The Liebster Award is intended to give some exposure to small blogs with less than 200 followers. The rules are as follows:
1. Link back to the blogger who nominated you
2. Answer the 11 questions given to you by the blogger who nominated you
3. Nominate 11 other bloggers with less than 200 followers
4. Go to the blogs you nominated and notify them of your nomination
5. Give your nominees 11 questions to answer.
My 11 questions from Artemis:
1. When did you first start blogging, and do you realistically see yourself still blogging in, say, 10 years from now?
This blog is a foundling thing, only in the works since October 2013. I did a bit of on and off blogging as a child, but this one is my first truly concentrated attempt at providing a reliable schedule of content. As for the future? While this version of the blog might not always be around (who knows with the ever changing internet, right?), I think blogs are an invaluable tool for writers to keep in touch with an audience. That’s the part I’d like to hold onto, even if the content or platform evolves.
2. Describe your favourite country in the world in 3 words.
America: Inexplicably, chaotically home.
3. You have to pick one country in which to live for the rest of your life, but it can’t be a country you’ve already lived in before. Or Japan. Where do you choose and why?
England! And more specifically, Stratford: it’s about the same size as my hometown, with a pleasant populace and a jawdropping wealth of available theatre; it’s also only a few hours by train to London, and there’s this killer bakery that has enormous £1 desserts every day at tea time.
4. White, milk, or dark chocolate?
Dark
5. What was the first television series (anime or otherwise) you ever fell in love with? Nostalgic merits aside, do you still love it today?
My love for The Muppets was unshakeable as a kid. For the longest time I had one tape with a handful of episodes, and I watched it over and over and over again. And while some of the Very Special Guests are a bit baffling with history, a lot of the bits and the cleverness of the humor hold up really well across generations and audiences. I even liked Jason Segal’s recent love letter to the characters (and you can't keep me away from the upcoming Tina Fey-infused project).
6. What’s been the single best and worst television series (again, anime or not) of 2013 so far?
Let’s go with anime, because my western television this year mostly consisted of older shows and The Daily Show.
BEST – I’ll be dully predictable by shouting out Attack on Titan. I know this show has been hyped to death and back into a shambling undead state of meme-life, but it really captivated me. The Berserk-esque thick-lined art and oppressive soundtrack, the excellent pacing and true feeling of isolation and entrapment, gave this show a solid sense of atmosphere that’s damn rare. The characters were varied and complex (impressively so for such a large cast, that each felt distinctive enough so as not to leave me grinding my teeth at one individual receiving more or less screen time), and blessedly outside of the normal fanservice paradigms 99% of the time. And most importantly, I thought the tone was successfully dark without becoming bleak, retaining a sense of hope and determination that kept you invested in the future of the characters and the world.
WORST – Hands down, no show left me in a frothing rage this year like Devil Survivor 2 The Animation. The game it’s based on is near and dear to my heart, and the first episode of the show did an excellent job of translating the world of the game into a believably tense and atmospheric aesthetic for a non-interactive medium. They then proceeded to squander every advantage it had, starting with a truly baffling sense of pacing that seems almost as if they were writing week to week with no overall planning session (four episodes on the first day of an eight day timeline? In a 12 episode series?). Rather than streamlining the game’s large cast it introduced everyone with the express purpose of more meaningless carnage, like the X movie without the lovely visuals, and reduced the morally grey, pragmatic and increasingly Protagonist-admiring Yamato to an icy yandere making cardboard Rule the World speeches (and let us not even discuss what they made of the previously charming and capable Io). I am actually feeling some residual rage even as I type.
7. If you could have any one superpower, what would it be?
Mind melding, man. While flight is tempting I have to assume it wouldn’t come with the necessary subpowers like surviving the icy temperatures and thin air. But joining minds with somebody plays right into my awkwardness at interpersonal communication, teamed up with the allure of being able to convey thought as a visual image.
8. What did you want to be when you grew up, and would you still do that if you could?
It changed every so often, but ‘writer’ was definitely on the list. So I’m pretty happy. Though I must admit, there still burns in me a secret yearning to take part in a bit of voice acting at some point.
9. Do/did you play any sports?
…Does bowling count?
10. Have you ever spent more than a couple of days in the hospital?
Y’know, I don’t think I ever did. Not even that time when I cut my toes off as a kid.
11. In a world without internet, how would you probably spend the majority of your free time?
My brain went way deeper than the question was probably intended with this. The surface answer is that I’d be an academic, since it would allow me to do the same sort of batty analysis I do already and to hang out with likeminded individuals. But without internet, I’m not sure I’d be the same person at all. Don’t get me wrong, I had a happy family life. But I grew up in a small, isolated, and homogenous town, so no internet means no comfort from knowing there was a queer community out there somewhere, or being exposed to a wide variety of different beliefs from a young age, or being able to easily obtain unusual movies or goods. The thought’s actually a bit disturbing to me.
My Nominations:
You’ll notice my list is a bit shorter than 11 – this is because several of my picks are already on Artemis’ list (and she’s one herself). You can check her list out here.
Anime Tantrums:
Blogging done by an English speaker living in Japan, writing with the purpose of contextualizing anime in the culture it comes from. While this blog hasn’t been active in a few months it’s still well worth checking out. Her essays on The Flowers of Evil alone are standing ovation-worthy in their thoughtfulness.
The Classy Shipper:
Run by the blogger behind the excellent recap-and-analysis blog Femservice, this is the fun aspects of fandom discussion put through the rigors of good writing and thoughtful discussion (the stark no bashing rule is a blessed welcome, for example). There’s a good engagement between author and audience, and reader-submissions (providing they’re of good quality) are accepted for credited republication.
Caraniel’s Ramblings:
A sometimes essay, sometimes episode recap anime blog that keeps its content sharp and to the point (while also sticking with its shows all the way to the end, which is no mean feat). An excellent choice for keeping up with the current season.
Thealogical Lady:
A blog that attempts to blog about spirituality from a feminist perspective. This isn’t a topic that will appeal to everyone, but Kate’s sensitivity and warmth about the subject makes it a thoughtful and engaging read.
Moeronpan:
Another episode recap blog, but one with both a consistent schedule and a sizable back library of shows to sort through. Its commentary is pleasant and good for getting the general idea of a series’ appeal (from one perspective), and it’s one I always enjoy reading.
Lost My Thesis:
An essay-centric blog on anime old and new, which covers a variety of unusual and engaging topics from the influence of certain actors to profiles of under-the-radar series and exploration of big themes like masculinity, humanism, and gender.
Moe Sucks:
As the title might impress upon you, this is a blog more on the critical end of the spectrum. It ranges from thematic examinations of shows to reviews to episode-by-episode critiques. And most importantly for a critical blog, the writing is well worded and specific in its reasoning. Basically, if you want to feel cathartic about a show then this is the place to go.
Questions for the Nominees:
- How did your blog get its name?
- Would you rather your blog have a bunch of silent readers or a small but involved community? Why?
- Are text posts a matter of preference, or convenience? Have you ever thought about a video style?
- Is your favorite author now the same as it was ten years ago? Five?
- What movie or show are you most looking forward to next year?
- What do you look for when picking a new series to watch?
- You have one consequence-free day. What do you do?
- Who’s your favorite director?
- Have you ever realized your love for something was mostly not-too-sturdy nostalgia…but only halfway through trying to show it to someone else?
- What’s the worst spinoff or adaptation of something you really love?
And finally, just because of this blog’s occasionally particular focus: - What do you know about Lupin III?
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