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Tag: Music

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Playing Favorites: Shion Sonozaki of Higurashi

Warning: Blood, gore, spoilers, bad grammar, and no direction in the post I needed to capitalize on the Halloween Holiday before it ended.  You’ve been warned.

Happy Halloween everyone!  While some of you guys are out partying and drinking, I’m out here working.   While ya party, I work and get shit done like a real nigga. Real niggas do real shit.  We ain’t out here partying like ya broke ass lames!

…okay, I’m not out here making moves.  I wish I could go out tonight and get drunk in a costume.  Being a responsible adult working a full-time job is suffering.

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Me after I’m finished with this post

Since it’s Halloween, I decided that I should talk about my one of my favorite anime horror characters: Shion Sonozaki from the anime series Higurahsi no Naku Koro ni.  We’re first introduced to her in episode 5 of Higurashi with her all cheerful and laughing that she made Rika stab herself to death (Great first impression dear, you made a child commit suicide).  She doesn’t seem fazed that Rika’s blood gotten all over her.  Heck, I say she even seem interested in the whole “Rika Is Killing Herself Again!” thing.  Granted, she was dressed like Mion, and everyone thought it was Mion doing all the killing but we’ll get back to that later.

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She’s watching a 10-year-old kid kill herself and she ain’t even worried about it.

 

Anyway, before that whole Shion snapping and killing people because she couldn’t ride Satoshi’s dick anymore thing happened, we see her at work at Angel Morte as a cosplay maid or some shit.  Shion seems like a normal girl. There’s nothing off or strange about her.  She’s nothing like her twin sister “crazy” ass (with that whole Mion trying to inject Keiichi with “drugs” an arc earlier). While Mion is more headstrong, rough, a bit boyish,  and traditional, Shion is mellow, chill, has feminine charms, and a bit of a rebel (she did escape her from her boarding school and was dating a boy who her family members hated).

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She also can be a bit…scary.  I mean, it’s Higurashi who isn’t a little scary or crazy?

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Today’s  lesson: foreshadowing.

 

But hey! Shion isn’t crazy or scary at all, right?  She’s just a normal girl who likes doing normal things.  Normal things such as teasing her sister, falling in love with a boy, sneaking into a holy shrine with a built-in torture chamber, and beating the shit out of her crush’s little sister. Normal things that every girl does at her age during the 80s.

Beating the shit out of your crush’s little sister isn’t normal, ain’t it?

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About that. One lovely summer afternoon during school, Satoko spilled her lunch all over the ground.  She starts to cry for her brother Satoshi and Shion gets all in her yandere feelings.  Rather than helping the poor child (who clearly was stressed out due to a lot of abuse at home) to win dick points with Satoshi, Shion channels her inner R. Mika off Street Fighter Alpha 3 and throw Satoko across the classroom.  Satoko, rightfully terrified, calls out for her brother to save her.  Shion gets enraged and starts throwing shit at Satoko.  As she tells her to go suffer and die alone, Shion picks up a chair and threatens to cave Satoko’s skull in, but is stop by Rika, Rena, and Satoshi.

And that boys and girls, was any and all chance of Shion getting with Satoko.   I get having crushes.  Crushes are cute.  Crushes are fine. Hell, I have a crush on somebody that will never grow into anything serious.  But crushing a 10-year-old girl’s head in to get with her brother won’t get you laid – it’ll only land you in jail for murder.   Also why the fuck was Satoshi still fucking with Shion after the fact she beat his sister’s ass.  Like bruh, crazy pussy is amazing pussy but it ain’t worth it in the long run.

 

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Sure.  Go ahead and apologize to the bitch who almost killed your sister no wonder your uncle and aunt beats you

I digress.  Remember how I said that Shion is a bit of a rebel in her family?  So Higurashi season 1, Shion wasn’t really supposed to get close to Satoshi because Satoshi’s family doing that pro-dam bullshit. She also didn’t suppose to sneak out of her boarding school either.  Her family got word on both things and fun stuff happened to her; like her nails being forcibly removed from her fingers one-by-one (well three but eh).  That didn’t discourage her from wanting to be with Satoshi. She’s loyal.

 

Speaking of Shion’s loyalty towards Satoshi, she even covered his ass when he was a suspect in the murder of his aunt. Shion made up an alibi for the nigga.  She stood up to him when Oishi tried to bring him in for questioning as well.  And then later Satoshi “disappeared”, Shion got angry, and horrible things happen to a lot of people.  Shion kidnapped Mion, their grandma, Satoko, and some old dude and killed them one-by-one (watch/read Higurashi I ain’t obligated to explain shit).

Oh and after killing Satoko, Shion remembered that Satoshi told her to watch over Satoko if something would happen to him.

Yeah…Shion fucked up.  Bad. But hey!  At least in the Beyond Midnight manga arc, she became a total sexy badass adult of the future whose total older woman waifu material…even if it was just Shion’s body being controlled by the ghost of her dead sister in an alternate timeline. Still, Shion truly shines in that arc and it was nice to see her portrayed as a hero after watching her villainess yandere bullshit in the anime and visual novel.

 

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I would seriously kill for a hack-and-slash action game of the Beyond Midnight comic

 

 

However, her heroism wasn’t just a manga exclusive. In Higurashi Kai, we’re treated to a kinder, gentle, big sister Shion.  Kai Shion is way mellower and chiller compared to question arc Shion.  Yeah, she’s still pretty pissed about Satoshi’s disappearance, but she ain’t bloodthirsty about it.  She even starts to treat Satoko like a little sister she never had (as opposed to treating her like a punching bag and pin cushion).  Shion loves Satoko and is willing to do whatever for her – even if it means killing her abusive Uncle.

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Shion may have chilled the fuck out, but she still has problems with her temper and anger issues.  But this time she isn’t going around plotting to kill people in cold blood. Shion wants to kill Teppei to protect her little sister. And really, can you blame her? Yea?  Okay I get you,  she was kinda sorta on some premeditated murder type shit with Teppei so…

I guess this is the part where I explain why Shion is one of my favorite anime characters.  To be honest, I hate most yandere characters.  Hell, I’m not really a huge fan of the dere-archtype unless the character has a great reason to be dere (such as Hitagi off Monogatari being a tsundere because of abuse).  Shion gets a “pass” for being a yandere since her family pretty much rejected her for being a twin or some shit (it’s been a while since I last watched Higurashi I forgot).  Then, she had to deal with that bullshit from her family because she was in love with Satoshi.  There’s also the fact her family sent her away to boarding school.

Okay.  Maybe she does have her reason to be a yandere.

I admire Shion’s rebellious spirit.  I’m not a guy who likes tradition (especially Christian traditions — long stories lol).  Seeing Shion marching to her own beat and doing her own thing, rather than to do things to please her family, reminded me of me.  I don’t get traditions.  I rather do my own shit.

There’s also Shion’s anger.  While her anger wasn’t justified at all in the question arc, I totally understand her anger when she found out Satoko was being abused.  I feel her on her wanting to kill Teppei to save Satoko, and not rely on the justice system to make a move.

Overall, Shion is a cool character whom I would love to go more in depth and analyze her character in the future.  But for now, I’m going to end this here so I can spend the rest of my Halloween evening watching horror animu.

Later.

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30 Day Anime Challenge Day 5: Favorite Anime Opening Theme

I’ve been looking forward to Days 5 and 6  of this list. I love music.  I love anime.  This will be a challenge indeed. There are far too many opening songs I love that I can not possibly just choose one as my favorite.  I’m going to do ten songs, five opening and five ending themes for each day and let you in on why I love them so much.

Keep in mind that there’s order to this list (although number one is based off personal bias)

  1. Dan Dan Korko Hikareteku (lit. Bit bv Bit My Heart is Charmed)
    Dragon Ball GT OP
    By Field of View

There are only three good things about Dragon Ball GT –  the animation, the new ideas presented (that were poorly executed sadly), and the music.  When I’m talking about GT’s music, I am not speaking of the horrible American original soundtrack (OST).  And I’m especially not talking about horrible attempt at hip-hop that is “STEP INTO THE GRAND TOUR”  trash (still to this day I cringe every time I hear that shit).

I’m talking about the superior Japanese OST, mainly GT’s opening theme song “Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku” or “Bit by Bit My Heart is  Charmed”.
There’s a certain, nostalgic charm with this song,  setting it apart from other Dragon Ball opening themes.  To start, Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku is actually a love ballad. The character iit reminiscing on the first time he first met the one he fell in love with . On the surface, it seems out of place to have a long song in the Dragon Ball series, but if you dig a little bit, it make sense (plus, original Dragon Ball had a few romantic ending themes and as of recently with the Tournament of Power Arc , “Boogie Back” [the second ending theme of that arc] also carries that romantic feeling of longing).

Dragon Ball as a whole, is a charming series of adventure with unique and lovable diverse characters.  Plus, I can promise you that we Dragon Ball fans can remember the first time when we first watched Dragon Ball and fell in love – our hearts charmed by the show bit-by-by.  It works.

Finally, the best thing about the song is how it was used in the final episode of  Dragon Ball as we relive main character Son Goku’s life, trails, and victories from Dragon Ball, Z, and GT.

‘You see, when I met you
I remembered the view which I had treasured when I was a child’

  1. Smile Bomb

Yuu Yuu Hakusho OP 1
Sung By Sara White

Another intro that gives me a sense of nostalgia.  Maybe it’s how the English version still kept that 90s Shonen  anime vibe with the lyrics, instrumental arrangement, and  singing. Maybe it’s the lyrics and it reflection on friends supporting you on your journey. That’s probably it.

  1. The Hero!!
    One Punch Man OP 1
    Performed by JAM Project

Have you ever listen to an anime song that you just knew it fit just right with the series?  The lyrics fit perfectly with the series’s tone, or the song was just full of so much energy that it felt just right using it as a theme song?  That’s “The Hero!!” to me. I don’t think words can even describe the emotion in it, so I’ll just provide the full version below.

‘I wanna be the strongest HERO’

 

Seriously any version of the iconic Lupin the 3rd Theme
Lupin the III
Composed by Yuji Ohno

Do I really have to explain why I love this song? Seriously I kinda don’t wanna because I have to go to a friend’s house soon.  Fine, I’ll explain why.  Ready?  70s acid jazz in an anime with a charming thief, the OG Femme Fatale, the stoic wandering samurai, and a smooth gunman.   This song makes me want to go out and do some high level criminal things with my crew.

Theme of Lupin the 3rd

1. Tank!
Cowboy Bebop
Performed by The Seat Belts

The moment when I first heard the horns section blaring in the first bar of Tank, I knew Cowboy Bebop would be dissimilar to any anime series I’ve watched prior.   Cowboy Bebop’s opening combined two of my loves: jazz music and anime.  Never would I imagine that somebody in the world would put those two things together and make it work.   Let me tell you something, It was at that moment in the year 2001 at the age of 12 that I knew Cowboy Bebop would be a game changer in the American anime fanbase.

With that, those were my favorite anime opening theme.  Stay tuned in the future when I’ll drop my top 5 anime ending themes!  In the comments, please tell me some of your favorite anime theme songs of all time!

 

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Otaku no Video: Tatake Otaking! – Lyrics Analysis

 

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Lyrical analysis of the theme song of the 1991 anime OVA Otaku no Video, “Tatake Otaking!” (Fight Otaking!) by Gainax.  Tatake Otaking describes the main character’s journey to become the king of all otakus, becoming whatever he desires, despite others telling him  he’s wrong to pursue his otaking dreams.

‘Over the endless wasteland
I run alone for all I am worth
embracing the hope
of an unseen world far away.’ 

When you start  the dream journey you’ll be alone on the path.  The  faraway world of your dreams unseen, but you must keep on pressing on.

It’s your dreams. Chase it, even if you can not yet see the end results of it.

‘The only thing I believe in is glowing passion.
I will be a raging inferno!
No one will be able to stop
my heart’s beat!’

Believe in your passion, it’s your main focus and at times, it’s the only thing that you can believe in.   Envision yourself as an unstoppable inferno, and do not allow anyone to attempt to put out your flames.  There will be people who’ll want to stop your shine.

Do not let them.  No matter what.

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‘One of these days, I will find out the truth of
love. Everything in this world will be mine.’

Love created from  the passion of the grind and hustle from chasing your dreams and you doing you.
This world can be yours if you put your mind to what you seek, and imply effort through actions.

Also, does the line “everything in this world will be mine” reminds you of a certain quote from an early 80s gangsta movie?

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‘We’re bound together by friendship.
It’s a thick bond.’

The otaku community, for the most part, is a close-knit one.  Our community is forged from many outcasts, shun by society for the common passion, which we all come together and support one another.  Naturally, (everlasting) friendships are created from this.

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Our little group has always been 
And always will until the end

‘I won’t let anyone block me!
(I won’t let anyone block me!)
I will go my own way!
(I will go my own way!)’

You can never allow anyone to stop you from achieving your dreams, no matter what.  On this hustle and dream path, there will be people who want you to steer off it.  They will attempt to  block your progress, or tell you shit like “Oh, you can’t do this.” Or “You’ll never make it.”

Fuck them.  Do you. If they ain’t paying your bills, fucking you, or feeding you, don’t let their opinions get to you.  Do you.  Do your own shit.

Besides, people like a man or a woman with her own path and goals, and can stay focus on them.

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People will hate and ridicule.  Fuck them.


‘Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight!
Fight! Otaking! ‘

A possible reference to the original otaking himself, former Gainax president  (and company co-founder) Toshio Odka.

 

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‘I abandon the one I love and keep on running
believing in a shining future
and staking my dreams on it.’

On the hustlers  and dreamer path, you may have to abandon friends and family members who won’t support you and your dreams.  If you have people like that in your life, cut them out now.  They’re holding you back.  Keep running towards the shinning future you want in life.   

Ken Kubo (main character) had to abandon his girlfriend  off, who was on his case for being otaku and chasing his dreams.

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Hey, she doubted his shit, so he had to cut that bitch off like K Camp.

‘The sweat that soaks my T-shirt
is the medal of a man.

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Yeah no.

‘My tears won’t stop!
I won’t forget the beating
of my heart’s refrain!’ 

(It’s not that deep)

‘I will rise above the drifting time and be reborn.
The time will come someday when I
will be known as Otaku.’

(It’s not that deep)

‘I won’t let anyone block me!
(I won’t let anyone block me!)
I will go my own way!
(I will go my own way!)
Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight!
Fight! Otaking’! 

(Already given my analysis on the hook)

‘I’ve thrown away
everything in my life.’

For some otaku, in order to become the ultimate otaku, they’ve thrown everything out from their lives.  Friends. Family. Work.  Everything just so they can invest in their passion and dreams.  (Although I personally wouldn’t recommend tossing love ones and a job aside just to watch anime all day)

In some cases, you may have to throw many things out of your life, so you can pursue a better life.

You have to be willing to give up something to get the real shit.

 

My goal is the world!
(My goal is the world!)
I’ll be the greatest man!
(I’ll be the greatest man!)
Fight! Fight!
Fight! Fight!
Fight! Otaking!

 

Going back to the “The world is yours!” mindset mentioned earlier.  People with drive and purpose want the world.  They want to be noticed by the world, and want everything within it.

Who’s world is this?
The world is yours Otaking.   The world is yours Otaqueen.

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Was Zamasu Right (Barely Edited Freewrite)

[Please note: This was a free write that was writte during the middle of the night.  As such, there are some grammar and spelling issues.  You have been warned]

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With Lord Zeno’s plan of erasing Universes with low morality such as Universe 7 and 9, I wonder if Zamasu on to something.   I mean, Zamasu was pissed that the gods weren’t doing their jobs taking care of the shitty mortals so he took matters into his own hands.

Granted, he wasn’t allowed to do that as a Kaioshin (God of Creation) but he felt that he needed to, for the sake of justice.

It is weird though.  If Zeno wanted to take out those universes then Zamasu could had just chill and let Zeno do the dirty work.  Both had the same idea.   Take out the horrible universes with the horrible mortals.

Granted I mean Zamasu would had die as he would had gotten wipe out along with Universe 7 but  Zamasu being erased would kept the rest of the universes safe.

Hell, Zamasu may have been one of the factors of Zeno wanting to erase Universe 7.  That nigga was pretty crazy, wanting to wipe out all humanity because of a few bad mortals.  Hell, Universe 9 has a scum bag Kaioshin as well.

 

 

But maybe Zamasu was right.  Maybe he was on to something.

Anime Music Analysis 0

An Evil Angel and Righteous Devil: Dragon Ball Super ED 7 Lyrics Theory Analysis

The Universe Survival” arc of Dragon Ball Super introduce fans to a brand new ending theme song for the series titled “An Evil Angel and Righteous Devil” by Japanese rock band “The Collectors” (ザ・コレクターズ).

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The Collectors.

The song is told in the perspective of a man stuck between an angel and demon with an unnatural friendship.  The man doesn’t know who is right and reflects on the options given to him by the pair. Towards the end he realizes whatever choice he makes will ultimately have the same sorrowful result.

Just like in the film and television industries, the anime industry use lyrical theme songs to narrative the plot for animated series’s arc (season) and Dragon Ball Super is no exception.

As both an anime and music fan I love when the ending theme of an anime provides clues to the story.  Music helps tells the narrative of any show in my opinion. In this post  I will give my analysis on the song and what possible clues and theories it may have in relation to the current arc.

(NOTE: This is all speculation and holds no solid truth to anything for the arc.)

“An angel and a demon are sitting together like friends
I’m in the middle
Which way do I face?”

The friendship of the demon and angel confuses the character.  This results in him not knowing who to face.  Normally demons and angels opposed one another but we have these two just chilling like bros.  It doesn’t help that the angel is evil and the demon is righteous.

It’s a twist on the classic Shoulder Angel and Shoulder Demon trope.  Rather than the angel and demon fighting one another to win you over,  they’re on friendly terms.  Seems pretty suspicious.

Dragon Ball fans have theorized that the angel and demon may have some influences on the Tournament of Power or at the least influences on a certain character.

“Either destroy myself or destroy everything else.”

The character has two dire choices.

Choice 1: He could destroy himself to escape the politics of the tournament, the  demon and angel who shouldn’t be friends by nature, and the tournament itself.

Choice 2: Fuck everything else.  Destroy them all for all he cares,

The theme of destruction is interesting in this line and for the arc as a whole.  Remember that the losing teams of the Tournament of  Power will have their universe’s existence destroy.  Survival means destroying all others to protect your universe.  In short: It’s destroy or be destroyed.

They scream it in my ear all night.
Is there a right answer to this?”

All sides are presenting the character with voices but none are the clear, right answer. This is assuming if there are any at all.

An interesting note: The music video of this song portrays a solider at war dealing with the politics behind it. Now, I am not a solider and I have never been in a war.  However I can assume being a solider at war is about making unclear moral choices and questing what you’re doing is right.

 

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Screenshot taken from the music video “An Evil Angel and Righteous Devil”

The Tournament of Power can be seen as a war.  You’re fighting a war to ensure the survival of your people.  As a warrior you must do anything to come back  home safe and alive.

What more is that you’re fighting for not only yourself, not even your love ones, but the universe you live in.  You must kill the opposing sides.  It’s doesn’t matter if the other sides have generally good people.  This is survival.

“The masks of angels on the faces of demons”
The Grand Priest and his children might be demons masquerading as angels.
They may not be literal demons but their actions and personalities may as well paint them as such if they’re the ones orchestrating the tournament.

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Organizing a tournament were the losing teams have their universe destroy and taking advantage of the two Zeno Kings’ innocent and naïve nature are pretty demonic things to do.

Angels, for the most part,  are perceived as good  in fiction. However, good isn’t always righteous.  How can pitting different people against one another for survival can be righteous?  Controlling two childlike beings who do not know better for your own personal greed isn’t good.

“They beckon to me and say to me
‘For the sake of goodness destroy all evil right now'”.

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HOLY SHIT ZAMASU AND GOKU BLACK COMEBACK CONFIRMED! (it’s a joke please don’t take this seriously)

 

The demons and/or angels are attempting to manipulate the character into thinking whatever he is doing is right  because it’s  justice.

Destroying evil for the sake of goodness may seem like a great idea.  However, you must realize people views of what is good and evil differs.   Some views on justice are twisted and perverted.

We saw this with Zamasu and Goku Black in the previous arc.  They believed wiping out humanity and killing the other Gods was “justice”.  Killing others for the sake of justice isn’t justice.  It’s murder.

“They say the world is waiting for me.”

This smells like a false promise from the demons and angels.  They want the character to believe the world needs him as a savoir.  They want to soup up his head to make him think what he is doing is for justice.  He’s doing this for the greater good of humanity .

It’s all bullshit.

While I did say I would focus on the TV size version of the song, there’s a verse in the full size single I found interesting.   It’s a depressing reflective on the impact resulted from the action the character selected to follow through:

Even if angels are demons and demons are angels
Even if the line between justice and evil are muddled
I will not be manipulated to worry about losing or winning
Because at the end of the day, any sort of action will only bring everyone sorrow”

The character knows that whatever action he decides to select at the end on will only cause the sadness for all.  Everyone wants to manipulate the character for their own gain.

It doesn’t even matter if he wins or lose the fight as long as the ones behind everything have their own greedy goals achieved.

Good and evil.  Justice and injustice. War is still war. War and fighting only brings in sadness, pain, and suffering.

War sucks.  Fighting sucks.
REFERENCES:

Music video of “Evil Angel and Righteous Devil”.
It’s a powerful music video even if you do not understand Japanese.

Kanzenshuu announcement article on The Collectors’s and Dragon Ball Super.
Short article detailing the band’s involvement on Dragon Ball Super.  Kanzenshuu is an awesome website for accurate Dragon Ball news in geenral straight from Toei Animation and JUMP Magazine.  They don’t bullshit.

Anime Live Reactions’s Analysis of “Evil Angel and Righteous Devil”
The inspiration for this post lol.  Follow him on YouTube for the most up-to-date and no bullshit accurate news for Dragon Ball Super.