Shooting Star Dreamer

 As anime series wind down to a close, we're left with a last taste in the form of an ending. The ending is the glue to the story; putting everything that has led up to this point into a single idea. While the rest of the anime can have a message, the end is a way to leave that message with the viewer. In a way, the ending is something magical as it allows watchers to carry part of the anime with them in their hearts. So with something that has this much of an effect on anime watchers, we can assume that endings can make or break an anime. There are recent examples we can examine to see how the conclusion of the anime plays a role in it's success or failure. We can split them into two categories of endings: ones that hurt the anime and others that helped them.  This might contain a few spoilers so readers beware. The Makers Angels Beats: While the whole anime was amazing, the ending sealed the deal. The ending was amazing in the way that it addressed the obvious, ...

What good is a perfect character anyways? Throughout my days of watching anime and being an otaku, I've seen that being perfect in a way, is flawed. Few people would be interested in watching a character who goes through life without any form of struggle or trouble. We love characters who are flawed because we can relate ourselves to them. The one word you hear mostly when it comes to fictional characters is development. That flawed character of ours has to progress in some way right? Similarly to humans, characters change and grow during the series. These changes can be for the better or worse. Again, the same happens with humans. I'm sure everyone who watches anime can relate to at least one character. There's one that stands apart from the others. You feel the same emotions as them, react the same way, maybe even share personalities; but they're almost like an alternate version of you. Hold on a minute! They're not you...they may act and feel like y...

As you may or may not know, I don't just run a blog, but I also write fiction in the form of light novels. Throughout my endeavors, I ran into a major problem. I have so many great character designs, but no artistic ability. So what to do if I want to put these ideas into concrete images? Well, there's a couple of options, some free, some not. I'll give you a quick list of the resources I use. Soul Calibur IV/V - Character Creation ~ About 20 dollars or less to buy It's not this in-depth, but you can even plan out concept art like this with pre-designed features in game. Sorry guys, no pictures of my customs for now. (PS3 is currently dead.) This is my main platform for visualizing my characters. I didn't buy either game for the purpose of doing it, but the great system is something that led to numerous characters. Although great, it's not without flaws. There were a few things that irked me when it came to customization. First, I'll sta...

What's taking the English Dub so long? No, not the show on Nick dealing with air and fire. Sorry, I'm not talking about blue people either. How about the pictures we use to represent ourselves? Maybe, but not quite. If you couldn't tell, I've become interested in a new series. Yes, it's Cardfight!! Vanguard . A while ago I checked the series out, and fell asleep instantly. Fast forward a bit, and here we are. I picked it up one more time, and loved it. It's one of the best animes I've ever seen. What really drew me in was the main character Aichi Sendou. He's a timid, soft-spoken boy, who is looked down upon. No one thought much of him, and he lived his life looking backwards instead of forward. All of this changed once he got involved in the game known as Vanguard. Looking at Aichi, from almost every moment of the series I could completely relate to him. It was as if I was looking at myself in the mirror. Seeing him grow and develop a...

Whats Makes The Main Character? Aichi Sendou ~ Cardfight!! Vanguard The main character or protagonist, is usually the center of attention. They're known for being somewhat different than others, like an underdog, or master of a trade. We know of many leading characters, but what makes main characters so attractive; what makes them so worthwhile that the story naturally unfolds around them? A Special Trait Yugi Muto~ Yugioh Instead of being some top ranked champion fighter, or a high class warrior, the protagonist is a normal person. They go about their business until something  happens. Before we know it, our average guy is the possessor of some psychic ability. The orphan is the heir to an ancient clan. The silent genius is secretly psychotic. Each one is a normal character, with a twist. It's the twist that ends up making the character. Who wants to watch a regular human being, when we are already living that life? It's almost the same as watch...

Each day we write or tell stories in some way. Maybe you're lost writing an epic novel. The hero comes to the end of road to find what? Could you be writing an intergalactic exploration? Is that black hole staring you  right in the face? Perhaps you're a fanfic pro, but you've seem to lost your luster. You could just be the average guy or girl, telling a story of your day. Whatever you are, writer's block happens to everyone. Sure, you can throw your hands up and give in, but what good will that do? I think how we deal with writer's block relates to our lives. I feel as if we live our lives on autopilot. We feel the same things and maintain the same schedule. We fiddle with our smartphones, laptops, and desktops. We peruse the internet, mindlessly visiting the same sites awaiting a new update. Even when it comes to anime, we see the same things. The tsunderes, the silent protagonist, the villain that no one likes. Aside from the programmed responses we have...

   While anime is all fun and games, we're also learning without realizing it. I've been an avid watcher since childhood, and I picked up a few things. Do you ever question yourself and wonder why you act the way you do? Why is it that when I run into another otaku, I'm always greeted in such a friendly fashion? Is friendliness a running trait between an otaku? Is anime actually teaching us? Let's find out!     The Language     Majority of anime is in the Japanese. By watching series to series, one starts to pick up words that are commonly used in anime. For me, anime was the reason I became interested in the Japanese. I started researching words, learning different phrases and sentences. I listened to conversations in Japanese, and even started to speak it around the house. Of course my family had no clue what I was saying, but I didn't care. It was great practice.    There are times when knowing a bit of Japanese has...

  Also known as the bane of anime, fillers are episodes hated by viewers. They are considered to be a complete waste of time and distraction from the original plot. Sure, that's what the majority has to say, but I actually like fillers. Before you write me off as crazy, hear me out.     They actually add more to the story .   Sure, they may not be considered "canon,"(a term that means part of the real plot.) but a few are pretty interesting. Have you ever picked up a really good anime or manga? Did you immerse yourself in the story until you reached the end? You're sometimes left with that empty feeling, a want for more.     The fillers provide me with a way to fill that emptiness. They draw out the story and show us parts of the character's everyday life that we wouldn't usually get to see. Maybe the things that go on aren't to your liking, or you might not  care. Still you shouldn't rid yourself of them, you might actually...

Naruto Uzumaki    People always say video games and television will rot our brains. I've never believed them, at least not about video games. Depending on what you read and experience, your own personality will change. Yeah, it shocked me at first to, but apparently it's true.    So take a look at yourself right now. Think about the character who you relate to, or maybe a character you look up to. Do you have that picture in your head? Now think about how they act, and then compare that to the way you act. There's surprising similarities right?   This happens when you lose yourself in a fictional element or character. You start to take on traits of the person. There's an actual name for this, it's called experience-taking 2D versus 3D anyone?    According to the research from this  article , it can cause temporary changes, and even permanent changes in the viewer's personality. I think that's great for some of us who wat...