds to set the scene's mood, which goes back to what I said in the beginning that animators create detailed and unique backgrounds.

So I hope this helps you see the differences between both mediums, although there are many more the only way to truly understand it is to watch anime and immerse yourself in the world, a world from a different culture with different values.  

My Life Animated

Hello Everybody, my name is Liandro and I love Anime. It's true I very much do, I've been watching Anime since the age of 5 or 6. Because I love Anime so much, I do not see it only as just a source of entertainment, I also see it as an art. I believe Anime holds tons of hidden gems of work that are not known by the masses. So this blog was designed with the purpose of introducing Anime to those who are not so well associated with it. Or for those who love Anime as well and would like to broaden their library. I will also be posting Anime related news and events for those who are Die Hard Fans. 

Give it a try guys, in the world of Anime there is a show for just about anyone to enjoy, trust me