Quotes of March , part 5 of 4 . . .

Bamboo Dong on Battle Girls - Time Paradox: "I know that I can't expect a series like Battle Girls – Time Paradox to be a beacon of intelligence and thoughtful storytelling, but one always hopes to find a few gems hidden under the layers of predictable shlock. Sadly, there is none of that in this series. It is 99.9% fluff and nonsense."

Justin Sevakis on Harbor Lights: "But anyway, Kit is really really mad, and his only recourse, clearly, is to have his motorcycle gang infiltrate the dance contest and BLOW UP THE FREAKING BUILDING IT'S IN."

Bamboo Dong on Penguindrum: "Seldom is there a series that not only captivates my interest, but also the magpie center of my brain that responds to bright colors and pretty visuals, and makes me want to sit down and seriously mull over what I've just consumed."

Michelle Smith on Red River: "Though it starts off rated for older teens, I have a distinct memory of the later volumes being shrinkwrapped, so presumably sexy times will eventually ensue."

Kate O’Neil on The Betrayal Knows My Name: "The complexities of their many past lives have left the Zweilt at odds with their sexuality, and their duties to their clan have lead to very strange relationships. I wish the author had explored this stuff sooner, as it actually gives the cast a reason to be so touchy-feely with each other without it coming off as unnatural or just fan service."

Anna N on Knights of Sidonia: "Most importantly for fans of Biomega, there is a talking bear in Knights of Sidonia. She doesn’t have a machine gun yet, but she does have an artificial arm. Seriously, a talking bear in outer space with an artificial arm is reason enough to buy this manga, and all the great mecha/alien battle scenes and Nagate’s journey are really just a bonus."

Sister Doofus and Murderbot Strike Again

I am watching this show called You're Beautiful.  It's a Korean live-action drama that I am currently using to encourage me to exercise for longer at a time.  It is pretty much awesome (the review and the show).  There are some things that are a challenge to adjust to, but there is more than enough bizarre to keep me coming back for more one hour and seven minute installments on my cheap stairclimber in front of the TV.

I recommend reading the review first because it is hilarious in its own right and will give you a good idea of whether or not this is your brand of cracktastic.  Also, it doesn't really spoil much, in the long run.  Frankly, the show is much more enjoyable when you think of characters by their Sarah names or remember how she summarized certain scenes when you finally see them on screen.  And I really hope she finished watching the show because there are some doozies after episode 9 that I think she might have caused herself mirth-related injuries by watching.  It also helps not to look at evil actress.  She scares me not just because she's evil but because she seems almost anorectic.  It hurts me to look at her too skinny legs and arms (those protruding wrist bones could give you nightmares) on a frame that is obviously not built by nature to carry that little flesh.

Things to adjust to:

• Pacing: At 1:07 per episode, it might seem likely that more would happen in each episode.  The truth is, not really.  You know those anime episodes where you feel like they didn't keep the time accurate for the storyboards, and then they made the episode and found out they had another 3 minutes, so they went back and stretched scenes out forever and did wraparound camera angles and reaction shots of everyone and replays and some flashbacks from earlier in the series or same episode?  It's kind of like that sometimes.  Here in the states, we're used to longer live action stuff, but longer is life 42 minutes in a 1 hour time slot.  You need to keep your focus for a comparably long time here, with no more reward because of the slow pacing.
• Music: After several episodes, you will likely be able to sing along to some of the songs.  In Korean.  Because there aren't many of them.  Startlingly few for a show about a band.  It may begin to wear on you, but persevere.
• Acting: I would say this show is about 90% goofy comedy with about 10% drama.  There is a lot of exaggeration in the facial expressions and physical comedy and numerous zany (and just plain stupid) miscommunications and misunderstandings.  Just deal with it.  It sort of grows on you, after a while.  If you're not in the mood for goofy, though, stay away until you are.
• Korean fashion:  Some episodes are worth it solely for the WTH reactions the clothes cause.
• Stupidity:  Some of the plot contrivances are stunningly bad and patently ridiculous.  Like, seriously eye rolling.  This is part of the charm.  Admit out loud that certain things are totally stupid, and then just let it go and stay along for the ride.

2-3 exercise sessions a week prevents me from just marathoning the whole thing or getting too irritated by all the craziness, zaniness, and slow pacing.  It keeps the plot moving and the suspense present.  So many secrets and selfishness and lies, all wrapped in goofy comedy.  I highly recommend it and Sarah's review and leave you with the following quote about a scene between Murderbot and Sister Doofus:

SCENE: Guess whose sheets have sparkling sequins on them and whose have manly stripes!
SCENE: Guess whose pyjama top is scandalously low cut!
SCENE: If you haven't guessed Murderbot's are the sequins and the revealing night attire, you have not been paying attention.

I put myself at risk for an asthma attack every time I read this review.  I urge you to do the same.

Princess Tutu again because I like it that much

For those who think a stylized, dark fairy tale where ballet is battle and the nature of story, free will, and love are acted out to a varied and excellent classical soundtrack is a great idea, Princess Tutu is for you.  Probably.  Lots of folks who would not have admitted interest in most of those things liked it when I watched it with a group, and some folks interested in a lot of those things really didn't get into it at all.  Your mileage will vary.

My mileage was awesome.  It's like they made this show for me.  That brief obsession with ballet when I worked as a page in the children's section at the library let me recognize many of the allusions and musical cues on my own, which enriched the stories a bit.  It's very clever.  Frankly, I don't understand how people could like this show without that background, but they do, and I love that.

I watched the second half this time.  I stopped collecting at the first half because it had something closer to what I would consider a happy ending, but this sale was really too good to pass up.  I was sucked in again, and I just need someone to make a playlist of all the songs and what they're from, so I can figure out more of the buried allusions and also add them to my own playlist.  What a smorgasbord of lovely music.  Sigh.

Quotes October 2012, part 3

est em on her work: "But I really like drawing men. When I was in junior high, high school, I loved Michelangelo, and there was a period where I copied him obsessively. I just adored the human body that he drew. I really love drawing the male body, the muscles. Simply in terms of the lines, there’s a tremendous amount that interests me. And also, the fact that you don’t have to protect yourself makes things really easy for me. With female protagonists, you really have to put in a lot for the psychological portrayal. Monologues, what the character is thinking at that time, you really need that stuff for josei manga. It’s a world where feelings need to be made clear, and drawing it is a good bit of work."

Connie on Black Butler: "As a necessary act of good faith to the crown after his last disastrous mission (where Ciel wound up roasting children alive) . . ."

Jessi on Aesthetica of a Rogue Hero: "Within the first five minutes of this series, the main character steals the bras and panties of several battle-maids who have been sent to capture him. This really sets the tone for the remainder of the episode."

Katherine Dacey on A Devil and Her Love Song: "Ayu’s subsequent behavior, however, points to one of the series’ weaknesses: characters have epiphanies with whiplash-inducing frequency. (Saul would never have made it to Damascus if he fell off his donkey as many times as Maria’s classmates do.)"

JRB on not simple: "Ian is indeed very passive; the protagonist-victims in these stories usually are, since the point of the exercise is essentially to watch them suffer and and thereby experience Aristotelian “pity and terror”. (This is a type of story that has gone out of fashion in the West; nowadays we feel uncomfortable with pity and those who suffer beautifully and prefer stories where victims rise up and murder their oppressors.) Not Simple is shorter and more, well, simple than some of the more celebrated examples, but I think it ends up successful in being a feel-bad book."

Jason Thompson at JRB: "Call me someone who was an adolescent in ’90s America, but I prefer my suffering protagonists to be more aware & present in their own emo, masturbatory (self-)torment."

Quotes October 2012, Part I

Melinda Beasi: "I’d read a lot of shounen manga and a lot of fairly uplifting shoujo, and one of the things that nearly always happens in those series, is that characters we initially perceive as villains will turn around and become very sympathetic characters, by way of backstory or some other kind of revelation later on. The message driven home by that trope is that understanding is the key to learning to love someone, or perhaps that anyone can be granted salvation (of a sort) by way of understanding. These series are careful to always give us something to latch on to—to help us understand even the most seemingly depraved characters before the end."

Connie on the Cornered Mouse Dreams of Cheese: "They’re both flawed, and their flaws keep them from growing closer."

Arwen Spicer on Banana Fish: "I’ve heard him called a Mary Sue, yet I disagree–because, although he’s a bit of a superhero, he carries deep psychological scars that fit coherently with his experiences and contribute to the self-marring of his life and relationships.  He is not perfect or even a “pretty sufferer” in Mary Sue fashion.  He is a brilliant but damaged young man who will carry some form of that dysfunctionality for life.  Thus, he wins my suspension of disbelief for his magic, and he wins my sympathy."

Sean Gaffney: "Now admittedly the three series have flaws. Library Wars doesn’t have enough war for some people; Otomen continues to be a BL series with no BL; and Oresama Teacher is written by Izumi Tsubaki, who is the ‘oooooh, shiny thing!’ of Beat authors. This does not make the series less awesome."

Jessi Silver on reviewing anime first episodes: "Despite arguments to the contrary, I cannot name a series that I've seen which has a terrible opening episode and which has somehow improved itself sufficiently to crawl back into my good-graces."

TV Tropes on Zoids CC: "Zoids. The first series (Chaotic Century) in particular. The entire script is so laughably bad it's amazing that everyone keeps a straight face. (Van and Raven's exchange in episode 33 is a personal favorite example) But that's the reason it works. The whole universe speaks in narm and once you get used to it you realize that it's the language of the universe and it's a much more entertaining universe as a result. "

Quotes of Awesome September 2012, part 4

Brain vs. Book  interview with est em:

e: "But when I’m writing a story, whether it’s two men, two women, or even a man and a woman, it’s better if I’m not really there. It’s better that way. I’m just looking.

B: The more distance there is, the better.

e: Yes. When there’s distance, I can really draw something interesting. I like drawing worlds I don’t know."

Melinda on Tokyo Babylon: "that lesson being that it’s ultimately selfish and perhaps even hurtful to devalue and thoughtlessly sacrifice oneself for the sake of others."

Jason Thompson on Path of the Assassin:

"It takes a lot of guts for a manga publisher to release a title in which both the main characters are completely bald."
. . .
"After learning technique by watching Hanzo, Motonobu marries the devious Lady Tsukiyama, but as a running plot point, he is unable to satiate her sexual appetites, leading to the greatest manga chapter title ever, "Chapter 4: Oppressive Night of Ass.""
. . .
"Path of the Assassin is a manga that's difficult to get into, but rewarding if you like long oldschool manga: I think I've written enough for you to figure out if this is your cup of ribald historical-ninja-melodrama tea or the kind of manga you wouldn't piss on if it were on fire."
. . .
"Anyway, I know how this manga, the story of the ninja who founded the Tokugawa Era, really ends. It ends a few hundred years later when the main character of Lone Wolf and Cub kills everyone."

Quotes of August 2012 II

Jason Thompson on reading manga from your library: "I'm proud to say that over the years, I've supported our public libraries with hundreds and hundreds of dollars of late fees."

Melinda Beasi on Olympos: "Despite a strong beginning, featuring a newly captured human (Heinz), charged by Apollo with the daunting task of convincing Ganymede—after years of Apollo’s goading—that escape from the garden is possible after all, the series soon loses focus, devolving into a kind of distractedly philosophical pudding that never quite gels."

Erin Finnegan on Dream Eater Merry: "She acts like the caring younger-older-sister, which is a type and not a real character. “Nurturing” is not a personality, let alone a well-rounded character.  Yumeji is also relatively personality-free, which comes through in Blake Shepard's generic (yet spirited) performance as An Anime Protagonist."

Sean Gaffney on The Disappearance of Yuki Nagato: "Funny in a cute way, angsty in a cute way, and romantic in a very cute way, this is for everyone who thought that Haruhi’s story would be great if only everyone was simply nice to each other."

Jessi: "It’s also problematic in that it presents only one type of “strength” as having any validity, and it’s one that’s taken wholesale from stereotypical images of masculinity – it can be interpreted as suggesting that only a traditionally male form of power has any validity, when both women and men of many different temperaments and physical skill levels could be seen as having a certain strength. (This is not to suggest that women who do battle are somehow invalidated as characters, only that they are not the only type of “strong” character deserving of respect)."

Jason Thompson on Hoshin Engi: "I love manga that are set in ancient times but the main characters' costumes are just, like, whatever. Skintight spandex leotards, men wearing high heels, enormous Mickey Mouse gloves, crazy clown suits for everyone! If someone's actually wearing period-appropriate clothing, you know they're not important."

What I read in June: Digest Version, part 2 of 3

b House of Five Leaves 7: The end is nigh, and self-destructive behavior is everywhere.  Yaichi's past is revealed more linearly, and, well, hmmm.  Where is justice in all this?  And then there's Masa's stupid brother.  Sigh.  When the last volume comes out, there will be a marathon before I read it.

b Kaze Hikaru 1: Speaking of marathons . . .  I should need to marathon this one each time because there is so much time between volumes, and it's true that I start each volume totally lost, but that quickly doesn't matter because the story, oh, the story.  The problem is that if I marathon it, I'll just want more, and I should just be greatful it's coming out at all (Crimson Hero, I weep for you).

b Maid Sama! 8: And speaking of things I wish were still coming out . . .  Things were just getting really dicey, and the potential for the series to turn stupid was high.  There were mysteries boiling up, and I really wanted to find out what happened . . .

b Natsume's Book of Friends 12: Oh, dear Natsume . . .  Some folks apparently didn't like the long three-part story at the end.  I found it vital to the overarching plot and very touching.  I mean, so much of the tension from the story comes from the fact that the way Natsume has found to fit in more is to lie to those closest to him.  He used to tell the truth, and that drove everyone away.  Reiko just drove everyone away without the truth.  (At some point, I would love to know where and how she met the guy she married and how that played out.)  Others in the supernatural community are used to some sort or combination of lies and driving people away.  But Natsume wants desperately for there to be a way he can stop lying while still protecting those around him.  The problem is that it might be impossible for him to predict and protect the ones he loves when they know he is in danger.  He can't resist the urge to help those who need him; how can he honestly expect his loved ones to leave him alone when they know he is in danger?  The story keeps circling back and touching on this point every so often (kind of like real life), and things are a bit different each time.  Oh, Natusme, I want for you to be loved and love the way you want to, but I'm not sure you can . . .


b Pandora Hearts 9-10: Another one I have to resist the urge to marathon each time a new volume comes out.  There are so many hints and nuances and such that I forget about immediately after reading, so I'm sure I miss plenty in the next volume.  There really is so much to miss, so many strings playing out, so many lies and misdirections, so much awesome!

b Sayonara, Zetsubou-sensei! 5: More deeply cynical sarcasm!  More depression!  More social commentary as subtle as a bat upside the head.

b Skip Beat! 12, 28: Oh, Skip Beat.  One of my favorite things about this series is how the main characters have really good reasons to avoid falling in love.  Realizing that they are in love is a horrifying Very Bad Thing.  It's so anti-shojo . . .  There is trauma that digs up past trauma, and we get to see more clearly the facts behind some of the hints about Ren's inner darkness and turmoil, and Kyoko saves the day, but, well . . .  When is 29 coming out?

b Slam Dunk 8: More furious basketball action and lots of fighting this time around as a former teammate who quit due to an injury rejoins the team in his own stupid, violent way.  He'll fit in just fine . . .

More July Quotes of Awesome

Michelle on Moon Child: "Rimsky’s look and style are passed down to Artem, but his must-kill-love-interest-she-is-dangerous traits are passed to Art."

Michael Sinterniklaas on GaoGaiGar: "I like the idea that you can turn a 2% chance into a 150% chance if you have balls of steel. It’s a good life lesson, not necessarily a good math lesson. I loved doing it even though it hurts to scream that much, and I was really psyched about it. Like all good Sunrise shows it starts off one way and ends in tears and blood."

Erin Finnegan on Boogiepop Phantom: "That is to say, I understand the themes of Boogiepop Phantom without being able to follow the finer details of the plot. Watching the commentary track started to clear a few things up. I can't emphasize enough that Boogiepop is a show I trust completely even though it's confusing; there's an internal logic there that's done with an expert hand. I love it when the shows I watch are more clever than I am."

Michael Toole on Sailor Moon: "The franchise's importance to American anime fandom is obvious: its colorful depiction of a team of strong, friendly heroines opened anime up to North American female audiences in a way that no series prior had done. It's safe to say that, without it, our anime fandom would smaller, and would possibly have more beards."

Erin Finnegan on Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine: "If you're totally transfixed by Fujiko's nipples, you're going to miss some super sweet font choices in the opening credits."

Connie on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: "And more normal still when Cars turns his hand into a cannibalistic squirrel!. . . It only gets crazier from here. I didn’t think that was possible, but it does. Jojo casually hops into a plane to make a getaway (he’s 17 or something, and nothing suggests he is a pilot). He glances over in mid-flight, only to notice his shoulder is being devoured by a piranha.. . . Then, the plane explodes into octopus tentacles. There are good reasons for all of this.. . .  This. This is why I read manga."

What I read in May: Digest Version, part 4 of 4

So, so random.  Marimo Ragawa, author of Baby & Me, a sweet and touching slice of life series published in the US by VIZ (and winner of the Kodansha manga award?) has won the Manga Taisho award for her shonen manga Mashiro no Oto, which appears to be about a group of high school kids who play the shamisen?! 

b Seiho Boys High School 4-5: Every time I read this series, I am reminded for some reason of Fumi Yoshinaga, and it turns out I'm not the only one (see here) and here: "There’s a slight taste of Fumi Yoshinaga’s character observation and development skills, and that was what got me to stop hating it after the first chapter."  Sometimes it's a particular drawing or framing of an image, and sometimes it's a character observation or situation.  Anyway, it's a favorable comparison.  : )  So if you need at least a few good giggles check out this other take on what it's like in an isolated boys' high school . . .

b Stellar Six of Gingacho 1: Oh, this series is just delightful.  It's bursting with energy, and I'm a sucker for stories that have a bit of melancholy nostalgia.  Here's hoping they stay friends until long after that next meteor shower . . .  And, you know that someone rescues the license, so I can read about their further adventures.

b Sugar Sugar Rune 3-5: This slightly twisted magical girl story comes to you from the pen of Mayoco Anno, which shouldn't be a surprise.  I love the combination of sweet and creepy, and I really like the story as it's heading deeper into this idea of two magical races that have been at war and how they might be stopped.  I'm a little sad about all the deception and the willingness of people to believe the worst about each other, and it is overdramatized a bit, but not to the point of ridiculousness.  I do want there to be a happy ending, and I would like to be able to read it in English . . .

I wonder why we stopped being honest like we were when we were kids? 

Everyone's feelings for another person have a little drop of poison in them. 

"If you wish to eat whatever you want and never gain weight, it means your heart will never be fulfilled."

b Tsubasa: Those with Wings2-3:  "If you want to save the world, plow the fields and plant seeds."  So this one ended with a lot of twists and the kind of plotting that pushes it more firmly into the territory of fantasy even as it tries to convince that it's sci-fi.  Who cares.  Sometimes it was a bit of a slog, but I don't regret reading it.  I mean, it's rare to read a shojo where the hero is kind of a rogue and spends an inordinately large amount of time trying to get into the heroine's pants . . . Caution: if you're looking for Fruits Basket art or content, don't be fooled by the covers.

"Loving someone that much makes you feel strangely lonely inside, doesn't it?  That loneliness doesn't go away easily.  And it won't go away even if you were to learn all about me.  No matter how much you know about your partner, no matter how deep your love is for them, that little kernal of loneliness will still be there, and that kernal breeds the need to reaffirm your love over and over." 

---

"But having a dream, an ideal you can hold onto, can help you keep your chin up and look forward to the future!  It can give you courage to try, and to work hard at whatever you want to do!"

"I think I've just realized that I may be a tad jealous of you.. . . My deep interest in you may perhaps stem from the fact that I am--all unthinkingly and naturally--jealous of you for possessing something twisted people like myself do not.  Honesty, purity, integrity, those are things the cynical have little to do with."

---

"Why is it that when people try to make themselves happy, they always seem to feel the need to sacrifice other peoples' lives to do so?"

--- 

No matter how much you love the person, no matter how precious they are to you, sometimes you just don't get a happy ending.

b Utahime: A sad and lovely story about what people will sacrifice to protect the people they love and about the darkness of human nature and the triumph of quiet, dedicated love to bring salvation and freedom.  The art is really lovely, too.

"For once in your life, why don't you decide something for yourself?!  All of today, no, ever since I met you, you haven't made a single decision for yourself!  You even told me yourself that the reason you left home was so you wouldn't stand between your sister and this Thomas fellow.  You act like people and circumstances forced you to leave, but in reality, you just chose to leave because you felt uncomfortable there, didn't you?  Can't you do anything unless you have somebody to blame for your actions?. . .

"Just so you know, it's not that I'm speechless, I'm just thinking." 

"Do you even know how pathetically lame that excuse sounded?

b VB Rose 8: Frilly, girly, emotional giddiness that I adore.  Finally, a confession has taken place.  Things are awkward!  There is jealousy!  There is another confession!  Squee!

b Whistle! 5: Good, fun-loving teamwork goodness.  In this volume, we see the power of nice and teamwork versus the snotty, punk-a-rrific star player on an opposing team.  Who will win?!  Well, you'll have to wait for volume 6 . . .

Even More June 2012 Quotes of Awesome (Part 3)

Jason Thompson on Cromartie High: "Cromartie is not punchline-based humor; it's so-stupid-and-bizarre-you-just-stare-at-it humor."

Zac Bertschy on Madoka Magica 2: "[t]his is already a very fractured thing, like a beautiful woman looking in a broken mirror, something that's using cutesy anime imagery to tell a very dark and emotionally brutal story. The music helps bring that sinister side to the fore very well – particularly the ending theme, which feels much more honest about what the show is than the completely deceptive opening. All this discord is obviously intentional – the show likely would not be as successful as it has been so far without piling on the cognitively dissonant production design . . ."

Anna on Oresama Teacher 9: "And when Mafuyu and Bancho meet up at the end, she asks if he’s depressed he says “Make me feel better. Tell me I’m invincible and cool.” Mafuyu replies “You’re very strong…so your punches hurt a lot.” The power of juvenile delinquent friendships is so heartwarming!"

Sean Gaffney on Flowers of Evil: "Vertical features the first volume of their new shonen romantic blackmail comedy The Flowers of Evil, and I’m afraid everyone has to buy it, as otherwise the cover image will continue to stare into your soul forever. Into your SOUL. FOREVER."

Connie on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: "The thing about these three Aztec master vampires… I was distracted all the way through this fight because I’m pretty sure these men are naked. I don’t know what to make of that."

Connie on JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: "Shockingly, one of the scenes that introduces Cars in Switzerland involves a weak puppy getting run over by a car full of jerks, and somehow, the puppy lives. I’m pretty sure that’s the first time an easy dog slaughter scene wasn’t taken advantage of in a Hirohiko Araki series."

What I read in May: Digest Version, part 3 of 4

b Hands Off: Don't Call Us Angels 1-2 of 2: Well, I sort of remember these characters from their grown up versions in the original Hands Off! series but, well, not really.  It doesn't matter though, because the story is self-contained.  Maybe it would have more impact if I remembered . . .

b Oresama Teacher 8: More silly, goofy, former gang leader sort of trying to be normal funtimes.  The plot thickens and stuff happens.  I laughed and rolled my eyes a lot.  Good times.

b Shinobi Life 2-3: Kind of frustrating that this one didn't get finished here.  (Oh, Tokyopop.)  It's sometimes ridiculous, but it's really sincere about it, and, well, the ninja guy is quite endearing even if the main girl starts out not endearing at all.

b Silver Diamond 4: There's something soothing about this series.  There's peril aplenty, but no one seems to really die in the present; maybe that helps it feel less depressing.  Also, the main character is Mr. Kind, and you really want him to be able to save/change the world with the power of kindness, which would be hard if this was relentlessly depressing.

b Skip Beat!, Vol. 16 13-20:  I love the panels where she doesn't show what you would expect her to.  You see the setup, and you see the back of the person's head, and you see the other characters reacting, and you are in awe (and usually snorting hysterically).  Best use of this since Story of Sainkoku refused to ever show you this one guy's face while talking about it all the time in tantalizing ways and showing people reacting to seeing it. 

b Soulless 1:  Well, it's got some saucy, naughty bits, but far fewer than the novel (which is much longer) from what I've heard.  It holds together well on its own, and I do like REM's art.

Western music in anime

Gia on Anime News Network posted a list of intriguing uses of Western music in anime.  She mentioned a couple of my favorites.

• Definitely my favorite by far was "The Light Before We Land" in Gunslinger Girl.  That song was just haunting in context.  
• "Sore Feet Song" by Ally Kerr was mellow and lovely, and I could not for the life of me figure out if it was sung by a tenor or a true alto.  
• "We Were Lovers" by Jean-Jacques Burnel wasn't on their list (they chose the creepy and awesome Gankutsuou ending theme by the same artist), and I know lots of people who hate its French sentimental folk song guts, but I found its melancholy nostalgia perfect in context.
• INTERSTELLA 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem Soundtrack by Daft Punk was also pretty great.
• I'd probably also mention that Paradise Kiss song by Franz Ferdinand, too. It was a hoot.
• "PARANOID ANDROID" by RADIOHEAD from Ergo Proxy was also very nice and wins the award for the song technically in English that I still can't understand at all sometimes.

Got any to add to the list?

Quotes of Awesome June 2012, Part II

Michelle Smith on Moon Child: "The ending is very interesting, indeed! I will say, though, that leading up to it is a lot of stuff that doesn’t make a lot of sense, and for me, once you’ve reached the critical mass for “wtf” it spills over into “whatever,” so there were certain aspects of the conclusion that didn’t affect me as much as they might’ve, though there were a few subplots I liked very much."

Jason Thompson on Antique Bakery: "After this opening, it might be hard to believe it, but Fumi Yoshinaga's Antique Bakery is a manga that makes me happy to be alive. Unlike some manga, it doesn't try too hard to make me happy by being super-cheerful; it just makes me happy because it feels real, and it reminds me that life can be beautiful, even if it's also difficult . . ."

Brian Hanson on creepy things: "But! Can't we agree on something? Something that's been bothering me lately? Can't we just agree that even in our most disposable and forgettable of mindless entertainment, TV shows and movies and manga and comic books that are just meant to be a quick brainless jaunt through our most basest desires, that MAYBE, JUST MAYBE... we don't need to be so gross about women? Or, uh, girls, even? Young girls, too? I know Sex Sells, but wouldn't it be nice if it didn't as much?"

Michelle Smith on Moon Child: "Of course, one can have genuine feelings for shitty people, but I got so irked at various times that my capacity for being thoughtful was impacted."

Jason Thompson on Cromartie High: "When Akira first shows up, his core trait is that he wishes he had a tough nickname. ("If your name is, say, 'The Black Panther of the North Sea,' or 'The Ultimate Weapon of Kinshi Town,' you have a lot more impact.") Eventually he settles on "The Dragon of Razors," but no one but himself ever calls him that. Hayashida's chief traits are that he's a total moron (although a nice guy), he looks middle-aged, and he has a very weak mohawk. In the grand tradition of comedy characters such as Peter Griffin and Homer Simpson, he's basically a formless blob of dumbness who can fit into almost any situation. Hayashida is so stupid that he is unable to do basic math; in one chapter, the other characters try vainly to teach him to subtract two from five so he can pass an upcoming test, then finally decide that the only way to teach him is by ACTION, by going to Bass High School and beating up five guys one-two-three-four-five so that Hayashida can learn to count!!! Of course, the chapter ends with them missing the test because they're suspended for fighting."

Carlo Santos on Kids on the Slope: "Kids on the Slope may be billed as a jazz-centric coming-of-age drama, but the way the story takes off, it's more like a Baroque fugue. First comes a simple melody of unrequited love, which is soon overlapped by another pairing, and then another, and another, until we have a counterpoint of storylines where everyone is in love with everyone else."

What I read in May: Digest Version, part 1 of 4

b Naoki Urasawa's 20th Century Boys 19-20: !!!!!  Coming down to the wire.  It twists, it turns, it makes me really impatient.  What will happen?!  Arggggghhh!

b Bride's Story 3: Oh, what a heartbreaker this was.  Once reviewer mentioned that she liked the fact that this was more like sociology than improbably romance.  True.  There were cultural forces at play, and, well, at least nobody died.  Yet.  The political situation is heating up, and I'm worried for Mr. Smith . . .  Will he be able to get out of the country without being captured by the Russians? 

b Cross Game 4: More quiet, character-driven baseball team member action on and off the field.  Oh, I want Touch and other good ones by this author!  Everyone please buy this, so that maybe someone will license Touch.  That makes it sound like I only encourage folks to read this as a means to an end.  That's not it.  This series is great.  I just know there's even more out there by Adachi, and I want to read and enjoy it, too.

b CROWN 2: Super-ridiculous Cinderella sort of story with art by someone I adore.  Only two volumes ever came out here, but I'm curious what happens next.  Rats.

b Itazura Na Kiss Volume 6: More obnoxious adventures of two people I sort of can't stand.  So why is it that I like this series so much?  I guess it's not quite as static as a sitcom because things do change, and people do change slowly in real life.  I just didn't expect marriage so soon!  An odd thing to say when I think we're actually 12 regular volumes in, come to think of it . . . 

b Kitchen Princess 8-9: Oh, the drama!  He loves her, and so does he, but who does she love?  And who really is her flan prince?!  If you don't know by now, you have some problems.  Will there be a happy ending?  One more volume to go!

Quotes of Awesome June 2012

Sean Gaffney on We Were There 14: "As you can see, I’m dedicated to spotlighting the most exciting, dynamic covers every week. So have another week of someone gazing blankly at the reader, this time from shoujo weepie We Were There."

Connie on Skip Beat! 27: "If you get any more awesome, my heart will stop in the middle of the next volume. I don’t even know how it does it. Ren and Kyoko still aren’t a couple, and it’s been twenty-seven damn volumes. But I don’t care. I’ve read almost thirty volumes of this shoujo manga, and the main characters still haven’t hooked up, and I don’t care."

Connie on Detroit Metal City: "There truly is no stranger story about pursuing your dreams than Detroit Metal City.. . . It’s horrible, profane, and lowbrow, but it’s also one of the funniest series I’ve ever read."

Kathryn on Bunny Drop: "If Bunny Drop is not serious literature, then it at least performs many of the functions of serious literature through its use of narrative devices similar to those used by serious literature. A pastel-covered graphic narrative like Bunny Drop may not be a catalyst for social change, but it certainly does serve as a mirror in which young women (and men) can scrutinize their lives, the limitations imposed on them, and the choices available to them."

Carl Kimlinger on Black Butler Season 2: "It's pretty much pure fluff, or as pure as fluff about bombs and class friction and human immolation can be."

Katherine Dacey on Biomega: "Nihei also has the good sense to exercise restraint — if one can describe an apocalyptic zombie scenario with pistol-packing grizzlies as “restrained” — revealing key bits of information only as the characters learn them."

Quotes of Awesome May 2012

Erica Friedman on Ikki: "A fan of Dostoevsky would be comfortable with the level of introspection and conflict in this magazine."

Yasuhiro Imagawa? (Director of G Gundam) in G-Files Extra 12: "I suppose some people watch the show seriously, but I am trying to be as thoroughly ridiculous as possible when I believe I should be."

Connie on Ai Ore!: "What’s great about both sides of this hilariously overblown dispute is that MIZUKI COULD JUST LIE. She could lie and say she broke up with Akira, and then every single Joe on the street at St. Nobara could go on with their lives. But then it wouldn’t be a shoujo manga. Why should Mizuki have to lie about what’s in her heart? And lying’s wrong, anyway! Better that she should be caged in just her shirt for days.
"And that’s why I have to pick up every single volume of Ai Ore."

Sean Gaffney on Durarara: "Despite all this, however, Durarara!! remains a fun, breezy ride. It’s just a ride filled with sociopaths."

Chronolynx on Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi: "Basically, when he rapes you, it means he’s in love, so much so that he just can’t control himself around you. Because that’s the only way to express love, with sex. It’s not like they could just talk or something, nope. It must be physical."

Chronolynx comment on Sekai-Ichi Hatsukoi: "After thinking about it a while, I think I’ve figured out how it works. Because we the audience know they are the Designated Couple, anything unsavory either party does is moot, because they are Destined To Be (a sort of Shoujo Calvinism)."

Quotes of Awesome 2012, part 1

Jason Thompson @Ugg the Caveman: "I think there's still good and interseting stuff out there but American publishers are too scared/cash-low to bring it over. As much as I hate the Nth iteration of the shonen manga friendship-fights-training formula, I have to try to remember that for some 14-year-old somewhere, it's ALWAYS new. It's just old to you and me, maybe, 'cause we've read it a zillion times and we're ready to either (1) quit reading manga or (2) move on to reading more advanced stories. "

Sean Gaffney on Sailer Moon 3: "This is not the anime, no redemption for you!"

Sarah Rees Brennan on her initial thoughts about manga and anime: "I was a little distressed by it, to tell you the truth, since the little people in the drawings had such big eyes and such pointy noses. What if they kissed and slipped? It seemed to me like a world full of tragic accidents waiting to happen."

Connie on Cipher: "Also, within the first pages of the volume, we find out that Roy dressed as Ronald Regan for Halloween. This is why Cipher will always be the best shoujo manga ever."

Gia Manry on Bokurano: "One can't describe the sheer extent of the death, damage, and destruction that is wrought by this particular "game" without spoiling the most significant plot revelations, but this dark mech tournament tale makes even the most emo Gundam pilot's back story sound downright perky. "

Carl Kimlinger on Black Butler: ". . . angels whose obsession with order is more lethal than any evil, a bridge built on a foundation of human sacrifices, London reenacting the Great Fire of 1666—all leading to a showdown that finds one rooting for evil to rip the living hell out of good."

What I read in February: Digest Version, part 5 of 5

Yes, 5.  I had a book binge weekend, and it included a lot of manga.  A lot of manga . . .  Yum. 

b Two Flowers for the Dragon 1-6: I am irritated that I will never get to read the last volume (CMX, RIP) because I would really like to know how it all turns out.  I have a guess, but I don't have a "know."  A couple volumes back, I would have said she would have to choose X, but Y started creeping back into the running.  And now I'll never know unless some sort of super-unlikely license rescue of a single volume occurs.  JManga or DMP, help me out here?

b W Juliet 8-9: Fun times.  So nostalgic.  I've read some negative reviews of this series, so I wondered if I wouldn't like it as much since I've read so much manga since then, but I still found it fun and energetic.  Kind of goofy cross-dressing fun.

b Whistle! 9: And then on to the shonen soccer madness!  Just makes me want to get out and exercise and try my hardest at something.

b Wild Adapter 6: Oh, Wild Adapter.  You are so terrifying.  So, so terrifying.  I feel like this is how shojo romances with one partner who always gets kidnapped should work.  If the vengeance was like this, I would never let myself get kidnapped again.  In some ways, it's an okay place to have a story just stop, but I really want to know what happens next and after that . . .

b xxxHolic 19: I've heard lots of complaining about this ending.  I guess I understand people wanting something big and bombastic or at least splendid and conclusive, but this second bit of the series was supposed to be kind of a coda, I thought, and I was okay with it sort of tapering off and ending on a melancholy, unresolved note.  I thought it fit the series, if not other people's expectations.  Of course, then I went to Amazon and read L. Smith's amazing review and realized I totally didn't get anything at all about this book.  Thank you, L. Smith.  Wow.  Just wow.

What I read in February: Digest Version, part 3 of 5

b Kitchen Princess 5:  Oh, hooray!  Who knew basketball would come to our princess' rescue when she has a bout of overuse tendonitis at a rotten time.  And older bro grows a spine and actually confronts his father!  Good volume!

b Library Wars 7:  Oh, politics.  I hate them.  Someone does something bad and then tries to get our heroine in trouble for it.  Grueling appearances before a panel of less-than-unbiased judges and ostracism by everyone but her closest friends are really taking their toll on Iku.  I hate it when politics stomps on the idealists who just want to be doing what's best/the right thing/working together with everyone to make the world a better place.  Stand firm, kids.

b Me & My Brothers Volume 11 of 11:  I bet you can't guess how this romantic comedy ends!  Aww.

b MW: So, if you feel like you really need to read something depressing that will kind of make you wish the end of the story was the destruction of the world, look no further.  Not one of Tezuka's cheerier works, I recommend only reading it in a puddle of sunlight possibly with a puppy nearby to cuddle.  Wait, not a dog.  Er, maybe a non-dog stuffed animal . . .

b Natsume's Book of Friends 11: Oh, Natsume.  Poor, poor Natsume.  We see some more of Natsume's past and the cruelty of children and the beauty of friendship and memories (even the ones that hurt) and the casual cultural cruelty that can exist between yokai and humans.  This series is so beautiful and gentle and melancholy, and I love it and wish I could give it a huge hug.

b Nura: Rise of the Yokai Clan 1: Kind of silly, kind of goofy, still finding its feet.  Not astounding but definitely promising.

b Only Serious About You 1-2 of 2:  A bit of gloss-over of the custody issue doesn't really derail anything as this story of an unusual family comes to an end.  Some of the best depictions of tenderness I've ever seen in manga.  It's a sweet picture of what it means to be family.  A charming story well told and likely to be reread frequently when I am feeling crabby or cynical.  Well done.