What are Titans?

My Crunchyroll free trial ended yet again, so I've been unable to watch new Attack on Titan episodes. However, a couple of weeks ago, I got so tired of the cliffhangers, and curious as to what was going to happen, that I started reading the manga online. It took less than a week to blow through the entire thing, it was so captivating. At first, I started reading out of pure curiosity as to how closely the anime sticks to the manga... I never had any intention of surpassing the anime episodes and catching up..... but, try as I did, I couldn't stop. Now I'm caught up and must wait until next month for the new chapter! Oh, the horror!!

We can all agree that titans are creepy as hell, but other than that, what exactly are they? The manga has not yet revealed what they are or where they come from, but I've had a theory for awhile now. The manga is still ongoing, so I don't have all the answers, but I will not spoil anything here, for those who have only watched the anime. I got the idea from Commander Pixis' lieutenant, back in episode 11 or so, who said something to the effect of, "if you could control a titan, what a great weapon it would make." Incidentally, that's just what I think titans are: biological weapons. (Everything henceforward is pure speculation, mind you.) I think that over 100 years before the story opens, mankind developed a vaccine to harness individuals' primal desires and strengths to manifest "titans". The world was at war, and they were the ultimate weapon - practically indestructible, lightweight, powerful. The perfect killing machines. 

As we know from Hanji's research, the titans' bodies should be extremely heavy, to the point that they shouldn't theoretically be able to move on two legs with all that mass, but they're instead impossibly light; they defy the laws of physics and nature. We know that they have no need of eating to sustain themselves. They ignore other living creatures, but gorge on humans until their bellies are full. Then they vomit up a sticky ball of undigested body parts, as if to add insult to injury: "I don't need to eat you to live or anything, but I'm going to anyway, just because I can. Nyah-nyah-na-nyah-nyah." 

Here's the scary part of my theory: All the titans outside the walls were once, themselves, human.

I think, at some point in the distant past, everyone was administered the vaccine. In future generations, it eventually became part of our DNA. That's right, I think that everyone has the dormant ability to transform into a titan. So why don't they, and why does Eren? Well, it obviously has something to do with the shot his old man gave him before he disappeared (by the way, I think this caused Eren's first titan transformation, when he then lost control and either ate or killed his dad).

But then, you ask, if all those titans are housing humans, why do they kill people indiscriminately? Because they've lost their humanity to their basest instincts, I reply. They're like zombies. Once base instinct takes over, nothing remains except the need to feed. The fact that they're just meaty weapons and have no actual need for sustenance doesn't occur to them. We can see this beginning to happen to Eren in his titan form when he comes face-to-face with the female titan and pins her down in the woods. We saw it earlier, too, when he lost control and attacked Mikasa, but the forest is a more concrete example because he didn't try to eat Mikasa. While waiting for his hands to regenerate, his inner monologue tells the female titan, "I'll rip you apart, I'll devour you bit by bit." The key word here is "devour". In Japanese, it's the same word the soldiers use when a titan "devours" a human. Granted, Eren is a little on the extreme side, but he becomes more and more animalistic the more he allows his titan form free reign of his instincts. if he were to continue to let himself go, he would eventually end up just like all those other mindless titans, nothing more than an eating machine. This is what happened to the human weapons who ended up pushing humanity to the brink of extinction: they lost themselves to their basest instincts, condemned to wander the world as titans and consume their own kind, forever. (Why don't they die, though, trapped in a titan's body with no means to sustain their actual, human existence? That, I'm not sure of yet. The only thing I can think would be that it induces some sort of suspended animation state.)

Or, that's what I think anyway. It's tragic. But this show/manga is categorized as "tragedy", remember.

5 Must-Watch Animes of the Summer

 Taking the top spot on this list by a landslide is Attack on Titan. Watching this one reminds me of watching last fall's Shin Sekai Yori (From the New World) for the first time. It has me on the edge of my seat, and every episode is thrilling, disturbing, frightening, and touching all at the same time. I didn't start watching until halfway through its broadcast, so I got to see episodes 1-15 back-to-back. Being caught up, now, though, I have to wait until Saturdays to see the story progress and it's killing me!

I desperately hope this one doesn't end up like Shin Sekai Yori, whose ending was both satisfying and disappointing at the same time. It could have been the best anime of the fall, but it just wasn't.  If AoT ends up that way, I'm going to be really pissed! This show has so much potential, and I haven't read the manga, so I have no idea where it's going week to week; it never fails to surprise me, and I hope the ending does it justice. It may end up on  my favorites list, depending on how it ends. I sincerely hope it does! It speaks so well to the human condition, and the human fear of no longer sitting at the top of the predatory hierarchy in the world. Plus, I really want to get my hands on some 3D maneuver gear to fly on!

Coming in at second in the anime you can't miss this summer is Sunday without God. This one also has a lot of potential. Some are saying it may well end up being the best anime of 2013, the expectations are so high. I don't know if I'd give it that much credit, but I'll reserve my judgement for when it ends. The animation is exceptional, and Humpney Humbert is one of my new favorite characters in Anime. The relationship between he and Ai is heartwarming to watch unfold. He's considerate and selfish at the same time; he's your typical cynic with a heart of gold. Plus, he's pretty easy on the eyes. 

This one plays well with a hybrid plot of zombie apocalypse and the human desire for immortality. I'm excited to see where it ends up.

This is my comedy pick. It's a little bit Supernatural and a little bit Slice-of-Life, and all entertaining. It may qualify as Harem, but what makes D&S different is that the central male character is in the body of a dog, so all sorts of mischief and hilarity ensues. I didn't expect to like this one when I started watching it as much as I do. Definitely recommended.

Although most of this year's Naruto was chock-full of skip-worthy fillers, it's now finally catching up with the manga, and getting watchable again. Being the faithful Naruto fangirl I am, I did trudge through all the filler episodes as well, but as the main story unfolds, Naruto comes face-to-face with Tobi, and the final battles in the 4th Great Ninja War come to a close, I'm starting to get excited again. I won't spoil anything, even though I'm sure most people (even those who don't watch) are already aware of the Tobi twist that's yet to appear in the series, no thanks to social media. I wish I hadn't known, but I'm excited to see how it happens anyway!

Rounding out the list of shows to watch this season is Hakkenden: Eight Dogs of the East Season 2. I'm so glad this one got a second season. It didn't seem like anything special at first, but I quickly found myself thoroughly enjoying it. It's got some Supernatural in there with a little bit of action-y Shounen, with some BL undertones sprinkled in (and we all know how much I love that... //^^//). Not to mention a whole host of attractive Bisshie boys. Need I say more? 

If you think I've neglected any good animes airing this summer, please feel free to let me know! I'm always looking for more good shows to watch!

AMNESIA Review

As the 2012-2013 Anime season comes to a close, I thought I'd review AMNESIA, as the final episode is live today in America. 

I was really excited about the end of this one... I've been following it since Crunchyroll began simulcasting it, and I've been waiting for the conclusion these past 12 weeks, as many others have. And I must say, I was thoroughly disappointed. 

People who played the visual novel know how the story actually ends, but for those of us who haven't, this ending is totally unsatisfying. 

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

If you haven't watched Episode 12 yet, DO NOT read ahead! You've been warned.

I was expecting some grande finale, where the Heroine realizes she was supposed to be with Ukyo the whole time, her memories come back to her, and the two live happily ever after. That would have made this a much better anime, over-all. What I got instead was nothing but expository dialogue and no resolution whatsoever. 

So Ukyo ends up giving her the whole story. How they were lovers, she'd died on August 25th, and he made a wish with the Fairy King that he wanted to see her again, so he was allowed to travel through parallel dimensions to find one where they could be together. But in the other dimensions, he was a stranger to her, she didn't remember their relationship, and because he wasn't supposed to exist there, one of them had to die. Ukyo's "other self," the evil one, was born after Ukyo had died so many times trying to be reunited with the Heroine, because they couldn't both exist in the parallel realities. After all this exposition, Ukyo kills his "other self," allowing the Heroine to live until August 26th, fulfilling his wish. But despite all of that, we don't even get to see the two of them kiss.

She's then transported to what I'm guessing is the Fairy World, where Orion explains everything that happened. According to Orion, Neil, the Fairy King, transferred her consciousness the moment before she died each time to another dimension, causing her to jump from world to world, in order to grant Ukyo's wish. 

The episode ends with the Heroine and Orion parting ways, as she'll forget him when she gets her memories back. From what I've read of the comments of those who've played the visual novel, the player gets to chose which reality she goes back to, which guy she ends up with, at the end. Similarly, the choice is left to the imagination of the viewer at the end of the anime, with no real resolution. We don't get to see her memories come back, or which reality she goes back to.

I understand that they didn't want to spoil the ending of the visual novel for those who would go on to play after watching the anime, or wanted to leave the spirit of the game intact by leaving it to the viewer's imagination, but that is no excuse. In my opinion, it would have made for a much better anime if they had just ended the story, even if they'd changed it or made something up. This anime was really interesting and really pulled me in, and the end was so anticlimactic that I won't be recommending it or putting it on my favorites list. The creators should have ignored marketing and focused on making a good ANIME, because it's a different medium than a dating simulator, and the focus should be on the story. I think that would have sparked more interest in the franchise than the way they chose to do it.

***End Spoilers***

After all is said and done, the bisshies and the opening and closing theme music are the only redeeming factor of this anime. Aside from the Heroine having absolutely NO character whatsoever, the story was alright, but it was ruined by the end (or rather, lack thereof). I know there are a lot of Ukyo fangirls out there, but my favorite was always Shin. Despite his rough language and demeanor, he reminds me of a kitten. But his look is what I go for most in Anime. I like his forwardness, and I know a lot of girls didn't like the way he called the Heroine "baka" all the time, but honestly, I wouldn't mind being called that by him. ^^

I didn't hate Ikki, either. His character turned out different than how he had seemed, and by the end of his arc, I thought he was really sweet. I thought Kent was pretty boring, but his awkwardness was a little endearing, and I liked him, too, by the end. I still think Toma is really hot, even if he is a little psycho and controlling... I wouldn't date him, though.

I also think AMNESIA would have been really interesting if it had been longer than 12 episodes. What if the Heroine were to jump back to a reality she'd already been to, and kept jumping back and forth? Like if she'd gone back to the world where she and Kent were dating more than once, and each time they'd figure out a little more about her situation, but she'd jump away again before they found out anything concrete... I wish they'd played with the story a little more than it just being a straight line. That also would have been more compelling. 

Better luck next time, Showgate!

Japanese Study & Shugo Chara!

So most of my acquaintances know that I'm currently teaching myself Japanese. My love of Anime has evolved into a love of Japanese culture, and I'm actually thinking about moving to Japan. The same way I fell in love with Germany and thus decided to learn the language (I mean, that's the obvious choice, right?), which I did, I guess bilingualism wasn't enough. When I get fixated on something, I put everything I've got into it, and go all-in. That's what's happened here.

I recently came across Ken Cannon's channel on YouTube, and was inspired. He's an American who taught himself fluent Japanese in a year, just by watching Anime. I know it sounds crazy, but hear me out... A lot of what little Japanese I know, was picked up through watching Anime, listening closely and not just reading the subtitles, and recognizing speech patterns and their meanings according to context. Some people discourage this plan of action, saying that if you learn from cartoons, you'll end up talking like a cartoon. But if you think about it, why shouldn't it be possible to learn another language just by immersing yourself in that culture's popular media? People learn English that way all the time, and they don't sound like cartoons when they talk. Although, I know the sitcom Friends is a popular teaching/learning tool in China, and... oi, we don't need Chinese Joeys walking around saying, "How you doin?" now, do we? Haha j/k.

In all seriousness, yes, I've been trying this method. Not solely, though, I've been using Ken Cannon's Japanese Through Anime method in conjunction with my regular studies. The problem that I find with most course material, though, is that it won't teach you to speak Japanese like a normal person. It will teach you ultra-polite Japanese, which is spoken, but you'll sound weird if you talk that way all the time. With friends and acquaintances, you want to speak casually, not like you're speaking to a Shogun. It would be like greeting your anglophone friends with a "Salutations, good sir, fare you well?" in normal speech. Weird, yeah?

Anyway, I've been backtracking and re-watching shows I've already seen and have a pretty good understanding of, without subtitles. So far I've re-watched Sekai Ichi Hatsukoi, InuXBoku SS, and am almost done re-visiting Shugo Chara! And now we've come to the real point of this post: I just had to express just how much I love this show!

If you're biased against Shoujo Anime, then you should really take a long, hard, introspective moment and then throw that bias out the window! This show is great for so many reasons! The action, the love triangles/squares/pentagons, the laughs, and the tears... It's fun for all!

Firstly, who doesn't want their own guardian character, with whom they can transform to overcome their fears and inhibitions?! Seriously? I'll take two, please.

Secondly, I love Amu as a heroine. I'm sick of these demure, mute, indecisive, marshmallow-y heroines that are so popular in Anime right now (*cough* AMNESIA *cough*)! I love a heroine with a backbone, like, to cite one of my all-time favorite Animes, Kagome and Sango from InuYasha. Or Yoko from Gurren Lagan, or Celty from Durarara!!, or even Katara from Avatar. /rant

The thing about Amu is that yes, she's a pretty tough chick, but she's relatable because she's not perfect. She wavers sometimes in her sense of duty, and rarely leaps in feet first, unlike your typical Shounen heroes like Naruto, Ichigo, and so-on. In my opinion that makes her more believable. Besides, what 12-14 year-old-girl doesn't want style like Amu's? I know I did...

Then, there's Ikuto... *swoon* Ikuto, Ikuto, Ikuto..... He's your typical bad boy with a heart of gold. On how many times have I wished he was real, and in my life, and my boyfriend. He's quite a bit older than Amu, which, granted, is a *teeny* bit creepy, but the age gap here is not as large as with another couple I liked... He's just so damned cute. Sexy, mysterious, and he turns into a cat... dare I say, purrfect...? 

As so often happens with popular anime, while it was in production, the publication of the manga fell behind the show. As a result, the second season contains a lot of filler, and story arcs that were tight and fluid (specifically "Death Rebel") became long and annoyingly drawn-out. As well as an anime-exclusive arc that fits nowhere in the canon of the manga. The second season, Shugo Chara!! Doki, while still enjoyable, doesn't wrap up very neatly. When the Anime was renewed for a third season, the manga had already come to an end, and there wasn't enough material for a decent show. The result, Shugo Chara! Party! was an annoying 12 minutes of variety show and 12 minutes of mostly-filler-anime. I'd suggest skipping Party! altogether and reading the manga version of the final chapters, Shugo Chara: Encore, instead, if you want the wrap-up of the story. The manga story is more satisfying concerning the fate of each of the couples. And of Ikuto.

As for me, despite the disappointment of Party!, I'm adding Shugo Chara! to my favorites. I didn't realize how much I loved it until I started watching it a second time. I guess that's how it is sometimes.