Sakamichi no Apollon – 10

With the audience’s eyes becoming increasingly fixated on the resolution of the last remaining love triangle, another relationship is approaching its own significant and satisfying conclusion.  With attention and focus being drawn to whomever wins Ritsuko in the end, the friendship between Kaoru and Sentarou is slowly becoming inconsequential and neglected in the eyes of the viewers, almost like it is second-tier to romance in Sakamichi no Apollon.  But in reality, the relationship between Kaoru and Sentarou is the greatest feature of the series as it heads into its finale next week.  It’s time to refocus our interest and give the best relationship in Sakamichi no Apollon the attention and recognition it deserves.

Sakamichi no Apollon – 9

With one relationship virtually resolved at this point, what remains are three potential lovers vying for the final romance in Sakamichi no Apollon.  Conventional wisdom and basic arithmetic would immediately suggest that one heartfelt Romeo will be left without his Juliet and be thrust into demoralizing loneliness and the remnants of his fragmented dreams.  But is such a tragic fate already the decisive outcome for this unfortunate trio?  It all depends on how the final scenes and dramas in Apollon play out and even then, depending on your interpretation, there may or may not be a luckless loser when the final curtains close.

Welcome AniBlog Tourney Voters! – Round 3

For everyone visiting my blog, whether a first-timer or a regular reader, I wish to welcome you to Avvesione’s Anime Blog!

After a rather lengthy wait, the turn for this blog has come again in the AniBlog Tournament.  Voting takes place at the same website as before but, as you may have already noticed, the voting method has been upgraded to a new system and voting is hosted on an external website.  Additionally, this round is distinct as voters will be able to select their 2 favorite blogs out of the 4 available in each round.  I hope to have your continued support in Round 3!  Also, be sure to visit and read the other blogs paired in my group: Baka-Raptor, Metanorn (and check out the podcast of this group, hosted by Metanorn), and Ambivalence , or is it ambiguity?

If you’re interested in checking my blog out, I strongly recommend you browse around and search for posts on whatever anime you like.  The style of this blog focuses more on analysis rather than reviews or opinions, but the format is episodic for a couple shows (Jormungand and Sakamichi no Apollon this season) with everyone else being reduced to Weekly Anime posts.  For those curious about my opinions on this season, my Mid-Season Review has a comprehensive list of all the anime I’m watching including a ranking of every show, scores, reviews, and thoughts on improvement.  If you’re not sure where to start and would like a few examples, please venture on below for some highlights of this blog.

Sakamichi no Apollon – 8

Of the five characters tangled in these unstable and perplexing romances, Yurika is the only one to achieve any success.  Among the chaos, discomfort, and pain, Yurika has remained true to her original ambition while others have faltered or collapsed under pressure. Unwavering from her plan and courageously facing all hardships and adversity, Yurika has persevered and found the only romantic happiness in Sakamichi no Apollon.  The reason for such an accomplishment is the mere fact that she has yet to redirect her feelings from one potential lover to another.  This dedicated direction, or perhaps more fittingly acceleration, is responsible for the first successful romance in this anime.

Spring 2012 – Mid-Season Review

With the halfway point of the Spring anime season already elapsed and the final month of the season swiftly approaching, it’s time to take a moment and provide evaluations and grades for all the anime airing currently.  Allowing every anime to provide half or a quarter of their story allows for the best judgment of each series since every show has had their opportunities to develop their characters, establish their stories, and separate themselves from each other.  Some have scored well and excelled every week while others are continuing to struggle or simply lack the content or energy to compete with the rest.  It’s time to judge how the anime of this this season have fared in this Spring 2012 Mid-Season Review.

Sakamichi no Apollon – 7

The seventh episode of Sakamichi no Apollon presented enough evidence to materialize a subtle theme during the concert at the end.  No, it was not the latter musical performance, the one composed of equal parts outstanding, phenomenal, and influential, but the former one, the performance that proves that high schoolers have always had a terrible taste in music.  Upon learning that Seiji’s motivations to becoming a rock icon are grounded in his belief that it is a means to support his impoverished family, the ever-present but habitually disregarded theme of delusion revealed itself again and stronger than ever before.  While delusion is an unremarkable subject in anime, especially considering that Apollon deals with high schoolers, it is worth noting it’s ubiquitous throughout the main cast and to virtually every character in the series.  Though common and simple on its own, the sheer amount of delusion in this anime adds up to make it a rather noticeable theme.  But what, if any, does this really mean for Sakamichi no Apollon?

Sakamichi no Apollon – 6

Assuming the primary cast of Sakamichi no Apollon is limited to Kaoru, Sentarou, Ritsuko, Yurika, and Jun, then presently, each lead character is confronting their own personal challenges.  The sixth episode reiterated, magnified, or illuminated all the problems that each character is currently facing.  It has been staged in a way so that these issues have now become the forefront of the anime, surpassing previous themes and other storylines.  The effect has been the reshaping of how Sakamichi no Apollon presents and narrates its story and represents its characters.  But no single problem has been responsible for this drastic and fundamental change.  Every character and their distinctive challenges have been integral in this restructuring of Sakamichi no Apollon.