Tag: blog

What’s Your Body Trying to Tell You?

I just finished Dr. Ramune Mysterious Disease Specialist, Kai Byoui Ramune, on VRV. Ramune is a doctor, that specializes in supernatural afflictions.

https://myanimelist.net/anime/42822/Kai_Byoui_Ramune

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Sometimes the illness can be emotions, trapped, and unable to express themselves. Memories that are suppressed. Or behavior that needs to be faced honestly. Using unconventional methods, Dr. Ramune, enables his patients to face their challenges and heal themselves. They are able to make the connection between their condition, and their life choices. And they gain insight and strength, to make healthier choices going forward. Their body is communicating a message, that Dr. Ramune helps them decipher.

I agree with the VRV/Crunchyroll commenter KhakiBlueSocks. This show is a good mix of xxxHolic and Mushishi. I enjoyed both of those series. This show has humor and heart. The positive messages are just as applicable to our daily lives. Well-being is to be healthy physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

This anime ended with an episode that updated us on Dr. Ramune’s patients, and emphasized all the healing he helped them with, and how his empathic nature is a blessing. This show also touched upon self-care, and how it’s vital that he take care of himself, so he can continue helping others.

I watched on VRV / Crunchyroll. I do recommend this show, I really enjoyed it. It was interesting to think of underlying behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that contributed to the seemingly odd illnesses. But it was most insightful, seeing the patients come to their own conclusion for healing, and how their quality of life improved.

Feel the Fairies

Qingqing should focus on work, and not daydream about her co-worker! If you’re curious to see how these two end up, give Feel the Fairies a watch. It’s on the IQ streaming site, but proceed with caution, as I’m not sure if it’s a legitimate site, but hopefully it is. This show was recommended to me after I watched Psychic Princess.

In addition to romance, this show has supernatural appeal, and humor. The episodes are short, around ten minutes or so. It’s ongoing, but the episodes I’ve watched so far were entertaining.

It has slice of life elements, with work scenes.

This show also has a cute cat.

Having a cat means winning at life? Good to know!

There’s Qingqing’s roommate, a Merman.

If you’re looking for an amusing show, that is a quick watch, you may like the Chinese Anime (Donghua), Feel the Fairies!

My Demon Tyrant and Sweet Baby

After watching Psychic Princess, I received a recommendation for My Demon Tyrant and Sweet Baby. It is a Chinese anime, or Donghua. This show had romance, cuteness, comedy, and all the makings of a rom-com with a splash of (unnecessary) drama. There are episodes on YouTube, and this streaming site called IQ (I don’t know anything about this site, it’s the first time I’ve heard of it, so proceed with caution – it looked like a legit site, and I hope it was).

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

There are awkward/funny moments between the female lead (who is a nanny) and the child’s uncle.

There are funny moments when the Dad sees the difference in how his daughter treats him versus her nanny (don’t worry it all works out in the end!)

Mia, the little girl, thinks the nanny is her mom.

And this moment when Mia didn’t want her Dad’s ornament near theirs, and it was relegated to the bottom of the tree.

It’s an obvious romance anime, with a happy predictable ending, but I love those! Some secondhand happiness is always appreciated.

Psychic Princess

I just started Psychic Princess on Amazon Prime. It’s also on VRV / Crunchyroll. It seems the older outcast sister, had to take the place of the younger sister, in an arranged marriage she didn’t want to be a part of. Quan Yunxi is the outcast sister, who now finds herself married to Prince Ye. Yunxi lived on a secluded mountain with her spirit friend, who closely resembles a famous ghost called Casper. Her friend’s name is Mochi. Yunxi finds herself in a dilapidated home, and asks for his assistance in fixing it.

Not even one, Mochi?!

After all the donkey work….

***SPOILER ALERT***

The first episode got me hooked. While we haven’t met the prince officially yet, we can surely guess who she is doing the tango with, when she was in search of a midnight snack with Mochi! If Prince Ye hadn’t banished her to “Serenity Pavilion” (aka the haunted and run down shack on the palace grounds), without even meeting her, maybe she wouldn’t have to sneak around for food! Although I can’t really blame her for hiding under the table, when he walked in. Hopefully this will be a romantic comedy with a happy ending!

Wow. Really Mochi.

I see what you did there.

Moooochi!!!

Edit: I just finished the first season. I loved it!I hope there will be a season two! Some moments captured below. If you’re a fan of comedy, romance, and the supernatural – check it out on VRV/Crunchyroll or Amazon Prime.

Wait a minute, what does being handsome have to do with this?!

Plan backfires in a spectacular fashion.

Wise Man’s Grandchild

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

I’m watching Wise Man’s Grandchild (Kenja no Mago) on VRV / Crunchyroll. It follows the adventures of Shin Wolford, the adopted grandchild of Merlin Wolford. Shin has a natural magic ability, that has grown under his grandfather’s tutelage at their secluded home in the mountains. The relationship the two share, is full of love, support, and appreciation.

He also learned the art of sword fighting from Mr. Michel, and how to enhance his gear from the grandmother figure in his life, Melinda (it says “Melida” in the subtitles for some reason). At 15, it’s decided that he will attend a magic academy, so he can learn to socialize with his peers, integrate into society, and practice constraint with his abilities. Shin and his grandparents move, so they are closer to his school. He meets Sizilien and is immediately smitten with her.

Later, when they’re doing a joint exercise with the knight academy, you can see how frustrated Shin is seeing the other fellows fawning over her. But lucky for him, he can take his frustrations out on the demons they have to battle!

Wise Man’s Grandchild, has supernatural elements, romance, humor, family, and friendship. It highlights character traits like humility, integrity, and loyalty. Shin is a very likeable character, and his relationship with his grandparents is touching. Below are scenes from the hot springs episode, where they thank the students for becoming friends with Shin.

Yes, I wanted to hear her tips too! Apparently it’s the treadmill lol.

I’m halfway done with the season, and I’m enjoying it. If you’re looking for a fairly wholesome watch, definitely give this one a try!

What to Watch This Valentine’s Day

https://myanimelist.net/anime/16417/Tamako_Market

Happy Valentine’s Day! If you’re looking for something to watch today, I’d suggest Tamako Market’s second episode, “The Love-in-Bloom Valentine’s.” Below is a blurb from VRV/HiDive.

***SPOILERS AHEAD***

Tamako Market is one of my absolute favorite animes of all time. It’s a slice-of-life, with humor, friendship, family, a touch of romance, and did I mention a talking bird named Dera?! I watched the subtitled version first, but enjoyed the dubbed version with my family later. They did a great job selecting the English cast, especially Dera, who sounds very fancy (which suits his personality). Kyoto Animation did a wonderful job. This series is heart-warming, wholesome, peaceful, amusing, and relaxing.

In this episode, Tamako and her father butt heads regarding the way their shop should celebrate Valentine’s Day. Tamako believes their mochi shop would have a sales boost if they incorporated Valentine’s Day themed menu options. Even her grandfather seems in the spirit, despite his son’s reservations.

Of course while making breakfast for her family, Tamako doesn’t want to let the heart mochi go to waste!

As Tamako discusses her idea for their mochi shop, Dera is perplexed hearing about “Valentine’s Day.” It is an unknown concept to him. But he learns from television how they celebrate in Japan.

Some of the girls at school discuss buying chocolate, or making it at home. When Tamako’s friend Kanna draws up plans to design a house of chocolate, her friends support her endeavor. Plus we get to see her finished results at the end of the episode! I want to know who was the recipient of that giant chocolate house?! Did she share with the entire class?!

This episode is great for Valentine’s, because it celebrates family, friendship, and romance. While we’re surrounded by love in various forms, it may not be a great day for everyone. There is character growth, as they learn to be open minded, and allow themselves to be vulnerable in showing their feelings to others. It shows how we can support each other as friends. And that it’s okay to like who you like.

English Lyric Translation (from French): https://lyricstranslate.com/en/un-lieu-de-rencontre-place-return.html

Tamako and Mochizou used their cup phone to discuss their plan to liven up the shopping arcade. Later, at the meeting with all the shop owners, Mochizou had the idea for a commercial. He worked really hard on the commercial with Tamako, their friends, and the shop owners, to showcase their Valentine marketing and sales.

After Mochizou flicked Dera off the phone line, he’s flying for his life!

Do cup phones really work?! I mean, if there isn’t a bird sitting on the string.

After seeing how hard Tamako worked with her friends, and the other shop owners, her Dad has a change of heart.

Because this episode discusses various aspects of love, I think this is a great show to watch if you’re looking for something for Valentine’s Day!

LOL so dramatic Dera! Especially for a bird who didn’t know what Valentine’s Day was, thirty minutes ago.

Only Kiss is Allowed to Rock This Late at Night

I stumbled upon Ghastly Prince Enma Burning Up / Dororon Enma-kun Meeramera on VRV/Crunchyroll. I was intrigued so I watched the first episode. It is so cheesy, but it was worth a few chuckles. In the first episode, Harumi is trying to help her friends. They snuck into school for toilet paper (???) but ran across a spirit of ill intent. Harumi is frightened, and almost drowns in the school pool, but is saved by a kappa named Kappavier.

We completely understand. In 2020, toilet paper was very elusive. But that does not excuse stealing it from school!

Kappavier brings Harumi to meet his friends, after assuring her he would not steal her face. At the Helliday Inn, she meets a band of demon hunters, led by Prince Enma. They bring evil spirits to justice. Her friends need their help!

The demon hunters have a plan, sort of. But they need a decoy. Kappavier explains why he can’t volunteer.

That must be kappa lingo, because I have no idea what that means.

Prince Enma and the team save Harumi’s friends and defeat the evil demon. However the fight includes scenes reminiscent of middle school humor. I may watch an episode or two between other shows. But if you’re into slightly inappropriate humor, and supernatural beings, you may want to give it a chance.

Egg Sale

The air is heavy. It’s been a rough week, with the events in DC, the world, and the pandemic. I find it bizarre that people would sweep things under the rug, or prefer living with their heads in the sand, to be dismissive of the atrocities, that are happening, daily. If there was ever a time to be loving, to stand up for others, to have integrity, and to learn from our past mistakes, and history, it would be now. To think of others, and to have the same care and compassion you have for your loved ones, friends, and hopefully yourself. Having said all that, I hope you are healthy and well. I am very grateful to be in good health and otherwise joyful. I am very blessed, and I try to remember that.

So, wanting a pleasant escape from the current state of affairs, I watched a new anime series, Horimiya on Hulu. I LOVED IT!!! The female lead is smart, hard-working, loving, strong, direct, fiery, passionate, funny, and full of zest! She’s a great older sister to her brother, Souta. Hori is authentic and doesn’t hold any punches. It’s refreshing to have a female character that’s sure-footed and assertive. Miyamura, the male lead, is quiet and reserved. His classmates have the false impression he’s an otaku (not that anything is wrong with that lol!). In reality…he is quiet and reserved, but he also has piercings and tattoos. He has his own style, which some may find surprising. But I wonder if that isn’t due to the requirements of their school dress code. I like that his character is free in that sense, it’s good for people to be self-expressive, and to be creative in showing their true self. Miyamura helped Souta after he had an encounter with a dog. He tended to his wounds and made sure he got home safely. Hori didn’t recognize Miyamura at first, since he dressed so differently at school. A lot of the responsibility for looking after her little brother, and taking care of things at home, fall onto Hori’s shoulders since her Mother works late. I can relate to aspects of that, having experienced that growing up. But she is a better “big sister” than I was. It would’ve been nice to have someone like Miyamura to help after school, in addition to being good company.

***SPOILER ALERT***

The first episode moved faster than I expected, which was great! I liked the pace. Our main characters meet outside of school, the tone was set for their relationship and possible development, we had an unrequited love, a battle for eggs on sale at the grocery store, and an attempt at cheer that went horribly wrong. We also found out what they liked about each other, and that they speak freely because they are comfortable with one another. Too many romance anime tap dance around awkwardness for too long (anyone seen Kimi ni Todoke?), that it was exhilarating having them just be direct. There was a moment with Miyamura tried to help someone, which didn’t turn out the way he expected, but Hori addressed the matter immediately. They each have a side they keep private (in this aspect, they reminded me of Umaru from Himouto! Umaru-chan). They bond over Hori’s brother, their shared meals, and the fact they accept each other, as their true selves. The first episode made me laugh and lifted my spirits. Some of the parts that made me chuckle are below. Do check it out, if you haven’t already!

For some reason, seeing Miyamura in this state, made me think of this song from Ferris Bueller:

Silver Spoon

I am watching Silver Spoon on VRV / Crunchyroll. I just finished the first episode. It’s a funny slice-of-life anime, about a student attending an agricultural boarding school. He selected the school because he could live there, which makes me curious about his home life and why he wants to avoid it. His name is Yugo / Yuugo Hachiken. The other students view him as different than them, because he attended a prep school. Having no experience with farm life, or agriculture, he makes rookie mistakes like chasing a calf and getting lost in the woods (instead of leaving it alone, so the instructor could entice him back into his corral with food). He is disgusted seeing where eggs come from, and he’s not used to the manual labor, and level of fitness one needs to keep up with the daily life of agriculture. However, he gives his all in completing the tasks assigned, and he has great classmates that help him integrate into campus and farm life.

What I found fascinating about this show, is it does an outstanding job of showing the real work, science, intellect, and methods behind successful agriculture and working with animals. The students who attend have various goals; to be farmers, to take over their family’s business, to become vets, to run farm-to-table restaurants, and other aspirations. I’m not sure who made this distinction, or why some societies have taken this view that career paths involving manual labor is “less” or “demeaning”, but these institutions are important and have meaning. The pandemic, quarantine, COVID, and life as we know it, has made that even more apparent. The jobs people may be dismissive about, or look down upon, truly keep society running. And agriculture, without it, where would we be? Eating chemical laden preserved foods I suppose, but that’s usually not the healthier option. The scenes below show some of the culture shock Hachiken experiences, as he realizes the full scope of attending an agricultural high school. Waking up early to help with the chickens, keeping crops safe from unpredictable weather, working with animals, and learning how to properly run operations were some of Hachiken’s first experiences at his new school. And he realizes the assumptions we make about others, aren’t always accurate.

Not a Fan of E-Books

I’m watching Skull Face Bookseller Honda-san / Gaikotsu Shotenin Honda-san on VRV / Crunchyroll. It’s a slice-of-life anime, with some comedy sprinkled in. I love bookstores, so I find it fascinating hearing the intricacies of day-to-day affairs. If you work at a bookstore, and you’re reading this, I’d be curious to know your thoughts on the show and if it paints an accurate description (minus the obvious absurdities). Given the option, I prefer traditional books, but I know e-books are better for the environment. While I have my own preference, it seems the customer Honda-san was helping was very passionate in his disdain for e-books.

The show also talked about the life cycle of books. How much logistics go into new books, and rotating older books, and returning stock to the publisher if they aren’t selling.

It also talked about revived books. Books that may be out of print, but due to renewed interest, they may do reprints. The example below was sobering, considering the current state of the COVID pandemic.

For as much reading as people seemed to have done on the topic, you would think they’d be more aware of common sense practices, but alas, sometimes common sense isn’t that common. And on that note, I can empathize from my years of retail work, why Honda-san would feel the way he does in the scene below.