And the game shall begin...

Red Bracket, Yellow Bracket, Blue Bracket, Green  Purple Bracket and  the one left standing will be GoddessMadoka  of the Anisphere

Awards and tourneys are 'in' this season. We got awarded by sweet Marina of Anime B & B the Versatile Blogger Award (thank you >.<) and the Anime Blog Tournament is just around the corner...

The Red String : 1. Ginko x Tanyu

I have a fondness for couples with subtle romance and those that are developed in side stories or when the romance is between side characters. This series of posts is going to include more or less minor canon couples that have won my heart and need more love. And so here I present you for the first post with:

Ginko and Tanyu from Mushishi

A man with one emerald eye and one filled with darkness. Snow lies on his head and smoke arises from his mouth. He wanders from one place to another through thick forests like the stream of Light flows freely in nature. One day he was called to a house of a scribe, a young woman with jet black hair and a cursed leg. And after that day, he would come visit ever so often and not just to scan through the huge archive in that house...

My-HIME: On Love

If My-HIME has done something right apart from the gorgeous music and beautiful character designs, is how it presents the theme of love and a refreshing view to what is 'true love'. Akane's and Kazu's romance, Shizuru's and Natsuki's love, and Tokiha Mai's relationship with her brother, Mikoto and Yuuichi are what I'll keep in my heart after years have passed.

Memories, Loneliness, Wisdom and Objects in xxxholic

colored scan by Outou

While in Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles the fanservice takes the form of reoccurring characters from previous CLAMP works, in xxxholic this is done with a way more subtle and mysterious way, that suits more obsessed/ well-informed fans: reappearance of objects. In general, the universe of xxxholic, where Yuuko -and later Watanuki- rules, is full of objects and not without a reason.

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.