Has it really been that long?

Mid-April. That was the last time I wrote a post in sincerity—a quick colloquium on Nekomimi, and with the help of a guest nonetheless. The last time I completed a piece alone was even earlier. Just a tad ironically, that post is on writing, albeit on letters instead of blogs. In any case, it has been too long.

So here it is: What have I been up to the last three weeks? (And where do I start?)

Lingerie: Choosing your weapon

by Foxy Lady Ayame.

“A little bit of naughty is a little bit of nice
She’s a lot of glam, sweat, sugar, sex, spice”

– Christina Aguilera, Show me how to burlesque

Lingerie comes in all shapes, colors and textures. And if you want to accomplish your task successfully, you’ve got to choose your weapon wisely and according to your goals.
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Nyan-tastic! Nekomimi and You

by Shance and Yi.

Shance: Greetings! Again, it is I, Shance of Rainbowsphere. Some of you may have read about me when I penned a post about the Hime Cut hairstyle with Yi last year. Now I’m back for more. And this time, Yi decided that we should talk about a very popular trope in Japanese visual media: Cat ears, more commonly known as nekomimi.

Yi: Yes. Of all the wide ranging—often super weird and unexpected—anthropomorphisms anime have to offer, cats seem to gain especial favor among fans. Indeed, nekomimi has become anime’s own unspoken mascot for as long as I can remember.

Letter Writing: Inu x Boku SS, the Old Fashioned, and the Social Age

Letter exchange is featured prominently in Inu x Boku SS, an anime that primarily deals with various aspects of social relationships. Ririchiyo has trouble expressing herself without resorting to her aggressive, harsh defense mechanism.^[1] Miketsukami has little self-esteem, self-respect, or even sense of self. As far as relationships are concerned—social or romantic—neither has any tangible bond of note.

In one (or rather, the only) gripping Miketsukami monologue, he talks about wearing masks as an escape. He pleases everyone through playing specific roles, whether that be the spineless servant or the boy toy.

Tamayura ~Hitotose~ Review

Tamayura ~Hitotose~ is a simple, somewhat forgettable anime—forgettable, however, only in terms of the specific events. Much like the earlier-released Tamayura OVA, this series has very little plot worth mentioning or remembering.^[1] Most synopses would simply describe Tamayura as “an anime about a girl who likes taking pictures,” and that would not be too little or simple at all.