tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.comments2023-12-22T11:05:09.570-05:00Yuri StargirlJaimehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comBlogger181125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-4828956278313852862023-12-22T11:05:09.570-05:002023-12-22T11:05:09.570-05:00Thank you for reading and your comment. I have lea...Thank you for reading and your comment. I have learned so much through the journey of this particular review and your comments have continued me on that journey. I truly did either miss or miss-interpret things in the manga through my allosexual lens and so the perspectives of others have helped broaden me. Thank you!Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-17506793339948876492023-11-27T20:48:26.150-05:002023-11-27T20:48:26.150-05:00Hi!
I thought doughnuts was interesting just beca...Hi! <br />I thought doughnuts was interesting just because there isn't that much blatant Ace representation in general and I myself clocked the MC as ace from volume 1, but then again, I happen to relate a lot to the character's thoughts. So because I’m going into the manga with the opposite assumptions as you (characters are already ace, being ace is not the reveal), I’m reading the manga being more curious what that ace relationship will look like, whether it has the two main characters participating in things like kissing which isn't particularly sexual (to me at least), and how the characters would choose to show their intimacy (painting the nails), and what other conflicts the two have (the sister.) <br />Of course Hinako has that big anxiety about her being ace and whether that's a good fit for the person she likes romantically, but that was that was just because she didn’t communicate that part of her as blatantly since the beginning seemed to be more about just getting to know Asahi as a person and the other things that comes with liking someone (jealousy, etc) <br /><br />But I really appreciate the perspective of this review and the follow up edits you made. I think it actually made me understand allosexuals more and how they view the unfolding of a story. rikithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09279721392474861999noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-81440762490060732142023-10-09T11:47:56.810-04:002023-10-09T11:47:56.810-04:00Thank you again for your comment and in the month ...Thank you again for your comment and in the month since I first responded, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. In response, you can now see that I basically rewrote the entire post. I kept all the original text in strikeouts (or black) so people would see what pissed you off. Hopefully my new analysis does a better job with explaining my experience with this series. It was better in a reread than it was the first time through, probably in large part because there wasn't so much time between volumes for me to forget the nuance that was critical to the ending. Hope you come back and keep reading.Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-35006940609657567122023-09-16T14:30:54.058-04:002023-09-16T14:30:54.058-04:00Your reply gave me a lot to think about, and I app...Your reply gave me a lot to think about, and I appreciate that. It's a lens I didn't consider when reading the book and perhaps I'll give it another read. I still don't find the writing or art compelling, but I hear you loud and clear about my limited perspective and how that came through in the way I interpreted the underlying content of the series. I suppose I never considered it from the standpoint of asexuality, and you are absolutely correct that that is my bias showing through. I do appreciate the bias check. Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-55456749608346150772023-07-23T21:48:06.993-04:002023-07-23T21:48:06.993-04:00"i totally support asexual people but their e..."i totally support asexual people but their existence is a gigantic fuck you to me personally and you have to wave around a giant asexual flag at all times in order to provide me with hints that you're asexual."<br /><br />you know asexual lesbians exist, right? i'm one. this blog post is extremely ignorant and acephobic. there's SO much allosexual representation out there, so god forbid we get an asexual romance. you have no place saying it's not "legitimate representation of lesbians, asexual individuals, or anything" when you're not an asexual lesbian. you're just a bigot. <3meowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12718227399043093102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-86493493141043997922023-07-13T12:17:34.108-04:002023-07-13T12:17:34.108-04:00Tediously overhyped show.Tediously overhyped show.Tom Tiddlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13178455105518083224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-27575254078349461242023-05-14T07:33:00.277-04:002023-05-14T07:33:00.277-04:00I just finished it all 3 volumes. I think the truc...I just finished it all 3 volumes. I think the truck driver is just a look alike and Emi wish that Kei is already back sooner because she is still waiting for her. The reprise part, I think its like flashback to the first time they met but from Kei's perspective instead of Emi.<br /><br />Overall, I really love the story, char development, romance between the 2 and the bed scene potrayal.<br /><br />I really hope that Nishio-sensei somehow continue the story. Like part 2 where Kei is finally back. It's really a shame that it partially ended beacuse the magazine its being published on is about to shut down as well.XelonYarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12861837222138709028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-27065341856637339642023-03-19T19:46:31.624-04:002023-03-19T19:46:31.624-04:00I was wondering about that with the light novels. ...I was wondering about that with the light novels. People seem to so intently love Adachi and Shimamura, but it seems that they've all read the novels. So I think coming into it with just the anime and manga, something of the original creator's intent must be missing for me. Thanks for the recommendation! :)Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-67706369974278259192023-03-17T16:04:16.330-04:002023-03-17T16:04:16.330-04:00Now that you mention it, I do see a few parallels ...Now that you mention it, I do see a few parallels between "Adachi and Shimamura" and "Bloom Into You." But It looks like the "Adachi and Shimamura" light novels began publishing about two and a half years before "Bloom Into You" did, so I'm inclined to think it's just a coincidence. By the way, I haven't read the "Adachi and Shimamura" manga, but I'm fairly confident in recommending the light novels if you'd like the story to have more depth to its characterization. I've seen the anime, and compared to it, the light novels are way more detailed and give you much greater insight into the thoughts, feelings, and desires of the main pair.FlipFlaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963992245314356121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-46312743946369515492023-03-17T12:43:30.407-04:002023-03-17T12:43:30.407-04:00What a great way of looking at this, and it makes ...What a great way of looking at this, and it makes a ton of sense to me. I hadn't thought about just how averse to public discussion of human sexuality their society might be. I agree with the thoughts on it being derivative of "Bloom into You" - it's actually a criticism I have of the "Adachi and Shimamura" manga (even though I don't know which came first. They just don't seem to have the nuance that "Bloom Into You Had". Thank you so much for commenting and sharing those thoughts. >_<Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-58271596333156210622023-03-14T04:56:54.507-04:002023-03-14T04:56:54.507-04:00I personally believe that the cultural differences...I personally believe that the cultural differences between Japan and most Western countries when it comes to knowledge and awareness of sexuality/attraction are the reason that you find Hinako to be so unrealistic as a character. While it may seem utterly implausible to us that any person over the age of, say, 15 or 16, could be so very ignorant of such basic elements of love and sex, I have read that compulsory sexual education in Japan is terribly lacking. It often doesn't cover relationships or identity at all, which leaves adolescents to get their information chiefly from mass media and porn--aside from what is taught to them by their parents, of course. For those whose parents take a hands-off approach to their children learning about these important subjects, and who don't seek out their own further education, they may well enter into adulthood with very misinformed ideas, or simply lacking much information at all. And of course, Japanese society tends to avoid public discussion of such subjects which may be found impolite or divisive. Thus, a great number of Japanese people are what would be seen from a Western perspective as very sheltered in regard to identity and sexuality.<br /><br />Now, with all this being said, I do admit that Hinako's obliviousness is far-fetched, but I don't agree with your perspective that it breaks suspension of disbelief entirely. I simply mean to say that the idea people like Hinako actually exist is not so inconceivable when you consider the the state of the society in which she lives.<br /><br />On another note, my main criticism of "Doughnuts Under a Crescent Moon" is that it seems to me to be rather derivative of "Bloom Into You." Hinako's personal struggles are somewhat similar to Yuu's, but her character is less fleshed-out. Asahi's overriding fixation on her sibling due to past trauma is comparable to Touko's own obsession with her older sister, but it's not woven into the story with nearly the same intricacy and tension as the latter. I suppose Fuuka could even be compared to Sayaka in that they are both "old(er) friend" love rivals who are confident in their own identities, if nothing else.<br /><br />Anyways, I just wanted to share my thoughts on the series up to this point. Volume 4 will be out very soon--I'd be interested to read your thoughts on the conclusion.FlipFlaphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11963992245314356121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-24909748345433798582023-02-18T10:42:05.632-05:002023-02-18T10:42:05.632-05:00What a great comment! Thank you for sharing these ...What a great comment! Thank you for sharing these perspectives (and for reading my blog at all!). I especially like the points you make in your third paragraph, and I think too if we consider the broadest definition of "romance" or "romantic" it can encompass an incredibly wide range of experiences. I do also appreciate that we never see or experience Kondo sexualizing her, even if he is experiencing romantic attraction. Thanks again for the thoughtful comments and insight.Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-4424394544853795332023-02-18T10:38:05.262-05:002023-02-18T10:38:05.262-05:00I'll have to go back and reread volumes 1-3 (a...I'll have to go back and reread volumes 1-3 (and also, I swear there was nothing in the anime either) to see those flash forwards you're talking about. I haven't read the light novels, so I don't love the spoiler in your comment, but I also see the importance of why you mentioned it to counter my writeup, and I do appreciate the heads-up that it's actually going somewhere. I supposed I jumped the gun because there are so many so-called yuri manga series or slice of life ones that seem non-committal to me that I may be oversensitive. However, I still also struggle, even if this isn't queer baiting, with the obtuseness of the writing/characters-inner-dialogue, etc... I think it's okay that people are questioning, exploring, and unsure, but I don't think the way this author does it here is very elegant from a quality of prose standpoint. I've read great yuri, and then I've read this? But I also have volume 4 on my coffee table and we'll see? :) Thanks for the comment.Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-34327449895545153902023-02-17T02:02:28.933-05:002023-02-17T02:02:28.933-05:00"And it's queer-baiting with no real sens..."And it's queer-baiting with no real sense that there will be a legit romantic and/or LGBTQ+ payoff that makes it's frustratingly vapid storytelling worth it" Umm, Adachi and Shimamura is based on a yuri light novel of the same name and the girls begin dating at the end of Volume 06 and in the light novel there has been flash foward chapters to their domestic adult life as lovers together so no, it is not queer-baiting.<br />suzuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15441068213857258730noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-32838836519376449042023-02-03T07:12:43.465-05:002023-02-03T07:12:43.465-05:00Nice writeups. I think you are spot on that the ma...Nice writeups. I think you are spot on that the main difference between anime and manga is the amount of characterisation and how it is resolved. The manga 's last 1/3 is like a seesaw, with each main layering on the brick on each side as Tachibana wavers between her infatuation/escape and courage/letting go. The writing is very apt at using parallels that contrasts each main character and this naturally got carried across into anime, just not enough material was covered due to the limited run. As a result, the anime conclusion is a bit of a fizzler since Tachibana already made up her mind (even if she didn't realist at that exact point), and we get a lower octane Kondo final act. In the anime each person sort of made up their own mind independently without the final meet. <br /><br />I don't actually agree that the anime ending leaves any opening. This is because I tend to think the last conversation only happened in Kondo's head. The reality is basically Tachibana walking back towards the restaurant. There's no call back, nor reason for her to turn back and have another chat. The segment was Kondo's realisation (before Tachibana's own) that the swallow is ready to leave the nest, and bid her farewell in his own melancholy. <br /><br />(following applies to the manga) To me it is still a romantic story, but rather than about the development of a relationship, it is more about the expression of love that evolves due to personal growth. Tachibana would've started on a strong 9 on the love scale and hardly changed throughout the story. Over time however she learnt to let go. Kondo on the other hand could hardly control himself anymore and had to express his love the only and right way by nudging Tachibana towards the other path. So I see no issue celebrating Kondo's feelings for Tachibana as taboo as it was, because ultimately he did the right thing and achieved sublimation. It is like how society hold war dead in high regard not because they necessarily achieved something meaningful or not but what they lost in the process. The same can be said for both characters in what they gave up, indeed the greater the loss the longer lasting aftertaste, mixed with the sweetness of rediscovered dreams.anonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09847797540936914628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-67270742638503585522022-12-12T07:10:32.023-05:002022-12-12T07:10:32.023-05:00Did you ever go back to watch the final season? I ...Did you ever go back to watch the final season? I hope so. It's SOOOOOOOOOOO good! :)Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-52169968002750610462022-12-12T07:10:00.699-05:002022-12-12T07:10:00.699-05:00OHHHHH, this book looks so good. I just ordered it...OHHHHH, this book looks so good. I just ordered it. Thank you for the recommendations! :)Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-77851706847521883852022-11-19T16:57:08.050-05:002022-11-19T16:57:08.050-05:00I completely agree with everything you say! I drop...I completely agree with everything you say! I dropped Shera around season 3 or 4, can't really remember, because the constant action was starting to get tiring. I love action, but if there's no break inbetween, then why should I continue, you know?KitchenCleanerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00444678624260529485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-20604261137901293692022-11-15T05:23:14.996-05:002022-11-15T05:23:14.996-05:00hi there! ive only recently discovered your blog b...hi there! ive only recently discovered your blog but im excited to explore it more soon. i wanted to reccomend the book Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden, if u dont already know it! xAlicexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17226655451748590368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-5238721978569338702022-11-05T11:47:44.789-04:002022-11-05T11:47:44.789-04:00Hello, I appreciate that you had a very different ...Hello, I appreciate that you had a very different view of this anime than I did. I wish there was less ad hominem attacks on my intelligence, character, and abilities in your response, but what can I do? I chose to post this anyway (despite the inherent rudeness in the approach you took to expressing your views) because I value alternative points of view and I do learn things from them. That being said, we all are humans with our own prior experiences, view points, and emotions and no piece of art will resonate the same to each viewer. I welcome and thrive on discussion and discourse. And with the limited time we each have on this earth there are some pieces of media I chose to spend a great deal of time and thought on (as you have with this show) and pieces of media that just didn't do it for me. But I am thankful, as I am sure the creators of the series are, that there are people who are so moved as to take a deeper dive into their series (as you have). We'll have to talk Citrus later, because I am well aware of what trash it is and how it is absolutely breaking critically important taboos and could easily be seen as promoting unhealthy and damaging things. I couldn't possibly agree with you more on that. However, what I am taking away from it may be very different than what you think I am. In no way would I ever attempt to justify it's seemly aspects. It's also waaaaaaaaay down on my list of manga/anime that people should experience and I would never recommend it to anyone. And as a final thought, in no way do I intend these blog posts to be criticisms of the people who have put their hard work and time into creating the manga and anime I am speaking about. I have struggled with this when I did college journalism, and struggle with it now in posting a blog, I mean to share only my personal reactions and what it meant to me - in no way shape or form do I mean to suggest that there isn't more to what's in there than what I am discussing or in any way belittle the effort that goes into their creation, much less criticize anyone who has a different opinion of me or prefers something I do not. I am no authority (on these topics) and have never claimed to be. Judging by the three additional comments you left below, I wonder if you thought I was, of if perhaps by simple fact of hosting a blog, you imagined I thought I was. That I assure you couldn't be further from the truth. I know I know nothing, other than my feelings and which shows create positive feelings in me and which simply don't do it for me. My goal is to provide a set of thoughts that may help others decide where to spend their limited time. If people tend to have a similar set of feelings to mine, then my posts might be useful. If people find they have very different views then I suppose my posts are useful in a different way (or maybe my blog is simply not worth them spending time on). Either way, there are things in life I do well, things I do have expertise on (none manga/anime related), and hope that the work I do on a daily basis and the way I treat people on a daily basis makes this a better world for some. I'm sorry my thoughts on this anime provoked such a strong response in you, but I hope you find other sources of internet reading that are more to your taste. Jaimehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11650864719718347146noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-82850666317361168542022-09-06T17:05:33.889-04:002022-09-06T17:05:33.889-04:00I haven't! I've been looking for one in Sp...I haven't! I've been looking for one in Spanish but it seems that all of them were printed in Spain, and it's hard for me to get one in used bookstores in Mexico 😞. I will look for one in English. Thanks for your response ☺️Rebeca Bañueloshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12548784293513682137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-20156552093525730092022-08-11T10:20:41.984-04:002022-08-11T10:20:41.984-04:00The giraffe is not random and is an entity that em...The giraffe is not random and is an entity that embodies the audience. This show is rooted in subtext and symbolism. The story may not be emotionally resonant for you, but it is a story about coming of age, of doing the thing you spent most of your life (17-5=12) yearning and aiming for. The story is about someone who you desperately miss thrusting the desire to see something through with them onto you and awakening passion and drive inside you, something that you lack because you were unknowingly lost and aimless without them. Then, suddenly, they betray you and leave you again, just when you thought you were going to finally be able to stand on that stage together. Everything is meaningless now. For the 7 months that person is gone, you fall into depression. No matter what your closest friends – remember the 7 other characters you didn't like and thought they had little relevance while taking up too much screentime – did their best to help and support you, that depression never lifted... until you realize what happened after having a breakdown and are able to save her. You stand on that stage together, both as leads, with no constraints of musumeyaku or otokoyaku or anything else holding you back. It might not resonate for you and the ending might feel a little contrived, but it was all alluded to in one way or another. It was all foreshadowed in the plot, no matter how much you didn't like Karen's friends encouraging her and telling her that they would wait for her. But actually, no, I don't think that there is a parallel between "Starlight" and Karen and Hikari. Since you clearly know better than I, why don't you tell me more?<br />I cannot even justify your comment about Hideaki Anno with a laugh. You only look surface level and desire for no "meat," so to say, of the content you consume. You do not wish to use your brain and critically think about the media or even, at times, actually read the narration and watch the scenes that explain what is going on for you. This entire post about this show is unfortunate.<br />But you read Citrus, a series that presents incest in a positive and morally okay light, so I really didn't need to write any of this out for anything other than my own peace of mind, now did I? 3/3Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-30845016114103495242022-08-11T10:20:30.318-04:002022-08-11T10:20:30.318-04:00Since you clearly need this spelled out for you, t...Since you clearly need this spelled out for you, the beginning half of the episodes – the boring bit, as you feel – that take place in the real world set up the dynamic and driving force behind the conflict of the revue in the latter half. Every part of this show is meticulous and planned. Nothing is without consequence or reason of some sort.<br />Again, since you need the explanation on a silver platter, allow me. The auditions are a chance for the selected stage girls to battle for their own "fated stage" and this "fated stage" can be whatever the girl wishes. It's almost as though this was explained as well, as shown, not only once, but twice in the show. Hikari and Nana show the audience what happens to a stage girl when she wins the auditions. I don't even know what to say to you about that part.<br />As mentioned above, every part of this show has a purpose. I've watched my fair share of shojos and magical girl shows and can say that the closest this show comes to fan-service is the dance bit between Claudine and Maya all the way in episode one. The shower scene doesn't show them naked. It only shows their chests, even if I am personally not a fan of that scene. And it does, mind-bogglingly enough, serve a purpose. Karen's constant musing about Hikari sets up Mahiru's jealousy of Hikari. In her centric episode, Mahiru outright tells Karen that she's in love with her. Mahiru's entire arc focuses on how she doesn't need to cling to Karen for her self-worth. Futaba and Kaoruko are written to be a married couple. Yet this is clearly not "canon enough" to you.<br />I'm so flabbergasted by the apparent "male-ness" and subsequent paragraph that I cannot even come up with a response to this. Did you watch the show while conscious or unconscious?<br />The segments during the ballet section might not have been entirely accurate... as though they were embellished upon for the sake of the narrative, perhaps? 2/3Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-56227133606392076892022-08-11T10:20:11.151-04:002022-08-11T10:20:11.151-04:00As an LGBTQ individual myself, I understand the wa...As an LGBTQ individual myself, I understand the want and desire to consume media that centers around issues pertaining to those topics.<br />All of the pairings here are canonical, even if they're not like your typical yuri content where they kiss and say I love you.<br />For starters, you say that Hikari's introduction into the show comes with no foreshadowing. What about the part in episode one where Karen runs back to her room to get her hairclip – one that clearly has an incredible amount of worth to her to risk being late to, as we later find out, a very prestigious school – and the camera then goes to the framed photograph of Karen and Hikari as children? Is that not foreshadowing?<br />I must admit that you are correct in one aspect. This show does focus on the other characters as well as Karen and Hikari. It's almost as though they're all friends and have special bonds with each other that they have forged during their time at this school. It is almost as though they all support each other and challenge each other to reach new heights. It's almost as though they all have a significance on the plot and that they have a reasonable expansion upon their characters within the in-world play of "Starlight."<br />Karen and Hikari might not be your cup of tea, but they are built upon as characters as the series progresses. Saying that there's no reason to care is undermining the writing when you cannot analyze the content. 1/3Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2739773582772593408.post-21763475241918858222022-08-11T09:30:04.001-04:002022-08-11T09:30:04.001-04:00this is a very bold and long way of saying you lac...this is a very bold and long way of saying you lack the ability to analyse a piece of media. literally i cannot for the life of me find one piece of good thing in this entire excuse of an analysis. i tried reading it and i felt my braincells dying. i dont know what kind of media you are used to but clearly its some that have the entire plot explained to you like a step by step video which clearly is why you lack any understanding basic skills. either way please keep revue starlight out of your mouth. by the way just saw you read citrus on gods 2022 and i dont know why im even writing this because just by knowing that i can tell you are the stupidest piece of person who reads pseudo incest with minors that has a shitty plot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com