A Letter To Midousuji

A Letter To Midousuji

Saturday, October 25, 2014 / No Comments

Dear Midousuji,

Congratulations. You have finally overestimated your abilities in the Inter-High tournament. Self-absorption is harmful in the long run, didn't anybody inform you of that? You haven't had the slightest idea how severe the damage could be, and merely continued pedalling like a monstrous lunatic along the curves and such. I happen to agree with a handful of spectators - you are the gross one, not your opponents. I mean, you don't even value your own team members. In your eyes, everybody else is a pawn.

Frankly, watching your episode has little effect on my impression of you. I know that you probably don't give a bull about criticisms and opinions since those were never in your field of concern anyways. Nonetheless, your streak of winnings is just a page off the archives. The truth is, the Inter-High is still about teamwork. Your personal gain does nothing to propel Kyoto Fushimi to where it deserves to be. I'm so glad that your opponents have finally destroyed your confidence towards the remaining few metres of the second day.

It has been said that athletes have great teeth, or at least that was what your mother had told you. Your mother was a beautiful soul. Even during times of pain and discomfort, she would continue to encourage you with a smile. Your mother said that you would make a great athlete despite your lack of athleticism in most sports. However, I'm not sure if she would feel proud knowing about your manipulative personality for the purpose of attaining personal glory. What your mother wanted to see was the growth of a true athlete in her son. Then again, that isn't any of my concern to intrude. I wish the episode was about something else though.

Who could ever forget the cruel tactics that you played on Imaizumi-kun and Shinkai-san in the previous season? Winning isn't everything, however the traumatic experience had triggered a rather frightening character from Imaizumi-kun who had initially thought of nothing but beating everybody else in his way. Yet unlike you, Imaizumi-kun understands the importance of teamwork and the sheer fact that there are some things which he is unable to achieve on his own. Team Sohoku has come a very long way, whether you acknowledge it or not. Hakone isn't to be messed around with either.

I believe that you will be crossing paths with Onoda-kun again pretty soon. Onoda-kun is the unpredictable force that never fails to intrigue others. Then again, he could easily become another pest in your eyes. Perhaps you have already got something up your sleeve? Onoda-kun isn't somebody who would easily suspect others of anything. You probably don't come across as a threat to him because of that. Anyway, Onoda-kun is an otaku so...do you have a favourite manga or anime? His favourite series is Love Hime.

Honestly, just how much wider could those eyes of yours stretch across the face? I don't know if I'm the only person who thinks that underneath all those skin actually hides a gruesome monster from outer space. Of course, I know that I'm being rude by saying that but I'm sure it doesn't bother you a tiny bit. I mean, you even sleep with your eyes wide open! Anyway, that makes an antagonist a lot more identifiable. Your limbs are so flexible. Do you practice yoga or something? Nope, I'm not praising you. Then again, it is a miracle that I'm actually dedicating a letter to you. There must be something in that coffee. Oh well, whatever.

Like it or not, I know that I will be seeing you again anyway. Meanwhile, just get a grip of yourself.

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪

A Letter To Miwa Haruka

A Letter To Miwa Haruka

Tuesday, August 15, 2017 / No Comments

Dear Haruka,

Ogenki desuka? I hope this letter doesn't come across as startling, though I believe you certainly have no lack of love and admiration everywhere. I think writing letters isn't so common anymore, since technology has long consumed humans with its ever increasing upgrades. I wonder if there are still others who yearn for that hint of simplicity like the good old days? Speaking of which, I hear that you work in a farm! How is that for a tranquil life? I kind of like the idea of barnyard animals running across the fields, except that calling them back would be a hassle!

More importantly, you are the mascot for Milkcananime. How befitting! You know, cows and milk and...well, just about everything in here comes around pretty nicely. Gosh, you are a tall one, aren't you? Hey, you should consider taking part in some competition! I don't know if you have heard, but recently there has been some revival of a swimsuit competition though it isn't going too well to say the least! Have you done modelling? Those legs would make a great advertisement for fried chicken wings...I mean, milk...never mind.

So, you are going to turn 21 in a few months! Has adulthood changed much of your life? Well, I would think the farm is a little too peaceful most of the time for a youngster! Do you go on a big trip somewhere? I think an adventure would be awesome, especially when you have the luxury of time and such on your side! Hmm, I wonder if cows are allowed to travel with people? Not by air, of course! 

Oh, before I sign off...I have a little confession to make. Do you know you are actually on a t-shirt? Yeah, I wear that from time to time. It is super comfortable...the t-shirt I mean. It also represents something else much bigger. Anyway, thank you for being who you are! Moo...

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪

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How To Keep A Mummy

How To Keep A Mummy

Wednesday, February 24, 2016 / No Comments

Hello readers! We are just a few days away from March, and I must say that I have long given up thinking about what would lie ahead since the mind needs to be constantly conditioned to be able to process and digest, to the point where there isn't really much space left for other stuff to come in. An old classmate on Facebook has indicated an interest in attending Anime Festival Asia 2016, and I'm like...okay, isn't that stretching things a little too far? Or maybe I'm just a snail in denial or something. Anyway, the weather is acting up crazily again. Do replenish those fluids and keep cool. Yesterday, it had rained pretty much the entire day but I was still perspiring from the invisible sun. Right now, the fan at home is at full blast. Let's see just how effective that is.

Would anybody fancy the idea of keeping a mummy for a pet? Yeah, the one with an entire hospital's supply of bandages wrapped around its body. Well, before anybody flees off in fear of being cursed, this particular mummy is so sinfully adorable that there is no way to push it out of the mind. Meet Mi-kun, the palm-sized mummy which has become an important presence in the house and life of Kashiwagi Sora, a high-school student whose father is a self-proclaimed adventurer frequently absent in his son's life. However, Sora's father extremely dotes on him, and in the beginning a really huge, odd-shaped package arrives at Sora's doorstep. Upon opening it, Sora discovers a coffin and a thick letter that is filled with mushiness.

Until Mi-kun's timely arrival, Sora was supposedly rather immune to his father's weird antics since he would often receive strange presents from his father's adventures, from a sinister-looking doll to a killer scarecrow. Well, not quite so after what the father had mentioned in his letter that he hopes Sora and the mummy will get along nicely like a family. As if on cue, the coffin begins to tremble eerily, causing Sora to grab some household item in self-defence. The mummy soon slides out of that coffin, having exhausted all its might just from pushing the lid. Yeah, the mummy is so tiny! As the sight is totally different from what Sora had expected, he becomes even more fearful.

It turns out that the mummy is virtually harmless and like an actual pet. An apprehensive Sora is just as confused if not more so over the peculiar figure which is alarmingly emotional and would tear up almost every few seconds. After a failed attempt to roll it back to Egypt, Sora decides to temporarily let the mummy move about and help with a little housework. Naturally, that quickly becomes out of the question as the mummy nearly drowns inside a pot full of undone dishes and dishwashing liquid. Following that, it clings onto Sora tightly while the latter becomes even more baffled with the situation. After much scuffle along the way, Sora tries to calm the mummy down by calling it Mi-kun. Mi-kun takes that gesture as a permission to stay with Sora.

How To Keep A Mummy is created by Utsugi Kakeru, and the first tankoubon was released just recently on 12th of February. The front cover art is simply irresistible! Mi-kun looks so adorable and loving next to Sora. I'm glad that I bought this. The concept is certainly refreshing, and the illustration style has enticed me to check the manga out even more! The bond between Sora and Mi-kun gradually becomes inseparable. Reading their stories has definitely made me wish for a pet mummy as well! I have never had a pet before, unless a Tamagotchi still counts as one. Anyway, I recommend How To Keep A Mummy to anybody who has always wanted a pet in their lives.

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪  

A Letter To Handa-kun

A Letter To Handa-kun

Friday, December 26, 2014 / No Comments

Dear Handa-kun,

I know that this isn't the most polite manner to address you, however please bear in mind that I'm dedicating this letter to the 17 year-old Handa Sei (which also happens to be your real name). Besides, your life as a second-year high school student has been contained in a manga series aptly titled Handa-kun, which is essentially a spin-off of Barakamon created by mangaka Yoshino Satsuki. It would be quite challenging from now on to keep a part of my attention divided between two ongoing series. On a side note, recently I've purchased the ninth tankoubon of the Taiwan edition of Barakamon (sorry I'm still not entirely confident of reading your misadventures in their original text peppered with dialect). Anyway, I'm pretty excited (?) about discovering what life had been like for you six years ago.

Those 'humble beginnings' were completely ignored (maybe they never existed in the very first place) as the first chapter wasted no time in explaining your identity and family background. The various achievements seemed to have triggered some serious degree of social awkwardness and such, for you constantly released a frightening aura around you. 'Handa Wall' couldn't be more befitting! By the way, I love that sling-bag. Later, I realised that your mind was easily prone to persecutory delusions. Then again, with that scary (for lack of a better word) facial expression, why would others want to keep provoking you?

Your unnecessary, self-inflicted actions were nonetheless a fine trail of comic relief especially when those delusions finally got deflected by reality. Then, you decided to kick things up a notch by solving a Math problem using your prized calligraphy brush! Were you aiming to moonlight as a stand-up comedian or something? Come to think of it, your increasingly morbid delusions would make awesome material. But you must had been relieved though, for you weren't the only one feeling so.

Anyway, it was still quite relieving (?) to witness a conventional (?) friendship between you and Kawafuji Takao. Yeah, the person who would later become your manager of sorts and an art dealer. However, it seemed like you could only act 'normal' around Takao, and anything beyond that would automatically set off your complexities which I realised had never ever gotten better. Dude, you need to relax more. Seriously, now I wonder about the foundations of your friendship with Takao. That episode at the art supplies store was just unbelievable! At that rate of how things were happening, you would someday wind up as a vegetable.

On a lighter note, your misadventures were chronicled by attaching either an event or another person to your name. Honestly, even Takao had vouched for your friendliness though in his quirky ways. It would be great to have a little sense of humour in your everyday life and take certain things with a pinch of salt. By the way, should I congratulate you for 'winning' the class rep election? Nah, quit that gloomy face!

Oh, I didn't mention this before...I was pleasantly surprised to see the much younger selves of Miwa, Tama and Naru 'at that time before Barakamon'! The girls looked really adorable there! No worries, despite now that they have grown so much the cuteness has gone up as well (particularly in Naru). While I've got no idea just how long your life as Handa-kun is going to be told by Yoshino-sensei, I definitely wouldn't mind tagging along. The perspective is rather refreshing. Of course, I will still see you back in Barakamon.

Remember to loosen up more! Ogenki de.

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪

The iPhone X Mini Theatre

The iPhone X Mini Theatre

Sunday, November 19, 2017 / No Comments

Everything started unexpectedly on a very, very, very early morning...technically, it was closer to midnight than dawn. However, something still happened somewhere, and it began with a heated argument. Kind of.

Come on, *****! Pick up your **** ******* phone! You are only pretending to sleep, so quit ignoring me! Who the **** do you think you are, huh! You aren't some royal ****, so listen up...get your own ****** **** phone!!!

Eeeeeeeeeeeh! But I don't want to go out! Going out makes me tired and sleepy! Besides, my dainty feet will grow blisters if I have to queue for more than a minute. Aren't you my big, strong man? Go get it for me, won't you? I mean, you dig that stuff, right?

Boy: So, this is it?
Girl: Yeah, my girlfriends said so. I am not very sure myself though...
Boy: Well, should I open it?
Girl: I could if you want. After all, I am the one who brought you into this...
Boy: Don't be silly! I mean, this isn't going to go off or anything, right?
Girl: At the count of three?
Boy: Okay, one...
Girl: Two...
Boy: And...

So I was shopping for groceries at the supermarket after school, and out of nowhere this suspicious-looking man appeared with a black envelope that had no label whatsoever. He quickly thrusted it into my hands and disappeared into the crowd! I thought it might be poison, so I promptly disposed it into the bin. My classmate said I should have had opened the envelope though...a love letter, perhaps? But why would anybody seal up a love letter in black? Anyway, more rice?

Oooooh...what is this? I feel as if I had just taken a trip to the unknown! I can't quite describe this sensation...somebody help? Gosh, I wish I could tell the rest how this feels...hmm, such a delicate beauty! What are the odds of having eyes this sparkly all of a sudden? I feel like an anime character...hold it, I am an anime character! Are you sure I can use this?

Boy: Dad says he is buying me a mobile phone...
Girl: Ah, so our crazy, little plaything has finally driven him nuts?
Boy: I believe so. Is your mum taking you shopping?
Girl: Yeah, I saw her slotting in my Dad's credit card.
Boy: Who says hard work doesn't pay off?
Girl: Who says.

The new iPhone X. Well, it won't remain new forever...

Eccentrically Yours.

Written by J.Fluffysheep ♪

It's a Day for a Feel-Good show

It's a Day for a Feel-Good show

Saturday, August 21, 2021 / No Comments

An anime a day keeps a bad mood away 一 especially if it’s a feel-good one. Comfort anime are my favourite to binge. If that’s the same for you, here are some wholesome watches for you.

1. Gakuen Babysitters

I can barely go five minutes into this anime without squealing. This show, in a nutshell, is about a group of students in a babysitters club, taking care of babies. Our protagonist is a kind-hearted boy, Ryuuichi, who comes with a little baby brother of his own named Kotaro. 

Quiet, well-behaved sweet Kataro paired with cheerful and gentle Ryuuichi make the most wholesome duo. Their interactions can melt the most cold-hearted person into a gooey mess of “Awwwww, that’s so cute!”. 

As an episodic series, this show lets you accompany the students and babies while they face their ups and downs together; particularly Ryuuichi’s interactions with the people around him and how they impact each others’ lives. Other characters include the stone-faced handsome Kamitami, his tsundere baby brother, and many more.

With Gakuen Babysitters, it is simply a lighthearted anime meant to watch without much thought or worry. So sit back, enjoy the pastel visuals and prepare to get bombarded by cuteness.

2. Handa-Kun

Sometimes when I find a binge-worthy anime, it surprises me how little people know of it. Handa-kun is one of them. A prequel of the anime Barakamon, this can easily be watched as a standalone series (that’s what I did). 

Handa is the most popular student in his school. Looks and fame 一 he has the two traits anyone would yearn for. What’s the issue then? Well, he doesn’t believe he possesses any of that. Instead, he deeply believes that he is the most hated student in school. 

And that, my friends, is the highlight of this anime. It also makes up 90% of the show’s comedy, the remaining 10% being the absurdity of the people around him. 

Convinced that his entire school hates him with a burning passion, Handa goes to extreme means to cope with this mindset. From jumping into alleys to avoid schoolmates to treating a love letter as a challenge letter, you will be guaranteed a hearty laugh at the ridiculousness of it all. 

For some reason, despite his deep insecurities and abnormal behaviour, Handa has unknowingly crossed paths with and made a memorable impression on some rather… interesting people. 

Introducing the Handa Squad: We have an obsessive and uptight class president, a “painfully average” boy, a flashy model, and a former-femboy-turned-gangster. Not enough? There’s also a borderline yandere and an extreme-feminist student council president to add to the spice. 

Watch this anime without expecting anything and you’ll have the time of your life. Side effects include the desire to watch the original series, known as Barakamon. 

3. Saiki K

Saiki K is hands down, one of my favourite animes ever. And in my opinion, it’s also one of the funniest. I’m not sure if I can bring justice to how great this series is, but I’ll try my best. 

Saiki Kusuo, a deadpan high school student, is a powerful psychic who thinks his powers are a curse. Psychokinesis? You bend spoons all the time when you try to eat. Telepathy? You hear the nonsense that everyone at a certain distance from you is thinking. X-ray vision? You see everything as just bones and flesh. 

One of his main goals is to stay lowkey and prevent anyone from finding out about his powers. However, despite his stoic and quiet character, Saiki attracts a variety of the most unusual and unique people. 

The list contains a 16-year-old who thinks he has hidden powers meant to save the world, a girl who deems herself to be “perfect” both inside and out, a tough-looking guy who’s so dim-witted that Saiki can’t even read his thoughts, and many many more. Despite having a bunch of characters, you don’t get tired of them and each of them is memorable (and weird) in their own way.  

Every episode is only around five minutes, which is perfect for those with short attention spans like me. Despite being a comedy taking place in a school setting, every episode keeps you on your toes and cracks you up in its own way. Its humour is extremely fast-paced so by the time you’ve registered the joke, it hits you with yet another one, leaving you in a constant laughing state. 

To fully understand the gold of this anime, you have to give it a try yourself. If you find yourself rewatching it obsessively for the next few weeks… you’re welcome. 

P.S. A bonus anime: Tanaka-Kun is always listless

I think the title explains the show itself. Top it off with an adorable boy and off you go! 

Written by Potato.

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