The Scoreboard: Sasaki and Miyano

As everybody else on this planet, I have an opinion. As many people do too, I like to write about it. Share it generously. And I am excellent at keeping score (mentally), so I will try tallying up my fondness of things according to balance.

Sasaki and Miyano

High school, first live and boys. Boys that fall in love and to fall in love with. This is one of the sweetest boy’s love series I have watched in a while. It is filled with angst (a right amount!), pining and lots of blushing.

The titular characters both go to the same high school. Sasaki is a tall, delinquent-looking, orange-dyed haired guy who breaks up a fight that Miyano, a short, wide-eyed, tousled-hair boy saw and wanted to interfere in. For Sasaki it is basically love at first sight, Miyano is too flustered by the heroicism that Sasaki displays to feel nothing but awe for him.

Over the course of the series we meet friends on both sides, always refreshing to see main characters interact with others besides their love interest, and follow both of them developing feelings for each other, admitting and accepting them.

This love story serves as kind of a parallel to Miyano’s interest in boy’s love manga. This is the first connection Sasaki makes with him and it is an important one since they immediately share some common ground and then develop a solid friendship on top of that. The genre also plays a role in Miyano’s own development, influencing his perception of masculinity and love. The designs of both guys reinforce this as well, with Sasaki being the traditional gorgeous guy, and Miyano having big sparkly eyes and softer features. Sometimes it seems a bit too extreme, but generally it serves the purpose well.

The other characters are fleshed out wuite well, especially blond-haired and slightly hypocritical but csring Hirano. Kusekawa, Miyano’s friend is slightly too obsessed with his girlfriend but in a seemingly healthy enough way. Ogesawara has some prejudices and difficult temperament but means well and just seems tsken aback by his girlfriend’s interest in boy’s love.

The series fleshes out both Sasaki and Miyano’s perspectives but it moves at a sloe pace. This is a romance slowly unfolding, carefully and taking its time to build up to the final moment. And it was great, making me rub my feet together as I saw it.

If you like your romances slow-burning, with plenty of sugar and hot guys, then this is a high recommendation. I rate it ideal for beginning and more mature fujoshi and fudanshi who want their romance without any coercion.

The Scoreboard: Wotakoi

Wotakoi

Fandom, an attitude that the Japanese perfected in the otaku, a probably too obsessed fan of manga and/or anime as well as any related media and materials. I have only ever described myself as a very mild otaku but I can relate very well to the premise of the main character’s insistence of trying to hide her obsession for her co-workers to fit in better.

I also appreciate the series for letting the cat out of the bag rather quickly and going beyond its initial premise. Her co-worker is an old school friend from her otaku days, and her senior female colleague and his manager date, with her being a well-known cross-dresser. The main quartet makes for a fun mix, eventually throwing a younger brother with an extremely shy gamer girl into the mix.

The main issue preventing this series from ever turning into love from like, was its lack of chemistry between the main characters. Narumi and Hirotaka work well as friends and even their prsgmatic start to their relationship is believable. However, the time spent afterwards is mainly on antics and not on further building out its romance. In that respect, the other couples both fare better, although Hanako and Kabakura could have used a bit more sweetness to balance all of the (joke) fighting. Naoya’s romance doesn’t getfully fleshed out either, so though it has potential it does not show it fully during the series.

The humor is fun and the pace breezy, but it did not become full-out laughter at any moment for me. I had some good chuckles, but it hinges a bit too much on the characters being quite one-note.

All in all, it was still a petfectly fine watch if you are looking for something easy-going that does not make you think too much. I rate it a watch with your otaku friend to gush about your own experiences while watching.

The Scoreboard: My New Boss is Goofy

My New Boss is Goofy

The workplace, this seemingly mythical location as a child and a place of great pain and dread for many adults. The premise of this series is probably not uncommon in Japan, an abusive boss with unreasonable demands that the main character escapes out of absolute necessity. Fate directs Momose to another agency that made an absolutely awe-inspiring advertisement where he meets his new manager Shirosaki. Trying to hide his insecurities, physical discomfort and plain fear, Momose assumes the worst but is immediately endeared and reassured when his new boss turns out to be absent-minded, clumsy but most of all caring and capable.

The work relationship quickly morphs into a friendship, and the department head Aoyama and new colleague Kinjo are quickly added to the crew. Although the latter two serve more as comedic characters, the four together have great chemistry and balance. Ultimately, the show focuses on Momose’s journey to getting back his trust, confidence and believing in himself. Although Shirosaki’s absent-mindedness seems almost at odds with his competence at work, this contrast works great to emphasize why his behavior as a manager is almost entirely devoid of any of the toxicity and power play Momose’s previous boss treated him to.

Most of the episode’s are one-offs, although there are a few longer storylines weaved throughout the series. We learn a bit more about Momose and especially Shirosaki’s background, who has an equally handsome and absent-minded brother. Basically all of the characters are male, with Shirosaki’s granny influencer and some female co-workers who think up romantic storylines between Shirosaki and Momose being the only exceptions, and girlfriends are eerily absent for all four men.

There are many puns and cute visual gags, for example the fact that Shirosaki rarely shows emotion and communicates his feelings through little drawings. But Aoyama’s neediness is on the verge of nagging and wear a bit thin after the first few times. I also cannot help but imagine that I would go crazy if I lived together with someone, worked with them and then hung out as well during the weekend. Even though it is good to see four male adults having friends and communicating directly, the absence of any disagreements or disputes is incredulous at certain points.

Although the show can veer a bit too much on its ‘healing’ content, a few longer overarching storylines could have provided more insight into the characters and fleshed out Aoyama and Kinjo a bit more, it does what it sets out to do very well. If you had a long day and want some relaxation, a few laughs and imagine four handsome guys hanging out together on a daily basis, this is a great show. I rate it a great workplace to be and also look at.

The Scoreboard: Look Back

Look Back

I’ve always admired a passion that people can have in certain activities. Generally, I’m quite cerebreal when moving through life and it is an amazing feat to me when someone seems to be able to lose themselves in the moment and think singlemindedly about one thing. Such a passion and drive are at the heart of this films.

This is a surprisingly short film, but it packs quite the punch. Starting from a compelling premise, Fujino is being praised for rather mediocre art until Kyomoto’s more impressive creations come along which bruises her ego and almost wants to make her give up. It is only after accidentally being saddled with the task of bringing Kyomoto her diploma that she realizes how much work goes into her craft. And also how much of a need to draw Kyomoto has. Of course it also helps that Kyomoto confesses to be her biggest fan after daring to come out.

This transition from indignation to cynicism, being flattered and then driven to improve is portrayed very compellingly. We see Fujino and Kyomoto hunched over a lot, but the process somehow still feels dynamic. We see them working and growing together, and then separating again by choosing different paths and then one getting cut off.

The ending makes the whole film even more bittersweet, showing an alternative storyline, but with the same need for both of them to create and draw. It is a testament to the innateness of certain things. Regardless of circumstances, there are things that will always matter to you and thus always be done, albeit in a different matter.

And although that may almost seem slightly fatalistic, it also provides some comfort. That you can trust on your needs and have faith in your ways to get them realized. It is a way of celebrating the joy you can have when allowing yourself to be in the moment of satisfaction. Even if it is something that you can only see in hindsight, that does not diminish its value.

I rate it a highly emotional movie that will leave you raring to create something as soon as you finished it.

Asia is a country after all

Two questions popped up when I read about budget cuts for universities and how Leiden University is planning to cut costs: How is it possible to even consider merging all these specialized language studies in bigger regional programs? Would they even consider this for any STEM programs? But first, some context about my experience studying Chinastudies in Leiden.

Although I get asked from time to time if I am a student, that time is long gone. And looking at the recent developments and policy proposals in the education sector, I am happy to be done (for now). At the same time, it is a pretty wild idea that there seem to be people working to not improve our education system. Why is that?

Being adopted and going to China at quite a young age, I already knew for a while before going to university that I wanted to study Chinese. Starting in the year after China hosted the Olympic Games, Chinastudies offered a new window onto China and many others on the region as well. Coming from a small city in Limburg, it was the start of seeing more people like me and getting talked to in English. It was the start of uncovering a history, culture and language that felt foreign but eventually became familiar. It was the start of imagining a life beyond the Netherlands and actually blending into a different environment.

During my studies, I would often get the question of what work I wanted to do afterwards. The suggestions mostly were translator or teacher. I understand that there are some studies which train you for a specific job, but the beauty of humanities is that it offers skills that can be useful in a wide range of job fields and positions. That does not mean I did not struggle with finding work, or that I think this aspect could be better incorporated in the curriculum, but it seems these are not the more practical matters that universities want to focus on.

Recently, I listened to a podcast that described Just-In-Time production, which in modern marketing terms would be called ‘lean’. It basically means that factories only produce as much as they need and keep inventory as low as possible. This means the entire output is customer- or demand-driven, which seems to be a system that Leiden University wants to follow as well. Why offer academic programs that nobody wants to study? Why not shrink the number of staff to just the bare minimum? Why focus on the quality of a program instead of the money it generates?

The ignorance that Leiden University’s management shows by even considering to merge so many different humanities programs, is outright insulting. It is a clear case of undervaluing the worth that academic language and culture programs provide and purely looking at cost-effectiveness. Why try to pretend otherwise?

When I was living in China, or travelling in the country nowadays, I realized many Chinese do not know the Netherlands exist. Admittedly, it does not help that the Chinese name for the Netherlands sounds a lot like a province (Helan vs Henan) and I do not like Dutch either. But adding Europe would often elicit some nodding and affirmative noises. “Ah I see, it is in Europe”, was the general feeling I got. “Ah I see, it is in Asia”, is the general feeling I now get from Leiden University’s management.

The Scoreboard: A Sign of Affection

A Sign of Affection

Love is one of the most universal topics and I am a sucker for a sweet romance. This anime has heaps of sugar, many pastel-colored backgrounds, twinkling eyes, but it somehow manages to not go totally overboard with its elements.

The main character is Yuki, a sweet, timid deaf girl who’s just entered college. By the way, I am also a sucker for college romance. My very first anime series and one of my all time favorites is Honey and Clover, set in an art college. This college is more nondescript, but it is always nice to have more mature characters at the heart of a story.

Yuki takes the train one day and is asked something out of the blue by an enthusiastic stranger. She signs that she cannot hear, but he does not seem to notice. Before things get too awkward though, a young man gently intervenes and helps the stranger out.

It is a typical meet cute, heroine gets rescued by her hero. And for a series so romance-focused, things happen surprisingly drama-free. For the main romance, that is a good thing since it shows Yuki building trust with Itsuomi, him being fortright about putting effort into learning sign language for her sake, and both clearing up misunderstandings swiftly and enjoying to spend time together.

There is a bit more drama involved with the secondary characters, especially Yuki’s overbearing and overprotective childhood friend Oushi and Itsuomi’s high school friends/love triangle Shin and Emma. Although this provides some meat to the plot, and in Oushi’s case some actual growth, Shin and Emma’s case ties up a bit too quickly for all the setup that was done.

The other romance between Yuki’s friend Rin and Itsuomi’s cousin Kyoya also does not really get enough time to fully flesh out the development from friendship to romance. Both are nice characters, feeling are involved, but there is no episode reserved for their plotline.it honestly feels like a missed opportunity because Rin as a popular girl and Kyoya as a weary date-avoidant guy seem to have some interesting backstories.

Although I really enjoyed the series as is, I do think it would have benefitted from some extra episodes. Not only because the main couple is hella cute and it would surely be enjoyable to spend more time with them, possibly allowing for Yuki to be less tense with Itsuomi as well (yes I love me some smut), not only to flesh out the secondary characters more, but to also highlight Yuki’s experience as a deaf person in Japanese society more. We do not see her taking any classes, she does not reminisce a lot about the past, we do not know a lot about her fanily or why they did not learn sign language and although she gets a part-time job, we never see how it goes for her. These would all have been very relevant topics that could also naturally develop the bond between Yuki and Itsuomi.

Although it may seem the series came up short, I would say that is only the case since it was so enjoyable. I wanted to explore, learn and see more. Alas, maybe I will pick up the manga or a second season could be made.

I rate it very sweet and nice, good to watch if you want to reminisce about your first, current or future lover.

The Scoreboard: Suzume

Suzume no Tojimari

There are not a lot of directors that I have seen all works from. Obviously, this is a bit easier the shorter the list gets, and Makoto Shinkai is one that does not constantly churn out new films. Still, I have not seen all of his films but definitely the majority of it. And like most other people, I was really touched by Your Name. But I also remember really liking 5 Centimeters per Second and Voices from a Distant Star.

His stories often focus on couples, in the prime of their teenage years, juggling change and difficult decisions. His visuals also have a very particular, crisp and bright look about them. They have the digital enhancement and cleanliness to them, without losing character.

For the most part, Suzume looks gorgeous as well. The landscapes are vibrant and dynamic, and places recognizable, especially as she moves throughout the country. However, I tend to not really like too much spunk in my heroines, and especially at the beginning Suzume exhibits quite a bit of it. It is a bit at odd as well with her stoicness and distant friendliness to her aunt. Also, although the boy is gorgeous, the love story feels a bit shoehorned in. It is the traditional love at first sight from her end, and even though they end up travelling together and getting to know each other quite a bit, it feels weird when a college student seems to get a crush on a high school girl.

Another thing this film suffers from, is the density of its lore. The world is fleshed out quite quickly, there are doors to other dimensions that need to be closed in order to let the worms under Japan not consume the country, but not much is told otherwise. Not about the family line of Souta that has closed doors since ancient times. Not about the escape and wish of the cat who served as the keystone to keep the door closed. Not really about Suzume’s family history beyond her mother tragically dying during an earthquake and her aunt not getting through to her. Not about the magic that turns Souta into a chair and almost prevents him from returning back to his human self. There is so much more to explore which could have helped take the story to another level.

As it stands, there is still a lot to enjoy but I felt myself wanting more when watching it. Because the premise is so intriguing and the basic worldbuilding done quite well, I wanted to delve more into the characters, their motivations and backgrounds. Also, the gimmick of seeing Suzume walk around with a broken chair is quite funny, but gets a bit stale by the end. And Souta is very handsome of course, so I would not have minded seeing more of his face as well.

I rate it nice and heartfelt, lacking a bit to give it that extra punch.

The Scoreboard: Cherry Magic!

Cherry Magic! Thirty Years of Virginity Can Make You a Wizard?!

When I started watching this one, I simply wanted a nice, sweet and short series to bingewatch. Lately, I have been getting back into watching anime again. But it feels like I need to watch a show with adult characters as the main focus, to not get too swept up in some of the immaturity that younger characters display.

Although the heyday of my ‘rotten girl’ period has passed, I do love me some boys love content. I do not know exactly which scratch it itches, but somehow an unfolding romance between two male characters has something special. I think because it is more unexpected for the characters, and that is a fun element to play with.

Another fun element that this anime plays with, is the idea that you get a magic power if you are 30 and still a virgin. You will be able to read the thoughts of anybody touching you. Our main character, Kiyoshi Adachi is of course quite taken aback by this. The anime delves right into his first moments with his new power, how it makes some things more difficult or unpleasant for him, but most importantly it quickly gets to the gist of things: he finds out his colleague Yuichi Kurosawa secretly likes him. And that is a big deal, because this guy is the star of the office. He is perfect in all regards, smart and beautiful, the one everybody wants to be with.

I really liked the pace of this series. It quickly provides exposition for the main characters and the situation they find themselves in. And also afterwards it continues in this breezy manner. We see Adachi grappling with the disconnect between Kurosawa’s behavior and his inner thoughts he can grasp. Even with this much inner dialogue being revealed, reactions remain believable and the matureness of characters in this dramatic setup is refreshing.

The B plot, though entertaining, does not hit as hard. It feels like the premise between the two characters is not as sweet, and both behave a bit more like the standard anime archetypes: mature shy guy and a tsundere in this case. At the same time, the plot does tie in nicely with the main one while adding some valuable context and depth.

I also enjoyed the side characters, especially the other ‘rotten girl’ colleague. I am a bit sad that the misunderstanding was not revealed, Adachi assuming she liked him whereas instead she likes imagining him together with Kurosawa, but it is a fun addition. The other colleague almost verges on the border of being annoying, but him bringing out Kurosawa’s pettiness when vying for Adachi’s attention is fun to watch.

All in all, this is a fun little series to watch in a weekend. It has a nice pace, a clear story to tell, and characters who know what they want fairly quickly. It looks decent, although characters do seem a bit off most of the time and animation can look a bit stilted. It is a shame since some key moments are animated very beautifully, which highlights the difference with its usual look. I also had to get used a bit to the style in the beginning, it seemed like the characters were perpetually tired with the lines under their eyes. Something not unimaginable from salarymen in their early thirties.

I rate it a very good time if you like romance, especially if you are already or on the path to become a rotten girl.

The Scoreboard: Dune trilogy

Dune

I had a good time with Dune. This was the second time, and I think the balance was almost entirely on positive most of the time. The events flowed quite seamlessly and everything came together quite effortlessly.

I remember the first time everything seemed too dense. The background of the different peoples, the conspiracies and political infighting, the workings of its universe. It also felt strangely frustrating at times since it jumped around a lot, thus making it a challenge to grasp something new when other things had been barely processed.

Having seen the first movie definitely helped, but I think I also got more patient in reading these types of novels. Rather than trying to understand it all fully, I was able to go more with the flow of the story and let the story unfold itself.

This way, it really turned into a pageturner for me. The characters are all very fleshed out, even though there’s so many of them, and you can really sense how much thought went into the world building. The opening of each chapter provides some background into how much else there is available.

I rate it highly captivating.

Dune Messiah

The first time I read Dune, I did not get around to any of its sequels. After seeing the second film, I felt propelled to read the next book which would be the last film (as of now) to be adapted by Denis Villeneuve.

It surprised me that the book was so thin. I liked to learn more about what happened to the characters after the first book and see how they had changed the world. It also made its point pretty clearly that messianic figures are to be doubted and it is easy for good intentions to lead to unintentional nefative and all-encompassing results.

However, it also felt more single-minded in its pursuit of proving this point. Whereas in the firstbook, its storytelling was leading and any opinions skillfully merged with it, this time it felt more like the story was serving the point it wanted to make.

Funnily enough, Paul’s despair and boredom felt quite relatable, especially when the story would focus on the negative aspects of governing.

As a whole, the story breezed by quite easily and clearly laid the groundwork for its continuation. But it also felt more mechanical and I noticed myself more eager to cross off certain events (yes, I sometimes spoil plot points for myself), than looking forward to seeing them unfold.

I rate it an okay sequel, more setup than actual story.

Children of Dune

After finishing the second book, I was still eager for more. Especially having read the approximate events that would unfold.

The third book feels more like a proper story. I did not find the characters as interesting as the one featured in the first, but the story is clear, has some high stakes, and surprises along the way.

I like the sociological aspect thatcame through stronger in this book. The fact that the Fremen are changing, weakening some would say, and that change can only go so far. The balance of a natural environment needs to be raken into account, otherwise everything is doomed.

Again, I didn’t find it as good as the first one, but I had a lot of fun going through it. The intros are getting a bit overblown though, and I found myself quite uninterested in the extra info it gave. Mainly because it went quite deep into religion, culture and history without everything necessarily being mentioned in the story. So it almost felt more like a world building flex than interesting information.

I rate it a recommended, more entertaining than its predecessor but not quite the peak.

A Taste of News: The ideal number

As many in my direct circle know, I read quite some news. I try to mention at least once per day that I read something in the news, casually, in a conversation. And since commentary and reviewing is something else I like to do, I thought of starting a series where I write my thoughts about an article I read. A lot of them will be related to China, since that is one of the topics I follow most closely.

Three Is Best: How China’s Family Planning Propaganda Has Changed
New York Times

It seems that I am currently entering the phase where children are top of mind. I have been talking a lot about people on my opinion of children, motherhood, family and whatnot. And the Chinese Communist Party is of course also still busy with this topic, trying to get a different result with the same tools as always. This is where you can put that famous quote about this being madness.

As an indirect result of the one-child policy, it has been very interesting to see how little fanfare the reforms have attracted. Even in my head it was still murky when the one-child policy was lifted, but having a feeling that it was in the 2010s. The exact year is 2014, which confirms to me that it happened so much more recent than it feels like.

I think the one-child policy was one crazy, bizarre experiment. Trying to reverse it seems like it is bound to fail. Although nothing is more fun than seeing the Chinese official lines doing a full 180 degrees. Adding a few extra kids to the family statue is top comedy. Seeing old slogans that say it is selfish to have more than one child almost seem they were a few decades to early to anticipate this shift. Seeing new slogans that say a family is incomplete with only one child, emphasizes how empty these words are when there is nothing to back it up. The same counts with state or family support. Right at the time in the Western world that we are almost fully certain the state will be more reliable than family, the Chinese government is calling to bet on the other horse.

At the same time, the absurdity of this propaganda effectively hides a lot of pain. Pain from families that did not have the right amount of children at the right time. The realization that it is not about the people, it is just about the numbers. In a country where millions of people work in factories, construction sites or on the field without any retirement plan and able to see their families twice a year if lucky, this is the situation in which more children are encouraged. In a situation where women are already being heavily underpaid, facing discrimination and sexism in the workplace and have hardly any choice but to become tiger moms so that their children can participate in the rat race that is life, this is the situation in which more children are encouraged.

At the moment, everyone can rest assured in the knowledge that the government will not go as far yet as they used to. And who knows, maybe it will lead to breakthroughs in research on male fertility which has mysteriously declined in recent decades. Maybe it will bring families together if younger people use old propaganda slogans to retort their older family members. Or it could be that the Chinese Communist Party suddenly sees the light and starts to make some systematic changes that will create an environment more conducive to having bigger families.

There is already enough weight put on the decision to get children. Without having to consider a government that may fine, applaud or demonize you, especially if they want a different answer from you ever so often. And what is maddening is that the traces will be removed. Your memory shall not exist, until it is convenient for the Communist Party. It is very selfish and egocentric behavior, just like you would expect from an only child.