Sep 30, 2024
Karasu wa Aruji wo Erabanai
(Anime)
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This anime ranks in my top five of all time. It exudes a classy, art-house vibe, with exceptional world-building, aesthetics, and character development, all deeply rooted in Japanese high culture. As someone who loves crows and ravens, I particularly enjoyed seeing them woven into this fantasy setting. The series is split into two arcs, both of which I found highly engaging. If I had to offer one minor critique, it would be that the two arcs could have benefited from separate opening themes, though this is hardly an issue for me. The first arc beautifully captures the elegance and regality of court culture amid political
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Aug 18, 2022
Witches is a remarkable work of vision and surrealism. I have previously read Children of the Sea by Daisuke Igarashi. They share many common themes. These themes include the inadequacy of words in describing the non-dual ultimate reality, myths of ancient cultures hinting at deeper metaphysical truths, and the ecological world possessing hidden spiritual essences.
There are four main stories in this omnibus. Each story focuses on a particular witch and includes oneiric, surreal plot twists; some of them can be quite striking, whereas others are haunting. Each story challenges the reader's sense of normalcy, making him or her question the nature of the universe and ... Dec 29, 2018
Baron: Neko no Danshaku
(Manga)
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The original manga of The Cat Returns by Aoi Hiiragi has a much more subtle, evocative message than its movie adaptation. The manga's primary theme involves coming to terms with the loss of a loved one, and it has a more magical realist touch that blurs the line between inner and outer. However, the movie solely places emphasis on believing in oneself, which feels trite by itself. It, thereby, changed significant plot elements, which degraded Aoi Hiiragi's original numinous vision. Moreover, the manga has many oneiric scenes that the movie left out, some of which tread on metaphysical territory that is difficult to discuss without
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