Grief and Loss in Anime: a case examination of Puella Madoka Magica Magi, Mawaru Penguindrum and X

Either you are recently introduced to anime or you are a seasoned fan, it's highly unlikely you haven't watched or simply heard about the first two shows in the picture above, because twitter, forums and blogs were abuzz and overly hyped about them last year. Now, it's highly possible you don't even recognize the hunks in the bottom and the anime/manga they are from, unless you are an obsessed fan of CLAMP or a MADHOUSE admirer. All three of them have as central themes the loss and how people face them. The important issue here is how these series present the themes and how well they handle them...

Their destiny was foreordained - an X/1999 review

The seven angels and the seven seals.

  At the millennial edge, the concluding battle for humanity's future is staged. Kamui Shirou's destiny has been decided as he returns to Tokyo to face his ultimate challenge. The Dragon of Heaven, defenders of the Earth, stand ready to protect the world from the Dragon of Earth, the seven angels of legend, who embrace the devastation of the planet to bring about its purification. Now Kamui must decide which side to fight for although he finds the idea utterly unappealing. It isn't until realizing that his two childhood friends, Fuma and Kotori Monou, are in grievous peril that Kamui decides to step into his fated position in the climactic struggle of the Year of Destiny: 1999.

Saya Monou: a mermaid of sin

Illustration by CLAMP for the Tarot Collection - 0. The Fool

After I got into CLAMP fandom, I started exploring the various manga out there and of course X, being the masterpiece it is, wasn't left out. It must have been while I was still in high school and I wasn't that aware of the Internet communities out there or the streaming online - if I remember correctly. I was a newbie 'otaku'. So when I read about Saya Monou turning into a mermaid in the afterlife as punishment, question marks started floating over my head. And I guess that I'm not the only one feeling puzzled about this fact, if we take for granted the strong influence of Disney's The Little Mermaid adaption of the homonym fairy tale in the West. This article is my attempt to explain the imagery associated with Saya Monou.

Lingerie: Choosing your weapon

Super-duper awesome Yi from Listless Ink offers me one more time the pondium on her brilliant blog. Check it out!