I usually do not review or talk about specific manga or anime because I can get quite biased about my favorites (let alone admit to liking this particular shoujo comics because I usually tell people “Oh I *never* read shoujo manga because I don’t understand the logics”). But I wanted to briefly mention about an anime called “sakamichi no APOLLON” (Apollonians on the hill road, or subtitled as “Kids on the Slope”) because I’m very impressed.

The story takes place in the mid 60′s (for example, there are mentioning of “Sound of Music” just being played at the theatres, or mentioning of playing musics by the Beatles) and the art style reminds you of story expectations to be more serious and dramatic, so be it…

I usually prefer manga over anime but what makes it most entertaining about this anime and the justifications of mentioning is that the animators takes extreme details to the synchronizations of drum and piano players (was it rotoscoped?). You may notice the rest of the character animations are less expensive (you commonly see still character shots almost like you’re reading a manga), but you will notice how detailed and well animated it is when the two main characters are playing the drums and piano and you can never (or quite difficult to) express that as a manga (it’ll take too many pages)… As compared to other anime such as “K-ON!”, you may notice that they sync quite well on drums on “K-ON!” but it never felt to me like what I am watching is what I am hearing (if that makes some odd sense)

I think the story itself is great (although it is common cliche’ of triangle relationships at high school and so on) and it is something that can touch the readers/audiences, but because I’m not used to jazz, I cannot possibly imagine the music in my mind as I’d read about it, so the animation with the joy of hearing “My Favorite Things” (from “Sound of Music”) in jazzy flavor was very entertaining and fulfilling (I don’t have the imaginations to be able to convert “Sound of Music” in my mind to jazz mode if I was reading about it).

Overall, this anime is what justifies conversion from manga to animations mainly because I believe the animators took extreme details to rotoscoping (???) drum and piano players as well as soundtracks, which you cannot do as pages…

I’ve only purchased the first book (by Kodama Yuki) even though it is shoujo manga, just because I thought I should try to read it (but I am not purchasing the rest), but I’m pretty sure I’ll continue to follow the anime as long as the soundtrack and instrumental playing animation continues to please me.

Addendum: Other recommended anime that does well synchronizing to musical instruments: “God Knows” video for “Suzumiya Haruhi no yuutsu” (wow!), tid-bits of scenes in “kei-on”‘s opening theme songs, “Angel Beats” solo scene “My song”

Firstly, I guess I should put a disclaimer that if my house catches on fire, it’s my fault for being an idiot… So don’t be an idiot and let your house catch on fire… (why I have to iterate on common-sense is beyond me, but there are people who’d sue others for pouring coffee on their own lap and I’m convinced these people aren’t greedy for money, they’re just an idiot…)

Now with that said, every year when it starts getting cold, I get my cheap coffee table, place futon on top of it, stuff the portable heater underneath it, and make a kotatsu out of it…

You may think it’s not a real kotatsu, but in my opinion, as long as it keeps my legs warm, it’s kotatsu, and my cats thinks so too! If you go shop for kotatsu, you sometimes find the electric heating unit separate from the table too. Now days, you can even find kotatsu for chair height.

Traditionally, we sit on the floor where the kotatsu is with zabuton (which I can do because my house is no-shoes policy – I rather refuse the repairman’s service if they tell me they cannot take off their shoes!) but I guess it makes sense for modern family who prefer kotatsu with chairs. I myself want to lay inside like a kotatsumuri (katatsumuri = snail) and sleep inside…

For those who’s never lived in Japan and think it’s just great to live there, you are nuts! I’m sure there are plenty of cold places in USA, but I hate the cold and it’s miserable. In Japan, traditionally (at least to me I think) in the winter you have two ways to stay warm, either the kerosene heater or electric kotatsu. Both cost money of course, and I remember going to gas stations to buy kerosene as a kid too.

In either case, the goal to save money is to just concentrate on heating where it needs to, unlike the centralized heating units common in USA (I hope it saves money). I love the central heating of my house and I consider myself spoiled. If you have friends in Japan, it’s time for you to brag that you too have central heating and make them envy you *grin*

But when I watch TV, I still think it’s nice to sit inside the kotatsu and watch, fall asleep inside, and so on… For me it isn’t because of tradition or nostalgia, it’s just because my cats and I love the warmth…

There are few things that are difficult to explain in words to others (in any cultures) unless they experiences it for themselves.  For example the Japanese nashi, which you can probably tell the person the color, the shape, and approximate size, but you cannot tell that person how wonderful it tastes.  Teruterubouzu is the same way, how do you explain it, or how to make it?  It’s easier to show that person how it looks like.  Same goes for the rakugaki “へのへのもへじ” it’s hard to explain it unless you draw it.

Well, the other day, I was trying to express in words how unique senkou hanabi (線香花火) are, but I’ve had difficulties explaining the subtle emotions that goes with it when you actually experience it, all the way up to how the anti-climax of it is when it starts to dissipate smaller and smaller and then the cherry drops.

You should find plenty of video of senkou hanabi on YouTube.  But if you want to experience on your own, you can buy it from a seller on Amazon.com.