MEME: 50 Questions

All three series I've been following this season have had their finale (although I should be posting my "first look" of Ozuma sometime this week), I've got nothing better to do now than to answer the latest anime meme that's been floating around in my blogroll. Fair warning, I am not an old hand at anime. Sure, I've watched it intermittently through the years but I have to say that I haven't been quite as avid as I seem to be now. And let's not forget my brief "break-up" with anime last November, which, thanks to Chihaya Furu, didn't last very long. Anyway, my point I guess is that this is probably not a very interesting meme.


1. Who is your favourite male anime character?




Saitou Hajime from Rurouni Kenshin. It helps that his character is actually based on a historical figure -- albeit one that's been bastardized too many times in many a Shinsengumi anime (yes, I'm looking at you, Hakuoki Shinsengumi Kitan!) His motto: Aku. Zoku. San. "Bring swift death to evil" is the stuff of heroic dreams. He is my hero. And when my other  Rurouni Kenshin  favorite, Sagara Sanosuke, leaves me alone, Saitou is usually there to take his place as my fanfic muse.









2. Who is your favourite female anime character?




Takani Megumi, also from Rurouni Kenshin. Oh, I know she isn't a popular character. In fact, many fans hate her for professing to steal Kenshin from Kaoru, her mean attitude towards Kaoru and to the other characters in general,  her generally obnoxious behavior, but I like to think that all of that are just a front for an emotionally damaged character. Sure, one can always argue that everybody in Rurouni Kenshin is damaged in one way or another -- everybody has lost someone -- but you can't quantify pain. You can't really judge people simply because they are suffering the same pain as the others or lesser pain. It's pain nonetheless and everybody reacts to them differently. She's just a fascinating character and I just love writing her in fanfiction.






3. What is your favourite anime soundtrack?

At the moment, I can't seem to stop listening to Chihaya Furu OST. It's a fine combination of traditional Japanese instrumental music and high-energy tracks. I especially love listening to it while driving on my way to or from work.









4. What is your favourite anime opening + animation?

Eden of the East had "Falling Down" by Oasis as its opening theme, a cool song that I still listen to from time to time, and its accompanied by an equally cool, very interesting and incredibly artistic animation sequence. Although I never really warmed to the series, I have to give it at least this much: it had so far the best animation sequence ever. Of interest are the opening songs for Mushishi and Durarara!!

5. What is your favourite anime ending + animation?

It's a tough choice between Xam'd: Lost Memories and virtually all the ending themes of Natsume Yuujin-chou series. In the end, I'd have to choose Xam'd because I loved the Kylee song and I can actually sing to it. But there are moments in Natsume Yuujin-chou where I couldn't help but feel like the ending theme provides the perfect clincher to a particularly satisfying episode. So in other words, it's a close call.

6. What is your favourite anime scene?

Wow, that's a tough one. A really tough one. Nothing comes to mind. Uh-oh. Let me get back to you on that one.

Let's see...

I can remember that scene in Macross Frontier where Sheryl Nome is running through the streets in the rain. She's something depressed. All around her are posters of the newest darling of the media, Ranka Lee. She slips and falls, right on a spoiled, water-damaged poster of herself. That was sad.

For the funny, I'll never forget that scene in  Arakawa Under the Bridge  where Recruit tried the princess hold on Nino. That made me laugh so much.

And finally, very recently, a scene in Natsume Yuujin-chou Shi brought tears to my eyes. It's where a young Takashi tries to run away from his foster family to look for his old home and on his way there, he keeps shouting out for his father and nobody answers.

I don't know if these are favorite scenes but I liked them well enough.

7. If you could meet an anime character, who would it be?

For the girls, Nino from Arakawa Under the Bridge. I don't know. She seems like a fun character to be with. Innocent to some degree and therefore gullible, yet somehow wise where it matters, unpredictable and probably completely insane. Yep. Sounds like my kind of gal. And if you ask, I am a bit of a Recruit myself, in terms of personality so there's the attraction.

For the boys, I guess I'd like to meet Okabe Rintarou, the self-proclaimed mad scientist in Steins;Gate. I'd be very interested what nickname he would bestow upon me.











8. What anime character is most similar to you in terms of personality?

A long, long time ago, I took this Bleach character quiz and came out as Kuchiki Rukia. So I guess that's the person I am most like. I am apparently tough as nails, crazy over the weirdest things, look up far too much to my big brother, and kind when least expected.










9. What is your favourite thing about anime?

The unusual stories they contain and the art to go with it. Mostly, it's the art that attracts me and draws me in but it's the stories that make me stay.

10. What is your least favourite thing about anime?

The obvious pandering to the audience, often at the cost of content. There are many quality anime out there. And for every quality anime, there are dozens that are utter crap so that sometimes I can't help but wonder why these things are even made. And then I look at the sales and things click into place.

11. Who’s your favourite anime couple?

Well, my all-time favorite fanfic pairing is Sagara Sanosuke and Takani Megumi from Rurouni Kenshin but they are sadly not canon. I also like Makie Otochibana and Anotsu Kagehisa from Blade of the Immortal but again, this coupling is not canon. Although very heavily hinted at, it's never explicitly stated in the manga or the anime. So I guess that leaves only Senjougahara and Araragi from Bakemonogatari and its not-exactly-sequel Nisemonogatari. It's an odd couple to begin with -- Senjougahara is...weird, for lack of a better word. A tsundere but not a typical one. She says the most outrageous things which could put off anyone, though not Araragi who is as stoic as they come. Their relationship dynamics is fascinating because if you understand a typical Japanese comedy duo: there's always the sbokken who says outlandish things and the straight one who brutally corrects his less-than-intelligent partner. But in the case of the this couple, the characterization is reversed because Senjougahara, though the more intelligent of the two, is the bokken and Araragi is the straight-laced partner. The two just complement each other and their growth both as individuals and as a couple is fascinating to see in the series.



12. Who is your favourite anime animal?

Densuke, the heroic virtual dog from Denno Coil. The human characters in the series were pretty generic and Densuke, despite being just a cyberdog, was the only one whom I really latched onto emotionally. And the fact that he saved the day for his owner and her friends, proving his loyalty and devotion, all but cemented my love for this wonderful cyberpet.





13. What anime would make a good game?

No idea. I don't play a lot of games and I don't really go around watching anime and wondering at the same time whether it would make a good game.

14. What game would make a good anime?

Refer to Answer 13.

15. What is the first anime you ever watched?

It was Voltron, I think. The one with the lion robots. My favorite was the black lion.

16. Do you think you’ll ever stop watching anime?

Not really. I may withdraw awhile from the genre but I don't think I'll ever really stop watching it. Maybe a time will come when they stop making animes that I like but if that time does come, I'd still have the old anime series I have and I can just re-watch them.

17. What is your favourite genre of anime?

Well, I like light, humorous fare with a little bit of everything. Let's see, if Natsume Yuujin-chou had romance in it, it would be the perfect anime for my taste. As it is, it comes short in that aspect.

18. What is your least favourite genre of anime?

Ecchi for the sake of ecchi. I don't get it.

19. Are you open about watching anime with people you know?

I've watched anime with people I know. Mostly my brother. But then, we have very different tastes. He watches mostly shounen stuff and he likes watching them over and over. I normally go through my anime only once -- maybe a couple of times for my absolute favorites but no more. So yeah, I guess I'm open to it but I prefer to watch on my own. It's more of a private past time anyway as none of my real life friends have any interest in it.

20. Have you ever been to Japan?

No, but I plan to. One of these days. I plan to tour all of Asia actually and Japan is definitely on the list.

21. What anime was the biggest letdown for you?

Occult Academy. I remember how I loved the very first episode and how that love got eroded with each episode that came after it until it was all I could do to keep from screaming at my screen. And I hated myself more for bearing it through the end.

22. What anime was better than expected?

Angel Beats! A friend of mine once recommended it to me but I wasn't sold on it. Then, later on, another friend lent me the DVD and one day I finally decided to watch it. Surprise, surprise. I enjoyed it immensely. I still occasionally listen to Girls Dead Monster on my phone.

23. What is the best anime fight scene?

Manji vs. Otochibana Makie in Blade of the Immortal. Actually, every fight scene with Makie was badass. The anime was too short but I'm still following the manga. It's nearing the end now and I think Makie might finally fall because of her illness but she will remain the strongest fighter in the series.

24. Who is your anime waifu?

It would have to be Busujima-sempai ♥ ~ from High School of the Dead. Yes, I'd swing that way if it's her. Definitely. No question about it. That apron outfit alone had me wondering about my orientation. lolz I guess there's the inner 12-year-old fanboy in every one of us.





25. What was your favourite video game as a child?

I remember playing Donkey Kong in Game & Watch and Super Mario Bros. in Family Computer. I also played a lot of Tetris as a child. I loved all those games.

26. Most embarrassing moment?

Too many to mention.

27. Can you drive?

Yes.

28. Are you mature?

I like to think I make mature decisions about relevant things in life but I don't know if I am a mature person.

29. What year were you born?

1984. I'm also a gemini so I'm forever young.

30. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

Dogs. Although I admire cats.

31. Describe yourself physically.

I'm 5'2" and about 100 lbs. I've recently put on a few pounds though because of a lack of exercise and the fact that I just got myself a car and now move around the city primarily by car. I look Chinese but I have brown skin, like most Filipinos.

32. What would you name your first child?

I'd name it after some European city. Venice, probably.

33. What is the worst injury you’ve ever had?

My mother once slammed the door of the car on my elbow. It was an accident but it hurt like seven hells. The worst part about it was that my mother actually scolded me for being careless. Good times, good times.
.
34. What is your worst habit?

I bite my fingernails.

35. Do you drink or smoke?

Neither. I used to smoke in fun but I never got a taste for it. And I'm a lightweight and don't really enjoy alcohol that much.

36. Do you have a tattoo?

Nope.

37. Are you a morning or a night person?

Night person. I think more clearly at night. But I also like early mornings for the same reason.

38. Have you ever slept past midday?

Yes. My first job was a call center agent, answering calls from US clients so I worked nights and slept in the day. I had a rotating schedule so there were times when my work ended at midnight so I'd sleep from around 5 a.m. to around 4 p.m. It felt weird every time.

39. Do you regret anything?

Only crazy people don't regret anything. I'm not that crazy.

40. Can you count the number of friends that you have on one hand?

Yes. I keep a few friends, mostly from my college days. We don't get to see each other often now because of work but we find time to get together when our work schedules permit. Usually to chill over coffee or watch a movie.

41. Do you wear glasses?

Yes.

42. Are you a picky eater?

Not really. There are certain foods that I don't like and would prefer not to eat or drink -- like bananas, oranges, oysters, squid, milk. Then again, I may randomly eat these things.

43. Would you die for someone?

Probably. I can't know for sure. I have pretty strong self-preservation instincts but I guess it depends on the situation.

44. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I'd love to be able to fly.

45. Do you believe in the supernatural?

Not really. But sometimes I get scared of my own imagination.

46. Would you rather be rich or famous?

I'd rather be rich. What good is being famous if you don't got the money to back it up? I mean it must be terrible what these celebrities go through everyday. Whereas rich people can afford to build themselves a hideout somewhere. Rich people are also not weird. Just eccentric. I think I'd like that.

47. Have you ever committed a crime?

Yes. Then again, who hasn't?

48. Time traveller or ghost?

Time traveller. I'd like to see Ancient Rome at its prime. History was my favorite subject.

49. Does anybody have a crush on you?

Oh, dozens, I'm sure. I am clueless about these things, however.

50. Are you in a relationship?

I just said I'm clueless about these things.