Month: April 2017

  • Spring Reading Wrap Up

    Time for a reading wrap up! Haven’t done one in a while, but I figured I’d talk about all of the things I’ve been reading the last couple of months. I’ve been reading pretty much exclusively manga, and I’ve been loving it because I haven’t read this much manga in a long time. But I’m enjoying pretty much everything I’ve been reading, so here’s what I’ve read so far this year! (I’m not going to talk about some of the books I’ve already done separate reviews for, but rather other series.)

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    Tokyo Ghoul by Sui Ishida, volumes 1-12. Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.

    There’s a total of 14 volumes in this series, and though the whole series is completed and I could read it all, I’m actually collecting these specific editions of the series. BUT what I’ve read of the series so far? Oh. My. God. It’s so dark and twisted and I love it.

    It’s rated for older teens 16+ and with good reason because there’s a lot of blood and violence that happens in this story. Ken Kaneki goes through a lot when he suddenly becomes a ghoul after being attacked by one, and it’s pretty much his journey going through a lot of hardships, almost dying several times, and becoming stronger to save others.

    Honestly, it’s one of my favorite series I’ve read and I’m glad I picked it up. It really deserves the hype it has. There’s humans who work for an organization trying to abolish ghouls, and then there are sects of ghouls who try to rise up against them. I recommend this series if you’re looking for something darker and more intense. I’m also currently watching the anime and, hoo boy, it’s intense.

    Noragami by Adachitoka, volumes 1-17. Yato is a stray god. He doesn’t even have a shrine, not to mention worshipers! Hoping he’ll eventually raise enough money to build himself the lavish temple of his dreams, Yato accepts all kinds of jobs. Of course, he can’t afford to be picky; from finding lost kittens to helping a student overcome bullies, no job is too small for Yato, the god-for-hire! An eccentric story with a charming cast of characters!

    This is probably one of my favorite series ever because it’s so fun but also serious at times, and omg I ship Hiyori and Yato so much like JUST KISS ALREADY, and there are other characters that I’ve grown attached to and I want to know what exactly happens with them because I’ve read up to volume 17 and so much has happened!

    Yato is a god who was made through wishes and he is often forgotten if he is ever seen or helps others. And then when Hiyori sees him one day and saves him from being hit by a truck (even though the driver couldn’t see him), she then ends up almost dying and being able to slip out of her body and join Yato – and eventually Yato’s shinki [weapon], Yukine – on their jobs and adventures. It’s such a great story that doesn’t fail to make me laugh and be suspicious of so many characters and their true intentions.

    Seriously check this series out. It’s so good and very addicting. Plus the art style is really nice to look at.

    Ten Count by Rihito Takarai, volumes 1-6. When the President got into an accident, Shirotani Tadaomi met Kurose. On their very first meeting, Kurose could tell right away that Shirotani is Mysophobic and said that it’s pretty bad while suggesting it would be better to consult a doctor about it. Shirotani was left perturbed by the encounter. Who is Kurose? And how was he able to tell Shirotani’s condition?

    This is a yaoi series which means lots of boy/boy love and sex, and I’m really enjoying this series. At least, up until the last few chapters because now I feel like Kurose is really just using Shirotani and it’s not healthy and just… yeah… But anyway, up until that point, it was hot and steamy and it was nice to see Kurose wanting to help Shirotani with his mysophobia, and Shirotani is making progress, but I hope events don’t escalate and he becomes worse than before.

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    Koisuru Harinezumi by Nao Hinachi, volumes 1-3. To change from ‘like’ to ‘love’, what strategies must Ozawa use on Kazuki? Kazuki Heiji is the troublemaker. He gets into fights and is very cold to everyone. Ozawa Kii witnesses a fight between a classmate and Kazuki but he unexpectedly says he wants to become friends? And what’s this about ‘like’ and ‘love’.

    Ahhhh the cutenessssssssss. This is a shoujo manga, meaning it’s more tailored toward girls with romance and all of that, and I love shoujo manga, so this was right up my alley. The art style is very lovely and the story is a cute one of a scary guy, Kazuki, who is approached one day by a sweet girl, Ozawa, to turn in an assignment, and they soon find themselves in a friendship. But Ozawa slowly starts to fall for him and things just kind of get more complicated from there in ways but sweeter in others.

    If you need a light hearted read with cute feels, definitely check out this series. It’s super cute and yeah, the story isn’t original, but who cares? Still so many feels.

    Tsubaki Chou Lonely Planet, chapters 1-33. Ohno Fumi is a poor 2nd year high school student. Because of her father’s debts, she’s kicked out of her own home and has to rely on her own connections to survive. Thus begins her life as a live-in housekeeper for a reclusive writer…

    Ahhhh I can’t even with this seriessssss. It’s too cute and I simply love it. When Fumi becomes a housekeeper to a reclusive writer, Akatsuki, she slowly develops feelings for him. And there’s a lot of silly moments and cute moments and then THE CONFESSION. AHHHH dying of the cuuuuuute. Okay, sorry, it’s very fresh in my mind as I just finished reading all of the updated chapters online that I could find. But yeah, another light hearted read for you to check out if you’re interested!

    Nanairo Sekai, volume 1 – four short stories. 1) The Glasses Thief
    A boy with bad eyesight and the girl who is in love with him.

    2) Convenience Store Honey
    A boy worries about his quiet boyfriend.

    3) Adult-Uniform
    A girl wonders why her childhood friend does not speak to her anymore.

    4) Refrigerator Chocolate
    Satoru is going to have heart surgery with a 50/50 chance of surviving. One day he comes across a girl in a refrigerator…

    This manga consisted of four short stories, each with some form of love in it, and it was just so bitter sweet reading them. They all deal with some small hardship that they have to overcome in some way, and I think that that brings the characters closer together. If you’re looking for a feel-good, but still kinda bitter sweet, read then check out this manga.

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    Living no Matsunaga-san, chapters 1-2. Miko leaves the house of her parents to live with her uncle who runs a boarding house, but her first meeting with Matsunaga-san isn’t good and then he discovers that she is one of her uncle’s tenants. Even as a secondary student she surrounds herself with university students who have a very different life from her own. Can she fit into her new home?

    Whyyyyy are there only two chapters translatedddddd!? I need more nowwwwwwww. Seriously, there’s something about this manga and I just NEED MORE. The art style is a good one, the story seems like it’s going to be fun, the main leads are interesting… Ugh. Give me more! I want to see their relationship grow, please, thanks… Even though there’s only a few chapters out right now, definitely check out this story when you can. Super cute and funny.

    Hirunaka no Ryuusei, chapter 115-year-old country girl, Suzume Yosano, has to move to Tokyo to live with her uncle due to her father’s transfer. She bumps into a mysterious man who ends up taking her to her uncle’s place after she gets lost. Turns out, Suzume will be seeing him a lot more often once she starts school because… he’s her homeroom teacher!?

    Okay, love stories between teacher and student seem to be popular right now, where the student is 16/17 and the teacher is in their early 20’s and I don’t know what it is about it, BUT I’M DIGGING IT. AHH. And I’ve only read the first chapter of this manga but I can tell I’m already going to be intrigued because it just has a lot of elements that I’m interested in and I know I’ll enjoy. More thoughts will come once I’ve read more.

    Smokin’ Paradise by Jinsei Kataoka & Kazuma Kondou, volume 1. Youkou lives in a future where organ transplants are common and available to all, but life’s not as idyllic as it seems–it turns out a nefarious organization is using that technology for their own evil ends! Only the elite squad Jackalope has any chance of stopping them before it’s too late.

    Okay, this one is much more intense than the previous ones I’ve talked about because it’s a shonen series, which means it’s geared toward boys, and therefore there’s more explosions and death and gutting and machines…. Anyway, this story has my interest piqued because so many things happen and I have so many questions about the main character and his history and why he is the way he is and what’s going to happen next. As far as I know only the first volume is out, but it’s really good. Violent, but good.

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    Mayoke no Darling by Puku Okuyama – chapters 1-4. At the university’s badminton club’s freshmen welcome party, everyone is scared stiff when the scary-looking Tougo introduces himself. The fearless (or maybe just clueless) freshmen Haruka ends up sharing a taxi home with Tougo… and while everyone else trembles in fear before him, Haruka finds him handsome.

    SUCH A CUTE YAOI, OMG. I almost forgot to add this to my list but even though there’s only a few chapters out right now, this was still very cute. It’s simple and sweet boy love and cute and makes me happy. Especially since it’s like the “scary looking” dude with the SUPER cute guy who’s all bubbly and kind of airheaded. Commence the warm fuzzies, I clearly can’t coherently write anything about this without squeeing.


    So that’s most of what I’ve read so far in the last few months. There is another series or two I started and got a decent way through but I can’t remember their names. #fail

    Let’s Chat! ^w^

    Anyway, let me know if you’ve read any of these manga and what your thoughts were! Have any recommendations? I’d love to hear them!

  • Finding Joy in Art

    I’ve always loved to draw. From the time I was young to now, I’ve always had a creative spark in me. I find it to be extremely fun and relaxing (even if I’m annoyed with how the product is turning out to look like).

    I’ve been drawing almost every day for about a week now and I’ve found myself to be so happy and lost in a world that I haven’t visited in a long time that I crave more.

    I haven’t had this feeling in so long and I need more.

    But then I wondered to myself, “What is this feeling?” Don’t get me wrong, I’m really glad to have it, but what is this actual feeling? I thought about it and then I came to the conclusion: joy.

    Now, if you knew me personally and some of the things going on in my life, you’d know that I haven’t experienced joy like this in quite some time. Yes, I find pockets and moments and those are of course just as precious and important, but this feeling of doing something I’ve always loved and had stopped for one reason or another to only pick up again and see myself improving and having fun doing so?

    Yeah, that’s joy.

    And I kind of just wanted to talk about that today because I don’t know about you, but I feel a lot of my generation is having a lot of trouble finding joy in life. Like, actual, pure joy. Something that makes our hearts sing and makes us feel so happy and content in the moment that we want to continually go back to those moments over and over and over again.

    Finding what you love to do and actually finding the time to do so can be two wildly difficult things to accomplish. I’ve been searching for a purpose for quite some time now, trying to pinpoint something that can bring me happiness in my stressful world, and I found it once again in art. It’s great having people appreciate my art, complimenting me and telling me I’m improving, giving me tips if they’re artists themselves on how to improve a bit more, and then just people who like my art for the art itself. I find joy in that feeling of bringing other people happiness, for sure, and I want to continue to grab it.

    And then there are the nay-sayers. The ones who will say, “Oh it’s great that you have that and everything, but what about real life?” I know of one very significant person in my life who is like that, and I let their words affect me all the time. I don’t think that you should put the things that you love so far on the back burner that they become a distant memory. In fact, I hate that with every fiber of my being. I know I’ve stated in a post before about how I put off art for some time and that each time I did draw I would feel this incessant urge to continue to draw and create more and more and more, but I never really hooked myself on that. I never took that step to really sit down and do it.

    And now that I have been, I don’t want to let it go.

    See, now, I’m the kind of person that puts everyone before myself. I’m still a selfish brat, but I still put others before me in almost all things. So when I say that I’ve been thinking about wanting to do art full-time, or at least start part-time, I get scared. Not only will it affect me, but it will also affect my husband. I’m afraid that if I were to pursue this kind of thing that it would be just too much all at once. He says I should just Shia Labeouf it and JUST DO IT, but it’s extremely difficult for me to do that without taking SO many things into consideration.

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    And then there’s the part of me that looks back at that joy and that feeling I get when I’m drawing and I think, “Yeah, I want to do this. I really, really want to do this.” I want to improve my art skills, become better at multiple mediums, really showcase my style and show that I’m better than mediocre. I want to be able to have fun and do something I love in life that isn’t just a hobby, that isn’t something I just come home to from a job I couldn’t really care about.

    I don’t know about you, but finding that joy and latching onto it, is such a beautiful thing. I know that I have obstacles to overcome (like the biggest one that every artist ever faces: comparing my art to others, ughhhhh), a lot of research to do, and a lot of saving up to do, but this is something that I’ve been becoming more and more serious about as time passes. And frankly, my happiness should really start to be coming first.

    Anyway, that’s what I wanted to talk about today. My thoughts are probably all over the place, but I needed to express it somewhere and what better place than here, right? Also, if you want to check out my art, you should check out my art instagram!

    Let’s Chat! ^w^

    Do you ever face these kinds of problems of finding joy in your life in something you love to do, but not really doing anything about it? Do you consider it just a hobby or do you wish you could make it something you do day in and day out? What are some of the things that really bring you joy in life? Tell me all the things!

  • Imadoki! Nowadays! Series Review

    imadoki1Title: Imadoki! Nowadays!
    Series: 5 volumes
    Author: Yuu Watase
    Publisher: Viz Media LLC
    Genre: Manga – Shoujo

    For Tanpopo Yamazaki, life at the elitist Meiô Academy seems way out of her league. The daughters of wealthy families snub her; other students make light of the fact that she actually tested into Meiô instead of relying on family connections, and the cute boy she saw tending a dandelion the day before wouldn’t even acknowledge her existence. Hoping to make friends and have some fun, Tanpopo starts up a gardening committee, but will this help her survive in a school where superficiality and nepotism reign supreme? IMADOKI follows the trials and tribulations of a budding horticulturist as she makes her way down the winding road to friendship. From Yû Watase, one of Japan’s most beloved shôjo artists, IMADOKI packs comedic charm and heartfelt antics into an adorable bouquet of whimsical fantasy.

    As this is a series review there may be spoilers!

    I’m going to start this off by saying: I’m biased when it comes to this series and several other Yuu Watase works. I read a lot of her works many years ago and they were some of my favorite series at the time, and still are. So of course upon rereading this series all the way through again, I loved it, but there were some things I didn’t remember that happened and when I read about them it was like I was reading with fresh eyes.

    This series follows Tanpopo, a happy-go-lucky girl who moves from Hokkaido to Tokyo to join this elite school to make more friends and experience more in the world. When she first arrives, the day before school starts for the year, she runs into (more like crashes into) Koki, who was minding his own business taking care of a plant. From there it takes off and we learn many things about Koki, Tanpopo, and her serious desire to make friends.

    Tanpopo is kind of a clueless person who just wants those around her to be happy because she knows what it’s like to be in a lot of pain and really sad. She’s cheerful even when she’s being bullied for being the new girl and trying to talk to Koki – who acts like a totally different person when he’s at school surrounded by others than when he was alone tending to plants. I think that she’s a very loveable character, and that she really shows her genuine feelings on the surface almost all the time. I think that’s why so many people change around her and become more friendly to her and to others, including themselves. She’s kind of the beacon of hope in this series and I think that she is a great person.

    Koki is from one of the elite families in the school, and he hates it. He had a lot of responsibility dumped on him when his older brother, Yoji, runs out on the family with no hint as to where he was going. He finds that everyone in the school only wants to be close to him because of his status, and he hates that. He finds solace in plants and tending to flowers and that’s really where he shows his true colors. I think that he has a great sense of responsibility, but also a great load of guilt because he takes on the tasks of his brother that he didn’t want to take on.

    Flippy is a hacker and kind of a crazy guy who can flip on anyone at any time without warning, but he’s also a fun character because not only does he cause mischief, but he really believes in what Tanpopo is trying to do and supports her as a great friend.

    Tsukiko is first interested in joining the Plant Committee with Tanpopo just so she could destroy Tanpopo’s image in front of Koki, but then we learn that she just wants to be with Koki for his status and power – the way it’s handled, though, is very funny and I think that it brings a lot of hilarity to some more serious moments in the series. Also, I ship her and Flippy. Just saying.

    Arisa is the last of the group to really join in and she was unwilling at first, but once Tanpopo really showed her that it was okay to do things for herself, Arisa decided to be friends with them. Also, she has a secret that they all quickly figure out, and I think that she deals with it in a very mature way.

    And then there’s Erika who… I really don’t like. At all. I don’t feel sorry for her and I know she was just there to create drama, but dammit, whyyyyyyy. Ugh. She’s just… not a good person. I don’t like her. I don’t have much to say about her. I’m just glad Tanpopo doesn’t really give up on her, even after all of the crap that she puts Tanpopo through.

    As for the plot, it’s a pretty simple high school drama (ahahahaha, simple?) with developing feelings of romance, budding friendships, real life problems, and more. I think that the plot is pretty simple in comparison, but it’s one that draws you in along with the characters because you want to know what happens next with them all. I love being able to see Japanese culture represented so much through manga and this is just one of those examples. I love seeing the blossoming romance between Koki and Tanpopo, and the humor used in moments that really needed it.

    I also love Yuu Watase’s drawing style. It’s honestly one of my favorites of all time, so again, I’m biased in that way. But she just makes all of her characters so pretty and memorable. ;-;

    If you’re looking for a fun shoujo manga with drama, romance, friendship, and fun times, then check out this series.

    Overall series rating: 4.5 stars

    Click on the individual covers below to be brought to their Goodreads page!

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  • Anime Boston 2017

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    Well, I went to my first anime convention in almost ten years. I went to Anime Boston back in 2008, I believe, and I haven’t been to convention since, but I went with my husband this year and let me tell you: it was a blast.

    I didn’t really know what to expecting since it’s been about ten years since I’d been to Anime Boston and it was very different this time around, but in a good way.

    Anime Boston took place from March 31-April 2 and we went on Friday and Sunday (but I wish we had stayed the whole weekend, which we’re going to do next time). There were SO many people there, but it was such a good time.

    So my husband and I did, in fact, cosplay. I wanted to do a different cosplay on Sunday, but let’s be real: ain’t nobody got time for that. We did a couple’s cosplay as Naruto and Hinata from Naruto Shippuden.

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    We actually had a decent amount of people come up asking to take our picture together and to also let us know that we were bringing their OTP dreams to life. xD It was so fun. One person even asked if we were a couple and I told her we were married and she was like, “OH MY GOD, IT CAME TRUE IN REAL LIFE!” I couldn’t help but laugh!

    There were also so many awesome cosplays that we saw while we were there! I was so happy to be in a place with people of a like mind to me because let me tell you: the looks we got on the train? Yup, we were the “weirdos,” but it’s fine because we did see other cosplayers on the train and one even waved to me (she also smiled at me on the train home, which made me feel all kinds of happy).

    When you go to an event like this, you really feel among comrades. You’re among thousands of people (seriously) who love anime just as much as you do (if not more) and who love Japanese culture and who love to cosplay and dress as characters and who are just having a great time with one another.

    Here’s some of the cosplays we saw (in slideshow form!):

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    Every one of them was so cool, although I’m sad because my phone decided to eat one of the photos I took of a cosplayer dressed as the Corpse Bride. Sad panda.

    Of course there were way more cosplayers than just the ones I took, but I managed to scrounge up the courage to ask for pictures and everyone was so nice about it.

    So let’s talk about the event itself: my husband and I went with one of his friends on Friday, but he just sat for over four hours waiting for the Dealer’s Room to open, so for that time my husband and I walked around taking in all of the sights – I even showed him the windows I remembered from when I was there all those years ago, hahaha! So for a few hours we just wandered and got some pictures taken before Artists’ Alley opened at 10AM.

    Oh. My. God. I was in heaven when I went in there.

    Like, seriously, that was a dangerous place to be in…. for my wallet. I bought SO many pictures, but in my defense, a lot of the artists were having sales of buy two get the third print free, sooooo… yeah… That happened.

    I bought probably over 25 pieces of individual art. I have no self control. But it’s fine, I know for next time to bring all the money just for Artists’ Alley (and to control myself LOLOLOL like that’ll happen). My favorite piece I bought was a Tokyo Ghoul piece made by baimon and I just… *melt*

    And then, when the Dealers’ Room was about to open, 15 minutes before I got to go in early because I’m a Crunchyroll Premium Member and I had the card for my badge, so that was exciting because once the crowd went in there? OMG I COULDN’T BREATHE. SO many people were in there! Ugh.

    But I got a few things from there, including the 12th signature volume of Tokyo Ghoul which isn’t being released until April 18th, so YOU KNOW I JUMPED ON IT AS SOON AS I SAW IT. And when I asked if I could buy it, the guy was like, “No.” very seriously, but then my face fell and he laughed and said, “Of course.” I was like, “why would you do that to me!? ;-;” So I bought it and was very happy.

    Here’s what I got:

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    I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t get at least one plushie. Let’s be honest, here. Also, it was a very Tokyo Ghoul weekend for me… I got four pictures of Ken Kaneki… FOUR. I’m slightly obsessed, it’s fine…. plus a keychain (also Touka) and a plush… It’s fine.

    But overall, the experience was phenomenal. My husband had a great time, too, and definitely wants to go again next year. He said he wants to do a much more complicated cosplay next time, and I’m just like, “Okay, but you’re gonna make me do all the work…” Whatever, I’m excited and can’t wait to pick my next character to cosplay.

    If you’ve never been to convention like Anime Boston, Comic Con, Katsucon, whatever, I highly suggest going. It’s so much fun and I definitely think you’ll enjoy yourself. We didn’t get to any panels that I wanted to go to, but next year I’m going to do my best to try and go to a few.

    Let Chat! ^w^

    Have you ever been to Anime Boston or any other convention? What was your favorite part? Have you ever cosplayed? Who did you cosplay and do you have any photos you’re willing to share? What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone going to their first con? Tell me all the things!

  • Attack on Titan Season 2 & Boruto: Naruto Next Generations – All the Questions!

    There will most likely be spoilers in this post, so please go forward with caution!

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    YES. Attack on Titan season 2 FINALLY aired (over a week ago) and I am SO PUMPED about it! When I first watched Attack on Titan a few years ago (because, you know, it’s been FOUR YEARS since the first season was released), I didn’t know if I was going to like it. I mean, I’m all for action, blood, saving humanity, all of that fun stuff, but I wasn’t expecting AoT to be so… intense? I think that’s the word I’m looking for. I mean, it’s an anime about humans who have been cast off from the world because of Titans – huge beings that look like very disproportionate humans that feed on humans. And then one day, the first wall that this particular group of humans puts up is beaten in by a Colossal Titan? Scary. Lots of death, lots of blood, lots of crying and screaming.

    But I was so hooked and I needed to watch more.

    And then once I finished watching it with my husband, we immediately went online to look at when the next season was going to be released. And guess what? THERE WAS NO RELEASE DATE.

    I mean, why? WHY!? So many fans’ cries could be heard across the world. It’s fine.

    But then, I saw the news about it literally a week before it was released: Attack on Titan season two was premiering on April 1st. And we watched the first episode.

    AND I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.

    Did it live up to the hype that we’ve been waiting for? Hell yes. It picked up right where the last season left off. We see Eren, Mikasa, the rest of the Survey Corps, and then… Titans. And more specifically: the Beast Titan.

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    Like, WHAT IS THIS THING? Why can it talk? Who is it? Why does it want to know more about how they use their arsenal to get around the Titans to kill them? WHY IS IT COMMANDING THE OTHER TITANS!?

    And then the art is just up to the same quality as it was back with the previous season. It was smooth, had harsh lines when needed, beautiful coloring, and everything looked like a lot of time was put into it.

    Of course, this season is only going to have 12 episodes and follow one specific story arc because many people theorized that the anime company was just waiting for more material to come out before making more quality content, which I personally appreciate and think was the right choice because, let’s be real, there’s a lot of hype and fandom around this series and it needed no less than the best. [For more explanation I found akidearest’s video to be really good as to why we waited so long.]

    I’ve got to admit: I don’t remember much from season one because it’s been a while since I watched it, but after watching the first episode of the second season, some of those memories have come back (I just can’t remember character names to save my life, haha). I have so many questions, and I haven’t watched the second episode yet so maybe a few of my questions will be answered there, but for now? SO MANY QUESTIONS.

    And then we also got: Boruto: Naruto Next Generations!

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    My husband and I have been watching Naruto Shippuden and slowly making progress (of course I had to watch the last five or so episodes because I’m NaruHina trash hahaha…ha…) and then I heard about Boruto and thought, “Well, that’s one way to make cash.” I honestly didn’t think it was going to be any good, but then I thought, “You know, give it a chance, maybe it’ll surprise you.” Because I’ve been seeing a lot of people talk about how Boruto is just a copy of Naruto and doesn’t have his own personality or anything because they were judging from Boruto: the Movie.

    Well, guess what? I watched the first episode and FREAKING LOVED IT.

    Oh my God, I wasn’t expecting to love it as much as I did. It felt fresh in a way I didn’t think that they’d be able to pull it off because not only does it include new technology for the world (trains and other electronic equipment) but it also focused on the kids of the Hidden Leaf Village and it not only showed those who were going to be part of the Ninja Academy, but also those who wouldn’t be able to join, which I thought was interesting because we never really got to see that in previous seasons.

    And Boruto? Yeah, he’s not a copy of his dad. Yes, he does some of the same stupid things that Naruto did or even crazier things (like, you know, crashing a train cart into the side of the Hokage’s stone face…), but I thought that he felt different from Naruto, even at that same age. I found it interesting that he’s so mad at Naruto for never being around because, well, Naruto’s the Hokage and is in charge of the whole village, but that he also loves his mom, Hinata, more than anyone – and also Himawari, his little sister.

    The animation style, too, felt a lot more clean and sleek, as if the animation is trying to follow the times of the Village and advance along with it. I thought that it was very beautifully animated, personally.

    And then the plot of the first episode and how it was focused around Boruto going into the Ninja Academy, but it also focused around Boruto sticking up for a kid, Denki, who ends up getting possessed by some mysterious snake… thing, which Boruto sees when his eye changes, kind of like Hinata’s byakugan.

    borutoeye

    I love the way that this anime series seems to be going, and we’re only one episode in. Also, THAT INTRO!? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS! Because it happened years later, when Boruto’s a teen and it hints that Naruto’s dead (which I really hope not) and there’s a mark on their arms and Ninjustsu is gone? I DON’T KNOW, I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS, THOUGH.

    Also, another important question: WHO MARRIED ROCK LEE BECAUSE THEIR CHILD IS ADORABLE. Shh, no one ruin it for me, I want to figure it out myself.

    Let’s Chat! ^w^

    Has anyone else watched these episodes yet? What are your thoughts and theories with the series? Also, if you’ve read the manga and have gotten ahead of the plots, please don’t ruin them! Thanks!