5 Things The Anime teacher Taught me

If there has not been more powerful teacher than an ‘actual teacher’ in my life or anyone who is a anime fan is anime itself.

Loving anime for so long as I have has turned me into nothing but more of sentimental fool over the years. The hit in-the-gut truths and life lessons anime throws at you in every single series because there is always one there. I love this aspect of anime itself, something I’ve never felt connected more to compared to every day shows. Indeed anime is a grand teacher in the tribulations of real life but also of all other subjects you took in high school. That is for another list, for another time. But I realised recently I’ve never gave an overview of some actual things I’ve personally learned about anime and industry itself.

5. Powerful Women Authors Reign

Arina Tanemura, Yuu Watase were some of the first female authors I became a huge fan of when I got into anime. Two big names in the shoujo realm leading me to other women favourites to today, Rei Toma, Shinobu Ohtaka – to name a few. There was no initial interest getting just into anime to pay attention to the minds behind these stories, never till later you take interest. When I started up this blog and researching for certain posts I began to take an interest on the behind-the-scenes. Alongside with making youtube videos also that many series I loved were written majority by female authors. Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic, Fruits Basket, Inuyasha some of my favourites and I never noticed the empowering minds behind them. Limitless influence in every genre, some of the most popular titles you’ll know of Full Metal Alchemist, Noragami, Clamp Collection. I just think it’s really cool.

4. Shoujo Isn’t All Fluff

Definitley I cannot be the only one for the longest of time, thinking shoujo stories were just about soft, fluffy high school. I thought this for years until watching titles like Nana, Chihayafuru, that shoujo expands out further than notice me senpai. That there were more adult, mature settings existing as my tastes in romance were evolving. The thing that stumped me most was when I discovered about 80s series Banana Fish being classed as a Shoujo. Have to thank my friend Naja for expressing her love of this series to me and peaking my interest. Banana Fish is classed psychological, action, drama but also shoujo? Doesn’t make sense at first. But you see the clever complexity that is the series in dealing with relationship between the characters. They are to me close friends but other parts people have dubbed shounen-ai, boys love. I don’t see any definition of what to call the main pairs relationship and why this series was a game changer for shoujo genre.

3. Created For Not Personal Preference But All

You may have said in a conversation “this anime was made for me”. I feel like Full Metal Panic series was just made for me and own tastes, I say that because I feel personal gratification it came into existence. One valuable thing I’ve personally learned, every series any director, author has produced for as long anime has existed it was not for the personal satisfaction of every fan. If that happened. . God this blog wouldn’t exist and the world would be weird. The 90s genre I have a personal love for a time of strange, whacky ideas thrown out there at an audience neither existed or would come to be. It was a time of figuring out. Those ideas and going forward toward today, were born from ideas of creators with their own goals, desires, passions and sent out into the anime world with hope of someone loving it. It’s great if you find a anime you feel like you found was just made for you, feeling that personal connection.

2. Educate Me Simple

In some regard Anime has been a more interesting, simplified of teaching me things than some of my teachers ever did haha. It’s a monologue worth of teachings since I got into anime so we could be here all day from what I’ve learnt. Science or biology in school was at least of two favourite subjects in school for me but what reminded of that was Cells At Work!. No better teacher could bring to your attention the functions of 37 trillion cells that work hard within our bodies every day. Cells At Work by far the most educational, fun series I’ve watched. I’ve never been an avid fan of exercise, idea of going to the gym was end of the world. How Many Dumbbells Can You Lift? knows that dread of feeling you may have and a window into the different functions of various equipment. This show breaking down the dread feeling and exercise can be fun. Anime breaks down facts things in simpler terms than how I perceived in class itself but that is a personal thing.

1. Product Placement

The first time I saw Mcdonalds appear in anime was Inuyasha scene where Kagome is sitting with her friends. How strange I thought calling Wcdonalds didn’t make sense at the time. Then I learnt of an obvious marketing technique called product placement. Subway, Coco cola appearing in nearly every anime I saw especially subway. Japan sure love their subway? All for the ploy of promotional intent but can’t say it’s worked on me that I crave to go get a subway. Okay. . . maybe a few times. Product Placement has its purpose to add element of relation and relatability while enticing us all.

You’ll never stop learning they say?

This list idea I had been thinking about for ages one of the many ideas in my notebook that has made to the the blog. You become student of anime for life the minute you see your first anime, haha.

I’ll see you in the next one!