Impression of 2016
Ferocity at its apex / merciless in its wake / Oh fear thy, the tempestuous force / tilting the earth with its trample / scattering the only shards of sanity / Yet when I wade through the abyss / I cannot help to tremble in its majesty
If 2015 was the rough sailing through the storm, then 2016 is where the storm gathered its strength and made its landfall. It lost the glorious luster while the ruggedness of hardship intensified. It was a year that I have entered the dense forestry, pricked by thorns of uncertainty, but ultimately stood my ground and inched forward--the familiar scenery that was oddly comfortable.
Personal
Personal
Living in a new city has brought me encounters with many new friends: some are acquaintance in passing, some are comrades in arms, and some are more intimate. 2016 is a year worth of celebration where old bonds are mend and new bonds are made, as I traveled more freely to see corners of my world. Waking up to an unfamiliar ceiling and taking detours into the unknown--life-work balance is important after all.
I am officially a member of the Potter's Guild of Baltimore now. There is still a long long way before where I want to be, and I will not stop learning on the way, by my own desire or by osmosis. But there are definitely a few things that I am comfortable and happy to make no matter what for the foreseeable future. The emergence of a self-defined style, if I am allowed to say it more grandly. It is both a joy and a challenge. So to finish off the series I recently started will be a goal for the coming year, and let me tease with this,
"A sin comes in different forms, but always empty in its center."
Intrigued? I hope my work will live up to my expectation.
On a completely different topic, 2016 was also the first general election I have participated in the United States. Not sure if it is my luck or not, but the political process this time is quite an oddball in all perspectives. Also, it may not be surprising that all my blog posts, except the review on Stellar Glow, were referenced to the election. The Sword of Promised Victory is about a blonde woman trying to carry her family's legacy; Kotomine Kirei is about a man's intention to bring about utter destruction (or salvation) by the collective will; Mr. Trap on the Schrödinger Street is about the unbending will to seek justice and how machination from the powerful few can endanger the populous. Something as innocent as an anime blog is actually a political commentary? Maybe, you could read more to find out. As for the result of the election, I do not dispute with facts; however, please expect me to fight on for my causes with even greater tenacity.
Intrigued? I hope my work will live up to my expectation.
On a completely different topic, 2016 was also the first general election I have participated in the United States. Not sure if it is my luck or not, but the political process this time is quite an oddball in all perspectives. Also, it may not be surprising that all my blog posts, except the review on Stellar Glow, were referenced to the election. The Sword of Promised Victory is about a blonde woman trying to carry her family's legacy; Kotomine Kirei is about a man's intention to bring about utter destruction (or salvation) by the collective will; Mr. Trap on the Schrödinger Street is about the unbending will to seek justice and how machination from the powerful few can endanger the populous. Something as innocent as an anime blog is actually a political commentary? Maybe, you could read more to find out. As for the result of the election, I do not dispute with facts; however, please expect me to fight on for my causes with even greater tenacity.
Career-Wise
Job searching is not easy, and I am still at it. You will not be updated.
Otherwise, the postdoc life is not bad. I am still doing a lot of lab setups, but also a lot of organic syntheses. Not quite any seventeen-step total synthesis, but a lot of scaling up of simple reagents. I guess you can easily outsource the work I am doing to a company probably with half the time, but probably not with say 30% of the budget. In the end, no matter what people may say, good postdocs are economical, readily available, and can do pretty much everything. Are good postdocs easy to come by? Who knows, it is likely shopping on Ebay. The deviation of your shopping experience scales parabolically with reviews.
So what's after this? Postdoc is a temporary position in most cases. Hmm, people tell me that I should prepare for industry or I should prepare for academia. Well, I am going to give a simple answer that as long as I get to do good science, it really doesn't matter where I end up.
Catch-ups: Love Live!, Yuki Yuna is a Hero, Haikyuu
The longshots: Cowboy Bebop, Gintama
Job searching is not easy, and I am still at it. You will not be updated.
Otherwise, the postdoc life is not bad. I am still doing a lot of lab setups, but also a lot of organic syntheses. Not quite any seventeen-step total synthesis, but a lot of scaling up of simple reagents. I guess you can easily outsource the work I am doing to a company probably with half the time, but probably not with say 30% of the budget. In the end, no matter what people may say, good postdocs are economical, readily available, and can do pretty much everything. Are good postdocs easy to come by? Who knows, it is likely shopping on Ebay. The deviation of your shopping experience scales parabolically with reviews.
So what's after this? Postdoc is a temporary position in most cases. Hmm, people tell me that I should prepare for industry or I should prepare for academia. Well, I am going to give a simple answer that as long as I get to do good science, it really doesn't matter where I end up.
Entertainment-wise:
Top tracks of the year:
- Trust in you (sweet ARMS, Date a Live II)
- Ichido Dake no Koi Nara (Walkure, Macross Delta)
- Fly High!! (Burnout Syndrome, Haikyuu)
- Paradisus-Paradoxum (Myth & Roid, Re:Zero)
- Tír na nÓg (Celtic Women)
- Ten Kakeru Hoshi (Suara, Utawarerumono: the False Masks)
- Lost in Thoughts All Alone (Fire Emblem Fates)
- Hoshi to Hana (Yuki Yuna is a Hero)
- Light for Knight (Mimori Suzuko, Lance N' Masques)
- Clever (Claris/GARNiDELia, Qualidea Code)
Games Completed: World End Economica (oh boy, that needs a separate review), Stellar Glow (see review, surprised that I finished it), Titanfall 2 single player (Yes, I brought Titanfall just to play the single player, and man it was awesome)
Games in Work:
Grisaia no Kajitsu (Sachi is just so badass that I am stalled), Ar Nosurge (MAN, this is a long and convoluted game), Starcraft 2: LotV, Fire Emblem Fates
Memorable Purchases:
Surface Pro 4, Spice and Wolf Collector's Edition, Fire Emblem Fates Special Edition + DS XL, and Guild membership fees (that check really makes me feel accomplished, in a way)
Seasonal Anime Impressions
I am going to spend a bit more time talking about a few series this time. I always ran out of stream by the end of the summer season, haha.
Catch-ups: Love Live!, Yuki Yuna is a Hero, Haikyuu
The longshots: Cowboy Bebop, Gintama
Notable OVA/Movies: Kizumonogatari, Gundam Thunderbolt, Gundam the Origin, Persona 3
Winter 2016
Series of note: Erased, Grimgar of Fantasy and Ashes, Durarara!! x2, Konosuba, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, Schwaresmarken, Nijiiro Days
Series that filled time and possibly happiness: Dimension W, Gate: Season 2, Luck & Logic, Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle
Maybe at some point: Assassination Classroom, Ao no Kanata no Four Rhythm, Dagashi Kashi, Haruchika
Overslept alarm clock: Akagami no Shirayuki-hime 2
I was pretty happy that the winter season was really diverse, and some of the titles this season are really awesome. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was probably one of the strongest drama titles in 2016, while Erased the same for mystery. I liked Horimiya a lot, so I am very happy with the anime adaptation of Nijiro Days. The biggest downer this season is probably Dimension W, which had a lot of uncapitalized potential in character setting but never truly explored the dynamics in a more careful manner. I still don't know what I got out of Luck & Logic--at least I got fan service in Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle. Dagashi Kashi has a lot going for it, and it was unfortunate that I never got into it too deeply. Gate is at this point, pretty forgettable, if not infamous.
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: In the era where light novel adaptations overwhelm audience with vast but shallow details, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu brought truly complex characters together for an unforgettable adventure. The triangle of Kikuhiko, Sukeroku, and Miyokichi highlights the mismatch between desires and reality. Tragedy befalls not due to one's villainy but to deliberate indifference. Of course, the incredible voice acting for the rakugo pieces brings forward an art form of a completely different tradition.
Erased: the strength of Erased is its villain, Gaku Yashiro. The machination of a single man brought forth the desperation of the protagonist in many hopeless situations, cruel yet amazing at the same time. For the longest time, I was misled by the portray of Kenya, and the series eventually points its finger to the true villain. However, the existence of one almost-all-powerful villain also created the series's downfall, especially when foiled with the all-powerful protagonist. The struggle of the charismatic villain at the end seems so meaningless. I am not complaining about a perfectly happy ending, and surely it is a reward for persistent heroism, but it does make the protagonist slightly less relatable comparing to say Re:Zero.
Konosuba: A light-hearted stab on this "transported into fantasy world" genre. Irony of realism comparing to fairly manufactured angst in namely SOA. It puts us who wish for special talents into our places that we get by thanks to the connections we make, even though those characters can be a bit peculiar at times. Its unpredictability probably rivals Oregairu: it makes me cringe at times because some of references I have surely encountered in real life.
Konosuba: A light-hearted stab on this "transported into fantasy world" genre. Irony of realism comparing to fairly manufactured angst in namely SOA. It puts us who wish for special talents into our places that we get by thanks to the connections we make, even though those characters can be a bit peculiar at times. Its unpredictability probably rivals Oregairu: it makes me cringe at times because some of references I have surely encountered in real life.
Grimgar of Fantasy and Ashes: Probably the greatest foil to Konosuba that everything in this series is under a pastel seriousness. After watching a few series, there are times that you get the premonition that a character gets his or her back story in the episode just so he or she will depart forever with a trace of inspiration left to the protagonist. Death in the series felt sudden and empty with an agonizing after taste comparing to fairly manufactured jerk in namely SOA. It is a slice-of-life series with uncertain but permanent consequences.
Durarara!! x2: As expected, Durarara likes to throw the audience in chaos and then slowly sorts out the giant mess of plots and characters.
Spring 2016
Series of note: My Hero Academy, Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress, Kiznaiver, Kuromukuro, Re:Zero
Series that filled time and possibly happiness: Asterisk War 2, Joker Game, Macross Delta, Bungou Stray Dogs,
Maybe at some point: Flying Witches
Overslept alarm clock: Concrete Revolutio
The bomb: Haven't You Heard? I am Sakamoto
The bomb: Haven't You Heard? I am Sakamoto
Oh really...: Bakuon!!, High School Fleet
Winter is the season of drama, and Spring is the season of action. It sure packed in quite a bit into one season. Re:Zero is probably my pick for Anime of the Year and deserves a separate review. I was surprised that P.A. Works decided to go mecha and pulled off Kuromukuro. Well, it is certainly a slice-of-life series at its core. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was positively amazing in the beginning, so was Macross Delta. I couldn't get into Concrete Revolutio or Fly Witches but the few episodes I have seen are pretty impressive. Sakamoto now belongs to the too-good-to-watch (trademarked) series; it is hilarious, and I don't even know where to begin. Joker Game was really good, but a bit too episodic for my taste and a bit lacking in overall narratives. Asterisk War is just flashy. Bungou Stray Dogs really shined in its second season and its first season was rather mediocre.
Just a word on Bakuon!! -- I don't think high schoolers can afford their own motorcycles. What, you are letting your parents pay for your insurance. Surely, high schoolers are not going to operate destroyers for class credits either.
Winter is the season of drama, and Spring is the season of action. It sure packed in quite a bit into one season. Re:Zero is probably my pick for Anime of the Year and deserves a separate review. I was surprised that P.A. Works decided to go mecha and pulled off Kuromukuro. Well, it is certainly a slice-of-life series at its core. Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress was positively amazing in the beginning, so was Macross Delta. I couldn't get into Concrete Revolutio or Fly Witches but the few episodes I have seen are pretty impressive. Sakamoto now belongs to the too-good-to-watch (trademarked) series; it is hilarious, and I don't even know where to begin. Joker Game was really good, but a bit too episodic for my taste and a bit lacking in overall narratives. Asterisk War is just flashy. Bungou Stray Dogs really shined in its second season and its first season was rather mediocre.
Just a word on Bakuon!! -- I don't think high schoolers can afford their own motorcycles. What, you are letting your parents pay for your insurance. Surely, high schoolers are not going to operate destroyers for class credits either.
My Hero Academy: Classic Shonen. Enough said. Thumbs up.
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress probably has one of the best opening episode in the season. The intensity of the music plus the fluidity of the animation plus the classic feel in character designs all contribute to the enormous promises at the beginning. But the villain seems cheap and probably brought the downfall to an otherwise great series. The slip into plot mediocrity at the end is really painful.
Kiznaiver: It is a thoughtful and beautiful show in concepts and moments, but the overall composition is rather messy. Maybe choosing an extremely deadpan main character is a low bar to show character growth, but his role faces a lot of challenges from other more colorful characters. It is unique, in a very good way, much like Utena.
Kuromukuro: This is supposedly P.A. Works dig at Mecha anime. To be honest, the mecha is rather unimpressive; however, it does play into P.A. Works' strength in world building and dramatic relationships.
Re:Zero: This series is so awesome that it will need a separate full review. I mean...Rem is the waifu that broke the internet.
Summer 2016
I spent most of the season counting on the next episode of Re:Zero, Kuromukuro, and Macross Delta.
Series of note: The Heroic Legend of Arslan: Dust Storm Dance, Fate/kalied liner, Alderamin on the Sky, Planetarian
Series that filled time and possibly happiness: This Art Club Has a Problem, Rewrite, Qualidea Code, ReLIFE, Shokugeki no Souma, Tales of Zestiria the X, Regalia: the Three Sacred Stars,
Maybe at some point: Sweetness and Lightning, Mob Psychoo 100, orange, Taboo Tattoo, Love Live! Sunshine!!
No, no dessert tonight: 91Days,
So, what about Queen's Blade: Hybrid x Heart Magias Acadmey Ataraxia (MY EYES, sound effects filled in with screams of agony)
I was really excited for Rewrite and also considered it one of my favorite visual novels (not the best, just like how Date a Live never made onto my top fifteen anime but remaining a long-time favorite). I was let down.
I was really excited for ReLIFE, because the manga is fun and deep at the same time. I marathoned it, and I regretted that.
I thought Qualidea Code had a good opening and ending, and the story seems to be promising. I ended up with a mess of really out-there characters in a ha-gotta story.
Tales of Zestiria looks great, but why insert a commercial for the new game. Regalia and Kuromukuro are both mecha series that played into mediocre drama. Macross Delta fell so hard on Mikumo's development.
Well, at least I have Re:Zero.
I was really excited for Rewrite and also considered it one of my favorite visual novels (not the best, just like how Date a Live never made onto my top fifteen anime but remaining a long-time favorite). I was let down.
I was really excited for ReLIFE, because the manga is fun and deep at the same time. I marathoned it, and I regretted that.
I thought Qualidea Code had a good opening and ending, and the story seems to be promising. I ended up with a mess of really out-there characters in a ha-gotta story.
Tales of Zestiria looks great, but why insert a commercial for the new game. Regalia and Kuromukuro are both mecha series that played into mediocre drama. Macross Delta fell so hard on Mikumo's development.
Well, at least I have Re:Zero.
Alderamin on the Sky/Arslan: Despite the deceptively ordinary cover art and somewhat meaty (?) character designs, Alderamin on the Sky is a serious contender for the best series in the season (unfortunately that's when Re:Zero really starts to get awesome). I love the character interactions, the politics, and overall strategies evolved in combat (no power-level stuff like SAO). A series that makes you weigh the livelihood of each pun instead of charging in shounen style. Arslan is very similar to that, but a bit more on the dramatic side. These two are similar in overall presentation, while Alderamin focuses on skirmishes and tactic maneuvers. Arslan focuses more on political and strategical maneuvers. Well, that's the difference between a platoon leader and a crowned prince.
Fate/kalied liner: The darkest arc of the magical girl knockoff of Fate/Stay Night. My highlight is probably the return of Emiya Shirou and the dread of Heaven's Feel that has been lacking in the present of anime adaption of Fate. I guess I can go on and on about Heaven's Feel (or you can just read the blog post), but with a bit of manga spoiler, the next segment is going to be awesome!
Planetarian: Too short and too beautiful to summarize. Read the novel first.
Fate/kalied liner: The darkest arc of the magical girl knockoff of Fate/Stay Night. My highlight is probably the return of Emiya Shirou and the dread of Heaven's Feel that has been lacking in the present of anime adaption of Fate. I guess I can go on and on about Heaven's Feel (or you can just read the blog post), but with a bit of manga spoiler, the next segment is going to be awesome!
Planetarian: Too short and too beautiful to summarize. Read the novel first.
Fall 2016
Series of note: March Comes Like a Lion, Bungou Stray Dogs 2, Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2, Haikyuu!!, Hibike! Euphonium 2,
Series that filled time and possibly happiness: Working...??????, Izetta the Last Witch, gi(a)rlish number, Brave Witches,
Maybe at some point: Occultic:Nine, Magic Girl Raising Project, Flip Flappers, Drifters,
That sure looks good: Yuri!!! on ICE
I know people are raving about Yuri!!! on ICE. It is good, so I will not rave about it like fangirls. Izetta probably had the most promising opening episodes in the season but the story really went to a strange place, reminding me of Dimension W. Gi(a)rlish number is certainly cringe worthy at times, but fortunately the character development pulled off.
Bungou Stray Dogs 2: When the main character acts admirably, everyone around is elevated. This holds true for Bungou Stray Dogs 2. Although I still hold doubts if both Atsuhi and Akatugawa can hold up as the main character, the series cannot live with Dazai. The first season sets up the two very important arcs that are great on their own, Dazai and Oda's backstory then forward to the three-way battle between the Armed Detective Agency, Port Mafia, and the Guild.
"Although the head may err, the blood does not." YOLO
Haikyuu!!: Just when you thought this anime can't get any better with the rematch of Aoba Jousai and Karasuno. The best paced shounen I have seen in a while.
Hibike! Euphonium 2: Season 2 focuses on two third-year characters that were put on the back burner from Season 1, Mizore and Asuka (and the yuri drama is back on!). Consistently and extremely high production quality, a pleasure to watch.
I know people are raving about Yuri!!! on ICE. It is good, so I will not rave about it like fangirls. Izetta probably had the most promising opening episodes in the season but the story really went to a strange place, reminding me of Dimension W. Gi(a)rlish number is certainly cringe worthy at times, but fortunately the character development pulled off.
Bungou Stray Dogs 2: When the main character acts admirably, everyone around is elevated. This holds true for Bungou Stray Dogs 2. Although I still hold doubts if both Atsuhi and Akatugawa can hold up as the main character, the series cannot live with Dazai. The first season sets up the two very important arcs that are great on their own, Dazai and Oda's backstory then forward to the three-way battle between the Armed Detective Agency, Port Mafia, and the Guild.
"Although the head may err, the blood does not." YOLO
Haikyuu!!: Just when you thought this anime can't get any better with the rematch of Aoba Jousai and Karasuno. The best paced shounen I have seen in a while.
Hibike! Euphonium 2: Season 2 focuses on two third-year characters that were put on the back burner from Season 1, Mizore and Asuka (and the yuri drama is back on!). Consistently and extremely high production quality, a pleasure to watch.
