Rosaline Recommends: Anime Edition! 2020

 My Hero Academia 

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My Hero Academia, otherwise known as Boku no Hero Academia, is a very popular anime that started off via manga in 2014 and adapted into an anime just 2 years later. The story starts off with a main character (Izuku Midoriya) who has no quirk (a special power/ability) and we follow his adventure into obtaining a quirk, and fighting villains! But how did this series make it onto this list?

There are a number of episodes with a number of different characters for anyone to be able to relate to. Whether it is a student, villain, or even a professional Hero! There are plenty of characters, and back stories, to choose from!

Something that this series does well is that not only do most people have a quirk but it is set with a limitation or specific detail. For example, Bakugo is a character whose quirk is to make explosions from his sweat made out of nitroglycerin. Todoroki can make ice and fire, but he has to have enough stamina in order for it to work. It can’t just happen. This allows many fans to come up with their own, “quirk” while also trying to make it realistic and not too overpowering. 

Whether it is for the world or the characters, reading/watching My Hero Academia is a must!

Beastars

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Beastars is a type of anime that will get heads turning, and not for the reasons that you would normally think. The series first pulls people in with it’s visuals and furry theme. Beastars is a furry anime made with 2D and 3D animation and blended so seamlessly that it’s hard to tell when it changes! It does this while also laying out full body proportions of the characters more realistically than other series when it comes to body proportions in the art style that was chosen. 

The world and story is where heads start doing a 360. The series focuses on real struggles of living in a society of herbivores, carnivores, and everything in between without blurring lines of imagination and reality. Can you live with someone you love while wanting to eat their delicious flesh?

On top of this, the characters are made more in depth and steer off from mainstream characters. Nerd boy? Nowhere to be seen. An antagonist to relate to? Not really.  Yandere? Every carnivore practically is! 

If you want something different while also having you consider things you never would have thought of, give Beastars a shot!

Check out Kamui Miracleon Youtube for more details about the series!

Assassination Classroom

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Assassination Classroom is an anime about killing your  Octopus-like teacher! Now that I’ve pulled you in, let’s talk about what’s really good about this series.

Assassination Classroom is similar to My Hero Academia in the sense that there are many character options to see and relate to. Each character has at least an episode or more about them in order to flesh them out while also not veering off the goal of the story of the students working together to kill their teacher! This series combines comedy, slice of life, romance, and various other genres without overwhelming any of them while serving enough variety to cater to many tastes! But can you really take this cat’s word for it? Come check it out!

No Game No Life

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No Game No Life mixes together a wonderful world of a slightly different art style with popping colors and reels us in with the setting that for many otakus and gamers can relate to! A world run by games! 

The series starts off introducing us to an older brother and younger sister who not only love to game, but are the best at it! They play anything and everything from board games, card games, and of course, video games! 

Because of their skills, they get sent to another world by a child-like god where they will use those very skills to survive in a world run by games! 

This series will have you looking twice for not only the gorgeous art, but the world that the series has! A childlike God, governing by games for his own enjoyment and ours! Or is there more?!

My Roommate is a Cat

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Subaru is a reclusive author who prefers to stay indoors and enjoys reading and writing. He eventually crosses paths with a cat who he later makes the star of his next book! In order to keep the inspiration of the story going, Subaru keeps the cat. Through this we see the same story from two perspectives, Subaru’s and the cat, Haru’s! 

Haru and Subaru begin to expand each other’s world as Subrau begins to go out from his home after his parent’s death with support from his long time best friend and a pet store employee who helps him with his new cat! Haru comes to get to explore a life of living with a human while also uncovering his tragic past!

        It is a great realistic look into the world of being a cat owner! Especially for the first time!

Edited by: @Louisathepink and Mechanical Maiden

Online Anime Central Review

    

    Hey there Cool Cats! Since the virus has been shutting down cons, it’s been difficult. Some cons have rolled over badges to next year, have pulled out in general, and some are still holding out and hoping (like the rest of us) that the convention will still happen! Anime Central (ACEN) took a different turn with the unforeseen cancelling of the convention

Anime Central is one of the biggest Anime Conventions in Illinois that has been running for over 20 years. With each year the Convention has been doubling in its attendees numbers.. It has risen from over 1,000 attendees in its first year to over 33,000 this most recent year! Amazing! Even so, those 33,000 had to be turned away due to the virus outbreak.

With ongoing cases of the virus with no end in sight, Anime Central did the correct thing in cancelling the convention for the year and rolling over prepaid bages to next year or a refund for those that are unsure if they will be able to attend. In spite of this unforeseen event, Anime Central decided to host its first Online Convention! 

Normally Anime Central holds anime viewing rooms, artist alley, autograph sessions, concerts, dances/rave, dealer's room, gaming (arcade, role play, table top, trading card, video) formal ball, karaoke, masquerade, panels, and Q&As. They weren’t able to host all of the things that they usually do, but they did do the most and beyond!

For the Artists Anime Central posted different dealers and artist’s works with their social and business links on their main website, ACEN.org. They were also advertised on their Twitch and Youtube channel as people viewed and participated in the live streaming of the convention. Video game streamers also had their information put up to interact with viewers on video games such as Dragonball Z and Dead by Daylight! As for the annual Masquerade, it was also online held with winners announced to keep the tradition going! Panels that were supposed to be held at ACEN, decided to record their panels (such as How to Sew and the very popular and very funny Samurai Dan panels) that were then put into a video and live streamed on Twitch and Youtube. They also held a Rave with a DJ to play music on stream for attendees to dance and rave to from the safety of their home and accompanied by their fellow anime members. People from all over the U.S. took the time to dance, drink, and chat with another at the same time! We may not be together but our interests and joys of anime are still alive!

ACEN also held a Minecraft Server with a Virtual Hyatt and Rosemont Convention Center! For more information and a live viewing on that, check out my Youtube Review video here. The Minecraft Server was free to join for those that had an account before Minecraft was bought by Microsoft and charged a fee. For those that had it or paid the fee, it was well worth it! 

Every bit that was in the Hotel and Convention center was placed in the Minecraft server! The Hyatt Statue, the ever busy elevators, lobby, panel rooms, the add on to the hotel, the rave, the very long skywalk, and much more was placed! It was almost like visiting in person! There were not as many people walking around but the scenery was overwhelming enough to see and interact with!

            As there are many ups, there were some downs. Some attendee concerns were that the panels could have been more interactive, to take note of what other Online Conventions have done before, lack of any way to include cosplays and cosplayers, and some missed the convention entirely due to lack of knowledge of an online ACEN.             

Overall Anime Central did a fantastic job in placing one of the biggest and greatest conventions online! This ACEN was not the same and was not for everyone, but for it to be set up in less than 2 months with such detail and effort, with better than expected results! Attendees could view panels and rave on line. Artists and Dealers were not left out with their information held on ACEN’S personal website and live on their streams! The videos of the panels were put together nicely and seemingly! No Anime Fan was left behind! For those that enjoy buying merch or simply wanting to add to their annual badge collection, that was also offered as well! Thank you Anime Central for a great Online Con! This kitty was left purring!

Anime Convention Essentials!

Anime Conventions, or cons in general, are a lot of fun! You can hang out with your friends, meet and talk with fellow fans, dress up, look at some great art and merch, and that’s not even the half of it! With all the fun going around and things to see, what are some essential things to remember for a convention?

1. Budget

One of the first things to do is to budget your con. Do you have enough for the hotel room? Gas/bus/train expenses? How much do you want to spend on merch? Don’t forget about food! Some cons can be held near cities, malls, or other popular areas so fast food around or in the con could cost an arm and a leg!  Another thing to keep in mind is to bring some spare cash. Not all sellers take card, even in this day and age. Some card charges also have an extra fee tacked on so if you want to save a little bit of money, make it wayne with that cash! And ALWAYS have some emergency cash money tucked away in case anything happens.

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2. Weather

The second thing to consider is to dress for the weather. Snow, rain, or very sunny, dress to impress! Or at least enough to enjoy the con! Unless the con is fully indoors and you don’t plan on going out, bring some sunscreen, bug spray, an umbrella, or even a rain/winter coat if you plan on staying out long and checking out the areas nearby. Better safe than sick!

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3. Shoes

Wear comfortable shoes! The number one thing to happen at a con, especially a big one, is A LOT of walking.Walking to panels, throughout the artist and dealers alleys, and exploring the con requires a lot of footwork. Make sure you have shoes you have already broken into or even an old pair that still works. There are a lot of things to see and do, so shoes are the last thing to be seen, but the most to feel with all the walking. 

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4. Chargers and back up batteries

Most cons are updating to mobile apps to show all of their panels, have convenient maps (which may require a lot of referencing back to), concerts to record, and pictures to take with cosplayers! Lots of phone activity = lots of battery usage. So keep your charger on hand and hope an outlet is nearby! Or, buy a portable backup battery! A portable backup battery is as it sounds. It’s a small $10 (at most) rechargeable battery that can charge small devices, such as a phone, and give it some extra life, or extend it for a certain amount of time, until you can get back to an outlet! Convenient, cheap, and a greater chance of extending the con fun!

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5. Creativity

For those on the creative side, it would be best to bring things that entertain or inspire you! Some lines can be really long or some cons can be really small and not have much to do. Remember to bring your sketchbook, pen/pencil, a notebook, video/board/card games, or even a tablet! Who knows, you may find some inspiration or a friend!

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6. Cosplays

Don’t forget your cosplays my friends! Do you have your cosplays laid out for each day and hour?! Do you have the accessories?! wigs?! Make a list of everything you will need for each cosplay! And check it twice! Don’t forget a small repair kit!

Here are some other needs for cosplays

• All the extra bits for the cosplay
• Spare clothes
• Make up
• Make up remover
• Wig 
• Iron
• hot glue gun/glue
• lint roller
• safety pins
• wig caps
• bobby pins/hair clips

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7. Hand sanitizer

A lot of things happen at cons. Various types of people attend cons. Cons are a mixing pools of fandoms, people, and germs our bodies may not have come across yet. Who knows! Every bit helps!

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8. Medicine

Don’t forget your medicine! This is a small reminder, but could be a life saving one at that. I myself have quite a few things going on and have to remember to take my allergy medicine, acid reflux, antibiotics, vitamins, and other various medicines after my surgery. Top priority to remember to pack! Don’t forget the Tylenol/Excedrin for headaches!

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9. Water 

Whether it’s the weather outside or the busy schedule of cons, remember to drink water! Some cons can go up to four days or more. Stay hydrated! Every little bit helps. Some cons have water fountains but that may not be enough or tasteful. No harm with a bottle on hand!

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10. Eat

With so much to do and so little time, one can forget to have a meal or even a snack. Keep a small bag of snacks on hand, extra cash for fast food, or even bring a cooler to keep in the room to have more options to eat. Some, if not most, hotels have an ice machine to keep the cooler cool and rooms usually have a very small fridge that can barely hold anything. 

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Cons, big or small, I hope this quick list is helpful for all con goers! Be safe and have fun!

Steven Universe: THE MOVIE. Was it the cat’s meow?

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

The Steven Universe Movie premiered on Cartoon Network on Labor Day of 2019 as a musical. The setting took place two years after the season 5 finale and a new villain was shown! A very stretchy pink one in fact! For long time fans, this was very welcoming. This would be the first movie for Steven Universe and a small glimpse into the future of the Crystal Gems after the season finale. But as with many movies and shows, let’s focus on different parts of the movie.

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

The animation for the show was pretty much the same, all except for the villain Spinel. Spinel was a nice flashback to the early shows in the 1930s where Rubber Hose Animation was used. This means that the characters were very stretchy in their fighting styles such as Popeye, Bugs Bunny, Woody WoodPecker, and Tom and Jerry, to name a few. Her fighting style was made to be a surprise so the opponent would not know what she was up to or figure out what she would do next. Punch from the left? Nope! She twisted it to the right! In front? She makes herself flat enough to slide underneath her opponent and get behind them unexpectedly and easily. This was a great fighting style for when she was a villain! 

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

Originally, Spinel was made to entertain and be a companion to Pink Diamond. Spinel would have a lot of antics such as playing tag and stretching her arm to tag the person, wrap her arms multiple times around someone, catching a friend that is falling by stretching her arms into the shape of a fishing rod and reeling them back up, etc. She is the definition of silly! She would also be playful and make faces to have her friends smile again if they were sad or upset. That was what she was made for: to make Pink Diamond smile...until Pink Diamond abandoned her in THEIR private garden to colonize earth and left her there for six thousand years :D Her silliness and stretching abilities would explain her purpose and was a good method of attack when fighting was more about strength, team work, and facing an opponent head on.

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

Most of the characters were still in the forms we saw them in the season finale, Pearl with her new jacket, Garnet and her 3 point shades, Peridot and her new form with a star, and we even got to see Bismuth in her overalls! Steven and Connie on the other hand, being human and all, did grow up a little. We finally got to see Steven with a neck! And his relationship with Connie grew as well as being more than, “Best Jam Buds.” Not much light was shed on that to confirm this in the movie alone.

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

Throughout the movie there was one other noticeable change in Steven. In the series Steven was young and optimistic. He would do his best to comfort others, push them to do their best, and tried very hard to overcome his obstacles. However, in the movie, Steven is  more blunt and panicky. He was not being positive and focused more on figuring out what to do and to get it done immediately. He did not have his powers anymore but was also in a rush to fix his friends before the planet was destroyed. Noticing the change made this kitty uneasy, but the situation and the fact that he is more grown up was understandable. Children can be optimistic and happy go lucky. As we become older, take things more seriously, work , etc, we become tired and find more joy in doing nothing and being with family and friends. He dismantled empires and was in Pink Diamond’s shoes for years for gems sake! With this in mind, I can understand the character development, much to my dismay.

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

The songs that each character sang were a bit much, in a sense of exaggeration, but very nice! The movie opened with a great song, “Other Friends.” At first the song seems very odd since there is no context to what she is saying but once you take a look back at the movie each line is very understandable and gave a hint to what happened to her and what was on her mind. This includes lines such as, “I’m the loser of the game you didn’t even know you were playing.” This line was a reference to the fact that Pink Diamond said she was playing a game with Spinel and left her in the garden. After she passed on Steven was “continuing” the game that he was not aware of. “What did she say about me what did she say? What did you do without me what did what did you do? What did you play without me what did you play?” This was a reference to the fact that she was hurt,  was forgotten, and was left out. She also immediately asks about games that they played games without her, hinting to her original purpose of being a friend. There were other great songs such as “Drift Away, Independent Together, Isn’t it Love”, and Garnet’s best song, “True Kinda Love.” Each song explained a moment, a character, and had a great tune! Each of these songs is worth listening to!

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

The story overall was very well done! A gem that was long forgotten, new fighting styles, shenanigans, music, fusions, and everything a person (or gem) could want! Great animation, execution, and character growth! But the ending was a bit dry on this sandpaper tongue. ::Warning: Rant:: There were some parts of the movie that were hard to understand and the ending was questionable. What was “The Truth” that Garnet was singing about? How was “change” the answer for Steven? Why did Steven let Spinel go with the Diamonds of all gems?! In the beginning of the movie the Diamonds wanted Steven to stay as a replacement for Pink Diamond. They knew he was not her but “he was her.” As in, he was the closest thing to being Pink Diamond or a replacement. At the end of the movie they said that they would stay with Steven, until they saw Spinel. She ALSO belonged to Pink, was pink, a gem, and she was closer to Pink Diamond than Steven, who actually had her gem….Why was it ok to leave Spinel with the Diamonds, who have not gotten over the fact that Pink Diamond was gone? Spinel was also very hurt over what happened and was not sure how to make friends or how to be after everything. How was this ok?! ::Rant over::

Owned by Cartoon Network. Used for critiquing purposes.

Despite this, Steven Universe the Movie was definitely the cat’s meow! A new outlook on the characters, development, music, fusions, and a great villain! This cat gives the movie five out of five fishy treats! It’s definitely worth a watch and a great addition, and end to this part of the series.

Edited by: @Louisathepink and Mechanical Maiden