These seasonal transition periods are always tough on us fansub watchers. Dedicated raw watchers are flooding the internet with discussion of spectacular (or lackluster) finales, while the rest of us (im)patiently await Episode 18 of our favorite show. I have to be ever so diligent when browsing anime blogs and discussion forum, ready at a moment’s notice to cover my eyes and divert my attention elsewhere, lest I unwittingly stumble upon some juicy bit of spoilage I’m not yet mentally prepared for. I find that thinking of naked Mahoro helps, but your mileage may vary.
Whatever. Go scrub a toilet or something.
One show that I’m trying desperately to avoid spoilers for is Noein. Of course, seeing as BluWacky is the only anime blogger to cover the show to the very end thus far, avoiding spoilers hasn’t been all that difficult.
Still, Noein is a show that surprises me with each and every episode, so I hope to remain blissfully ignorant to the final second. I can’t help but wonder, however, “Why do I like Noein?” After all, it’s “thinking man’s” anime, and, well… I’m not much of a “thinking man’s” anime kinda guy.
I think my preference for lighter fare has pretty well been established by now. I go for the slice of life, the light romance, the occasional soap opera… the boring stuff, really. But, sometimes, I need something heavier to give my anime diet a little extra kick. What makes Noein such a gem, I think, is the fact that it’s heavy without actually feeling heavy. It makes me think, but I won’t sprain my brain in the process. And, if it does start to get heavy, I can always look at the pretty pictures… or think of naked Mahoro. Studio Satelight knows pretty pictures. Not sure about naked Mahoro.
But, what of “thinking man’s” anime in general? Why do I not care for it? Intellectual laziness?
Yoshitoshi ABe is known for his “thinking man’s” work, that’s for certain. But, of all his works, Haibane Renmei is the only one I care much for, and even then, I don’t hold the show in the same high regard as most others do. So, what happened when I found myself face to face with ABe-sensei at Comiket this past summer? I was left speechless, that’s what - and not because he’s my hero or anything of the sort. Rather, I honestly had no clue what to say. “I enjoy your work?” That’s about it. Obviously, there are fans out there who, offered a similar opportunity, would hound the guy with questions until the doujin peddlers had all packed up and gone home. I didn’t have much to say, though. Some pleasentaries, a quick bow, and that was it. I felt like an idiot, to be honest.
Perhaps an idiot I am. I like my bishoujo shows. I like my sappy melodrama. I like my pretty pictures. There’s nothing wrong with that, I suppose. But when I find myself around other anime fans and conversation turns to deconstructing Shinji’s psyche or the politics of Gundam, I tend to tune out. I’d rather think about something else. Like naked Mahoro.
