12 Days of Anime (2014) – Day 7 – Witch Craft Works ED

I never watched an episode of Witch Craft Works when it aired in Winter 2014. However, I have a certain fascination for anime openings and endings where there are adorable chibi characters singing and dancing. For example, my favorite ED in 2012 was Kill Me Baby, with that unforgettable song and dance. The Joshiraku ED and Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita OP were also worth mentioning in 2012 for my 12 Days of Anime, too. With that in mind, it shouldn’t be surprising to learn that when Witch Craft Works first aired, I was positively curious about the ED song and sequence that managed to charm its criticizing audience and received a disproportionate amount of praise compared to the rest of the episode.

Top 12 Anime and Top 12 Characters of 2012

The year of 2012 saw the debut and broadcasting of well over a hundred television anime and even more in the forms of movies and OVAs.  Over the past dozen months, I’ve spent countless hours watching these anime and documenting my thoughts, opinions and evaluations on each and every show.  Now with the year coming to a close, it’s time to summarize this year of anime with two simple lists: one on the top 12 characters of the year and the other on the top 12 favorite anime of the year.

12 Days of Anime (2012) – Day 5 – Dancing Openings and Endings of 2012

Let’s face it, if there were a hierarchy of anime openings and endings, then the fanservice dancing ones would be on top.  They’re like the royalty of anime OPs and EDs, not only in terms of quality and fondness but also in how unforgettable or distinctive they are.  Remember that dance in Haruhi?  Or the Lucky Star opening? Or my personal favorite, the seconding ending to xxxHOLiC?  As soon as you infuse some dancing into an opening or ending, they improve or, at the very least, become more memorable.  This year, we witnessed the origination of several new dancing openings and endings, with each showing its influence by being some of the most cherished and celebrated sequences of the year.  And for this day, I want to honor these select few openings and endings for being some of the best in 2012.

12 Days of Anime (2012) – Day 10 – Sakura-Con, My First Anime Convention

In April of 2012, I attended my first anime convention, Sakura-Con, the premier anime convention in the Pacific Northwest.  Although I’ve had numerous opportunities to attend the convention since its inception in 1998 and even made legitimate plans to go while in high school, this year was the first that I actually went to.  For three days, I witnessed and participated in a paradise created by and intended for anime fans such as myself and my experience has provided a permanent impression on how I watch, understand and appreciate anime.

Summer 2012 – Season Review

So, yeah, the Summer anime season ended quite a while back, but it’s never too late (or is it?) to provide my final thoughts, opinions, assessments, and evaluations on the various anime that aired over our warmer, sunnier months.  We’ve had plenty of time to watch and enjoy these shows and now it’s time to assign their final scores before they become little more than fond or funny memories or entries in our detailed anime histories.  So, just how well did every show do according to my personal preferences?  It’s time to explore and score the 2012 Summer anime season one last time!

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita – 12 (Finale)

Being alone is one thing; choosing to be alone is something else entirely.  But if it were up to Watashi, she’d be alone through any means possible, whether by default or by choice.  It wasn’t until a bit of maturity on Watashi’s behalf did she finally change her stance on solitude and reverse her antisocial behavior.  This occurred when Watashi learned the valuable and timeless lesson to accept others for who they are and not to exclude them for what you think they are.  And though she faced difficulties and challenges, Watashi overcame her fear of friendship and changed, nay, improved her life forever.

Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita – 11

Given the unorthodox and distinctive art style of Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita, the anime is able to utilize a number of aesthetic techniques to offer us a refreshing and remarkable appearance to its characters and their environment.  Continuing to impress me throughout the anime is the innovative display of lighting and colors, illusions created from a bizarre array of peculiarly-shaped polygons of varying sizes and colors, layered in an arrangement to form the backgrounds, enhance the mood, and structure the setting that is Jintai.  And with a variety of breathtaking shots of the scenery and numerous scenes where the lighting deepened the emotion, it’s about time to provide recognition and acclaim to such a dazzling artistic technique.