Soul & Body: Unbreakable Bonds in xxxholic and TRC

Yuuko from xxxholic and Syaoran from TRC by CLAMP

I'm hosted by lovely Yi on Listless Ink. Please check my article there! It's worth it! 

Spicy Wolf meats Merchant: a story of two travelling companions and economic adventures

by Satoshi Nishioka

Spices: precious cooking material that enhances their flavor into the food we eat. Only a few centuries ago they were a very good reason to go to war or to travel to the end of the world, as Christopher Columbus would tell you.

Wolf: One of the most mysterious creatures in mythology of all peoples. Independent, yet societal, lonely but caring, a killer yet not a beast. When a werewolf –half man, half animal-, it is depicted mostly as an aggressive, blood-thirsty murderer or a split personality to fight off his savage part.

In economics, when two powerful elements combine and create successive booms, it is only a matter of time before we find ourselves in a huge bust. In the case of Spice & Wolf however, we seem to have discovered a system of excessive growth, stability and productivity without any hard depressions- only a few recessions. Are you ready to read about one of these bloggers’ favorite anime?

Ts everywhere: twitter, tumblr and a lot of talking

So what else is going on this period? I've joined twitter and together with Neko we created two tumblrs, one focused on art, typography and graphic design, photos of books and quotes (thus naming it 'the beautiful world - albums of two travellers) and one for naughty situations. We also have a facebook page some time already.

The Brilliance of Chihayafuru

Chihayafuru shines among anime not because it gives us perplexed stories or some philosophical notions, but through it's simplicity and beauty.Snippet Tee from Lemmas and Submodalities has already talked a bit about what she enjoys in Chihayafuru and I couldn't agree more with her. I'm going to try putting my excitement in my own words and in the process adding more reasons why this series has taken a special place in my heart.

Offering a Prayer to Tempus Spatium's World

"The maiden ... wavers., the maiden drifts. Forever escaping from reality, she paints the sky ... with her unending beauty." ~ Onashia

Simoun's themes and revelations are many and large: the loss of childhood, and the progressive narrowing of our lives by the choices we make. The idea that gender identity is not so solidly fixed as we believe. The elusiveness of time and space. The fact that even after the worst has happened, life goes on. The contradiction between religious principles and fighting a war. The possibility of respect and fellow-feeling between enemies. The dreadfulness and inescapability of social class-distinctions. The mystery of love.
The gnawing, self-defeating harm caused by jealousy. The corrosive effects of grief, and of refusal to connect with others in a vain attempt at self-protection. Love and hatred between siblings. Love among a group of friends. The fact that we do not really know even the people we love. Self-sacrifice for the sake of others, and for one's own self-respect. And the fact that suffering can make one regret having made the sacrifice. Simoun brings ideal and real together, and leaves us with a real world that, despite its inescapable sorrows, is transfigured by hope and love. - by hashihime

If you want a guide to Simoun for the confused and the perplexed, then you can find a well-done one by Nathan here. Hashihime above provides an all-inclusive, full-blown review that is also recommended.What I attempt to do in this post, is highlight the aspects and themes of the show that grabbed my attention and are carved brightly into my memory. I try to offer a hymn, a prayer to Simoun in my own humble way.

Tender passion(s) amidst the winter

It is cold but two people are warm. (ch. 7)

It is hot outside, the shadows are thick. A pretty lady enters the art supply shop in order to post some art recommendations on a special place in the shop. A handsome young man, who works there, offers to help her. That's how they met. And some days later they run across each other again in a field under the sky that was so blue and high that is was suffocating; he paints and she watches. Their paths continue to cross until a night when the rain wouldn't stop... and then...

That's how Natsu no Zenjitsu by Yoshida Motoi starts unfolding and that's where our new header comes from.

My love-hate relationship with winter

Vermilion Snow by xxjannatxx on deviantart

I came across this beautiful illustration with the fluffy hair and the striking red scarves the other day and wanted to write a post about my feelings and thoughts on winter.

Music to accompany your reading: Moonlight by Steven Sharp Nelson , Winter by Vivaldi , Amore by Ryuichi Sakamoto , When the Love Falls by Yiruma.

All I want is to be your harbor

Shape of my heart by aurorablackcat on deviantart

You've got a journey to make
There's your horizon to chase
So go far beyond where we stand
No matter the distance
I'm holding your hand

Sail your sea
Meet your storm
All I want is to be your harbor
The light in me
Will guide you home
All I want is to be your harbor

Harbor by Vienna Teng

And a confession-like post about love in the spirit of Valentine's day. For my love to take in his heart and the world to think about.

Warning: Image heavy

Koyomi Araragi: Another Messiah or simply the Hero Man

Forgiveness and religion were bound together for many centuries [1] . Surviving shards can be found in anime usually in the mahou shoujo genre, where the heroine plays the role of the messiah and doesn't simply banish evilness but most often purifies it by first of all forgiving the villain and then with words of love takes him/her on the good guys' side. When I saw Araragi-kun in Bakemonogatari, I made that (faint) connection and got the urge to search the reasons behind his always forgiving attitude, since he wasn’t given any role to save the earth and there’s no actual reason for him to play the savior.

A basket full with (not so interesting) fruits

After the death of her mother, young Tohru Honda has been secretly living on her own in a tent. Her life changes forever when she stumbles upon the secret of the Sohma family, whose land she has been living on. The secret of the Sohma family is a Hereditary Curse that changes some members of the family into animals of the Eastern Zodiac when they are hugged by someone of the opposite sex that is not also a Zodiac member.
Now living with three members, every day is an adventure for sweet Tohru, as she gets to know all of the very different members of the Sohma family better, in both common and bizarre situations. But, the Sohma family curse is certainly no laughing matter... it also holds horrible cruelty and heartbreak. Despite this, the members of the Sohma family find a new peace thanks to the presence of Tohru.

Hailed as one of the best shojo series out there, during its five years in-print (2004-2009) it was the best-selling shojo manga series in America, and often the second best-selling manga series in the US period, beat only by a certain ninja. -from TV Tropes

Yes, I’m in mood for ranting. Popular stuff usually scares me away from them due to how overrated they get and the hype created around them. I must write one of these days what anime/manga I find good stuff but I can say for now they rarely concern something less than simple entertainment. Mainstream might try to be deep, like this one, but the result is lukewarm.