2009 in anime: #8 The Day the Anime World Stood Still

(Fifth post in the "12 days in anime" 2009 project led by Mega Megane Moé. Other participating blogs include Shameful Otaku Secret!, Continuing World, Fighting for Nippon!, We love maids., Bokutachi no BLOG, Anime Profiling, Desu ex Machina, Blogging about Anime, I Will Show You Terror in a Handful of Flans, Pontifus, Open Your Mind, ∑Xce7ion, Ganbatte Forever!, Mikotoism, wat u say, Memories of Eternity, Simplicity, Gabrielino Anime Club, UNMEI KAIHEN, Nigorimasen!, Mainichi Anime Yume and We Remember Love)

Some events tend to set the anime blogosphere aflame. Take a loved and insanely anticipated series, a crazy stunt, combine the two, and you can get bloggers and anime fans talking endlessly over it. And this year had probably the most spectacular meta-show I've ever witnessed. Due to technical constraints, I could not follow the episodes, and ended up marathoning the whole season in two days. So here is, the 8th best moment of the list : The Melancholy of Harui Suzumiya's Endless Eight !


(Note : in the following I'll use KyoAni where I guess it would be better to use Kadokawa/KyoAni. A bit like how Linux should be called GNU/Linux... Ah well...)

First thing first, let me spill the bean early on : I rather liked the Endless Eight arc. There, I said it. But before you start to throw bricks my way, give me a chance to elaborate a little on why I didn't think it was merely a "troll" by KyoAni. I won't, however, try to unequivocally prove that it was the best way to handle it, or even a good way at all. I'll merely try to expose my personal way of seeing it.

Now, for those of you living under a rock for the past years, or at least not following the happenings of the anime world, a brief summary. The Melancholy of Harui Suzumiya was a very successful anime by Kyoto Animation that aired in 2006, and which was based on a series of light novels about a girl unknowingly capable of altering reality. After a long three years during which KyoAni teased all the fans about the possibility of a sequel to their massive hit, it came true. This year, a "second season" was aired. In fact, it was combined with a re-run of the first season, shown in chronological order (which wasn't the case for the original run), intertwining old episodes with new one. And, between June 19 and August 7, Endless Eight happened. This story arc depicts the protagonists trapped in a time loop that forces them to live through their two last weeks of summer vacations over and over again. For 8 episodes, they looped, going through essentially the same events, with the same conclusion.


The thing is, the way Kyoto Animation chose to translate the somewhat unimportant arc from the novels into an anime was a bold move to say the least, and was very polarizing. For some, it was regarded as genius, while others thought it was a big slap in the face of all the fans of the franchise. And think what you want about it, but at least it got pretty much everyone talking about the show. And as they say, any publicity, good or bad, is still publicity, right ?

Now, let's get down to it: why did I find this seemingly boring-to-death arc enjoyable ?

First, while the arc was still airing, I followed the internet drama it generated. That was a first way to generate it. Each week, people would speculate about the possible end of the ever longer loop, only to get their hopes and theories dashed. At the time, the response was more negative than positive. People were expressing their frustration, as the second season was being "wasted" retelling the same thing over and over. On the other hand, people who weren't bothered by that weren't very vocal, probably waiting to know how it was all going to end before stating that "it was great". I suspect that if the whole season had been devoted to Endless Eight, more or less everyone would have been angry at KyoAni.

As I said before, I wasn't watching the show at the time, which gave me a more "detached" look at the situation, but I can honestly say that I was a little sad to learn I would be watching "the same episode over and over". Sure, I read that the clothes were different, but that was it. When I got to watch these episodes, I was pleasantly surprised, discovering how different they were. Well, of course, the dialogues were almost the same, the events too, but each iteration of the loop had enough uniqueness to keep things fresh : one focused on hands, with excessive hand movements from the characters, one was definitely spookier than the rest, one had scenes looping two times... Of course, those differences were clear to me thanks to me watching them back-to-back. Maybe my appreciation would have been different, had I seen them with one week between each one.


But let us look at what did Endless Eight did in terms of character development and viewer involvement. In all the series, we're usually most familiar with Kyon's take on the events unfolding, as he's the narrator. But, this time, though he stays the main "protagonist", we get to see things through the eyes of Yuki Nagato. She's clearly in the same boat as the viewer, as she's the only one that remembers what happened in every iteration of the loop (more than 15000 of them in the story !) while unable to do anything to change it. Of course, one may argue that Nagato could do something, except she's bound by rules she has to obey. The end result is still there, by seeing the same events happening 8 times, we get a glimpse of what she's enduring. At no other point of the show are we closer to any other character (except for Kyon). And if usually we feel sympathy for the poor Kyon that gets dragged along, this time one wants to yell at him to DO SOMETHING in that cafe, before Harui leaves and their fate gets sealed. That was an interesting change. Combined with the way Kyon acts in the following arc, "The Sighs of Harui Suzumiya", it paints a better picture of the grumpy narrator.

That said, it wasn't the only way Endless Eight engaged (or tried to, at the very least) the viewer. Once again, I must remind you that I watched all the episodes in one go, and that I knew the arc was going to last 8 episodes, so I'll be speculating a bit, but bear with me, will you ?

Starting from the second loop iteration, the episodes are structured like an tension rollercoaster, with "incidents" marking key points : the phone call at the beginning, the first meeting in the restaurant, the pool, the beginning of the festival, Kyon calling out to Nagato (or not), and of course the meeting on August 30. Each one of these events is a possible turning point, with either Kyon or Koizumi experiencing déjà-vus, and though I did know the loop wasn't going to end before the 8th time, at each time I couldn't help but to anticipate those events, thinking that maybe, maybe this time it would play out differently. And it never did, of course, yet the next moment was coming up, and my hope were getting up again.

Now call me silly, but I'm sure that had I followed the episodes as they aired, the effect would have been magnified. And I suspect it was part of the reasion why many people resented the arc so strongly. KyoAni was destroying the hopes of people in a vicious way: each week, people would start hoping that, yes, this time it would be the last one, then they entered the episode with high expectations, and were put through the aforementioned cycle of hope and disappointment. And the following week, the same thing happened. Sure, some people (many people ?) dropped the show, vowing only to return after all that time looping madness, but those who remained had even higher hopes : "Come on, THIS TIME it'll end."


"But why do that to Harui ?" you ask ? On one hand, KyoAni could have gone the easy way and make "more of the same", sticking to the plot of the novel, however risking to lose the little something that made the original run such a huge success. But on the other hand, wasn't the first season something more ? Something crazier ? What's more, do you think this could have been attempted with a less-known series ? I'm pretty sure a very devoted fanbase was necessary for it to work in the first place. If, say, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (it also deals with a looping time scenario) had tried to do the same thing, it would have failed and people would have quickly dismissed it as pretentious and lame. But it was Harui, it was bound to be good, or at least redeem itself at some point.

And many fans that despised the Endless Eight arc dropped the show "until something new happens", not completely. That's a key difference. Now, I'm not sure how KyoAni will be able to sell DVDs, as most people will probably feel robbed having to buy discs with 4 times the "same stuff" on them, but that's another story. And note that a movie based on The Disappearance of Harui Suzumiya is planned. And that is not innocent, KyoAni must have known that The Disappearance was the arc the fans were the most eager to see animated, yet they didn't include it in the second season. Also, they didn't announce a third season, but a movie ! A way to avoid people thinking they would get a bad surprise in the form of another bizarre stunt.


All in all, my guess is that Kyoto Animation not only dared to do something unusual, they also handled it pretty well, and Harui will probably maintain its popularity. The strong reactions of most viewers goes a long way to show how attached they are to this story and characters. I suspect that the movie will be awesome, but "normal", as if to atone for the second season.

Well, I guess I have more or less said all I wanted to say on this moment. I'm probably far into tl;dr territory for now, especially seeing how much literature is already everywhere on the web regarding this, but then again, making people react was probably what this crazy loop did best. Endless Eight is maybe placed a little to low in my ranking of this year's moments, considering its scope and overall impact, but well, I just had to make it the 8th. But fear not, I'm not going to post slightly amended versions of this post for the next 8 days. Or will I ?

2009 in anime: #9 erf ~ a tale of head-scratchings.

(Fourth post in the "12 days in anime" 2009 project led by Mega Megane Moé. Other participating blogs include Shameful Otaku Secret!, Continuing World, Fighting for Nippon!, We love maids., Bokutachi no BLOG, Anime Profiling, Desu ex Machina, Blogging about Anime, I Will Show You Terror in a Handful of Flans, Pontifus, Open Your Mind, ∑Xce7ion, Ganbatte Forever!, Mikotoism, wat u say, Memories of Eternity, Simplicity, Gabrielino Anime Club, UNMEI KAIHEN, Nigorimasen!, Mainichi Anime Yume and We Remember Love)

I already mentioned last year the fact that I like anime that screw with my head. The more I'm completely lost, trying to grasp the meaning behind all that is happening, the more I usually like the show. Not to say I can't enjoy a simple show, that would be very far from the truth, but I need my regular fix of convoluted storytelling or symbolism.

It's a good thing that I don't actually scratch my head when I don't understand something and ask myself questions, because I would probably be bald by now.

Of course, there is this other way some series make you "scratch your head". The way that makes you go silent for a bit, because of the sheer "WTF" power they hold. In general, those two kind of head-scratching aren't shared by the same anime. Or at least they don't intend to, even though on a personal level, you can switch from the "OMG this is complex" to the "OMG this is dumb" if a show exceeds your tolerance.

But anyway. Let today's reminiscence take us back to an anime that managed to merge the two kinds of head-scratching, and which had one of the weirdest first episodes ever.

An by that I mean Eden of the East.


Eden of the East and its first episode already appeared on several other lists of moments accross the anime blogosphere, but with good reasons.

The previews had hinted at a pure mystery/thriller series, on the whole quite serious. And as you sat in front of that infamous first episode, you were greeted by a young man running around Washington naked. And making fun of/using that state to boot ! I guess many viewers won't be able to look at someone called Johnny anymore...

Yet, in between all the crazy antics of that young man (and the girl that follows him), the foundations of the plot are laid down. And at the end of the packed 25-or-something minutes, you want more. At least I wanted more, that's for sure. But more of what ? When does Eden of the East exactly goes from being an "WTF" show to becoming a gripping story ?


I don't really know when, but it sure does. For one, the plot is complex, yet easy to follow. I spent a lot of time pondering each protagonist's intentions, but never did I struggle to remember who did what. Which is the good way to go for a "complex" plot. Then, the characters, without being masterpieces or the most rememberable ever, are very well developped. It didn't take long for me to care about them, and it will be a delight to join them again in the conclusion of their adventures. Because Eden of the East is concluded by two movies that are supposed to bring an end to the plot which ends on a cliffhanger (of course, they want people to buy tickets for the movies, what were you thinking ?). The first movie aired at the end of last month, while the other has not been released yet.

I suppose that one Eden of the East's strength is that it manages to stay focused on its characters and their "normal" side even when they're thrown into events of epic proportions. It doesn't let go of its lightheartedness even when "the plot thickens". And that is something I really appreciated from this series. If you take Mai-HiME for instance, once it starts its descend into despair-land, it's powerful, but the silly beginnings are but a thing of the past. The change is irreversible, and may seem a bit too overdramatic for some.


By mixing different "moods" throughout the whole series, Eden of the East becomes more than the sum of its parts. And it creates many memorable moments along the way. I could easily have chosen the epicness of Akira shooting down missiles, the silent understanding when he takes Saki with him on the boat, or half a dozen great scenes, but what the heck, I guess episode 1 just takes the cake with its completely over-the-top weirdness.

And I couldn't leave without touching on the "technical part" of this show. The animation is top-notch, the backgrounds are detailled and the character designs are awesome. The ending also deserve a special mention, and I recommend everyone to watch it, if only for the excellent song by school food punishment, a band I can't say enough good of. Also, it's probably the first show where I hear native english speakers playing the parts of American characters in a Japanese anime. A nice touch, even if the voice actors aren't particularly good.

Well, there you go, the 9th moment of 2009: the crazy start of very, very intriguing show.

2009 in anime: #10 The first tearful moment

(Third post in the "12 days in anime" 2009 project led by Mega Megane Moé. Other participating blogs include Shameful Otaku Secret!, Continuing World, Fighting for Nippon!, We love maids., Bokutachi no BLOG, Anime Profiling, Desu ex Machina, Blogging about Anime, I Will Show You Terror in a Handful of Flans, Pontifus, Open Your Mind, ∑Xce7ion, Ganbatte Forever!, Mikotoism, wat u say, Memories of Eternity, Simplicity, Gabrielino Anime Club, UNMEI KAIHEN, Nigorimasen!, Mainichi Anime Yume and We Remember Love)

Some anime series have a way to associate themselves very strongly with a particular season. On the other hand, some either span such a large timeframe that one isn't predominant, or really don't emphasize the months they take place in.

But some which do are best viewed in the same kind of weather they're set in. Take Mahou Tsukai ni Taisetsu na Koto ~Natsu no Sora~ as an example. This show was so much better when you watched it in the end of a sunny afternoon... I suppose it would have lost some of its appeal, at least for the first episodes if I waited until winter to watch it. And I'm so glad I didn't.

But time and again, you'll come accross a show that is so powerful in its evocation of a given season that it simply doesn't matter. That you're no matter what projected in the right mood, barely avoiding putting on shorts and sunglasses while opening wide your windows even if it's freezing outside. Or getting your Moon Boots out of the closet while the scorching heat menaces to melt everything in the room.

One such show that brought summer into my November was Air.

The first half of the show was nice, with its funny moments, its fairly likeable characters. Its overabundance of girls, too; it is, after all, a visual novel adaptation.

But then episode 6 came, and then I knew Air had me more than I thought.


Granted, it used a cheap trick that is almost guaranteed to work on me : the crying-yet-smiling parting scene.

And as a sadistic torturer, it keeps doing it again and again, until another of those heart-rending endings that Japanese storytellers seem to be so fond of. It has become somewhat of a cliché these days, yet I wonder if I'll ever be able to get over that nasty mechanism.

There is something so powerful about the mix of feelings this kind of scene evokes in the viewer's heart that they often make even better tearjerkers than "pure sadeness" scenes. And it just hits me right in my weak spot.


What's weird with this scene is that for the most part I wasn't too fond of Minagi. Nor Michiru, for that matter. But episode 6 did a very good job fleshing them out, and slowly building up tension for what comes at the end. Even when you find out the truth about the two, and know for sure they probably will have to part, you think it won't be so soon, just like that.

But it happens, and right there on that rooftop, as they exchange their last words, you're in their shoes, in a way. You know it is meant to happen, that it's the good way to go. Yet it feels sad all the same. And before you've decided to either if you'll be crying or cheering them to look towards the future, the moment is gone. Their story is a thing of the past. And you move on.


This is another strange thing about Air. While it did shake me on several occasions, I usually recovered pretty fast, as opposed to some other shows who left we wrecked for sometimes several weeks (ef, I'm looking at you).

Truth is, if the scene this post is dedicated to is engraved into my memories, the same could be said for the ones related to Kanna's mother and Kanna herself, and of course for the ending.

I don't really know what to make of this. Maybe it goes to show how easily I am moved by this kind of scene, regardless of the characters. Maybe it's because all those characters managed to earn a place in my mind... I don't know, but all those scenes really proved that I did care more than I tought about what happened to all these characters, after all.

And then, after all is said and done, when all those characters go join all these moments in your mind, they'll become happy memories. As Michiru says : "Even if you awaken from a dream, the memories will remain". So partings, especially those that are the inevitable conclusion of a period of happiness, especially if they make you sad and feel miserable, should leave you with a smile on your face. Because goodbyes should not taint all those beautiful memories.

2009 in anime: #11 If you're planning to make a MMORPG, read this.

(Second post in the "12 days in anime" 2009 project led by Mega Megane Moé. Other participating blogs include Shameful Otaku Secret!, Continuing World, Fighting for Nippon!, We love maids., Bokutachi no BLOG, Anime Profiling, Desu ex Machina, Blogging about Anime, I Will Show You Terror in a Handful of Flans, Pontifus, Open Your Mind, ∑Xce7ion, Ganbatte Forever!, Mikotoism, wat u say, Memories of Eternity, Simplicity, Gabrielino Anime Club, UNMEI KAIHEN, Nigorimasen!, Mainichi Anime Yume and We Remember Love)

What makes you watch anime ?

Makes you read books ?

Watch movies ?

These questions share a lot of potential answers, yet if I had to make an educated guess, I'd say that most of them would be something akin to "to experience something else". What this else consists of is up in the air though, as is the reason behind one's urge to experience this "something else". But amidst all the possibilities, I'm sure most of you experienced this one time when the movie/book/anime you're enjoying aligns exactly with something you'd really want to see become real.

This eleventh moment in anime 2009 goes to that thrilling sensation, which was something .hack//SIGN made me feel.


I know, Monster, then .hack//SIGN ? ... not really the newest animes, right ? Shows that many people urged me to watch to no end, and that I only got around to pick up this year. But oh well, what can I say, I'm always a bit late on everything. That said, I'm somewhat familiar to the .hack franchise, having played some of the games, and having seen .hack//Dusk, .hack//Liminality and parts of .hack//ROOTS. But above all, I was enraptured by the .hack//SIGN soundtracks since I first heard them. They're still two of my most beloved soundtracks, and all in all the ".hack" period is for me the true peak of Yuki Kajiura's talent. I've yet to hear something as good coming from her, nowadays it seems like she just rehashes her trademark gimmicks. But I digress, this post is not about Kajiura, nor is it about .hack//SIGN's soundtracks.

It's about how .hack//SIGN matches one of my deep wishes.


One of the main selling points of the whole .hack offering was The World. This fictionnal MMORPG is where most of the action takes place, and good grief does it sound like a great concept. True, at heart it is a "grinding" MMORPG, where your only goal is to go to a field full of monsters, kill those, then go into a dungeon with more monsters, at the end of which a treasure awaits you.

Not very exciting, is it ? And clearly not a game you could possibly think about using as the setting of several animes, games, mangas and whatnot. But take this barebone game canvas and make things go wrong. Then you've got yourself something much more interesting. A game when, more than achievements to unlock, or fierce beasts to slay, there are mysteries to unravel. Truths to be looked for. A game running on curiosity more than competition. And that, my friends, is one of my wildest dreams.


Time and again, I'll try a MMORPG, but my reaction is pretty much always the same, and I usually can't continue to play for more than a week or so. MMORPGs tend to be technical games, where the most incertainty you can get is the one brought by player versus player combat. Everything else is known, indexed in a list, analyzed... All in all, the only goal is to become more powerful, and that's it.

What ? Fair enough, there is the social side of things, but still, in the end of the day it's about banding together to defeat this ultra-hard boss, get these ultra-rare items and/or gain a lot of "fame" by doing so. And that kind of goals just don't do it for me. I want a game to engage me. It either has to be an intellectual challenge, or provoke thought with its plot, or appeal to me aesthetically. If the "best way" to play is to replicate known sequences, it's not much fun...

Now, let me entertain (or bore ?) you with what would be my kind of The World-like MMORGP...


First, it would be distributed. As in, not running on a central server, but with anyone being able to start their own server, and have it accessible through others. Each server would be centered around an entry point, be it a town, a stronghold, or whatever. From there, players would be able to access this server's locations using something akin to .hack's Chaos Gates. There would be a mechanism to generate pseudo-random locations, while others would be specifically crafted for different purposes.

To create such zones, server admins would have access to specific tools that would let them insert content into the game. It could be new NPCs, new items, new locations, or what have you. In addition, they would be capable of taking over any NPC and play them like a standard character. People would be able to take any role in the game, so that a pre-scripted NPC selling stuff would be a-priori indistinguishable from a real player or admin doing the same.

The main idea behind this would be to have admins and maybe other players with a special status capable of creating original storylines. Unexpected storylines. Possibilities would include everything from server-wide special events right down to throwing a particular group of players into a thrilling scenario crafted for them. What a thrill it would be to constantly be asking oneself "Is this normal ? Does everyone get this when they come here ? Am I the first one to behold this ?"


Well, of course it would pose a lot of very significant practical problems, but I'm fairly confident something close to this could be pulled off. I regularly toy with the idea of trying to start such a project myself, but the task is so daunting...

Well, anyway, enough rambling, I guess it's pretty clear now how much .hack//SIGN resonated with this desire of mine. Even though the show is really slow-paced, it's awesome combination of setting, art style (the design of the root town that lies on floating islands in the sky is just awesome) and mystery kept me going all the way through.

And the music of course didn't hurt. Being so familiar with a score before seeing the show it's meant to accompany is a weird feeling. You've already associated so many memories with the songs than when they're used in a totally different context, you find yourself hearing it with new ears completely.

Plus, the plot itself isn't bad either. It's may not be the "deepest" anime around (do such a thing even exist ?) but it touches some topics that are very interesting, like identity and the lack thereof on the net or the escapism inherent to many online experiences.

And you, what is the best example of anime-meets-wish you've ever experienced ?

2009 in anime: #12 This doesn't really work... Does it ?

(First post in the "12 days in anime" 2009 project led by Mega Megane Moé. Other participating blogs include Shameful Otaku Secret!, Continuing World, Fighting for Nippon!, We love maids., Bokutachi no BLOG, Anime Profiling, Desu ex Machina, Blogging about Anime, I Will Show You Terror in a Handful of Flans, Pontifus, Open Your Mind, ∑Xce7ion, Ganbatte Forever!, Mikotoism, wat u say, Memories of Eternity, Simplicity, Gabrielino Anime Club, UNMEI KAIHEN, Nigorimasen!, Mainichi Anime Yume and We Remember Love)

What a year. What an incredible year. During the past twelve months, I've had the chance to experience so many new things that it's almost overwhelming just thinking about it. It's also my most anime-watching intensive year ever, which is part of why I really wanted to take this chance to remember some of its highlights.

And the first one of those twelve shining moments is one that takes me back to January. At the time, I was starting to work, and was using a mixture of busses and trains to get to my workplace. Each trip was about 2 hours long, so I had plenty of time to kill (4 hours is 1/6 of a day, that is reaaaally long). And what better way to spend those monstrous amounts of time than watching a long series like, say, Monster ?


And that's just what I did, albeit in pretty bad conditions. I do recommend against trying to watch shows on a Nintendo DS... Anyway, I made do with what I had lying around, and despites being on a tiny screen, bouncing around while the bus was making its way to the station, or in the freezing cold while I waited for the train, Monster managed to deliver a gripping experience.

Yet I must admit something. I've not completed the show. I'm stuck at episode 28, and I really need to pick it up again. And I will, because I really want to see what happens to the good Dr. Tenma. In any case, what is this particular moment that made Monster worthy of this list ? It's in episode 3, when one learns why Inspector Runge incessantly moves his fingers.


The guy is doing this kinda irritating movement because he's "entering information in the disk in his head by typing on his keyboard". Now this sounds silly, doesn't it ? Yet it works. It's one of the first examples of what makes Monster so great : being able to make everything seem at least plausible.

Now, of course, some elements of the plot are still far-fetched, but I really think my point stands. Up to where I've seen it, Monster pictures a cast and a world that are extremely believable and coherent. And it's quite a feat with such a long and convoluted plot. A particularly impressive aspect of the show is the way Germany is depicted. Usually, when Japanese shows include Europe-inspired settings, the result is exaggerated, and full of clichés. But for Monster, a lot of effort was obviously made to make it all seem genuine. And that's really a good thing. It also helps giving Monster a fresh feeling, what with not being set in the center of Tokyo and all...


On top of that, it doesn't hurt that Monster has stellar production values. The animation is very fluid, the music really fits the show, and the art style is awesome, really reinforcing the "serious" tone of the anime. What's weird is that I've never been fond of the art style of the manga, yet I find it excellent in the anime adaptation. Go figure. Special points for the ending sequence, done in a children book drawing style, and slowly changing as the episodes pass, reflecting the story in a symbolic way. Coupled with David Sylvian's "For the love of life", it really makes for a great conclusion for each episode.

But when all is said and done, the single thing that sets Monster apart is the excellence of its plot. It's at heart a crime mystery/thriller, but each time you think you get it, another layer of explanations make you reconsider your assumptions. And even if the gist of the problem stays the same (for example, the "bad guy" is known almost right from the start), the new insight you gain as the show progress get you ever more involved.

It makes you ever more worried for Dr. Tenma as you learn that what he's gotten into is really more than meets the eye. And this time the main protagonist isn't a total badass ready to crush every opposing force. An episode has him learning how to fire a gun, something rarely seen in anime (or movies, or books, even). He's a good guy, in the truest sense of the term, but he's not a hero.

And maybe that's the true reason Monster clicks with me ?

Because I'd want to react the same way as he does if I were in his shoes ?

Who knows...

2009 in anime: Welcome back !

So, it's this time of the year again, heh ? That time when I feel compelled to write something here. What for, I don't know. Maybe I subconsciously want to leave a mark on a small corner of the web, maybe it's simply for the satisfaction you get by clicking that "publish" button. Or maybe because it's winter. The heavy clouds, the warmth of my room, the night falling early, the year slowly coming to an end...

Or, you know, it may just be because I love the "12 moments in anime" concept. As last year (though I only did five), I'm going to participate to this challenge of sorts, launched by CCY of Mega Megane Moe two years ago. For those who didn't bother checking the link, the idea is to use the twelve days preceding Christmas to sit back and fondly reminisce about what were the highlights of the anime you watched this year. And of course write about it ! So, each day, starting tomorrow, I'm going to tell you which moments defined my anime-watching year. What made me cringe, cry, hold my breath, scratch my head, laugh, feel sympathy or othewise moved me. Hopefully, you'll either recall those moments if you are an anime fan yourself, or at least see what anime can do, without dismissing it as something that is meant "for children only" as many people around me tend to do.

This year, I've been planning this series of posts a lot better than the last time(1), and if you go back and look at some of the posts that were written then, you'll see that they already were pretty long. Yet I think I've consumed more anime this year than any year before, so not only was choosing the moments harder, but the resulting posts will probably be even longer...

So, be sure to come back next week, alright ? I have so many stories I want you to hear, and Christmas is already drawing near...

(1) Not only that, I've been eagerly wanting to write them. The urge was strong enough as to get me to write this silly "foreshadowing" little drabble. Forgive me, it was cheesy, I know.

The dormant machine

Somewhere, out of sight, left undisturbed for many days, a machine lays. No one really knew what made it work, and when its cogs grinded to a halt, no one knew how to fix it. It has been months since it stopped moving, and now it seems as if it was completely abandoned there to rust. Slowly, it is becoming a part of the scenery, a mere reminder that once new things were created there.

But some of those who watched over the machinery knew better than the rest. They knew it wasn't the first time it fell asleep, standing perfectly still - on the surface.

Deep in the bowels of the dormant machine, ambers from a fire gone out were still glowing. They were almost gone, but they remained. And as winter came, they felt the wind pick up, blowing through the maze of pipes and conducts, bringing new energy to the remains of the fire.

And slowly, but steadily, a new fire was born. On the outside, nothing was happening, but in the innermost parts of the metal beast, life was brought back. Wheels were turning, pistons were set into motion, gears were spinning. The machine was awakening from its slumber.

Soon enough, faint clicks would be heard in the most silent hours of nights, then a steady low humming noise, and little by little all the parts of the machine would start functioning again. And some were aware of that. They had seen it happen before, and although they didn't know why it was that way, they knew that, this year again, the big machine would come back to life.

They were right.

Deep in the bowels of the dormant machine, cogs were already turning.