Our story begins with a train ride and a little girl. Totto-chan is a first-grade girl on her way to a new school. She's a lively, inquisitive child who talks a mile a minute. She doesn't know it, but she was recently expelled from her last school for being too disruptive. She and her mother are on their way to a new school, where her mother anxiously hopes she will be able to continue her education.
Tomoe Gakuen isn't a typical school. It's made up of a collection of old train cars in the forest, and it has about fifty students all together. Instead of a gate of stone or concrete pillars, Tomoe's students pass through a gate made of living trees. Instead of a stern-faced headmaster following a rigid rubric of Reading, Writing, and 'Rithmatic, Tomoe's principal is a jolly older man who lets children's natural inquisitiveness lead them to new discoveries. Students learn without realizing that they're learning, and the staff's role is to support the students' exploration rather than drill facts and figures into their heads.
Tomoe sounds like a dream school in some suburban paradise, but it was actually an experimental elementary school that the author, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (Totto-chan), attended in the years leading up to World War II in Japan. Many of the students at Tomoe were children that wouldn't fit into the normal schools of the time for one reason or another. At a time when Japan promoted worship of the Emperor as a divine figure, encouraged cultural uniformity, and shunned the physically handicapped, the headmaster of Tomoe is a revolutionary figure who teaches children to embrace differences in culture, religion, and language, and who cared deeply for his physically handicapped students. Although World War II doesn't leave Tomoe untouched, the school stands as an oasis of idyllic calm amidst a raging sea of war and intolerance for the time that it existed. And, when the school was destroyed in a bombing during the war, Mr. Kobayashi watched his dream project burn and cheerfully planned to create a new and better school after the war.
The short chapters follow Totto-chan from first grade through about third grade. They tend to be rather calm and sometimes funny stories, but sometimes an element of drama slips in. Sprinkled amongst lighthearted chapters where children take walks to the local shrine on sunny afternoons or have a camp-out at the school to watch a new train car get added to the school grounds are somber moments where Totto-chan learns about mortality or when students have to say goodbye to a staff member being sent off to war. Totto-chan's family and school life is somewhat insulated from the harsher realities of WWII, so aside from the air raids and events in a few other chapters, Totto-chan and her fellow elementary students are relatively untouched by the war. I got the feeling that the headmaster was deliberately trying to protect his students from that reality for as long as he could and inoculating them against it through his unusual teaching methods.
I truly enjoyed this book. It was hard not to smile when I read about Totto-chan and her various adventures. In some ways, it resembles the popular slice-of-life manga Yotsuba&, but the humor is more subdued. Other episodes reminded me of Anne Shirley's adventures in Anne of Green Gables. In fact, I have a feeling that Totto-chan, Yotsuba, and Anne would probably get along like a house on fire.
I'd recommend this book for audiences of all ages. It'd be a perfectly appropriate story to read to children, especially if you are trying to instill the same values in them that Mr. Kobayashi was in his students. Adults will find Totto-chan familiar in her mischief and innocent exploration, and I think they'll enjoy watching her grow over the course of the book. Anyone considering a career in teaching would certainly benefit from reading about Tomoe and its effects on the students, even if modern education may not allow for a complete recreation of the school's methods.
A note on the title: "the little girl at the window" refers to a Japanese saying about people who don't fit in. They tend to stand apart, like people who tend to lurk on the edges of the room (by the windows, for instance), and don't belong to main mass in the middle. I find this kind of interesting, since a common anime trope is to have the main character's desk by the window, and they're usually the focus of a lot of unusual activities.
Tuesday, January 24, 2017
Sunday, January 22, 2017
Sailor Moon Crystal
When I was in middle school, one big gateway anime was Sailor Moon. This was back in the days of Geocities and Angelfire websites and dial-up internet connections, so streaming and widespread distribution wasn't really an option. Anime was purchased on video tapes (either dub or sub) which had a maximum of four or five episodes on it. Anything animated was still considered "for kids", so shows like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura was pretty heavily edited to make it kid-friendly. And let's not get started on the dubs...
Anyway, the point I'm making is this: I remember when Sailor Moon was first becoming popular in the U.S. When the announcement came out that they were rebooting the series, like many Moonies, I got kind of excited. When it was also announced that the original series was going to get a full release in the U.S., including the final Stars season that had never been released in the U.S., it was like I had died and gone to nerd heaven. So, like other Moonies worldwide, I eagerly counted down to the day of the new Sailor Moon Crystal premiere.
And... well, let me get this out of the way - the reboot was not everything I imagined it would be. The episodes were clearly rushed through production, as several shots are off-model and sometimes even the wrong animation is used for specific attacks. The computer animation used for the transformation sequences is pretty underwhelming compared to the original. The characters don't get a lot of development time, either.
But for all of its flaws, Sailor Moon Crystal did hit a few high points for me.
First of all, we get to see Takeuchi's original character and costume designs in action. The original series put all of the senshi in identical costumes to present a more unified front against evil, and it was probably easier to reuse the same design template for each character and change the colors a little bit. But, each senshi's battle costume represents part of her personality and character, so it was nice to see those touches restored in this version. You also get to see each small evolution of Sailor Moon's battle costume, including the small morphs her tiara undergoes as she comes one step closer to her full awakening.
Not only did they keep more of the original character designs and costumes, but more of Takeuchi's art style seems to have made it into the overall look of the show. The characters are almost ethereal and goddess-like, hinting at their otherworldly origins. The colors are muted and lines tend to be long and flowing. Hair is luxurious and impossibly shiny and orderly (seriously, no one has bedhead). Now, seeing those tall, willowy girls in action, especially seeing Barbie-doll-like Usagi trip and fall on her backside, is a little strange and unnatural, but when they're posing against the full moon, you have to admit that it looks really impressive. And, of course, they are tailor made for the Art Nouveau inspired promotional art.
Finally, we get to see the original Sailor Moon story, almost shot-for-shot, as it was in the manga. No filler, no side-quests, no "gotta find the rainbow crystals and sell more Sailor Moon toys" story arcs. Just a straightforward story of "girl meets magical talking cat, girl becomes superhero, girl saves Tokyo (and possibly the world) and her boyfriend from the forces of evil". Sure, the original story has some flaws, but it struck a chord with readers for a reason and it's great to see it adapted directly.
Overall, I have to say that Sailor Moon Crystal is a flawed gem, but a gem nonetheless. I haven't seen the dvd releases yet, but I would hope that most of the animation flaws were fixed by the time they released them for home viewing. If you were a fan of the manga, you'll definitely enjoy Crystal for its faithfulness to the source material in both plot and art style. However, if you were a fan of the original 90's anime, you probably won't enjoy this series as much because it lacks many of the visual gags and development that the original had. Try to enjoy it for what it is.
Anyway, the point I'm making is this: I remember when Sailor Moon was first becoming popular in the U.S. When the announcement came out that they were rebooting the series, like many Moonies, I got kind of excited. When it was also announced that the original series was going to get a full release in the U.S., including the final Stars season that had never been released in the U.S., it was like I had died and gone to nerd heaven. So, like other Moonies worldwide, I eagerly counted down to the day of the new Sailor Moon Crystal premiere.
And... well, let me get this out of the way - the reboot was not everything I imagined it would be. The episodes were clearly rushed through production, as several shots are off-model and sometimes even the wrong animation is used for specific attacks. The computer animation used for the transformation sequences is pretty underwhelming compared to the original. The characters don't get a lot of development time, either.
But for all of its flaws, Sailor Moon Crystal did hit a few high points for me.
First of all, we get to see Takeuchi's original character and costume designs in action. The original series put all of the senshi in identical costumes to present a more unified front against evil, and it was probably easier to reuse the same design template for each character and change the colors a little bit. But, each senshi's battle costume represents part of her personality and character, so it was nice to see those touches restored in this version. You also get to see each small evolution of Sailor Moon's battle costume, including the small morphs her tiara undergoes as she comes one step closer to her full awakening.
Not only did they keep more of the original character designs and costumes, but more of Takeuchi's art style seems to have made it into the overall look of the show. The characters are almost ethereal and goddess-like, hinting at their otherworldly origins. The colors are muted and lines tend to be long and flowing. Hair is luxurious and impossibly shiny and orderly (seriously, no one has bedhead). Now, seeing those tall, willowy girls in action, especially seeing Barbie-doll-like Usagi trip and fall on her backside, is a little strange and unnatural, but when they're posing against the full moon, you have to admit that it looks really impressive. And, of course, they are tailor made for the Art Nouveau inspired promotional art.
Finally, we get to see the original Sailor Moon story, almost shot-for-shot, as it was in the manga. No filler, no side-quests, no "gotta find the rainbow crystals and sell more Sailor Moon toys" story arcs. Just a straightforward story of "girl meets magical talking cat, girl becomes superhero, girl saves Tokyo (and possibly the world) and her boyfriend from the forces of evil". Sure, the original story has some flaws, but it struck a chord with readers for a reason and it's great to see it adapted directly.
Overall, I have to say that Sailor Moon Crystal is a flawed gem, but a gem nonetheless. I haven't seen the dvd releases yet, but I would hope that most of the animation flaws were fixed by the time they released them for home viewing. If you were a fan of the manga, you'll definitely enjoy Crystal for its faithfulness to the source material in both plot and art style. However, if you were a fan of the original 90's anime, you probably won't enjoy this series as much because it lacks many of the visual gags and development that the original had. Try to enjoy it for what it is.
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
Working!!/Wagnaria - Season one
Anime has the ability to make the most mundane thing seem interesting - even fun. Sometimes, it's a little over the top (Yakitate!! Ja-pan springs to mind), and sometimes it manages to educate the audience about a hobby (G.A. Geijutsuka Art Design Class). Sometimes, the focus is less on the setting and more on the people who do it (pretty much every High School Club comedy show). In the latter category is where you'll find Working!!, also known as Wagnaria.
Anyone who has ever worked in food service knows that it's anything but fun. The hours are long, the pay is low, and usually the management is pretty awful. If you're lucky, you might have good coworkers. The family-style restaurant Wagnaria (think Denny's without the night-blogging social media account) is sort of an idealized version of what working in food service would be like. If every restaurant were like Wagnaria, I'm not sure that very much work would get done, but at least working there might be bearable.
The main character is a young man named Souta Takanashi. He is your average high school student who loves small, adorable things (small children, stuffed animals, water fleas). One day, he's approached by adorable, undersized upper-classman Popura, who convinces him to work at Wagnaria with her. It seems like a perfectly normal job for a high school student to do to earn some extra pocket money, but the staff of Wagnaria is anything but normal. It's staffed by an information merchant, two former banchou gang members (juvenile delinquents), an androphobe who suckerpunches men on sight, and a girl who carries a katana around in her apron straps for no apparent reason (but it does keep the customers from misbehaving, so I guess it serves some purpose). Compared to his coworkers, Souta's cuteness obsession is pretty normal.
This is one of those extremely popular "slice-of-life" shows that has no central plot. It's basically just the staff of a restaurant getting into strange situations. Occasionally, they will get together outside of work, but most of the story takes place either within Wagnaria or in Takanashi household. It's difficult to really describe this series without it seeming rather boring and one-note. I'll admit that most of the characters don't evolve much past their initial quirks in the first season with the exception of Inami, who is working hard to overcome her androphobia. But, this isn't a show that you watch for plot and character development. You watch it because it's funny and you don't have to think too much about it.
The animation is done by Studio Deen, who was responsible for at least the first few seasons of Axis Powers Hetalia. It's easy to imagine the Hetalia crew working in Wagnaria, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a few galleries of crossover fanart. Fans of Durarara will also be pleased to recognize the voices of Izaya and Shizuo working together in similar, though probably less destructive, roles.
Overall, Working!!/Wagnaria is a fun show. It's not overly complicated to watch, the characters are pretty distinctive, and it's enjoyable to watch how they interact with one another. Like I said, I can't imagine that a lot of actual work gets done there, but at least they seem to be enjoying themselves. It doesn't make me want to jump up and get a job as a waitress, but if there were a Wagnaria restaurant where I lived, I'd probably drop in for a meal.
If you're interested in catching this show, it's currently streaming for free on Crunchyroll.
The main character is a young man named Souta Takanashi. He is your average high school student who loves small, adorable things (small children, stuffed animals, water fleas). One day, he's approached by adorable, undersized upper-classman Popura, who convinces him to work at Wagnaria with her. It seems like a perfectly normal job for a high school student to do to earn some extra pocket money, but the staff of Wagnaria is anything but normal. It's staffed by an information merchant, two former banchou gang members (juvenile delinquents), an androphobe who suckerpunches men on sight, and a girl who carries a katana around in her apron straps for no apparent reason (but it does keep the customers from misbehaving, so I guess it serves some purpose). Compared to his coworkers, Souta's cuteness obsession is pretty normal.
This is one of those extremely popular "slice-of-life" shows that has no central plot. It's basically just the staff of a restaurant getting into strange situations. Occasionally, they will get together outside of work, but most of the story takes place either within Wagnaria or in Takanashi household. It's difficult to really describe this series without it seeming rather boring and one-note. I'll admit that most of the characters don't evolve much past their initial quirks in the first season with the exception of Inami, who is working hard to overcome her androphobia. But, this isn't a show that you watch for plot and character development. You watch it because it's funny and you don't have to think too much about it.
The animation is done by Studio Deen, who was responsible for at least the first few seasons of Axis Powers Hetalia. It's easy to imagine the Hetalia crew working in Wagnaria, and I wouldn't be surprised if there was a few galleries of crossover fanart. Fans of Durarara will also be pleased to recognize the voices of Izaya and Shizuo working together in similar, though probably less destructive, roles.
Overall, Working!!/Wagnaria is a fun show. It's not overly complicated to watch, the characters are pretty distinctive, and it's enjoyable to watch how they interact with one another. Like I said, I can't imagine that a lot of actual work gets done there, but at least they seem to be enjoying themselves. It doesn't make me want to jump up and get a job as a waitress, but if there were a Wagnaria restaurant where I lived, I'd probably drop in for a meal.
If you're interested in catching this show, it's currently streaming for free on Crunchyroll.
Feed - Mira Grant
Feed is a story of politics and internet journalism. And zombies. It begins with an idiot poking a zombie with a stick, so you know that it's not your typical political pot-boiler.
The Mason siblings are bloggers in a not-so-distant future when the world has been overrun with zombies. It's actually a pretty lucrative career, since bloggers have become more trusted news sources than traditional journalism. Bloggers were the first to break the news of actual zombie infections back when media outlets were still dismissing zombie videos as the product of too many George Romero movies. There are three types of bloggers: Newsies - who report on the facts, Fictionals - who write poetry and short stories about the state of the world, and Irwins - who go around in infested zones poking zombies with sticks to get a reaction (and a lot more website traffic).
After a particularly successful and suspenseful day poking zombies, the blogging team of the Mason's website After the End Times receives a much-anticipated message - they have been selected as the exclusive blogging team to follow Senator Ryman on his campaign to win his party's presidential candidate nomination. A chance like this only comes along once in a lifetime, and is the sort of thing that will set the Mason team up for life. The campaign trail of the post-Rising era is fraught with drama and danger, and politics post-Rising have taken on an additional tint of paranoia with the threat of zombie outbreaks at campaign locations. In fact, it was almost brushed off as routine when zombies broke through the defense lines at a campaign stop in Oklahoma.
And then a zombie outbreak occurred at Senator Ryman's home just as he was receiving the party's nomination. The Masons soon find themselves gripping the zombie tiger by the tail, and the consequences of the presidential election might have greater worldwide repercussions than ever imagined.
Just remember, folks, the election cycle last year was pretty rough, but at least no one had to deal with the infectious undead at the polls.
I really enjoyed reading this. It was just the right balance of zombie action and behind-the-scenes drama. The first chapter is a dramatic chase scene where the Mason siblings try to escape a small horde of zombies who have managed to sneak up on them in an infested zone. If two people on a small motorcycle trying to escape a group of flesh-hungry undead isn't enough to grab your attention, then you may possibly be a zombie yourself.
The characters are fleshed out fairly well, though you are limited to interactions from the point of view of Georgia "George" Mason. This means that the only characters you really get attached to are the Mason siblings themselves, since the other members of the cast don't interact with her as much. The restriction to her point of view works well to develop the central mystery of the book, too, since her limited interaction gives you a good list of suspects for who is trying to sabotage (and possibly murder) Senator Ryman.
The setting is interesting, as the author chooses to set things in a modern world where humans haven't totally lost control of the situation. Sure, there are areas that are completely overrun by the undead, but things haven't deteriorated to the point where we aren't able to get things like electricity, internet, gasoline, ammo, or groceries. There was an initial panic, sure, but after that, things settled into a routine that just happened to involve zombies and a healthy dose of paranoia. The virus itself has limitations built into it, so the only threat comes from things that are over 40 pounds in weight. This means that, unlike other zombie novels I've read, there's no risk of infection from something like a zombie squirrel or a mosquito bite, but it doesn't rule out interspecies transmission entirely.
The only criticism I had for this was the identity and motive for the "bad guy". I don't want to give anything away, but when I got to the part that revealed the "who" and "why", I admit that I did roll my eyes a lot because it was a little one-dimensional. Believable, sure, but in a way predictable. I was expecting more of a twist than what I got.
I'd recommend this book to people who liked Max Brooks's World War Z, or to young adults who enjoy stuff like The Walking Dead and are waiting for the next season to start. As a zombie novel, it's pretty tame violence-wise. There's minimal description of gore and guts, so squeamish readers don't need to worry.
I am looking forward to reading more books in the Newsflesh series. I am hoping that other books will detail how other countries and areas handled the zombie outbreak. Unfortunately, I have another library book that's due in a few days, so I won't be able to jump immediately into the second book, Deadline, so look forward to that later.
The Mason siblings are bloggers in a not-so-distant future when the world has been overrun with zombies. It's actually a pretty lucrative career, since bloggers have become more trusted news sources than traditional journalism. Bloggers were the first to break the news of actual zombie infections back when media outlets were still dismissing zombie videos as the product of too many George Romero movies. There are three types of bloggers: Newsies - who report on the facts, Fictionals - who write poetry and short stories about the state of the world, and Irwins - who go around in infested zones poking zombies with sticks to get a reaction (and a lot more website traffic).
After a particularly successful and suspenseful day poking zombies, the blogging team of the Mason's website After the End Times receives a much-anticipated message - they have been selected as the exclusive blogging team to follow Senator Ryman on his campaign to win his party's presidential candidate nomination. A chance like this only comes along once in a lifetime, and is the sort of thing that will set the Mason team up for life. The campaign trail of the post-Rising era is fraught with drama and danger, and politics post-Rising have taken on an additional tint of paranoia with the threat of zombie outbreaks at campaign locations. In fact, it was almost brushed off as routine when zombies broke through the defense lines at a campaign stop in Oklahoma.
And then a zombie outbreak occurred at Senator Ryman's home just as he was receiving the party's nomination. The Masons soon find themselves gripping the zombie tiger by the tail, and the consequences of the presidential election might have greater worldwide repercussions than ever imagined.
Just remember, folks, the election cycle last year was pretty rough, but at least no one had to deal with the infectious undead at the polls.
I really enjoyed reading this. It was just the right balance of zombie action and behind-the-scenes drama. The first chapter is a dramatic chase scene where the Mason siblings try to escape a small horde of zombies who have managed to sneak up on them in an infested zone. If two people on a small motorcycle trying to escape a group of flesh-hungry undead isn't enough to grab your attention, then you may possibly be a zombie yourself.
The characters are fleshed out fairly well, though you are limited to interactions from the point of view of Georgia "George" Mason. This means that the only characters you really get attached to are the Mason siblings themselves, since the other members of the cast don't interact with her as much. The restriction to her point of view works well to develop the central mystery of the book, too, since her limited interaction gives you a good list of suspects for who is trying to sabotage (and possibly murder) Senator Ryman.
The setting is interesting, as the author chooses to set things in a modern world where humans haven't totally lost control of the situation. Sure, there are areas that are completely overrun by the undead, but things haven't deteriorated to the point where we aren't able to get things like electricity, internet, gasoline, ammo, or groceries. There was an initial panic, sure, but after that, things settled into a routine that just happened to involve zombies and a healthy dose of paranoia. The virus itself has limitations built into it, so the only threat comes from things that are over 40 pounds in weight. This means that, unlike other zombie novels I've read, there's no risk of infection from something like a zombie squirrel or a mosquito bite, but it doesn't rule out interspecies transmission entirely.
The only criticism I had for this was the identity and motive for the "bad guy". I don't want to give anything away, but when I got to the part that revealed the "who" and "why", I admit that I did roll my eyes a lot because it was a little one-dimensional. Believable, sure, but in a way predictable. I was expecting more of a twist than what I got.
I'd recommend this book to people who liked Max Brooks's World War Z, or to young adults who enjoy stuff like The Walking Dead and are waiting for the next season to start. As a zombie novel, it's pretty tame violence-wise. There's minimal description of gore and guts, so squeamish readers don't need to worry.
I am looking forward to reading more books in the Newsflesh series. I am hoping that other books will detail how other countries and areas handled the zombie outbreak. Unfortunately, I have another library book that's due in a few days, so I won't be able to jump immediately into the second book, Deadline, so look forward to that later.
Friday, January 6, 2017
First post of 2017!
Ah, the feeling of posting on a fresh year. It's like being the first person to walk across a fresh field of snow...
Speaking of snow, we are currently expecting Snowpocalypse 2K17. I have already made the customary trip to the grocery store for milk and bread. Hopefully, we won't lose power.
So, the first read of 2017 will be Feed by Mira Grant. Nothing says optimism for the new year like a zombie novel. So far, it's pretty good, and I'm looking forward to reviewing it.
I have been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, too. My new favorite podcast is King Falls A.M. . It's a lot like Welcome to Nightvale, but more X-files and supernatural activity and less Lovecraft and government experimentation. I love the interaction between Ben and Sammy. They play well off of one another. But my favorite interaction was between Ben and the crew of Mission: Apparition, where they had an argument entirely in boy-band song quotes.
Another podcast I enjoy listening to is The Myths and Legends Podcast, which I may have mentioned here before. These are basically bedtime stories for adults. The stories are well-researched and told in a fun, approachable manner. It makes for great supplementary material for college literature classes, or just to have something to listen to when you're cleaning the house. There are a lot of Western myths and legends, but he does take suggestions for non-Western stories, which he then researches and presents. Even if you think you know a story, you should listen to his version of it - you're bound to hear a new twist on it.
Hopefully in 2017, I'll be able to post more often. I want to talk more about books, and other things, too. Do you have any requests or suggestions for posts? Drop me a comment!
Speaking of snow, we are currently expecting Snowpocalypse 2K17. I have already made the customary trip to the grocery store for milk and bread. Hopefully, we won't lose power.
So, the first read of 2017 will be Feed by Mira Grant. Nothing says optimism for the new year like a zombie novel. So far, it's pretty good, and I'm looking forward to reviewing it.
I have been listening to a lot of podcasts lately, too. My new favorite podcast is King Falls A.M. . It's a lot like Welcome to Nightvale, but more X-files and supernatural activity and less Lovecraft and government experimentation. I love the interaction between Ben and Sammy. They play well off of one another. But my favorite interaction was between Ben and the crew of Mission: Apparition, where they had an argument entirely in boy-band song quotes.
Another podcast I enjoy listening to is The Myths and Legends Podcast, which I may have mentioned here before. These are basically bedtime stories for adults. The stories are well-researched and told in a fun, approachable manner. It makes for great supplementary material for college literature classes, or just to have something to listen to when you're cleaning the house. There are a lot of Western myths and legends, but he does take suggestions for non-Western stories, which he then researches and presents. Even if you think you know a story, you should listen to his version of it - you're bound to hear a new twist on it.
Hopefully in 2017, I'll be able to post more often. I want to talk more about books, and other things, too. Do you have any requests or suggestions for posts? Drop me a comment!
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