self-embodiment of perfection

A decoy of various anime characters   For a long time, my default answer to "What's your favorite anime?" was Naruto. At that time, I had only seen the OG but it was a comfort anime and had become really special to me, even though I saw it in my 30s for the first time. Naruto and his Rasengan After I saw Attack on Titan and Vinland Saga back-to-back, they became my1a and 1b answer for favorite anime--and have been for at least 6 months now. Attack on Titan: Misaka, Armin, Levi, and Eren Thorfinn across the years, Vinland Saga But now, a new challenger appears. It worked its way into my heart in 2024 with my first watch-through, cosplay, and beginning of the manga. It's Haikyu!! Haikyuu's Karasuno High School Volleyball team More than just a sports anime, this is an anime (and manga) with great storytelling, heartwarming emotions, lovable characters, and an inspirational message that goes beyond just "I've got to get stronger". It manages to combine t...

Mob Psycho 100 cast The first time I watched Mob Psycho (in 2023), I liked it but didn't love it. I wanted to love it the way everyone else did, but I had a major problem: I couldn't relate to Mob. I could not understand why he wouldn't use his powers, even when he was in danger, even when others were in danger. Well, he would use them, but not to actively harm another human being. It was maddening to me. Sometimes violence IS the answer, I reasoned. It was frustrating to see him refuse to solve problems in a way that felt so obvious. Then I watched Vinland Saga's 2 seasons. My current rewatch of Mob makes a lot more sense. There's more than one way to be strong, as Thorfinn taught us. In fact, it's not always about winning. Certainly not with brute strength or intimidation. He truly opened my eyes to what pacifism can look like, especially in a world where fighting was not only common, it was expected. Mob's 2nd season is a perfect encapsulation of what the...

- The Disastrous Life of Saiki K - This one came out of nowhere. I watched the first two episodes and thought the MC was way too overpowered, even for a "gag anime" as it later refers to itself. I don't know what compelled me to pick it back up, but I did. It's hilarious, it's light and easy to watch, it's highly bingable, it's smart, and it features some of my favorite Japanese VAs. The Disastrous Life of Saiki K  - Mob Psycho 100 (Rewatch) - I picked this up again because I have to be honest, I was in peak shonen mood when I first watched it and felt it deserved more attention. Even though I knew it was anti-traditional shonen, like One Punch Man, I kept wanting fights. I wanted the point to be that Mob realizes it's okay to use his powers and be strong by standing up to others. I did watch all 3 seasons and still enjoyed it, especially his relationship with Regen, my favorite character, but I felt I was missing out on the greater themes of the sho...