I think I have a greater appreciation for the silly Nanami episodes after several full rewatches of RGU

On my first watch, I was so hooked on the mystery and intrigue of the main plot that all I wanted was to find out what was going on, so every time a Nanami episode came on I’d be like oh great this means I have to go another full episode without finding out more about this story!

But now that I know everything that happens, the Nanami episodes provide a much needed respite from the darkness of the main storyline. Plus I am able to interpret/appreciate their value and symbolism outside of comic relief as well

My Favorite Character from each of my Favorite Anime

Hi! I’ve done a few separate posts about my top 10 anime and my favorite anime characters, but I decided I’d combine those ideas into one post and try and pick out my favorite character from each of my favorite anime. This is going to be hard because I know I have multiple favorites for most of these, but I will do my best. Let’s go!

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood- Hohenheim

I usually cycle between Ed, Hohenheim, and Mustang being my favorite character, but recently it’s been Hohenheim. I think he’s both under appreciated and misunderstood by the FMAB fandom. Long story short, I love characters riddled with guilt (not sure what this says about me lol). If you’re interested, I’ve already written a whole post about how much I love him!

Revolutionary Girl Utena- Utena

I always shift between Utena and Anthy being my favorite, but I really have loved Utena from the start. I find it very compelling how she hides her internal anguish behind her cheerful, positive persona.

Toradora- Taiga

I’ve already written so much about Taiga (in this post, spoilers) so there’s not much else to say besides that I’m the number 1 Taiga defender. I love her, she reminds me of myself in some ways, she’s great. I think she’s the perfect example of a ‘flawed’ protagonist.

Chihayafuru- Chihaya

Chihaya is such a ray of sunshine, comic relief, and a total fuck up, and yet she is an incredible karuta prodigy and the protagonist of the show. She is also one of the most realistic neurodivergent-coded characters I’ve ever seen. I think it’s fun how she defies expectations as well; she has the appearance of a beautiful cool model, but as soon as other characters talk to her they realize how much of a nerd she is.

March Comes in like a Lion- Hina

There are a lot of sub-plots and semi-important characters in this show, but the side character that I was always the most interested in was Hina. I think the way she is so open about her emotions is inspiring, and as she goes through hardships it’s nice to see how she matures while also maintaining her cheerful attitude.

Your Lie in April- Tsubaki

I haven’t watched this anime in a long time, but I do know that when I first watched it my favorite character was Tsubaki for sure. Her unrequited love plot line was heart wrenching and compelling.

Love is War- Ishigami

I also cycle between a few favorite characters in Love is War (I adore both Shirogane and Kaguya of course) but at this point in the story in the anime, Ishigami is my favorite. I think he is such a realistic portrayal of an insecure, awkward teen, and I love how noble and selfless he is behind the scenes.

Haikyuu- Kageyama

What else is there to say, truly? I loved Kageyama the second he was introduced. His dynamic with Hinata is what makes the show, and his stubborn, cold personality is something I tend to be drawn to when it comes to my favorite kinds of characters.

Madoka Magica- Homura

Sayaka is a really really close second, but after finishing the series for the first time I couldn’t get Homura’s story out of my head. Her determination and willpower are honestly unmatched, and each new watch of the show makes me appreciate her more.

Monster- Dieter

I feel like Dieter may seem like an odd choice for a favorite; as you may expect, Tenma (many people’s favorite I’d assume) is probably a close second for me. But I think I liked Dieter so much because he was proof that love and support are capable of saving even the most traumatized individual. He was so cute and I loved how much he loved Tenma.

If you made it through this whole thing, thanks for reading! Also, I highly recommend watching all of these, I’ve linked my spoiler free reviews in the titles if you haven’t watched them and are interested in finding out more.

Thanks for reading!

-threecheersforinking

Rating my favorite anime from “where’s the comfort” to “tears of joy”

I saw sunshinefullsun’s post and thought it was such a cute idea, so here’s my own take on it! Here are my favorite shows ranked from the most heartwrenching to the least. (this was VERY hard because I love heartbreaking shows lmao)

Madoka Magica

Madoka is super dark and pretty violent, and I definitely need a recovery period afterwards every time I watch it (worth it, tho)

Your Lie in April

This is the first anime I ever watched, and its somber and heartwrenching undertones certainly set the tone for the type of anime I would like from then on.

Revolutionary Girl Utena

Utena’s bizarrely hilarious filler episodes bring this one down a few ranks in the heartbreaking department, but ultimately the very dark and too-real themes of RGU are still pretty heavy.

Anohana

This was also one of the first anime I ever watched, and even though not every moment is a sad one, I still cry every time I watch the finale.

March Comes in like a Lion

imo, Sangatsu no Lion has pretty much equal parts deep depression moments and uplifting cozy moments. It balances that tightrope very well.

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

I know a lot of people might be surprised by this one being so low, but to me FMAB is ultimately a triumphant story and fills me with more joy than dread (especially when up against some of my other favorites)

Toradora

I still cry so much at Toradora, but only because this anime showcases the brutal honesty surrounding teenage angst and relationships. It’s emotional, but it’s very real and grounded.

Love is War

Love is War is a comedy, so I definitely turn to this anime to feel better and lift my spirits. It can sometimes get serious about the struggles of young love, but ultimately it’s a feel good-show.

Haikyuu

Haikyuu is the anime I watch to hype myself up and feel really inspired and happy. I genuinely do cry when these boys win volleyball games.

Chihayafuru

Finally, Chihayafuru is definitely the lightest show out of all my favorites. Chihaya’s pure joy at playing karuta lifts me out of any bad mood.

This was rly fun! thanks to sunshinefullsun for the idea, and thanks for reading!

-threecheersforinking

WYSW: Revolutionary Girl Utena

*WYSW = Why You Should Watch*

**this review is spoiler-free!**

Revolutionary Girl Utena is an older anime with a huge legacy. Having aired in 1997, it was definitely the inspiration for many of the dark magical girl series we know and love today. Not to mention, this show was revolutionary in more ways than one, particularly because of its early LGBTQ+ themes.

I won’t be able to say much as to avoid any spoilers, but here’s a short summary of the plot: Utena Tenjou is an unconventional, gender non-conforming girl at Ootori academy, who was once given a ring by a mysterious prince on the day her parents died. One day she has a run in with kendo club member Saionji, who is also on the Ootori student council. When he challenges her to a duel, Utena discovers that the student council all have the same rose signet ring that the prince gave her many years ago. She becomes roped into their peculiar games to win betrothal to the rose bride, the unusual Anthy Himemiya.

That is as much as I’m willing to describe, but if you’re still unsure if you’ll enjoy this show, I’ll mention that it’s categorized as comedy, drama, mystery, and psychological. The plot also gets much wilder and deeper than what you can surmise from my spoiler-free summary, I can assure you.

Despite its low budget, the show manages to have absolutely incredible visuals. Every shot is very carefully thought out, and I genuinely think it’s one of the most visually stunning anime I’ve ever seen. The backgrounds are very intricately drawn, and it has really incredible direction/cinematography.

An important thing I should mention is that RGU is a show made for mature audiences, and as a result it has some intentionally inappropriate/problematic aspects. So as a warning here are some parts of the show that might be triggering/upsetting to some: large age gap relationships (though I will say, these are not portrayed in a positive light), sexual abuse/assault/rape, domestic violence, incest, and homophobia, amongst other things.

However, if you can handle those difficult elements of the show, it’s an incredible watch and absolutely worth it. It might require a few video essays to fully understand, but overall Revolutionary Girl Utena is genuinely one of my favorite shows now and I hope it can be one of yours, too!

If you’re already a fan of Utena, feel free to add to this! I didn’t want to spoil too much but if you can add more convincing details without spoiling please do, because I think more people should watch this anime.

Thanks for reading,

-threecheersforinking