On and on again. The road is endless.
-Ember Spirit
Introducing Me
I'm an average-looking biologist madly in love with the beauty and the majesty of the living world. That bleeds out into, and is probably hopelessly intertwined with my other passion: fantasy fiction. To me, fantasy literature is a thousand beautiful worlds and an invitation to live a thousand lives, and one.
The Rationale of My Favorites
*work in progress*
Will be linking them to blog posts.
1.)Sound! Euphonium: Kumiko's Coming of Age, From Passion to Empathy, and to Agency
2.a)The Shape of Voice: The Hardest Step to Forgiveness is Forgiving Yourself
2.b)The Shape of Voice: Shouya and I and Our Parallel Journey Through Clinical Depression
3.a)Log Horizon: Worldbuilding, Magic System, and Brandon Sanderson's Third Law of Magic
3.b)Log Horizon: Male Psyche Reincarnated In A Female Avatar And The Narrative Power of Videogame Isekai in the Discussion of Sexual Identity
3.c)Log Horizon: The Philosophies of Hobbes, Locke, and Rousseau in the Societies of Log Horizon
4.)In This Corner of the World: The Extraordinary Can Lie in the Ordinary
5.)Houseki no Kuni: Your Best Self is Your Truest Self
6.)School Rumble: Anatomy of A Visual Comedy
7.)Kemono no Souja Erin: Mythos in Storytelling And Erin's Greatest Wasted Potential
8.a)Toradora!: The Need for Selfishness in the Pursuit of Happiness
9.)Fune Wo Amu: Passing of the Torch and Shifting of the Generations
10.)Great Pretender: A Declaration of War on Mediocre Anime Aesthetics
A Brief List of Other Rankings
Favorite Books (Non-fiction):
5. Kasaysayan: The Story of the Filipino People (Asia Publishing Company Limited, 1998)
4. Land of the Radioactive Midnight Sun: A Cheechako's First Year in Alaska (Sean Michael Flynn, 2003)
3. What Evolution Is (Ernst Mayr, 2002)
2. Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life (Daniel Dennett, 1995)
1. This Is Biology: The Science of the Living World (Ernst Mayr, 1997)
Favorite Books (Fiction):
10. Red Storm Rising (Tom Clancy, 1986)
9. Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton, 1990)
8. Star Trek Enterprise: Beneath the Raptor's Wings (Michael A. Martin, 2009)
7. A Game of Thrones (George R. R. Martin, 1996)
6. Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow (David Gemmell, 2005)
5. A Dance With Dragons (George R. R. Martin, 2011)
4. A Clash of Kings (George R. R. Martin, 1999)
3. Star Trek: Federation (Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, 1994)
2. Star Trek TNG: Power Hungry (Howard Weinstein, 1989)
1. A Storm of Swords (George R. R. Martin, 2000)
Favorite Movies (Non-Anime):
10. Adventures of Mowgli (1973)
9. Bad Genius (2017)
8. 3 Idiots (2009)
7. Pirates of the Caribbean (2003)
6. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (2016)
5. Disney's Moana (2016)
4. The Mummy (1999)
3. Disney's Tangled (2010)
2. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
1. Disney's Encanto (2021)
Favorite Non-Anime Series:
5. Blackadder
4. Be Cool, Scooby-Doo!
3. Ducktales (2017)
2. How I Met Your Mother
1. Phineas and Ferb
Favorite Characters:
9. Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (How To Train Your Dragon)
8. Edmure Tully (A Song of Ice and Fire)
7. Jean Luc Picard (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
6. Newt Scamander (Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them)
5. Samwise Gamgee (The Lord of the Rings)
4. Faramir (The Lord of the Rings)
3. Tyrion Lannister (A Song of Ice and Fire)
2. Daenerys Targaryen (A Song of Ice and Fire)
1. Davos Seaworth (A Song of Ice and Fire)
Favorite Music:
10. The Wrong Direction (Passenger)
9. Two Beds and a Coffee Machine (Savage Garden)
8. When I'm Gone (Simple Plan)
7. Rainbow Veins (Owl City)
6. Keep On Moving (Five)
5. Ordinary Life (Simple Plan)
4. Tidal Wave (Owl City)
3. Fireflies (Owl City)
2. Forever Young (Alphaville)
1. Rainbow (South Border)
Favorite Music (Love Song Category):
5. Through The Years (Kenny Rogers)
4. From The Ground Up (Dan + Shay)
3. Ha Ha Ha Hasula (Kurt Fick)
2. Puhon (Kurt Fick)
1. Best Friend (Jason Chen)
Favorite Anime Music:
10. Alola! (Pokemon Sun & Moon)
9. Shiokaze (Fune Wo Amu)
8. Iwanai kedo ne (Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san)
7. Your Song (Log Horizon)
6. Yume Tourou (Kimi no Na Wa)
5. Nandemonaiya (Kimi no Na Wa)
4. Holy Night (Toradora!)
3. Hologram (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood)
2. Shizuku (Kemono no Souja Erin)
1. Zen Zen Zense (Kimi no Na Wa)
Favorite Videogames:
5. Pokemon White (Game Freak, 2010)
4. Battle Realms: Winter of the Wolf (Ubisoft, 2002)
3. Command & Conquer: Generals (EA, 2003)
2. Dota 2 (Valve, 2013)
1. Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Blizzard, 2003)
Brutal Gaming Moments (On the Hardest Setting Available):
5. Challenge Mode Lenora (Pokemon Blaze Black/Volt White)
4. Twilight of the Gods (Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos)
3. Retaking Serpentholme from Otomo; Kenji's Journey, Serpent's Path (Battle Realms)
2. A Symphony of Frost and Flame (Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne)
1. China Mission 03 (Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour v1.4)*
*yes, the one without the carpet bombing option
Favorite Game OST:
5. ---
4. ---
3. Power of the Horde (Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne)
2. Nick Nack's Theme (Fossil Fighters)
1. Cycling Music (Pokemon B/W/B2/W2)
Fuck, I don't know. I'm just trying to Monty Python here. And I'm suppose to be the one asking questions.
Okay.
*sigh* What is the capital of Switzerland?
Trick question. Switzerland has no in jure capital city.
Shit, isn't it Zurich or Geneva?
Not even close. The closest thing Switzerland has to a capital is Bern.
What the fuck is a Bern? What does a Bern offer over Bank City and Geneva Convention? What is Switzerland?
Chocolates. They have Toblerone. The bear symbol is Bern's symbol, apparently.
Oh, nevermind. Let's talk waifu.
I'm still looking. Ideally, she's an amalgamation of the attitude and drive of Reina Kousaka, the quirkiness of the Be Cool, Scooby Doo! incarnation of Daphne Blake, and the character design of Kaguya Hayashi.
You're just determined to ruin this for me, are you? Just pick one.
Fine, if I have to pick one, I choose Reina Kousaka. She's hyper-confident bordering on arrogance. It's a confidence bred by competence, fueling a burning desire to be better and better. To be truly special. She subscribes to the notion that the great things in life comes to those who work their asses off in pursuit of what they want. It doesn't matter if said character is real or fictional. That fire is captivating. And she manages to entrall me more than any other character onscreen.
In fact, call this a declaration of love. (You'll get that reference.)
You have ships?
Oh yes. I mean, I hate to brag but I am the captain of the UES Illustrious, United Earth Interstellar Navy.
Relation-SHIPS.
Oh, for anime, that'd be Harima x Eri (School Rumble), Shiroe x Henreitta (Log Horizon), and Haruhiro x Merry (Hai to Gensou no Grimgar).
S.S. KumiRei?
REINA IS MINE! Ahem. Sorry. I have no waifu, believe me. Also, the creator(s) sunk that ship.
O-kay...
Yes, yes it's okay.
So, who's your favorite fictional couple?
Monica and Chandler *bing!* (Friends).
Really?
Yeah. They had nothing special, initially. They were just two close friends who sought comfort in one another. So they hooked up. And then they decided they want each other and they were going to work it all out. And that makes it special. There was no fate or destiny or unicorns. It's just two people working out their relationships, standing up for each other, and supporting each other through their toughest times and lowest points. Chandler's little speech to the young pregnant girl whose baby they want to adopt is still to this day one of the finest moments of television.
Sappy motherf*cker. What's your favorite Pokemon game?
I’m a Sinnoh baby through and through. My first game is Platinum. My first Pokemon is Infernape. I still think that while XYZ was his peak as a trainer, the DP saga of the anime was Ash’s peak as a tactician. Ash vs Paul is undoubtedly the best rivalry and is responsible for the best fight in the anime.
But Pokemon White is my favourite game in the franchise because of how it’s set up. Zekrom sides with the Champion of Ideals and Reshiram sides with the Champion of Truth. It meant so much more to me that N grabs Reshiram and I get Zekrom.
N is my favorite rival in the franchise. And as the Champion of Truth, he seeks to show me the cruel reality of the world we live in where people abuse Pokemon. But I, the Champion of Ideals, must endeavor to show him what humans and Pokemon can do together, united, and why that future must be fought for, why they must never be separated. He fights to show me what is, but I will show him what could still be. Because just as we humans are capable of great hatred, we are also capable of great compassion. It’s simply two sides of a coin, black and white, yin and yang. My journey is a testament to that idea. And now I must face him, as the one person he considers his equal, his one true equal. He seeks to show me the present. And now I must bring him the future.
Modern Problems require Modern Solutions:
动态网自由门 天安門 天安门 法輪功 李洪志 Free Tibet 六四天安門事件 The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 天安門大屠殺 The Tiananmen Square Massacre 反右派鬥爭 The Anti-Rightist Struggle 大躍進政策 The Great Leap Forward 文化大革命 The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution 人權 Human Rights 民運 Democratization 自由 Freedom 獨立 Independence 多黨制 Multi-party system 台灣 臺灣 Taiwan Formosa 中華民國 Republic of China 西藏 土伯特 唐古特 Tibet 達賴喇嘛 Dalai Lama 法輪功 Falun Dafa 新疆維吾爾自治區 The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region 諾貝爾和平獎 Nobel Peace Prize 劉暁波 Liu Xiaobo 民主 言論 思想 反共 反革命 抗議 運動 騷亂 暴亂 騷擾 擾亂 抗暴 平反 維權 示威游行 李洪志 法輪大法 大法弟子 強制斷種 強制堕胎 民族淨化 人體實驗 肅清 胡耀邦 趙紫陽 魏京生 王丹 還政於民 和平演變 激流中國 北京之春 大紀元時報 九評論共産黨 獨裁 專制 壓制 統一 監視 鎮壓 迫害 侵略 掠奪 破壞 拷問 屠殺 活摘器官 誘拐 買賣人口 遊進 走私 毒品 賣淫 春畫 賭博 六合彩 天安門 天安门 法輪功 李洪志 Free Tibet 劉曉波动态网自由门
I am compelled to compliment your analysis of Houseki no Kuni. I'm pleased to meet you and delighted to see that not only are you active, but you've shared your thoughts in significant detail here, on your profile page. I have so thoroughly enjoyed Land of the Lustrous that it's opened up fresh appreciation for narratives I would not have given a chance in the past. I look forward to exploring your favorites and recommendations. I'm grateful for this opportunity. Take care.
If you think Overlord II is bad, you'll love Overlord III (by that I mean... don't watch III, it tries to take itself seriously and is far worse than II... at least that's my memory from 1 year ago) - also nice reviews :) keep up the good work.
I also came here to express how much I liked your Log Horizon: Entaku Houkai review. The model you described really resonated with me, and neatly explained my good and bad experiences with this series.
lol XD
saw you stopped being online 1 hr before i send my question and i was just like bruh
but ye i get you, its fine
ima get backto you on this mali thing tmr
All Comments (139) Comments
so talk to him if you want to continue it
saw you stopped being online 1 hr before i send my question and i was just like bruh
but ye i get you, its fine
ima get backto you on this mali thing tmr