Anime Meme

So there’s an Anime Meme making the rounds, and I figured I’d give it a shot:

• What anime are you watching now?

Disc 1 of Trigun just came in the mail today. After that, I think I’m going to watch Noir.

• What is your favourite time to watch?

I don’t really have a set time to watch anime (or, well, anything really). Or, to put it another way, I’ll watch anime at any time the mood strikes (unless I’m at work, or otherwise engaged.)

• And your favourite place?

On my TV in my living room. My couch is comfy.

• Who is your favourite auteur?

I’m not sure I’ve watched enough Anime to have a favorite auteur, but the closest thing I can think of would be Hayao Miyazaki… probably the most obvious choice out there. And even he has movies and themes that I’m not a huge fan of. I suppose another choice would be Mamoru Oshii (of Ghost in the Shell fame), but I’ve only seen 2 of his movies.

• Your favourite OST?

Yokko Kanno’s music in Cowboy Bebop is exceptional. I saw the movie and bought a bunch of CDs before I even thought about watching the series. My favorite songs would have to be Rush, Tank!, and Gotta Knock a Little Harder.

• What is the most difficult anime you’ve ever watched?

Grave of the Fireflies, for reasons belabored in that post. I still find it odd that most people find this film so sad… I found it infuriating. But then, both of those traits make it difficult to watch. It is an exceptional film though, and it’s one of those films that you could pull out to traumatize people who think that you can’t tell real stories with animation.

• What was the first anime you remember watching?

A friend of mine in college introduced me to Akira. It was a crappy VHS copy of the movie, with a poor transfer and bad subtitles, so I didn’t think much of it until I revisited the movie somewhat recently. I vaguely remember also watching Vampire Hunter D around that time (may have been before Akira, I don’t remember). For more of my early experiences with Anime, check out this post. I suppose if you consider stuff like Voltron to be Anime, then that was my first Anime, but I don’t think that counts…

• Do you have a comfort show that you re-watch?

Not especially, though this may have something more to do with my tendency to Netflix my anime rather than buy it.

• What is the most erotic anime you’ve watched?

To be honest, I don’t even really understand the fan service side of the Anime world, let alone freaky stuff like Hentai. I’m sure some of that stuff could be erotic, but I’m so disinterested in that side of things that I don’t think I’ll be able to answer this question for some time.

• Which classic should you have watched?

Given my current experience, it would probably be easier to list the classics that I have seen (or even, all the anime that I’ve seen period). Again, see this post for more of what I’ve seen and check out the Anime archives for other series that I’ve seen since then…

• Which series did you never want to end?

One of the things I like about Anime is that most series actually do have an ending. That said, there are series I’ve seen that I’ve wanted to go on. For instance, I wish Cowboy Bebop would have kept going, if only because I found the ending unsatisfactory. On the other hand, I can’t imagine that the creators would take that series where I’d like to see it go…

• What is your most overrated anime?

Once again, I’m not sure I have enough experience with Anime to say for sure.

• Which character could you have an affair with?

I have no idea, but this question did make me wonder, is there an anime female that isn’t cute or attractive (with the potential exception of evil villains, etc…)? Seriously, even girls who are supposed to be dorky or unpopular are cute.

• Who is your favourite character?

I stink at choosing favorites, but the first person that came to mind was Major Motoko Kusanagi from the Ghost in the Shell movies and series.

• Which character do you most dislike?

I guess Seita from Grave of the Fireflies. So infuriating.

• Which character do you identify with most?

I can’t think of a particular character, but I suppose I have connected the most with the existential themes of the Ghost in the Shell series.

• Which anime changed your life?

I can’t think of anything that’s had that sort of effect, unless you take an overly sensitive chaos-theory approach, in which case all anime I’ve watched has technically changed my life (as has every experience I’ve ever had, right down to sitting quietly in the freezing cold (with some rain too!) for 2 days waiting for a deer to pass by but not seeing anything, not even a doe, not that I’m bitter or anything).