Watch with Me

Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor

“Kimetsu no Yaiba,” also called “Demon Slayer” or “Blade of Demon Destruction” took the anime community  by storm in 2019. Produced by studio Ufotable, Kimetsu no Yaiba is an exciting action-fantasy with man-eating demons in human form. The show features stunning 2D and 3D animation and visual effects, a beautiful soundtrack, sympathetic villains, and interesting, fleshed out characters. 

“Demon Slayer” begins with Kamado Tanjiro, a teenage boy who takes care of his mother and younger siblings after the passing of his father. One day, he travels into town to sell charcoal for his family and has to stop for the night at the request of a friendly mountain dweller. When he returns home the next morning, he finds that his family had been slaughtered by demons that night before. Soon, he finds his sister, alive by a hair’s breadth, and carries her down the mountain in search of help. 

Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor

     After a discussion during my Horror and Haunting Class, I decided I really wanted to focus on vampires this week in light of the pending Halloween season. I figured I would go with my favorite vampire anime, The Monogatari Series. Now, most of the shows I have talked about so far have been, in my opinion, shows that are very easy for people new to Anime to join, but the Monogatari Series may not be as easy.

     The series, produced by Shaft, follows the high schooler Koyomi Araragi, but I cannot say the show starts at the beginning. The anime was released out of chronological order, similar to the light novels it is based on. The first season ever released was “Bakemonogatari,” which begins at the meeting between Araragi and his girlfriend, Senjougahara Hitagi, but this is not the start of Araragi’s story. 

Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor

      It is October, which means pumpkins, falling leaves, Halloween, and scares. So, this week I am going to highlight a few anime that can help you get into the spirit. Not all of them are going to be scary, but all are anime that I enjoy, and think can fit the autumn spirit.

     Firstly, let us start with an anime called “Soul Eater.” This show is just over 50 episodes long, and each episode is roughly 20 minutes long. This show is produced by studio Bones and has a pretty stand out art style. The series (both the original manga and the anime adaption) has a style that embodies Halloween, from witches to demons (Kishin) and even to Death and his son. 

Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor

     Normally, I write about the thrilling action animes I have been watching or would recommend, but this week I want to write about something low and slow. Some slice of life anime that warm the heart and just make a sad day better. 

     This article is titled after the first anime I want to talk about. It is one that almost hits too close to home and when it first came out a few of my friends actually pointed out that the main character was a lot like me. 

     “My Roommate is a Cat” is pretty straightforward in plot. The main character, Subaru Mikazuki, is a novelist who lives alone with severe social anxiety and social awkwardness. One day, he decides to adopt a cat who has gotten lost. The show bounces back and forth between the two characters, showing how they interpret their interactions with one another. Haru, the cat, is a kitten who thinks she is tougher than she is and often finds herself shocked that while Subaru can offer her a life of luxury, he fails to keep himself in good health, often collapsing from exhaustion and skipping meals. 

Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor

     October marks the start of the new anime season for Fall 2020, and while that sounds like it is a while away, it will approach as quickly as midterms. So, for this issue, I looked into some of the upcoming anime and will be talking about some of those that caught my attention.

     Firstly was an anime called “Jujustu Kaisen.” A supernatural anime that deals with dangerous and ancient demons as spiritual powers, Jujustu may be a great anime to start around the Halloween season. This show centers around Itadori Yuji who acquires supernatural powers through plot means and uses his new strengths to battle Curses, supernatural manifestations of negative emotions, alongside his new partners.

Kamryn Schnieder ~ Copy Editor

     This week, instead of talking about an airing or noteworthy show, I want to talk about the band Man With A Mission. They are a Japanese Rock band that has dabbled in creating Anime soundtracks as well as other projects. Their sound has a pretty wide range, but they could be described as something akin to Fall Out Boy, and many of their songs are in English, or a blend of English and Japanese.

     Formed in 2010, the band has been going strong with consistent members. Tokyo Tanaka, Jean-Ken Johnny, Kamikaze Boy, DJ, Santa Monica, and Spear Rib make up the band. They have been on tour in Japan, the States, Korea, the UK, and other countries and have performed with the likes of Jimmy Eat World and have even had Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy work with them on the song “Dead End Tokyo.” They had been planning on going on a 10-year anniversary tour this year but due to Corona, they have canceled it until further notice. They have released three anniversary albums with many of their famous singles and covers from earlier in their career, however.