Shooting Star Dreamer

With the recent issues with anime listing and database website MyAnimeList  (MAL), people have started scrambling for alternatives. The site was completely down for some time, eventually returning with numerous features being disabled. This problem was due to the website's API, however this was not communicated publicly at first. More info on the MyAnimeList situation can be explained below, with outside sources for relevancy. Otherwise, I'd like to recommend a few alternatives for those who wish to switch services, as well as the pros and cons of each.  If you're here just for the recommendations feel free to skip the section below! For More Information on the MyAnimeList Situation This is a statement and comment thread from the developer of Taiga , which is an application used to track anime videos on your computer and auto add them to listing websites. This is used mostly to manage things like MyAnimeList without the need for manual updates. This now works most...

Hello everyone, and welcome back to another post! This post announces my return to blogging, while taking a little inspiration from the opening lyrics of my new favorite series: RWBY! The song is labeled as The Triumph , which is a fitting name for such an upbeat song. You can listen to the song below at the linked video. (Don't worry the video has no spoilers, but you might want to avoid the comments if you're worried about that.) RWBY (expect more posts on RWBY soon), and the opening song The Triumph are inspiring to me. The song starts off from a defeated point of view, explaining the current situation and how things feel somewhat hopeless. Afterwards, the piece builds into a triumphant roar, stating that despite the past and regardless of all obstacles, there will be a way to overcome it all. This escalates from a possibility for change or aimless living, to blatantly declaring the will to survive and persevere. The overall theme deals with having the courage to kee...

Gaming comes across to some as mindless button mashing, but there's a deeper meaning to it all. Whether it's building values, connecting with characters, or learning real life concepts, there's much more going on under the surface when it comes to video games. The Super Mario Bros. Series (or any Mario game) is a game that this applies to. It's outreach spreads so far that most people who have picked up a controller have given it a try. The game outright is a pretty simple platformer, with various elements to make things more interesting. To the average gamer, collecting coins and stomping enemies is what Mario is about, but perhaps we're learning life lessons subconsciously as well. Below I'm going to list a few lessons from Mario that I picked up. Let me know in the comments if you've recognized any others or have a different take on things! Money is beneficial, but it will only get you so far! Coin collection is huge in Mario games. Wi...

Hey everyone! It's the end of the year, which means out with 2017 and in with 2018. Of course, this means a new year filled with new things, which also includes new anime! I usually do a New Year's Resolution-focused post, but I thought I'd switch things up this time around. Instead, I'd like to share a very short post that showcases the anime I watched in 2017; the one's I enjoyed the most. As a disclaimer, the following anime weren't necessarily ones that aired this year, but were ones I decided to watch this year. I'm posting them here, because I want to recommend them to you all! Owari no Seraph & Owari no Seraph: Battle in Nagoya What I liked: Nice action sequences, good characters and development. First season started off with a bang, and the second followed through quite well. Emotional moments were present throughout the entire season. What could be better: Plot-twists came out of nowhere and didn't really make sense, poor use of...

In many ways we are connected to anime; through our thoughts and our feelings. Since anime is a creation of the mind, it is natural for us to share traits with the characters. We may have common birthdays, similar zodiac signs, and ideals. Perhaps we even share personalities. Recently, I've been doing a lot of reading on Psychology and personality types. The most fascinating aspect to me is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator ; a type of test to examine the way you think. It's primary goal is to assist in development and create psychological understanding. Quick Link to Take the Test At first, this test might be off-putting. Being summed up by a couple of letters may feel weird, and some may find it hard to believe. The key aspect of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is not to categorize and box people-in, but to reveal how the mind works and most importantly how you think. This is done by the use of a four letter system. Each letter is ranked similarly to an RPG c...

Today is July 22nd and marks the birthday of Nico Yazawa, a high school idol from the popular anime Love Live: School Idol Project ! This post is a quick spotlight on Nico, a character who is not only adored by anime fans, but known around the internet. As a quick overview, Nico is a pretty eccentric character. She is a third-year student in high school which is equivalent to senior level in the United States. This puts her age around 17-18, which means she's one of the older characters in the series. Despite this she still has a young appearance and is short in comparison to everyone else. Being born on July 22nd makes her the zodiac sign Cancer, which is a water element. Characteristics of this sign are emotional capabilities and sensitivity. They also care deeply about the things important to them. This can be reflected in Nico's expressiveness and her devotion to her career. Outside of the anime, Nico is also an internet sensation. Her trademark saying, ...

Credit to the artist: Balitix With the immense popularity of Splatoon behind us, the sequel is off to a similar start. Although the game hasn't officially released, players have gotten a taste of what's in store through various previews. What's most interesting to me though, are the fan's responses to the new musical characters: Pearl and Marina. Although both characters are loved, I'd like to focus on Marina; specifically because she's drawn the most attention out of the two. Marina At a Glance In the game of Splatoon , Marina is a creature known as an Octoling. She differs greatly from the usual squid-kid characters called Inklings. She has octopus tentacles for hair and slightly different facial features. The reason why her inclusion is so shocking to players is because the Inklings and Octolings were pretty much enemies in the previous game. It's odd for her to appear and be welcomed into their civilization. Marina is also described ...