“The Mad Girl’s Love Song” – An Interpretation

Hey, it's HSMediaNerd with another analysis! This time, it's of a poem. Hope you enjoy!

            The poem “The Mad Girl’s Love Song”, written by Sylvia Plath, is told from the point of view of a female narrator. This poem does not have a distinct plot, but instead focuses on the narrator’s thoughts and emotions, as she reflects on a person she loves who may or may not exist. The poem begins with the narrator reacting to her vision of love. She believes what she sees, but still lacks confidence in whether or not her vision depicts a real memory or fantasy. The poem is not about a mad girl writing a song for her non-existent lover, but is instead about a girl trying to distinguish between her optimal pure love fantasy and the painful reality of unrequited love.

            The first stanza of “The Mad Girl’s Love Song” reads as follows, setting the stage for the main idea of the poem: “I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; / I lift my lids and all is born again. / (I think I made you up inside my head.),” (Plath 1-3). The first line indicates how the narrator halts her perception of the world when she closes her eyes, while the second line expresses how she can instantly engage in another reality when she opens them. This implies how the narrator only believes in what she sees, and demonstrates the flexibility of her mind. Her thoughts are toggling between a bright reality full of love and hope, and a darker one, depleted of emotion. With her eyes open, she realizes that she may be delusional. This is displayed by how she adds in parenthesis, “I think I made you up inside my head”. The parentheses suggest an afterthought, which shows how the narrator questions her own visual experience, and the term “I think” implies self-doubt. This self-reflection presents how the narrator has not entirely descended into madness, as she is still able to question her sanity, and she does so multiple times to accentuate this point.

            The poem’s second stanza reads as follows, utilizing similar motifs and even repeating the first line of the earlier stanza: “The stars go waltzing out in blue and red, / And arbitrary blackness gallops in; / I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead,” (Plath 4-6). The main subjects of the first line are the “waltzing” stars in colors that are not typically associated with real stars, suggesting that they are part of the ephemeral fantasy, disappearing in any moment as the “arbitrary blackness gallop[s] in”. The blackness represents how quickly her beautiful fantasy can be taken away without any warning, and also may represent a fear of the unknown. The narrator’s beautiful reality being overtaken by sudden darkness and uncertainty scares her, so she instantly blocks out the painful emotion by shutting her eyes. This suggests that she maintains some control over her powerful emotions, but blocking out this painful reality, her dreams take over, adding to her confusion.

            In the third stanza, the narrator is speaking about her lover, questioning his existence: “I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed / And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane. / (I think I made you up inside my head),” (Plath 7-9). Following the previous stanza, in which the narrator shuts her eyes to stop her emotions, the narrator now talks about a dream, and this is the first time she has not used parenthesis to describe anyone but herself. This implies that the lover is not an afterthought and may have existed, but the narrator further complicates whether this claim is true by using words such as “bewitched”, “moon-struck”, and the phrase “kissed me quite insane.” The dream may be a result of murky memories, detailing the couple’s intimacy. If the man  “bewitched” or tricked the narrator, his intentions may have lacked sincerity. The terms “moon-struck” and “kissed me quite insane” further emphasize her frenzied emotional state and suggest a moment of madness, and confusion. Finally, the sentence “(I think I made you up inside my head.),” reappears, further showing how the narrator doubts her sanity, just like how she did in the first stanza. Villanelle is used to represent a recurring thought, showing how the narrator is unsure of her lover’s existence after that particular stanza. It is not used in the second and fourth stanza because those stanzas take place when the narrator is able to perceive reality.

            The fourth stanza reads as follows: “God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade: / Exit seraphim and Satan’s men: / I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead,” (Plath 10-12). This stanza describes the descent of her sublime reality and into sheer tragedy, as heaven and hell are destroyed and the angels and devils depart. Reality again becomes overwhelmingly painful and it can no longer be tolerated. The only way to escape is to retreat back into her dreams and delusions, “shut[ting]…[her] eyes…[until] all the world drops dead.” This is another villanelle, and just like in the second stanza, it is used as the gateway into the narrator’s inner mind.

            In the fifth stanza, the narrator speaks directly to her lover again: “I fancied you’d return the way you said, / But I grow old and I forget your name. / (I think I made you up inside my head.),” (Plath 13-15). This stanza reveals clouded memories regarding how the narrator’s dubious lover did not keep promises. However, unlike the third stanza, which concerns a dream that may have resulted from a memory, this stanza directly refers to a real memory. The narrator is able to recall exactly what her lover said, but also refers to growing old and forgetting his name, suggesting that this encounter occurred long ago. If the narrator is an old woman instead of a young girl, then it makes even more sense why these memories would be confusing, since memories commonly fade over time. The narrator forgetting the man’s name may be somewhat defensive instead of fearful, as she does not need to close her eyes to make his memory go away in this instance. The stanza ends with the classic villanelle “(I think I made you up inside my head.),” again showing how she doubts that these memories are actual events. The poem ends with the narrator reflecting back on how her lover never returned to see her, pulling her back into reality.  

            The final stanza reads as follows: “I should have loved a thunderbird instead; / At least when spring comes they roar back again. / I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. / (I think I made you up inside my head.),” (Plath 16-29). The first two lines express the narrator’s regret for choosing an insincere lover who never returns over choosing someone who would have stayed with her. The fact that she argues how a “thunderbird” is a better lover than the one who left her shows how in her thought process, she has given up on deciding whether he actually exists, but instead focusing on a lover that would have been better for her. However, the final two lines are the same villanelles that have appeared before: “I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead. / (I think I made you up inside my head.).” The first line, as stated earlier, shows how she escapes into her mind, running away from the cruel reality of unrequited love. The second line, which is also the final line of the poem, shows how the narrator believes that the only way she can see her lover is in her mind. Whether those memories are true or false is up to the reader to decide.

            These questions still remain: is the narrator truly mad? Does the lover actually exist, or is he a figment of the narrator’s imagination? The poem does not directly answer these questions, but one aspect is certain: the answer is not consequential. By the end of the poem, it is not reality that matters, but the emotions spurred from these reflections. The emotions of unrequited love, intimacy, and regret are all too real for the narrator. This poem recounts her feelings of elation, madness, and the need to escape from these intense emotional states. Her mind vacillates between dreams and memory, and concludes in a reality that is still somewhat uncertain.

Works Cited

Plath, Sylvia. "Mad Girl's Love Song." - Famous Poems, Famous Poets. All Poetry, n.d. Web. 23

July 2015. <http://allpoetry.com/Mad-Girl's-Love-Song>.

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Spring 2015 Anime Review

Hey it's HSMediaNerd, here to bring you some more content! So, about the Spring 2015 season of anime...not going to lie, I thought it was rather lackluster, with the exception of some phenomenal sequels. I haven't seen or finished some of the more popular shows like Food Wars!, The Heroic Legend of Arslan, Blood Blockade Battlefront, My Love Story!, Plastic Memories, or Sound! Euphonium yet, but from what I have seen from this season, I can't say it was one of the better ones. However, summer is shaping up to be a better season fortunately, but that's a blog post/video for another time. For now, let's get to reviewing the Spring 2015 anime that I've finished.

Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Words Season 2

And, so comes the end of my most hyped series of 2014. I am honestly kind of surprised by how much my opinion of the Fate franchise has changed over the course of a year. I mean, I still think Fate/Zero's a decent watch, but this...uh...was kind of a mess. I've stated my thoughts on the first cour of this show already, but as for the second cour, it was definitely more enjoyable but still fell flat. My main problem with the show was that the majority of the dialogue felt really dragged out, which is understandable because of its source material, but just because it's understandable doesn't mean it's excusable. The lack of any major character development really didn't help matters either. The highlights of the show, however, did make the watch worth it, as the fights were still entertaining and the animation was really good. I'd say give it a shot, but only if you can stomach the copious amount of exposition.
5.5/10 

I Can't Understand What My Husband is Saying Season 2

I'm not going to lie, as much as I enjoyed the sequel to my favorite anime short of all time (well, maybe except Teekyu), I can't help but feel slightly disappointed. Not to spoil anything, but the first season ended on a huge cliffhanger that I thought would be addressed in this season, but the creators beat around the bush until the final few episodes, and even then nothing is resolved. Though, I would not mind seeing a third season of this at all, because despite that procrastination, I still laughed, still loved the characters, and still found myself smiling at the end of every episode. Go watch it if you liked the first season, and let's cross our fingers for a third!
7.5/10

Nisekoi:

Speaking of beating around the bush, I've started to become rather annoyed with this show's lack of progression. Yeah, it was kind of cute in the first season how self-aware it was about its slow pacing, but by the end of this season I was left frustrated rather than charmed. I still think the show's characters and comedy are entertaining, but I'm not sure if I'd be able to stomach another season of this, which is surprising considering how much I enjoyed the first season. The second installment in this franchise, however, lacks a point, which unfortunately is making this franchise even harder to recommend.
4.5/10

Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches

This is a show that kind of devolved over time. Yeah, the first few episodes were kind of rushed, but the show was still enjoyable nonetheless, and Yamada and Shiraishi are still my OTP of the season. However, by the end, the rushing became really apparent, which made the impact of some supposedly emotional scenes feel weak and pretentious. Though, if there is something I would like to denote about this show, it at least has a freaking ending. Most shows of this nature generally cop out of endings, but this show decided to take a step further and its ending actually feels conclusive. So, would I recommend this show? Sure, if you'd like to kill some time, but other than that, it's nothing to write home about.
5/10

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Stardust Crusaders - Battle in Egypt

If you thought I've been too negative in my recent short reviews, it's time to put those negative opinions to rest and focus on the good the Spring Season had to offer. What better way to begin than with Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, my second favorite anime of all time? Well, the second half of the Stardust Crusaders arc was just plain fantastic. All of the great villains were saved for this part, with some standouts being Anubis, Alessi, Vanilla Ice, D'Arby Older (and younger), and of course, KONO DIO DA! Also, the final fight between Jotaro and Dio was totally worth sitting through forty episodes of Jojo to watch, because, unlike most other shows, it actually lived up to the hype. I'm really hoping for a Part 4 anime, so David Production better announce it soon or I'm going to suffer from CJW (Chronic Jojo Withdrawl). Though I probably already am...
9/10

Kuroko's Basketball: Season 3

What a journey this has been. Like with Jojo, this is an anime that I've stuck with for a long time, and I don't regret a single moment of it. While there were some major pacing issues, I felt the payoff was completely worth it, with some fantastic animation and music. Also, seeing the characters I've grown attached to over the course of the show achieve their goals was immensely satisfying. Maybe Kuroko isn't the most well-written sports anime to ever come around, but it's still my favorite, and it will be hard for any sports anime to top it.
8.5/10 

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU: Zoku

All I can say after watching this season is...wow. Just...just wow. Why the heck did I ever doubt Studio feel (okay, I know why I did, but seriously). This season of OreGairu was so incredibly good, to the point where I was crying over the fact I wouldn't be able to watch any more. Maybe it's just my personal attachment to this series, but this sequel completely surpassed my expectations in the best way possible, and also gave me my favorite moment of 2015. So far, this is AOTY for me, and I find it difficult to believe that Summer and Fall will offer a better anime than this (except maybe One Punch Man...if it lives up to the hype)
9/10 (10/10 in my heart)

Well, that's all from me. What did you watch in the Spring Season, and what did you think of the season as a whole? Leave it in the comments wherever this is posted, and I'll see you guys later!

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Analysis: Man of the Crowd

The Man of the Crowd – Representative of Humanity’s Secrets 

Hey, it's HSMediaNerd, here to provide some more content! Here's another analysis in the same vein as my Great Gatsby post, this time of a short story written by the ever-so-famous Edgar Allan Poe. Enjoy!

Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Man of the Crowd centers on a nameless narrator who has recently recovered from a sickness. Now, he spends his time observing the people around him, describing them in great detail, categorizing them based on their dress and actions. However, a man appears one day, who the narrator is able to physically describe but does not fit into any of the narrator’s predetermined categories, and completely “arrest[s] and absorb[s]” (Poe 4) the narrator’s attention. His curiosity taking over, the narrator follows the man around, trying to figure out the man’s story. After a day, the narrator gives up, deciding that it’s impossible to learn anything else about the man, this “man of the crowd,” (7).

However, the question remains: Who is the man of the crowd, and what is his relationship with the crowd? Is he an interloper into the ordinary lives of the masses, or is he just an ordinary man that happens to stick out? It means neither. The “man of the crowd” means that the man represents the crowd’s unspoken secrets, showing how should not be judged just by looking at their “countenance[s]” (4). The narrator begins the story believing he can learn all that there is to know about humans from a single glance, but the man proves him otherwise. Unlike what the narrator initially believes, the man shows that there are secrets behind every countenance, and those secrets are not easily organized into groups. The narrator fails to recognize this idea of secrecy until he tries to follow the man, entranced by his peculiarity, and eventually learns that there is a lot more to humanity than what lies on the surface.

Something humans tend to do upon meeting someone for the first time is to classify the other person, putting him or her into a predetermined group. This is the mindset the narrator initially has in the story. He states, "The wild effects of the light enchained me to an examination of individual faces…in my peculiar mental state, I could frequently read, even in that brief interval of a glance, the history of long years," (4). In this quote, the narrator arrogantly brags to the reader about how he is able to learn about a person’s life just from a glimpse of their face. The narrator’s earlier observations show how he could come to this conclusion, as he groups similar people together and is able to describe them in great detail. For example, the narrator is able to describe gamblers from the crowd with an abnormal amount of detail: "They wore every variety of dress, from that of the desperate thimble-rig bully, with velvet waistcoat, fancy neckerchief, gilt chains, and filigreed buttons, to that of the scrupulously inornate clergyman that which nothing could be less liable to suspicion," (3). The excessive usage of descriptive adjectives such as “scrupulously”, “gilt”, and “thimble-rig” shows how the narrator has been watching the crowd and taking note of people who dress similarly for a very long time. So, it makes sense that the narrator believes he is able to read people solely based on a slight glance at the face, since he feels that he has mastered the art of scrutinizing people. That is, until he sees the man of the crowd.

When the narrator first sees the man, he almost immediately attempts to analyze him, but is left curious to learn more:

I was thus occupied in scrutinizing the mob, when suddenly there came into view a countenance…which at once arrested and absorbed my whole attention, on account of the absolute idiosyncrasy of its expression…As I endeavored…to form some analysis of the meaning conveyed, there arose confusedly and paradoxically within my mind, the ideas of mental power, of caution, of penuriousness, of avarice, of coolness, of malice, of blood-thirstiness, of triumph, of merriment, of excessive terror, of intense – of extreme despair. I felt singularly aroused, startled, fascinated…Then came a craving desire to keep the man in view – to know more of him, (4).

What intrigues the narrator upon first glance is the man’s expression. As stated in the quote above, the narrator was "arrested...on account of the absolute idiosyncrasy of its expression". The reason why this outlandish expression is so interesting to the narrator is because he is used to seeing the same expressions over and over again. The sight of something new, something that is not immediately recognizable, comes as a shock to the narrator, as he believes he has learned all there is to know about humanity. The narrator uses the words "confusedly" and "paradoxically" to describe how his conclusions do not make sense, as adjectives like "coolness", "malice", "triumph", "merriment" and "despair" all hit different aspects of the emotional spectrum, and are not usually used to describe a person all at once. Normally, the narrator is able to describe people with adjectives that make sense together, such as how he depicts businessmen: "[they] had a satisfied business-like demeanor, and seemed to be thinking only of making their way through the press," (2). A man who is able to bewilder the narrator this much, a narrator who believes himself to be a master of observation, definitely peaks his curiosity, and the narrator follows him throughout London.

As the narrator follows the man, he notices that the man never stops wandering around the city, but changes demeanor depending on the atmosphere. For example, when walking through a large crowd of people, the man moves more slowly and cautiously, but when walking in a brightly-lit square, “his chin f[alls] upon his breast, while his eyes roll…wildly from under his knit brows, in every direction,” (5). Another peculiarity the narrator notices is how the man “enter[s] shop after shop, priced nothing, spoke no word, and looked at all objects with a wild and vacant stare,” (5). It is within these actions that the “man of the crowd” represents the secret desires of human beings. In crowded situations, especially when people just want to travel from point A to point B, people appear to tolerate the crowd blocking their path, but secretly they are scared of what will happen to them, and just want to leave. They could be afraid of people stealing their wallet, or blocking their path, or of careless people who may accidentally knock them over. This is why the man walks slowly and carefully in this scenario. On the other hand, when people are in large and bright areas, they continue on their way, but secretly wish they had the time to look around and retrace their steps to see if they missed something. This is why the man tries to soak in every detail, going back to areas he’s already been and looking all around the square. And, with every eccentricity, the narrator becomes increasingly interested, but by the end, he is “at a loss to comprehend the waywardness of [the man’s] actions,” (6).

After a day, the narrator finally comes face to face with the man, but the man does not notice him and resumes his wandering. Exhausted, the narrator gazes after him, “remain[ing] absorbed in contemplation,” (8). Then, the narrator proclaims, “This old man…is the type and the genius of deep crime. He refuses to be alone. He is the man of the crowd. It will be in vain to follow; for I shall learn no more of him, nor of his deeds,” (8). The “crime” the narrator is referring to would be the secret desires of the individuals, but the man is a “genius of deep crime” because he acts on those desires rather than keeping them hidden. To many people, breaking the status quo is a crime, so the man who does it constantly is labeled a criminal. However, the motivation behind the man’s actions will never be brought to light, reflecting how people’s deepest secrets will never be revealed; the narrator thus decides that “it will be in vain to follow; for I shall learn no more of [that man].”  This marks the first time the narrator has not been able to, at least from his perspective, figure out all there is to know about a person. From another point of view, however, the narrator could believe that he has figured out all there is to know about the man, solely because there is nothing else to discover.

In the first paragraph of The Man of the Crowd, the narrator discusses how some secrets will never be brought to light. It reads as follows:

It was well said of a German book that…it does not permit itself to be read. There are

some secrets which do not permit themselves to be told. Men die nightly…die with

despair of heart and convulsion of throat, on account of the hideousness of mysteries

which will not suffer themselves to be revealed…and thus the essence of all crime is

undivulged (1).

Then, the beginning of the second paragraph has the narrator say, “Not long ago,” (1), which implies that the earlier paragraph is a reflection. The fact that the entire proceeding story is told in the past tense also supports this argument. So, beginning this reflection with a paragraph about secrets must indicate that the narrator has learned something about secrecy, not just concerning “the man of the crowd” but of the crowd as well. The quote, “Men die nightly…on account of mysteries which will not suffer themselves to be revealed,” means that the narrator is talking about men in general, not just the singular “man of the crowd” (1, 7). If the narrator meant to only speak of “the man of the crowd”, he would have said so.

Upon observing the mysterious “man of the crowd”, the narrator learns that it is not just the man who’s mysterious, but also everyone around him. “The man of the crowd” is simply the only one to let his true desires be known, the desires that the crowd refuses to reveal to the world; and this idiosyncrasy is what captures the interest of the narrator in the first place. So, this leaves the final question: what is the point behind the narrator’s discovery, the lesson the narrator learns from this experience? The main message is quite simple, really: do not judge a book by its cover. First impressions can only tell a person so much about another’s life. Behind the façades of normality, people have hidden problems, desires, and issues, so the narrator has to learn it is both arrogant and foolish to believe one could understand an individual’s life just by glancing at their face. The introductory paragraph shows that the narrator did learn the lesson, and then he explains how, ironically, a man who has no secrets leads him to that conclusion.

Works Cited

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Man of the Crowd.” Electronic Text Center. University of Virginia

Library, n.d. Web. 14 July 2015.

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QuickThoughts/Popular Anime Discussion: Repetitive Comparisons

Video Version: 

It's time to revive this dead series I started a while ago and post a discussion. Yeah, it's been a while since my last post, but I've been taking a break from the entire reviewing shtick for a while. Well, here's a post (and eventual video) about a topic that's not normally discussed, and that's popular but repetitive comparisons. Enjoy, and feel free to respond on Twitter or Hummingbird where the link is posted (if you comment on this post, it's very unlikely I'll reply, because I won't be notified). With that out of the way, let's get started. 

Attack on Titan

Something that’s been bothering me lately is how, when comparing anime, people tend to compare only two shows. A few popular examples would be Durarara!! / Baccano!, Kill la Kill / Gurren Lagann, Black Lagoon/ Jormungand, Attack on Titan / Black Bullet, Death Note / Code Geass, Sword Art Online / Log Horizon (and basically every video game anime that came after it, a la No Game, No Life and Overlord), Fairy Tail / Seven Deadly Sins, and finally, who could forget the Big Three arguments. Well, the latter is technically a battle between three shows, but that’s not the point.

One Piece, one of the "Big Three"

My issue isn’t necessarily the comparisons themselves, since it’s always a natural occurrence for someone to compare two pieces of art. The main reason every anime we watch is great when we first get into the medium is because we have nothing to compare them to, and when we watch more anime, we develop standards based on the other shows we’ve seen beforehand. Heck, every scoring system is based on comparison when you think about it! For example, if I were recommending you a show like, say, Fullmetal Alchemist 2003, I’d say it’s the best compared to every other anime I’ve ever seen, which means that, when I compare FMA 2003 to every other anime, it comes out on top. The opposite applies to, say, Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace. The second episode was absolutely abysmal compared to all the good anime I’ve been watching recently.

Ranpo Kitan: Game of Laplace

Nor is my issue the comparisons themselves. I’ll admit, while I was watching Durarara!! and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, I always compared them to their spiritual counterparts: Baccano! and FMA 2003. It helped me realize the flaws and strengths of each anime, since that’s what comparisons are supposed to do. However, my issue lies more in the repetition of the comparisons. Whenever I open a review of Durarara!!, Kill la Kill, or FMAB, I almost always see the author comparing them to the exact same three shows: Baccano!, Gurren Lagann, and FMA 2003 respectively. In fact, I’m pretty sure I don’t even have to put the “respectively” at the end of that sentence, because you’ll all recognize the comparisons easily, and that's exactly why I take issue with them. But, why is this? Why do people always consistently compare them to the same shows? Well, I have a couple theories.

Fullmetal Alchemist: 2003

One: the shows are made by the same people, and share many similarities. This idea is not new to anyone, as people constantly compare media to other media done by the same author. Jurassic World suffered from this because everyone kept on comparing it to the original Jurassic Park. Divergent was not received very well because of its many similarities to The Hunger Games. And, in a day and age where more remakes and sequels are coming out more than ever, it’s become harder to avoid comparisons between those movies. In fact, I bet people are going to compare Ant Man with every Marvel movie ever made, and chances are, it’s not going to end well. The same happens in anime: people say Psycho-Pass Season 2 is terrible compared to its first season, Jojo: Stardust Crusaders isn’t as good compared to Jojo 2012, and Fate/Stay Night falls flat in comparison to Fate/Zero.

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Battle Tendency

Two: it’s what everyone else does. I’m not trying to call people sheep for comparing two shows that happen to be similar, but when everyone else does it, it’s difficult to not think of the comparison yourself. For example, say, if everyone began comparing Hellsing to Black Blood Brothers (which are two very similar shows by the way from what I can tell, and I haven’t even seen any version of Hellsing), I’m pretty sure people would continue to do it. In other words, when a particular comparison becomes popular enough, it becomes ingrained in your mind, just like with a whole lot of other popular opinions. Even people who try to be individuals can’t completely avoid falling victim to popular opinions, unless they totally separate themselves from the anime community, which I’m sure not many people really want to do. And, again, that's the issue. These popular comparisons make the viewer unconsciously feel like they have to compare the two shows, and therefore one show will always look worse because of it.

Hellsing

So, what is there that can fix this problem? Well, I think the main solution is just to stop being so narrow-minded when comparing anime. Just because a comparison is popularly accepted doesn’t mean that you can’t compare one of those shows to other anime. No piece of media is so unique that there is only one other show it could be compared to. For example, you could compare Kill la Kill to Madoka Magica, since they’re both magical girl anime that deal with themes of sexism and the male gaze, and decide which show does it better. You could compare Hellsing with Vampire Knight since they’re both about vampires, and decide whether you like action-oriented or romance-oriented vampire stories. You could compare Baccano! to Black Lagoon, since both are high-octane action shows that fall under the rule-of-cool category. My point is, stop being so narrow-minded in your comparisons, and branch away from the publicly accepted comparisons every once in a while. You don’t have to stop comparing Baccano! to Durarara!!, or FMAB to FMA 2003, but maybe think about other shows that they’re similar to instead of basing your comparisons on one singular show. It’ll be fairer to both shows, and will help you gain a broader perspective on what makes a show function.

Durarara!!

I hope you enjoyed that discussion, and whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your opinion. I'll see you all in my next post!

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