30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Eighteen

Favorite Opening

This one is a little bit difficult: all of the openings are great (besides the second one that one just fell flat for me). Though, I still do have an answer!

I like the fourth opening the most, for a few reasons.

My Thoughts On: Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens (Ep 7-12)

Today, I finished my 50th anime. Kind of. My definition for “finishing” is a little weird. But anyway, this was the 50th anime I finished, in my terms of finishing something. And really, I couldn’t ask for a better show for this milestone.

If you missed it, I wrote about episodes 1-6 at the beginning of this month, so before you continue, maybe you should check that out?

My Thoughts On: Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens (Ep 1-6)

Even though I saw Crunchyroll promoting the heck out of this anime, I still saw such a lack of recognition while it was airing. Sure, people watched it, but there were other Winter 2018 anime people were more interested in.

If you haven’t watched this, I will be spoiling some of it, sorry. Though, I highly recommend giving it a try, as long as it’s something that won’t bother you. I will admit there are a few things that are a bit difficult to watch: murder, human trafficking, a near sex scene. If you can get past it, there’s a really well thought out show.

What Did I Not Discuss in My Last Post?

The animation, the characters, and the arcs.

I said in my previous post that any critical pieces would be left for this one. Well, here they are.

Animation/Art Style

In general, it’s not super outstanding, but it’s not sub-par either. It’s nice to look at, my only complaint being that sometimes the blood is exaggerated a bit. Someone’s neck gets slit, and a gyser of blood half a foot tall comes out of his neck. I don’t know much about how a slit throat bleeds, but I have a sneaking suspicion it’s a little less dramatic than that.

Aside from this, the opening and ending is where the art is the most aesthetically pleasing. There’s just something about the colorful tones of the background and shadows of the characters that makes it appealing.

Also, if you haven’t heard/watched the opening, you must. I’ve listened to it nearly every day for weeks.

 

The Plot is in Arcs

Like a vast majority of anime, this one is split into arcs. Saito/Qiaomei arc, Niwaka Samurai arc, Enokida arc, and Fei-Lan arc. These aren’t official names, this is just how I’d call them.

I liked the last arc the most, not too much of a surprise since that’s where the bulk of development is done and things can wind down to a close.  The two middle arcs I tend to forget about, especially the third one. They’re both shorter than the first and last ones, being only two episodes each, while the first and last are four.

None of them are bad, I just felt some bits were lackluster. It didn’t help when I started seeing spoilers since I was a week behind everyone else. Luckily, for the last four episodes I got a 30 day trial for VRV so I could watch weekly.

Characters

In the end, this is what ties everything together, and I feel it’s that way with a lot of anime. Strangely, I hardly talked about the characters in the last post, so I definitely need to make up for it here.

The thing about liking the characters in this show is that you have to ignore the whole part about killing people. It’s one of those things like when people have villains as their favorite character. The things the characters do may not be something you agree with, but it’s still important to see the character for who they are despite the things they do that are wrong.

With that being said, I fell in love with both of the main characters. I like them separately, and as partners. I still can’t believe I didn’t even think to mention this in the last post.

Lin has quickly become one of the best male characters I’ve seen. He’s well developed and his baggage doesn’t completely shut him down. He’s strong but has plenty of weaknesses: lack of trust, hot-temper, impatience, and above all, stubbornness. He was lost in the beginning of the show, but finding and working with Banba I think is what saves him in the end.

Their vastly different personalities is what makes them a great team. And it’s clear fairly early on that they do care about each other, despite Lin having issues with trusting others. In all those situations where Lin is going to get hurt, Banba’s not far behind to help out. And in the last episode, both of them are shown to be willing to sacrifice their own life for the other. Their dynamic is really what made me love this show so much.

Good or Bad Ending?

What concerned me from the get go was how this whole story would be concluded. These people kill others for a living. They evade the police and make a choice humans shouldn’t decide for other humans: when they will die. It seemed like these characters I’d grow so attached to would have a devastating end.

That wasn’t the case here. The ending wasn’t groundbreaking, but it was still satisfying. Lin cleared up the troubles from his past, and maybe is beginning to learn that these people he’s associated himself with can be trusted. He can find a home in Hakata and be surrounded by people he likes. That’s not something he had in the start of this. He didn’t really have a “home.” He had a place to stay and a job, sure, but he was lonely. He was working to send money back to his family, but had no contact with them. Finding Banba and those he works with was exactly what Lin needed.

What I found as well was in the beginning, I’d assumed Banba was the main character, but it turned out to be Lin. Much of the story did revolve around him, I realize now.

Final Verdict

This show is not just “here’s a bunch of killers as main characters, there’s a bunch of blood and death.” While that’s true, it really is a story of a lonely man finding his place; someone who loses his family and finds a new one.

And it includes some queer themes as well. Lin crossdresses, because he wants to, and there’s a canon gay character. It’s not something I expected, and I think it’s better that way. That doesn’t need to be a show’s selling point. It’s just a little extra fact that’s a bonus. I found a post on tumblr that sums this up in better words than I can, so I’ll link that here.

While this show seems violent and brutal, it has a layer of sweetness to it.

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I felt so sad when I finished this anime. There were so many emotions I felt just in that last episode.

I’m so glad I saw someone mention this on Twitter at the beginning of the winter season. I would’ve never given it a second glance otherwise, like much of the seasonal anime this time around.

I want to do another post all on the morality of the characters in this show, but I’m unsure if I have time, or even if people would read it. Let me know!

30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Seventeen

Favorite Character Design

I don’t have a single answer for this one. But I do have an answer, at least.

Something I really love about Haikyu!! is that for the most part it sticks to natural hair colors. I don’t have any real problems with anime that use unnatural colored hair, I’d be a hyprocrite if I said that! I dye my hair a bunch of colors!

I just think it’s cool when an anime decides to go the more realistic route when choosing hair colors for the characters. Obviously, this wasn’t really the anime’s doing, but the manga. And I’m impressed every day that there’s only one man behind every character in Haikyu!!

That’s not what I wanted to say, though. The thing that I love the most is that most characters who do have unnatural hair, it’s due to dye. And that’s only confirmed through flashbacks, which we know Haikyu!! is an expert at. What I mean by this is Kenma, Bokuto, Nishinoya, Terushima, Ukai, and Kyotani weren’t born with bi-colored hair like that.

I just find this choice interesting. Not saying it’s particularly a unique idea or choice, but it just adds a little bit of realism that I really like. It adds a little bit of immersion that may not be present in other anime.

30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Sixteen

Favorite Uniform

This is an interesting question. Not really sure how I’m going to fill up at least 100 words talking about a uniform but here goes nothing.

I like the Seijoh uniform purely because I love that shade of blue/green. Heck, the sweatshirt I’m wearing right now has lettering in that exact color. And, I’m not sure how to really answer this question beside the colors of the uniforms. They are all, well, uniform, to each other even on other teams. Maybe the lettering on the top is different, but other than that, they’re all the same beside the color.

I got this sweatshirt in Mackinac Island, MI

I’m not a huge fan of orange or red, so automatically both Nekoma and Karasuno were out. I hate yellow with a weirdly strong passion, so Johzenji was definitely out. I think Fukurodani’s uniform is cool, Date Tech as well. And, I didn’t pay enough attention to the other teams’ uniforms to have much opinion. There’s my rundown of colors I like and dislike in the terms of Haikyu!! uniforms, haha.

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The second half of this challenge looks like it’ll be a lot harder than the first half, as if that one wasn’t hard enough! I have ideas of how I’ll answer a lot of these, though some I need to think hard about.

Fanfiction Recs (And Shameless Self-Plugs): Part One

For the past six months or so I’ve found myself delving into the world of fanfiction. I probably read too much at this point, and unfortunately in turn it makes me abandon many of the books I’ve purchased and have yet to read. But I’m enjoying myself, and it makes me happy to have something to read before bed every night.

For the most part, I read My Hero Academia ones, and, they generally are focused on a pairing I like, or multiple pairings I like. Same goes with Haikyu!!. The other few I’ve read are No. 6, Yuri!!! on Ice, and Hakata Tonkotsu Ramens. There have been other anime I’ve thought about reading fics for like Akagami no Shirayuki-hime (Snow White with the Red Hair), Noragami, and Yona of the Dawn, but I just haven’t quite yet.

(All fics are on AO3, and all are either rated Teen or General Audiences, as I don’t read anything above those ratings unless under special circumstances. I’m not fond of sexual content in general, so I don’t want to read any of it)

30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Fifteen

Favorite Animal Representation

This is so bias but that’s okay, since this whole challenge is technically bias.

My favorite animal is a cat, so clearly my choice is going to be Nekoma and cats. I have way too many cat things. Pants, a pillow, multiple pairs of cheetah-print socks, cheetah-print blanket, four plushies, and two real cats. So, yep, cats.

30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Fourteen

I return to this challenge after a day break! I apologize for being late on this. I had a bit of a rough day yesterday and I didn’t have a very restful weekend, but I’m back today!

Favorite Friendship

All of them? Every interaction between friends in this show warms me to the core, every one is special in its own right. Though, I still did choose one in particular to highlight since, from what I’ve seen, there isn’t too much recognition of this friendship. It’s not obscure, just I feel it’s overlooked pretty often.

30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Thirteen

Favorite Non-Player Character

This is one that’s just a little weird for me to determine. I don’t really think much about these characters. I’m assuming this would include the managers and coaches, or would it not? I’m not sure.

30 Day Haikyu!! Challenge: Day Twelve

Favorite Manager

This is most likely the easiest prompt for me. I’ve never been particularly fond of Shimuzu Kiyoko, I’ve never really disliked her, I just felt a lot of her existence was for comedy. As a character separate from that, I think she’s okay. And, I really don’t know much about the managers of the other teams.

I really like the newer Karasuno manager, Hitoka Yachi, who is introduced in the beginning of season two.

She’s kind and determined to learn all she can about volleyball to become a successful manager when Shimuzu graduates. Not to mention, she was the only one to step up and help out Kageyama and Hinata when they were struggling through their classes and needed to up their grades to be allowed to attend the Tokyo training camp.

Yachi isn’t very confident in her skills, and she gets nervous around others, especially around all of those tall volleyball players (I don’t really blame her). Despite those setbacks, she still tries her best to become better and lead the team in the future years. She’s also adorable, which is a plus.