Coping with Post-Con Depression

With Sakura-Con 2016 done and over with, Seattle natives and everyone else in the Pacific Northwest region are left to deal with PCD (Post Con Depression). All anime lovers know this feeling far too well since we choose to sit through the closing ceremonies of our beloved conventions. You leave the con with new memories, new merchandise, but not to forget new friendships that have been made.

With 2016 being my second year of attending conventions I’ve come to grips that it’s best to look forward to whatever other things you have lined up for the year. Those new friends you made? Hit them up and see if they want to hang out. That new merchandise you purchased? Look at it real good and try to remember what you were feeling when you made the decision to buy it. Post con doesn’t have to be depressing at all. I’m sure everyone has taken plenty of pictures of cosplayers and whichever activities you chose to do. As for me, I really enjoy editing photos after the convention, it can be time consuming but soooooooo rewarding when you’re finally able to post them up.

My pictures will be up soon! Don’t worry about that! Just got done with day 2 con pics. So with that being said my question to you is, would you want to see me break down the con day by day or have one HUGE post? Be sure to let me know!

Music Monday: Elfen Lied

Ahh I must admit that it feels good to be back on the writing block. I felt really burnt out from finals so I decided that I needed a break from any form of writing and yes, that included blogging also. But now that finals are over and graduation is right around the corner I’m back and ready to start writing again!

This past weekend I was introduced to a song titled “New Charlotte” by the artist Duru tha King. It sampled it’s beat from one of the most gore ridden anime’s of all time; Elfen Lied. At first I didn’t even know it was sampled from Elfen Lied until my friend pointed it out to me. I really loved the angelic voice playing in the background but perhaps that was why it really made the song that much better. I gave the songs a few listens and it’s been stuck in my head all weekend and even some of today. As I said in previous Music Monday posts, it’s always refreshing knowing that music artists are recognizing just how beautiful other genres of music can sound when paired together. Below you can find the track from Elfen Lied and the instrumental of New Charlotte.

-Aniplays

Throwback Thursday: FF7 The Last Order

With all the Square-Enix craze everyone probably saw me doing a Throwback Thursday feature of FF7, and you are 100% correct! However, did you really think I was going to do a feature of Advent Children? Be real with me now. Sure, I could have done that but then that’d be a bit too predictable. Hit the jump to find out more!

Throwback Thursday: Angel Beats!

Probably known as one of the most heart wrenching animes known to human-kind. I recently revisited this anime last weekend and it still has the ability to make a grown man cry, I had to punch a wall to feel manly again. I remember after my first watch I searched frantically to find out of there was a second season for it or if there was even one in the makes, but alas my search ended in failure. You know when you complete your favorite game and you go straight to the internet for more info on a sequel or a third part but find yourself to hit a dead end of nothingness and you’re thrown into a spiral of misery, pain, and agony? That’s exactly how I felt. Hit the jump to find out more! 

Music Monday: My Soul, Your Beat

I took some time this past weekend to revisit an old anime that I’ve been itching to watch again, Angel Beats; which I will also be doing a Throwback Thursday entry of this week! Angel Beats is the quite possibly the only anime opening that I”ll really listen to and let play all the way through. Now that I think about it I would probably put Angel Beats as number 1 on my list for “Best Anime Music”. Why? Simply because the songs that were chosen for each scene just fit the mood so perfectly and personally, as a viewer, as each carefully chosen song were to play during the scenes they were able to immerse you inside the world of Angel Beats.

Just now, in my heart that has begun to tremble
I felt it come again
the new sun, crossing over a thousand mornings
I felt like it was waiting for me
Because I felt like it was calling to me

As you folks should know by now I try my best to keep Music Mondays short and sweet. So my question for you is: What’s your favorite anime opening song? Be sure to leave a comment!

-Aniplays

My Thoughts: Death Parade

So after reading a review of “Death Parade” from the wordpress blog Boy Meets Anime I decided I’d give it a chance since it seemed to have an almost BTOOOM! like essence. The anime is solely focused on the concept of death, afterlife, heaven, hell, reincarnation, and any thing else along those lines. As I’ve stated in previous entries, I’ve always been fascinated by the human mind, the concept of death, where souls go after our time is up. Death Parade I feel had a really well thought out concept that even I myself would believe to hold true. Hit the jump to find out more! 

Throwback Thursday: Samurai X Trust and Betrayal

Hitokiri Battousai; the name that shook fear in everyone’s hearts when it was mentioned, the name that made even those of the most power tremble, we’ve all heard the name of the legendary man slayer. The man who took down a single army all on his own. The man who had no remorse towards any of his victims as his cold blood-stained blade was the last thing his victims felt as they fell to the legend of the man slayer. But just who was he anyway? Hit the jump to find out more!

Every warrior must walk his own path

So lately I’ve been on a bit of a Street Fighter binge and I think it’s about time I paid some homage to one of my other hobbies, fighting games.

2008 was the start of my fighting game career, more like passion but whatever. I was always interested in fighting games ever since SF2 but never really could grasp the concept as a child. I remember playing for hours on end with my brother and every time I did Ken’s crouching fierce punch I always thought I was so close to doing his signature Shoryuken special move. But little did I know that I was so far off from it. Moving on to the teen years of my life when I finally had some competency to have an understanding of fighting game mechanics I was finally able to do combos and such that I personally always thought were flashy. Be sure to hit the jump to find out more!

Case of the Real Folk Blues

The rain can always have a love/hate relationship depending on the type of person you are. Living in Seattle you’ll eventually become to grow into that person. When I think of the soothing pitter patter of the rain as it softly hits the roof of my house I can’t help but be reminded of the ending theme to “Cowboy Bebop”, The Real Folk Blues by The Seatbelts.

The real folk blues
I only want to know true happiness is
All that glitters is not gold

The Seatbelts ft. Mai Yamane – The Real Folk Blues

Listening to this songs brings back a ton of memories for me. Saturday nights I would stay up late at night watching the anime block of Adult Swim and Cowboy Bebop was the anime out of the bunch that I really liked a ton. But lets go back to the song before I start rambling on (don’t I always though?). When you read the lyrics as you listen to the song you can really feel the true raw emotion that the artist wanted you to feel. Through the vocals of her voice, through the tempo of the song, it’s like painting a story of love and tragedy in your mind. I guess that’s what Cowboy Bebop was really about after all. But I won’t take too much of your time, so sit back and relax to the sounds of “The Real Folk Blues”.

-Aniplays

Japan Dreamin’

If you were to follow me on tumblr you would find out that I am just in love with Japan just as every other otaku would be. I appreciate everything Japan has to offer. From cars, clothes, video games, anime, etc. the list can never really end. The place is RICH with culture and I would just love to visit for at the very least a month and be able to live out everything I’ve always wanted to do out there.