The sports anime drought ended in early July, and your resident sports anime fangirl is back in action! I’m only watching DAYS for now, since it’s the most easily accessible of this season’s sports anime, and I’m pleased to say it’s much better than the last soccer anime to plague my screen. DAYS centers on a… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: DAYS and Living… Foolishly?
The second season of Daiya no Ace (aka Ace of the Diamond) ended today. And this time, it’s really ending, at least for now, not just switching air dates like it did between the first and second seasons. It’s catching up with its source material, the manga, and it needs to take a break to let the manga get ahead… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: The Cloud of Witnesses in Daiya no Ace
In sports anime, characters have to learn that their failures don’t define them—or their place on the team. Once they learn they are unconditionally accepted, valued, and forgiven, they’re able to play without any more pressure than necessary. I’ve noticed this often on Haikyuu!!, but the most recent episode struck me in a slightly different way. For Ennoshita,… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Haikyuu!!, Grace, and Boldness
I love how sports anime portray different strengths and weaknesses. In Haikyuu!!, for example, Hinata Shouyou enters high school volleyball majorly lacking in two areas: height and experience. People consistently underestimate him because of this, and no one would blame Hinata if he gave up—at the very least, they’d expect him to envy his taller peers. Instead,… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Valuing Strength that Lasts
In anime, insults are often represented by arrows that stick straight into a character. Depending on the anime, a barrage of insults might knock the character onto the ground. The offender might not even realize what he’s doing—often the hurtful words are said out of ignorance and carelessness, rather than ill will. The effect is… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Your Words Have Influence
It’s still the middle of the school year for most students. But I know from experience that the anxiety about the future can start long before graduation day. I started dreading growing up way before the college hunt began, and I think it contributed to my anxiety, especially by senior year. College played out differently for… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: When It’s Time for Change
This week, Hinata and the other first-year volleyball players in Haikyuu!! 2 impressed me with how they seek and accept the advice of more experienced athletes. This isn’t a new thing; they’ve been getting help from peers and coaches pretty much since day one, and over the past several episodes especially. But this time, it’s drawing a… Read More Annalyn’s Corner: Seeking Advice from Peers and Rivals
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