The Blogger Interrogation Game Strikes Back!

Although I previously posted my answers to the wonderful Aniblogger Interrogation game that’s going around, I’ve been tagged back as well, by both Cajun Samurai and Alexander.  So, here we go…again!

The game was created by Iso and his rules are as follows:

Introduction

  • Each person is supposed to follow the rule of fives. You are allowed to ask 5 questions, after which you can tag up to 5 bloggers by hyper-linking to their blog; 5 questions because it’s not too many to flood another blogger and occupy too much of his/her time, but yet a large enough number to ask your most important questions, and 5 bloggers to avoid spamming. Hence, prioritize your questions, and who you wish to ask!
  • Those tagged are obliged to answer the questions in a blog post, and after which, they are entitled to create their own 5 questions and tag 5 other bloggers, so on and so fourth. You should answer your own 5 questions as well. You are allowed to tag the person that tagged you in the first place. Also, copy and paste this section on your blog so others can understand how the game goes.
  • In the case where a blogger strongly refuses to answer a question, he/she must instead post a nice anime image, wallpaper or cosplay picture, et cetera in response to that question.
  • To make things interesting, a blogger can include wildcards in his/her 5 questions by placing an asterisk, (*), after which those tagged are obliged to reveal something interesting about themselves that others did not previously know. There is no limit to the number of asterisks one can place (which means there can be up to 5 wildcard questions).
  • Anyone can feel free to start the game; you don’t necessarily need someone to tag you. Just create your 5 questions and tag your 5 people of choice. However, the catch is that you must answer your own 5 questions as well.
  • To potentially prevent an endless game, this round of games will end on the 8th September 2012, 12pm JST (GMT +9). After which, no more bloggers can tag others to answer their questions.

My Responses

First, my responses to Cajun Samurai’s questions:

1. Have you ever had a moment in your life that reminded you of a certain scene or episode from an anime? If so, what was it?

Well, there was that time I planned on studying for my college entrance exams, and I ended up becoming the manager and my grandmother’s all-girl’s inn, and this crazy girl with antenna hair…

Hmm…maybe that didn’t happen?

I can’t think of much at the moment, though I would say my developing relationship with my kids reminds me of Tomoya in Clannad After Story.

2. If you could describe yourself using an anime stereotype [Tsundre, Yandere, Emo, etc…] which would you pick and why?

These questions are much more fun that the ones I wrote. 😛

Hmmm…maybe dandere?  I’m often cold around people (I’m not a people person at all), though I think like a lot of you out there, I become more open and warm as a relationship develops.

3. If you could spend one day with an anime voice actor, either in America or Japan, who would it be and what would you do?

Maybe I’d ask Aya Hirano to take me around Akihabara.  She’s…a little…out there?  So it might be a lot of fun!  Oh, and we’ll dress like North High students.

4. If you could spend the entire day in the real world as an anime character, who would it be and why?

There are a lot of characters I’d love to be, but one choice jumped straight to my mind: Goku.  I’d love to fly around, blow stuff up, and get into fights where I just come out even stronger.  I’m a guy, after all!

Okay, but maybe I lied.  I wouldn’t mind being any characters in these shows, like Digimon, Kokoro Connect, or Ookiku Furikabutte, where the bonds of friendship (or team) are incredibly stronger.  I’d love to be a part of that, as I never really was part of a group that closely knit.

5. Which anime character has the coolest socks?

Izzy.  Only because I don’t know what anyone else’s socks look like.

And now, onto Alexander’s questions!

1. What is your favorite anime of all time?  Then, objectively speaking, what do you think is the best anime of all time?  Explain why you chose these anime (especially if you chose the same anime for both questions).

I have a list of about 10 or 11 anime that I’ve given perfect 10’s to.  They’re kind of a revolving door of shows; I’ll feel one is the best of all time at one moment, and then another in a different moment.  But perhaps the one that stages on top most often is Toradora!  I love the animation.  I love the energy.  I love the drama.  I love the OP and EDs.  And I find the characters as compelling as any show I’ve seen, and more personally connected to and invested in than any other anime.

I believe the best anime of all time is OVAs 1 and 2 of Rurouni Kenshin (Samurai X).  These pieces are so cinematic.  You know how anime could almost never be translated straight to film?  There are just too many tropes and such that wouldn’t translate well – but for these OVAs, they feel like they should be a film.  And if they were, they would be as good as anything coming out of Hollywood or Japan.  Masterpieces of weaving history and fiction together, or using color, or using graphic violence in a meaningful way, or developing relationship, and of sprinkling in beautiful, quiet moments.  And then, the topping is in knowing what would become of Kenshin (and others) later.

By the way, Medieval Otaku agrees.

And, Cowboy Bebop would come in a very close second.

2. Same as question 1, but for your least favorite anime and what in your objective opinion is the worst anime of all time (for this question try to choose an anime for which you’ve actually watched a respectable number of episodes and try to avoid small titles that nobody has ever heard of).

Quality-wise, there are tons and tons worst anime, but maybe because the quality of this series is so high (right from the opening song), it tops this department in my list.  Elfen Lied, to me, fails in everything.  Everything.  One giant piece of fanservice that pretends to mean something, but doesn’t.  Although, the writer of this question, Alexander, has told me that the manga is a bit deeper.

3. What initially led you to anime and what keeps you interested in anime?  Do you think it will continue to be a lifetime passion?  Why or why not?*

I originally just found anime so…different.  I watched Digimon and Princess Mononoke without knowing or researching their origins, and that would have stayed at that, I think, had I not watched Tenchi Muyo!  Those who have seen the series know that it has a really interesting tone – a involving, nostalgic one.  That drew me in, as did the weirdness of it (I thought Mihoshi actually died when her ship crashed at one point, which led me to the Internet and endless hours of reading about her and the rest of the gang).  Evangelion sealed my interest.

As for being a lifelong passion…I’m pretty sure it won’t be.  I’ve been on and off of anime since I started watching.  And as with other media, I’ve found that even my favorites don’t give me the same spark as they once did.  I appreciate Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, and Haruhi, for instance, but give up after a couple episodes when I try to rewatch.  And for me, I know that the times and style will pass me by, so I’ll need to hang on to old favorites to still declare myself an anime fan, and I just don’t see that happening.

* Wildcard: I was a teacher for two years.  I was only about five years older than my students, which I think helped us relate.  But I feel very old nowadays when I see them doing things like…having babies.

4. Do you think it’s possible to integrate or use ecchi content or themes to enhance a story rather than simply as fanservice that detracts from the overall work?

Yes, it’s possible.  Alexander mentioned as much in regards to Medaka Box.  Definitely possible.  Possible.

5. I think many would agree that some otherwise respectable anime have been let down by lackluster endings.  What anime do you most want to change the ending—not because you disagreed with it, but for quality purposes.  Then how would you change it and why?  (I understand spoilers may be unavoidable when answering this question)

Here’s an interesting one: Whisper of the Heart.  I was such an unabashed Miyazaki fan when I first saw the film, that even though I physically cringed as the movie ended, I told myself that it, like the rest of the movie, was darn near perfect.  A recent review (and the comments that followed) reminded me of the ending, which was good in respect to the message Miyazaki was sending (apparently he came up with it), but poorly executed.  If you haven’t seen the film, the ending is very out of place – it’s laughably bad and rushed.

*avoids spoilers*

Question Time!

And now, for my questions!

  1. It’s been said over and over that film works don’t live up to the written works they’re based on.  Have you ever watched an anime you enjoyed more than the manga on which it was based?  How about a non-Japanese book and film?
  2. What’s couple you ship that we might find strange?
  3. Is there a religion, other than your own, that you admire or find very interesting?
  4. Best magical girl of all time?
  5. What anime do you really want to see get a release in your country?

Here are my answers to these questions:

1. Bakuman.  This might not be a fair answer, since I only watched a couple of episodes of the anime, but those episodes didn’t capture the feel of the manga.  And I was looking forward to it so!

2. Oh boy, I was very much into Digimon couple shipping when I was younger.  I enjoyed reading the occasional fanfic about Jyou x Sora.  Not a hint of that in the series.

3. Although it’s not really a religion, I always found Daoism interesting.  And, speaking of which, I met my first practicing Daoist last week – a very nice man.

4. Sakura wins.  She’s just too sakurine sweet.  Word play, har har.

5. Mawaru Penguindrum, PLEASE.  PLEASE!

Tag – You’re It!

And here are the bloggers I’m tagging.  Please forgive me and ignore if you’ve already joined in this activity.  In fact, just ignore in general if you’d like:

Feel free to ignore this call – I’ve done the same many times.  But if you do decide to join in, have fun with it! :)

Twwk
Latest posts by Twwk (see all)

11 thoughts on “The Blogger Interrogation Game Strikes Back!”

  1. Digimon, Princess Mononoke, Evangelion… 3 titles of what I’d definitely consider my foundation for getting into anime in the first place.

  2. Looks like I’ve been tagged ^_^

    Oh, Digimon. That brings back so many memories, /especially/ the ships.

    Also, might I add that I love the new banner. 🙂

    1. Digimon really took on a life of its own. The kid in me enjoyed the series, but I liked the fandom even more.

      Oh, and thank you! I have a revolving banner now – the new one is actually just as old as the other, but I just started using it. And like the Madoka one, it was made by the lovely Marina of Anime B&B.

  3. Eh, I saw this coming when I wrote my review for Elfen Lied, but Medieval Otaku and I both think that series had tasteful ecchi that directed the characters’ development. But I can definitely see how it could be unavoidably distracting for some people. I guess I can pass it off as I’m simply much less sensitive to nudity than you are, Charles. And that’s ok.

  4. Another set of questions? We’re gonna know all about you by the time 8 September comes around. 😉

    I’d mostly agree with your take on Elfen Lied. I remember watching it the first time and liking it a little; the opening is great, the animation’s pretty good, and I appreciate the show’s ambition. I tried to re-watch it later on, with my sister, and we could only watch a couple episodes before dropping it. The violence and nudity was just so gratuitous and over-the-top that it actually got funny after a while. That the male lead is an utter idiot doesn’t help, either.

    >”[…]these OVAs, they feel like they should be a film.”
    Should be, or could be? It’s pretty rare to find a work in any medium that “should” be translated to another medium, so I’m just curious if you think they’d benefit from an adaptation, or if it’d just be something that could be done.

    1. Too many questions!

      Ah yeah, I think i would feel weird watching Elfen Lied with most anybody. You hit on a couple of other things I dislike about the series (besides the nudity) – the violence and the male lead. Those actually bother me more than the nudity does.

      Hmm…good question. When I watch the OVAs, and when I replay scenes from it in my mind, I constantly picture it as a movie. I feel like, perhaps, it could even be better as a live action film – but then, how could it be better?

      I guess we’ll see how Kenshin translates to live action soon anyway, even if it’s more in line with the series than the OVAs.

  5. Whisper of the Heart’s ending was polarizing, to say the least. It struck me quite hard the first time but it kind of crept up to me after several repeated viewings. I am not sure if the ending were changed, the anime would be as memorable…

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