Space Brothers’ Lessons in Reality

Credit for this beautiful image goes to whoever created it, not me.

Before watching Space Brothers, I was somewhat intrigued by outer space but that only extended to the childhood school field trips around the first or second grade to the museums with one that specifically focused on aerospace. Ever since then, I didn’t really think much about outer space until I started watching Space Brothers back when it started airing in April 2012. It’s been over a year and I continue to love Space Brothers more and more despite having my ups and downs with it. I don’t necessarily make sure that I’m always watching the newest episode right when it comes out but I do make sure that I always catch up to the most recent episode at some point.

Upon watching Space Brothers, my interest in aerospace and astronauts have increased possibly because I want to be able to relate to the characters by finding those connections in real life. Every time I scroll through the Yahoo! News and stumble upon an article related to aerospace, I can’t help but click on the link in hopes that I could get closer to that fictional world of Mutta’s and finding his courage, determination, and dreams manifesting itself in reality.

So I would just like to share this article that I found: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/the-upbeat/half-nasa-class-astronauts-women-213644113.html
NASA has picked eight of its new astronauts and the group will go on to Houston’s Johnson Space Center in August for training.

“In a statement, NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said, “These new space explorers asked to join NASA because they know we’re doing big, bold things here—developing missions to go farther into space than ever before. They’re excited about the science we’re doing on the International Space Station and our plan to launch from U.S. soil to there on spacecraft built by American companies. And they’re ready to help lead the first human mission to an asteroid and then on to Mars.”

After reading the article above, I just couldn’t help but imagine that Hibito and Mutta living out their dreams is exactly what these people in real life had aimed for when they chose to join NASA. Also, the bit mentioning the International Space Station immediately brought Serika to mind.

Anime and all forms media are forms of expression that have some objective they hope to achieve. For me, Space Brothers is an anime that really hopes to inspire people to do what they love and that it is never too late. These but you would be surprised by the amount of people who restrict themselves and become bogged down by commitments and promises leaving them tied down by their limits. People need a remind that nothing is ever impossible because we tend to set limits for ourselves. Those of us who continue to watch and support Space Brothers for our own various reasons may believe in the lessons that Space Brothers and its characters have to offer in hopes that we take charge of our own lives and really do something big.

Sinbad, Confident Even When He Is Naked

After encountering this professor who I hold with high esteem, has taught me that those who have genuine confidence do not hide when they are stripped naked both literally and figuratively. Sinbad from Magi is the perfect example of perfect confidence even when he has nothing on him except for a leaf. Sinbad was robbed by thieves with nothing left, not even a piece of cloth to cover his private area (all he had was a leaf). Yet, he comes out from the woods with his arms wide open and a carefree tone indicating openness to others yet firm in his conviction.

If you think about it, most people would find any means possible to cover themselves up if they were in the same situation as Sinbad. They are desperate to hide their bodies as the embarrassment boils up from within. They lack the confidence to hold their naked bodies with pride and love that they should have for themselves. Instead, they might have simply stayed behind a bush and not have done what Sinbad had done, walking out in broad daylight and with nothing to hide.

Sinbad having no fear or embarrassment arise while being in such a state is an sign of the confidence that he has obtained. It is not the confidence that most of us believe what confidence is. He is at peace with himself and the world. He truly loves the world and all things in it for what they are and is accepting of them; however, it does not mean that he allows the poverty and resentment but that he accepts it as a fact that it is a reality of this world.

Jafar had mentioned about the scars that Sinbad have had carved in him and the burdens he is carrying. I can only imagine what he has to be responsible for as the king of a country in charge of so many citizens all the while heading an alliance. He does not allow those scars to stop him from accepting others as shown with him wanting to join the Fog Troupe. His openness is evident as he listened to the reasoning the Fog Troupe had for their actions. As their reasoning made sense to him and resonated with is morals and beliefs, he did not hesitate to join the Fog Troupe. Sinbad’s confidence is in the fact that he makes his own decisions from the knowledge he has on hand and does not allow previous obligations or expectations from others to influence his decision. Even though he had made a promise to King Abhamd to capture the Fog Troupe, there is no hesitation in switching sides when he learns of the purpose and cause for the Fog Troupe’s existence.

Now, it is not to say that he is flawless and is the epitome of pure justice and all that is good. He does have flaws and seen when he had been judged Alibaba to not be capable of much due to his lack of confidence. When Alibaba had returned full of resolve and determination as he asked Sinbad for help, Sinbad had gracefully and modestly acknowledged his mistake in prejudging Alibaba before letting it all play out. His other major flaw is his careless attitude as seen with his metal vessels stolen and not having much concern. Yes, it makes sense that even without his metal vessels, he is very strong as he had cleared seven dungeons without the guide of a Magi but that does not mean that he is invincible. The disaster in episode 16 where Kassim turns into a dark dijinn would have turned out a little better if only Sinbad had his vessels but his carelessness lead to this conclusion. His carefree attitude can at times be fatal and serious but can also be frustrating to those around him who do not having the ability to trust in Sinbad’s philosophy of “Don’t worry! I’ll take care of it somehow.”

In the end, his virtues and charisma overpowers his flaws, which lead others to admire and adore him. He accepts himself for all he is and understands what it is that he wants. People tend to believe or make others believe that they have confidence but they do not fully accept themselves. They are constantly finding fault with their appearance, bodies, and abilities and putting on an act of confidence as if such an illusion would hide their fears and insecurities from the world; this is the difference between others and Sinbad. He has a genuine and tender heart yet he is firm in his resolve and his ideals that he would never betray himself and his own beliefs.

Psycho-Pass Ep One

First episode was somewhat enjoyable but a majority of it was predictable. There was good use of suspense in keeping me on the edge of my seat at certain points. It’s somewhat gory and doesn’t hold back on shoving the violence in your face but some people like it that way. I know that it is only the first episode but come on now, these characters are so flat, they’re like a damn cutting board. Maybe I’ll give the second episode a try but it’s not as impressive as I thought it’d be. But the Dominator has a cool sound effect when it’s used.

On a more serious tone, this series explores the idea of leaving technology in control of society. Do you use your emotions or do you use unbiased technological devices to determine the criminalistic tendency of an individual? It’s a difficult question to answer and I’m curious to see what answer this series will come up with.
2/5

Fate Zero Episode 11

“The ultimate Noble Phantasm that I, Iskandar, possess. Ionian Hetairoi.”

*an army of thousands and thousands of men come marching in*

I swear, this scene was so epic I had chills running through my spine.

Finally Started Fate Zero

Got the chance to finish Fate Stay Night a few days ago and started on Fate Zero. Fate Zero has much more interesting characters who add a great deal to the excitement. There’s a plenty of differing characters, motives, and ideals.

Waver Velvet. I understand his need for proving his capabilities to others who don’t acknowledge him; however, his personality sucks. He’s such a whiner. If I were Iskandar, I would’ve flicked him a couple more times.

Lancer, He’s hot.

In the last episode, I wanted to cry after seeing what Bluebeard did to that little boy. Giving him hope then dragging him back into the depths of fear and despair only to devour him. There wasn’t any character in the Fate Stay Night series like him. This is one evil and merciless dude.

Tari Tari Ep 1

This is probably my first series that focuses on singing so I’m quite interested in how Tari Tari will incorporate singing into its story. We’ve all been there: wanting something so bad and working so hard, yet we’re denied the chance or opportunity to prove ourselves. This series could get super deep and serious especially when you’re talking about aspirations and such but chooses to stay as a light and comedic series. Some parts of it is actually funny and got me chuckling especially the new transfer student. Seriously, he’s really hilarious.

Even though this series isn’t anything serious, it does have some tension surrounding Sakai and the circumstances which have forced her to stop singing. Well, judging from the opening scene, I would think that it has something to do with her mother. Seeing as her mother isn’t around, I believe that her mother may have been involved in an accident. There’s a chance for tears depending on how the tragedy that Sakai had gone through will be played out.

Rating: 3+/5
I like Miyamoto and her ambitious attitude to keep watching because I’m just the opposite of such a character. This is definitely way better than Koroko Connect. Watch Tari Tari just for the transfer student, it’s worth it.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous EP 1

I like the pacing of the story, not too slow, not too fast. Surprisingly, there’s no cliche situation where she feels awkward around him or tries avoid him yet when Hazuki confessed to the manager. I don’t think she’d so easily agree to being in a relationship with Hazuki because its clear that she still can’t forget about her husband.

This series uses dry witty humor to give it that bit of comedic feel. It’s not necessarily trying to get you to laugh til your weak but just to get a “hah” in there. It certainly is witty. An example:

Even though I’m a huge fan of Yuya Matsushita and I really love the OP, the ED is much more appealing in terms of visuals and vocals.

Rating: 4+/5
This series can definitely be worthwhile and a very excellent romance series. For me, the witty humor this series has to offer is its selling point and most appealing. It’s definitely worth your time so go and watch it.

Natsuyuki Rendezvous OP, Yuya Matsushita

OMGGGGGG, I am so excited. I just watched the OP and realized Yuya is singing it. I adore him so much. <3 I have been his fan for several years ever since I saw a video of his performance as Sebastian in the Kuroshitsuji musical. He was so lovely and his voice was really power in the musical especially when he sang “Yes, My Lord”. I just instantly fell in love with him.

Many of Yuya’s songs focus on love so I think he’s the perfect choice. There’s also something about his sweet voice that just makes the song so heartwarming and it fits Natsuyuki Rendezvous. Now, I really can’t wait for to see Natsuyuki.

AMVs: Sailor Moon

This is going to be something new. I’ll link amvs (anime music videos) wherever I find good ones. There are many AMVs out there that don’t get much attention so hopefully these posts will give them the attention that they deserve.

For today, there are two.
[Re-Evo] Luminous

The creator of this AMV is Metallilyn who is part of Re-Evolution Studios.
The scenes chosen combined with the catchy song create a video that is very entertaining. I remember a couple of months ago when it was uploaded, I basically destroyed the replay button. The first time I saw this video, I didn’t really pay much attention to the song until the second time around, I was hooked. The song “No Light, No Light” is a perfect song that really brings out the emotions of the scenes especially at the end where Sailor Moon seems to have this emotionless expression. The song really captures the fight and the hopelessness of the situation.
4+/5

[Re-Evo] Illuminate – Prequel to Luminous

Again, Metallilyn is the creator of this AMV. This second AMV focuses more of presenting Sailor Moon and the others feeling utmost despair and desperation to a resolute determination to continue the fight. The slow tempo of the song compliments the theme of the video very well.
4/5

I like Luminous better just because the song is much more upbeat than Illuminate. These videos make me want to continue watching Sailor Moon again and I just might do so in the near future. Watching these AMVs bring back so many childhood memories. <3

Make sure to check out these videos and subscribe to Metallilyn to be updated on videos that may be uploaded in the future if you like the style.

Arcana Famiglia Ep 1: a variety of bishies

Pache <3. He’s my favorite for now since he’s voiced by Tomokazu Sugita. He looks so cute with crumbs on his face. ahah.

There’s about six of them that have Arcana powers, I think. There’s a lot of characters and they were all introduced in the first ep so I can’t remember exactly how many there were. Does the bald guy and Papa count? Lol. They might be a but too old. There definitely a variety of flat characters. I hope they’ll get a chance to flesh out but it may not happen. There’s a dude with an eyepatch too. I have say, Pache is my favorite.

The direction this series is going in is focusing on the Arcana Duello between the members who have Arcana powers. All who hold an Arcana power will be fighting for the right to be the Papa and to marry/not marry Felicita. This screams cliche. The tournament is simply an excuse used to provide over the top action and showcasing the bishes that this show has to offer.

For some reason, I’m really anal about the way information was presented and the Arcana powers of each individual was introduced was just too forceful. Other than the name of each individual’s powers and a general sentence of its function, nothing else is explained. We aren’t even given details regarding the origins and purpose of such powers.

With only 12 episodes, I wonder how good this will actually be. Overall, it’s more comedic and lighthearted but the jokes aren’t that funny. You might giggle but if you’re looking for outright laughter to the point of not being able to breathe, look else where. But I like the use of Italian, it’s Italian, right?

Rating: Good/Enjoyable, missing some elements 3-/5
This series is definitely one for entertainment and fussing over bishies but may not delve further to make it a memorable/worthwhile series. If this series had some blood, I would’ve given it a solid 3.