Otaku Soup! Anime Blog: November 2013

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Fan Art Friday - Log Horizon Akatsuki

I know I'm a bit late for this iteration of 'Fan Art Friday' but nonetheless I wanted to get one out (even though it's Tuesday). This week's theme is Akatsuki fanart from Log Horizon, the show constantly being compared to SAO by so many Anime fans. I'll leave the debate as to which series is better up to you readers, so feel free to let me know in the comments below!

The first fan art is by AoiTsunami and offers a perhaps even more adorable viewpoint of Akatsuki.

This image by AsakuraShinji has Akatsuki standing in some water, but Akatsuki herself looks nearly identical to the animation in the show, so it's worth the share.

This FF1 based Log Horizon spoof by Kutoal just couldn't be passed up. Pixel Akatsuki is awesome!

And finally we have a closer fanart image of Akatsuki riding a Phoenix with Shiroe by Foluthewizard.

If you have any fanart images from ANY anime that you would like to submit please feel free to leave a comment with your link!

Beyond the Boundary S1 E5 - Lanterns are Gorgeous

I'm going to be incredibly honest. This episode of Beyond the Boundary was incredibly slow moving and borderline boring. I do realize that a lot has happened since we started the show and they wanted to give us a bit of a breather after the epic battle against the Hollow Shadow, but I can't help feel like this episode was just mainly filler. Akihito interestingly didn't feature too heavily in this episode. The only section where he really had any prominence was a weird part in which him and Hiroomi outwardly crushed on Mirai.

The episode spends most of its time developing the relationship between Mitsuki and Mirai. I have to say that while I found this episode borderline boring, I do think that the development of the characters (no matter how slow paced it was) is leading to something revealing and crucial to the plot. Mirai gets her license suspended so this episode, though having one youmu fight scene, is rather stagnant and more geared along character development.

The fight scene was short and left me wanting, but I can forgive the episode for being a bit lackluster. I'm more interested in what the future and culminating episodes have to offer as a viewer. The end of the episode offers a really cute glimpse at Mirai and Mitsuki, as Mirai has convinced Mitsuki to go to the festival, but I feel like the bonding moment is at the expense of the viewer in this episode. In anime there are bound to be filler episodes (unless you are Kill la Kill) and this episode appears to be just that.

Monday, November 4, 2013

Kill la Kill S1 E5 - Get Naked Baby

Ok you can probably tell that this episode of Kill la Kill is another one of those weird 'take your clothes off' plot lines. At this point, the entire plot line of Kill la Kill is basically, 'get naked' but I'm willing to not care (I actually enjoy it). Ryuko has pretty much seen it all at this point, so it only makes sense to bring in a vigilante who for the most part swings both ways on the good or bad scale.

Later in the episode it is revealed to us that the mysterious man after Ryuko's Kamoi is Tsumugu Kinagase. Tsumugu is shown to be friends of Aikuro and his 'Nudist Beach' organization. The entire episode revolves around Tsumugu trying to get Ryuko's Kamoi so that it does not end up possessing her. I found the plot actually kind of interesting as not only did it introduce Tsumugu, but it tried to flesh out a more serious psychological undertone that the show was missing. Through the devices used in this episode, Tsumugu is able to bring another side to Kill la Kill that simply was not in it before.

The development that this episode offers to the series is, in my opinion, huge. I still question what happened to the 'you must fight everyone before you fight me' plot, but do acknowledge that this is an anime halfway through its series and the writers of the series more or less just like to have fun...well at the very least I'm having fun watching,

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Top Three Best Anime of Fall 2013

1. Kill la Kill

I have Kill la Kill listed first out of the three anime listed as it is one that is sweeping social sites by storm. Kill la Kill is a dream for anime blogs as it has left anime bloggers like me with heaps of exciting content to write about.

Kill la Kill (Photo credit: Danny Choo)

Kill la Kill is a non-stop action packed anime that sees its main character, the empowered Ryuko Matoi, attempting to get vengeance for her father's death. Kill la Kill doesn't shy away from its overt fanservice which has become somewhat of a controversial issue amongst fans of anime, and a trending topic on many anime blogs surrounds the overt sexualization of the lead characters in the series.

Kill la Kill (Photo credit: Danny Choo)

While users of message boards and anime blog writers might keep writing about the fanservice aspects of the show, the fact remains that the show simply is an amazing and entertaining watch for fans of anime. If you are looking for something to watch that isn't extremely serious but still packs in tons of action, Kill la Kill is the show for you.

2. Beyond the Boundary

My second favorite anime series of the current fall season is without a doubt Beyond the Boundary. Beyond the Boundary is an incredibly underrated show that Crunchyroll has been offering every week. While this particular anime isn't as funny or fast paced as Kill la Kill, it possesses a highly engaging story that deals with the spirit world on earth and warriors within it. Like Kill la Kill, I've covered this show with anime blog summaries, so if you are interested in joining the conversation I've made it easy for you to do so.

Interestingly, Beyond the Boundary is a show that carries with it a certain amount of charm that the other anime offerings of the season just don't have. The show's characters are strong and have their own set of quirks and issues (cough Akihito and his spec fetish) but all of them add to the complexity and reliability of the characters themselves. Beyond the Boundary is a show that dedicates itself towards telling a serious story, and it deserves every drop of attention it can receive.

3. Log Horizon

For the third show I've decided to list Log Horizon. The main reason I am listing this is because of its unavoidable comparison to Sword Art Online, another hugely popular video game anime. Log Horizon is another anime that gets the anime blogs buzzing simply because of the comparisons it draws to SAO. While I don't think it has quite the same impact on me that SAO did when I initially watched it, Log Horizon is still a must watch that should not be missed.

Honestly if it wasn't for Kill la Kill, I think Log Horizon would be dominating social media buzz much more than it already is. Log Horizon, which is also based off of light novels, delves into the issue of being stuck inside a gaming world and how the players cope with that experience. The concept isn't new and neither is the execution, but the story is engaging and at times more informative than others within the genre. It's not SAO and I've learned that much in the first four episodes, but it does offer something refreshingly different with likeable characters that viewers can latch onto.