The latest episode of Haikyuu!! 2 surprised me—not because of a plot twist or a character’s outrageous new volleyball skill, but because it focused on Karasuno’s new manager, a first year named Yachi Hitoka, and I actually cared about her. I rarely care much about the managers in sports anime. At best, they’re a pleasant addition to… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: You Don’t Have to be Passionate
As the time to blog approached again, I realized I had a problem: my anime diet consists, for the moment, purely of Haikyuu!!, anime shorts, and my weekly Cowboy Bebop sessions with a friend. I try to limit my sports anime posts to every other week, so it’s time to see what the new season has to offer. Subete… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: How I’m Approaching The Perfect Insider
A new season of Haikyuu!! started this weekend. This volleyball anime hails from Production I.G, the same studio that brought us Kuroko’s Basketball, and it’s equally pleasing to watch. Hinata Shoyo never fails to put a smile on my face—even comedy anime rarely lighten my heart the way this kid does. But this week, his teammate Kageyama… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Befriending the Kageyamas in Our Lives
“If I was born to die, then what was my reason for existing in this world?” —Konno Yuuki, SAO II. Sword Art Online II has many faults, and some folks can’t take it seriously as a result. That’s a shame, because SAO deals with big issues that warrant serious discussion. The characters’ conversations in the last episode,… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Why am I alive?
Another season of Baby Steps is complete. I’ve always liked it, but I felt a little more invested this season. Ei-chan has already mastered the basics and set a goal: win the All-Japan Junior to prove to his parents that it’s plausible for him to go pro. In the process, he continues to develop his tennis… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Stepping Outside Your Data
… and if you don’t realize these truths, you’re going to hurt others, as Takeo does in Ore Monogatari, and as I’ve done with my family. “You matter,” my sister told me, as my built-up stress finally burst out in tears and complaints. “Your needs and feelings matter… We love you, and we want to understand… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: You’re Loved, You’re Beautiful, and You’re Not Enough
Maruo Eiichiro (Ei-chan) stands out among sports anime protagonists because of his analytical ability. Usually, analyzers are pushed into secondary roles that challenge or support the main character. In Baby Steps, however, the roles are reversed: the analyzer leads, and, in the second season, the charismatic hero-type is just another opponent. I’ve often said that I… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Baby Steps and Self-Examination
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