Love light. Love energy.
I’m watching the DVD of Taishou Yakyuu Musume / Taisho Baseball Girls. The anime takes place in 1925. Seeing the obstacles the girls are going through, definitely makes me appreciate being born when I was. I’m only a few episodes in, but I like the enthusiasm the girls have for the sport, and that they’re excited to learn the fundamentals and practice. Although it looks like the pitcher might not make it to the first game…
“Reset” by Taichi Mukai, the beautiful sunset, and Haiji Kiyose’s dog, all contribute to this being one of the most peaceful end credits I’ve seen. A commenter on the video link below pointed out the snow scene was a metaphor for Kiyose’s injury and bouncing back. This anime has a lot of beautiful artwork. Check out Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run with the Wind on VRV / Crunchyroll or on DVD (Sentai).
Ahmaud Arbery
Upon reflection of how peaceful this scene is, and how Haiji Kiyose is enjoying his run, I thought of Ahmaud Arbery. Ahmaud did not get to enjoy his run, or the fullness of his life, due to the ignorance, racism, and bigotry of others. He, and many other people, do not get the privilege of enjoying a peaceful run. Or a peaceful life. Simply thinking, “Well, I’m not racist” is not enough. For people with integrity and character, turning a blind eye is not okay. Have the difficult and uncomfortable conversations with your family, friends, classmates, colleagues, and communities. Challenge old ways of doing things if they’re born of ignorance and hate. If you feel your words don’t carry weight, or your words are unable to reach them, inspire others with your actions. How you treat other people. How you respect others who may be different than you. Contribute to a cause or volunteer with an organization that will uplift and unify communities. Shine your light. Share love with the world. Your inner circle, I hope, is full of loving people who truly embody and radiate positive energy and support. I pray people will open their hearts. And I’m not perfect. No one is perfect. But we can do better. As Maya Angelou said, “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”
On other platforms I’ve spoken about #blacklivesmatter, but inspired by Scott’s post on https://mechanicalanimereviews.com/ I feel it’s pertinent to share that here as well. When black lives matter, then the statement all lives matter will hopefully, finally, be true. Everyone should be free to live their lives, and enjoy all of the freedom we are supposed to have as Americans, without concern that they’ll be targeted due to the racism and bigotry of others. And running without fear should be one of those freedoms.
Is running great? Several years ago my very supportive friends Ken and Jose encouraged me to run. With their help and support, plus those of my other friends like Linda and Matt, I trained for and completed my first 5k. Later I did the Army Ten Miler and two half-marathons. After getting sidelined with a fracture (learn from me, don’t let a small dog with a big bark distract you, lose your footing, and then tumble down a hill and have a very disgraceful landing), running didn’t feel the same, like my mechanics felt off. I should point out, that the doctor first told me it was a sprain, and later I saw a specialist who told me it was actually a fracture. More recently I started walking/jogging in bootcamp classes and I continued during quarantine trying to get outside for fresh air. I’m starting all over, in terms of getting my body acclimated, but it does remind me of the parts of running I enjoyed. I liked feeling accomplished after I hit a distance I wanted to cover, or when I could run straight for longer periods of time. I enjoyed feeling light on my feet. And shockingly, thankfully, my legs and muscles responded really well to running, and I lost weight. Watching Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run With the Wind, reminded me of those pleasant memories. The memories of running when it was great.
I’m watching Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run with the Wind on VRV / Crunchyroll. The DVD is also available from Sentai.
Akihiro Hirata tells Yukihiko Iwakura, that running has helped him prioritize his health. Hirata noticed he was short of breath while running so he quit smoking, and to keep his hands busy he has been creating wire figures.
What makes someone a runner? Is it enough to just enjoy it? Do you have to always be training for the next event or goal? Maybe running is different things to different people. Haiji Kiyose leaves an impression upon Kakeru Kurahara, that running is something that all people can participate in, and enjoy. It isn’t reserved solely for the elite.
Now that the group is adjusting to their two-a-day training, they look forward to learning even more, and taking their training to the next level. Some are more excited than others. I didn’t expect him to run with a notebook, but I guess Takashi Sugiyama came prepared.
If you like sports anime, or are curious how running is portrayed in anime, you might want to check out Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run with the Wind. I’m only a few episodes in, but so far I’m enjoying it!
Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run With the Wind
I suggested anime that might make you laugh and lift your spirits in earlier posts, and I plan to share more later. This post I’ll just update as I’m watching shows during the quarantine. During this time of uncertainty and stress, anime has been a wonderful distraction that has positively impacted my mindset, and mood. It has brought concepts like teamwork, perseverance, young love, and humor to my daily life in quarantine. I am reminded how much our interactions with others and relationships can bring meaning to our lives. If I need an energy shift for myself, watching one of the shows below, or ones I’ve mentioned before like Tamako Market, can lift my spirits.
During this time, and always, I pray may everyone be safe, healthy, and well. I’ve been doing distance Reiki regularly. Prayers, and good energy always help. Very grateful and appreciative for those keeping us running; first responders, medical staff, cleaning crews, sanitation workers, truck drivers, grocery employees, delivery workers, and all the others.
If you find yourself at home and want to watch along, here’s what I’ve been watching (the ones marked with * I really enjoyed);
Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san / Teasing Master Takagi-san Season 2*
Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san / Teasing Master Takagi-san
(yes I watched the second season first lol)
Haikyu / Haikyuu! Season 1*
Haikyu / Haikyuu! Season 2*
Haikyu / Haikyuu! Season 3
Natsume Yuujinchou / Natsume’s Book of Friends Season 1*
My Sweet Tyrant / Akkun to Kanojo*
Arte
Hozuki’s Coolheadedness / Hoozuki no Reitetsu Season 1*
Gakuen Babysitters / School Babysitters*
Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun / Toilet-Bound Hanako-kun *
Mayonaka no Occult Koumuin / Midnight Occult Civil Servants
Miira no Kaikata / How to Keep a Mummy
Momokuri*
Hozuki’s Coolheadedness Season 2 / Hoozuki no Reitetsu 2nd Season*
A Silent Voice / Koe no Katachi*
Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou / Daily Lives of High School Boys*
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou / Kare Kano / His and Her Circumstances*
Usagi Drop / Bunny Drop*
Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru / Run with the Wind*
Isshuukan Friends / One Week Friends
Gingitsune*
Days*
Prince of Stride: Alternative
Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life*
Kono Oto Tomare!: Sounds of Life Season 2*
Gakuen Alice*
Nijiiro Days / Rainbow Days
Sukitte Ii na yo / Say I Love You
Free! Iwatobi Swim Club – Season 1
Free! Eternal Summer – Season 2*
Free! Dive to the Future – Season 3
What do you do when you’re nervous or stressing out? Changing your focus and envisioning a positive outcome can help. Practice and trust in your training. Faith. Meditation. Music. Movement, like running or yoga. Rest. There are a lot of ways people handle nervous energy. Or you could view it as excitement. Sometimes our tummies can give away our nervousness. Hinata knows that very well. I’m watching Season Two of Haikyu on Hulu. In this episode, Yamaguchi is nervous about playing in the spring tournament. The thought of him repeating his blunder from the last competition makes him anxious. Yachi tries to cheer him up, but as he tells her about his ordeal, his anxiety quickly transfer to her. The group tries to make sense of it. Having experienced that on the receiving end, I totally get it. So maybe Shimizu’s guess was pretty accurate. Of course Hinata can’t resist poking at Kageyama!
True. But it’s up to us how we choose to react to it and how we handle the situation. Check out how the Karasuno Crows handle their stress, on Hulu!
I just finished Season One of Haikyu on Hulu (I think it’s on Netflix and VRV/Crunchyroll as well). It was my first sports anime! I always enjoyed playing volleyball, so an anime about the sport peaked my interest. Having watched so many shoujo anime, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a sports anime.
Haikyu showed the hard work, effort, practice, training, dedication, drills, and sacrifices athletes make to be successful in their sport. Discipline and passion should be present (and talent doesn’t hurt). What’s that quote? “Hard Work Beats Talent When Talent Doesn’t Work Hard” (Tim Notke).
This show had me rooting for Hinata, Kageyama, and all of the Karasuno Crows! Personalities clashed at the beginning, but the team bonded as they prepared to do battle with their rivals, and they became even stronger! Their coach, faculty mentor, manager, and advisors encouraged, supported, and motivated them to always do their best. There are meaningful mentoring scenes. The teammates acquired skills and tips from each other, and learned from their rivals. In sports, and in life, it’s interesting how much energy, mood, and vitality affect us. And what the contributing factors are, what helps, what doesn’t, and how can we repeat those positive experiences. A lot of psychology. If you’re looking for something that will inspire you, energize you, and give you a great team to root for, check out Haikyu!
They almost made me want to run! Almost.
Empath Meets Anime 
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