Recalling Thrills of Our Love: Thoughts on Michiko & Hatchin

“We kissed and clung together / Then tomorrow was another day / The morning found me miles away / With still a million things to say / Now when twilight dims the sky above / Recalling thrills of our love / There’s one thing that I’m certain of / Return I will to old Brazil”
– “Brazil” – English adaptation by Bob Russell

I’ve linked Cornelius’ take on “Brazil” there because his version of it is a personal favorite of mine, though that’s far from the song’s only rendition. Originally composed by Ary Barroso in 1939 as “Aquarela do Brasil,” it’s since become one of the most-covered songs in the world, with names as notable as Frank Sinatra, Santana, João Gilberto, Arcade Fire and many many more lending their take to this timeless classic about timeless feelings. Love and longing are cornerstones of art because they’re cornerstones of the human experience, and even the tritest of concepts can become enthralling when delivered with heart. The right ambiance and a couple of curveballs don’t hurt either.

And let’s get one thing straight, Michiko & Hatchin, coincidentally set in some sort of pseudo-Brazil, is enthralling, and yet, much like that song, it’s not anything you’ve haven’t seen before. Sure, there are gang fights and hokey drama and all that good ol’ pulp action stuff which makes it a versatile tale that fans of several genres can find something to enjoy in, but it’s not about shootouts or revenge or any of that.

It’s about running. More accurately, it’s about running to a phony destination to try prolonging the inevitable.

Uchouten Kazoku, Reviewed

Greetings, peeps. This is Harubro, the second of three dudes with things to say about Japanese cartoons. On top of being a WordPress rookie, I’m also probably the least talented of the three at writing, so please bear with me as I improve on my newfound craft. As Yata explained before, the three are of us starting off with reviews of some of last year’s standout shows. Fortunately for me, I have the privilege of reviewing Uchouten Kazoku (also known as The Eccentric Family) , the masterpiece by P.A. Works, which aired in the summer of 2013.

Silver Spoon Review

Hi there, folks. I’m Yatahaze, one of three people that will be running this blog, and I’m lucky enough to be able to post its first article. All of us are new to WordPress, so to get our bearings, we’ll be starting off with a review of an anime from last year, and I chose A-1 Pictures’ beautiful slice-of-life show Silver Spoon. After the other two guys post theirs, you can expect some weekly reviews of airing anime, occasionally more in-depth episodic reviews, and reviews of whole series from years past, as well as maybe some other miscellaneous stuff we may come up with. We hope you have at least as much fun reading what we have to say as we do writing. It’s for great justice, you know.