Welcome to the second post in the Aniblog Tourney 2012 Preview. Joining me at ringside is TWWK from Beneath the Tangles. Today, we'll be going over who we want to be in the quarterfinals and pick our personal favorites to win the Tourney...of course, this is all just opinion, don't take it too personally, I'm sure your blog has its legions of followers (or one or two stalkers, who probably don't know each other, which makes them either very good and very bad at stalking). This is just us matching up our favorite blogs and to get our opinion on our favorites out there...consider this quarterfinalists shipping.
The Cart Driver
I'm not one to mince words, so I'll just say it straight-up: I think Scamp is the best aniblogger right now. He's got a great variety of posts, ranging from episodics to season previews to editorials to video reviews to monthly roundups to organizing the Tourney which is giving me an excuse to metablog. He's regular too. But my favorite part of his writing style is easily his language. "Araragi was lazing on the couch and talking to her" becomes "Arararagi takes a girl to his room to ride his giant banana" and "There was a lot of useless dialogue between Araragi and his sister" translates to "Most of the episode was just Araragi and his sister pissing about". Couple this slang with his dry wit and you have a recipe for one terrigood blog, freshly served.
We Remember Love
Meet ghostlightning: Father, husband and full-time worker. Oh and aniblogging legend. Honestly, he's a beast! He's been going at it for over three years now and I haven't seen him slack off even once. It's amazing how he dissects each scene in his episodics, breaking down the meaning of each scene and giving the reader some food for thought. Simply put, he analyzes. His writing style is vibrant and full of energy, while at the same time being smooth and classy. It's a balance that's hard to achieve, but that's what makes ghostlightning so good. It helps that his Cowboy Bebop episodics are the best I've ever read. That's undiluted passion right there. If anything, ghostlightning helps us remember love.
BlogSuki
If BakaRaptor decided to stick his dino dick into the Cart Driver's ass, the bastard child that would pop out would be BlogSuki. Jason's posts are concise, to the point and witty. Each post is just plain fun. Posts are only as long as they need to be. He says what needs to be said and says no more. Now, if only he would change his layout to something that navigated as good as it looked...
Baka Raptor
Aah, speak of thedick dino... This dude has got swag' - the way he titles his posts, the way the comments section is labeled, the way he writes...it reeks of badassery. He has a minimalistic approach to his posts and everything feels so damn slick. Now I'm just blatantly ripping off words from Mushy's post. I only wish he'd blog regularly, but apparently his eyes were gouged out and he can't see (but apparently not blind enough to spot one dead pixel line). Still, I guess that's what makes BakaRaptor BakaRaptor.
Anime Instrumentality
This nomination is purely out of respect and post-selective favoritism (whatever the hell that means). This blog reviews anime soundtracks and it's unlikely I'm going to read a soundtrack review of an anime I haven't watched or didn't adore. So, I hardly read a post or two a month. But those couple of posts convince me that the writers over there are the best at what they do. They know their shit and they know how to review that shit well. They've carved their own niche and they're doing a great job of maintaining a high standard.
I already wrote about Star Crossed and THAT, so I'm leaving those two out of this one. As for Anime Diet...stay tuned ;) ! Now, over to you, TWWK...
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I'm not one to mince words, so I'll just say it straight-up: I think Scamp is the best aniblogger right now. He's got a great variety of posts, ranging from episodics to season previews to editorials to video reviews to monthly roundups to organizing the Tourney which is giving me an excuse to metablog. He's regular too. But my favorite part of his writing style is easily his language. "Araragi was lazing on the couch and talking to her" becomes "Arararagi takes a girl to his room to ride his giant banana" and "There was a lot of useless dialogue between Araragi and his sister" translates to "Most of the episode was just Araragi and his sister pissing about". Couple this slang with his dry wit and you have a recipe for one terrigood blog, freshly served.
We Remember Love
Meet ghostlightning: Father, husband and full-time worker. Oh and aniblogging legend. Honestly, he's a beast! He's been going at it for over three years now and I haven't seen him slack off even once. It's amazing how he dissects each scene in his episodics, breaking down the meaning of each scene and giving the reader some food for thought. Simply put, he analyzes. His writing style is vibrant and full of energy, while at the same time being smooth and classy. It's a balance that's hard to achieve, but that's what makes ghostlightning so good. It helps that his Cowboy Bebop episodics are the best I've ever read. That's undiluted passion right there. If anything, ghostlightning helps us remember love.
BlogSuki
If BakaRaptor decided to stick his dino dick into the Cart Driver's ass, the bastard child that would pop out would be BlogSuki. Jason's posts are concise, to the point and witty. Each post is just plain fun. Posts are only as long as they need to be. He says what needs to be said and says no more. Now, if only he would change his layout to something that navigated as good as it looked...
Baka Raptor
Aah, speak of the
Anime Instrumentality
This nomination is purely out of respect and post-selective favoritism (whatever the hell that means). This blog reviews anime soundtracks and it's unlikely I'm going to read a soundtrack review of an anime I haven't watched or didn't adore. So, I hardly read a post or two a month. But those couple of posts convince me that the writers over there are the best at what they do. They know their shit and they know how to review that shit well. They've carved their own niche and they're doing a great job of maintaining a high standard.
I already wrote about Star Crossed and THAT, so I'm leaving those two out of this one. As for Anime Diet...stay tuned ;) ! Now, over to you, TWWK...
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The Untold Story of Altair and Vega
A blog started by two long distance lovers – sounds too cute to be any good, right? If you’ve ever been to the Altair and Vega blog, however, you’ll know that it’s anything but cute. Driven by posts that have a tone which accessible and academic, intelligent and interesting, smart and engaging, there is no blog that contributes such consistently awe-inspiring writing. The colloquium posts are a particular joy (and a learning experience), though all essays on the site are of the utmost quality. With the addition of equally terrific writers in recent months, it’s become clear to me that this is the best aniblog on the net, and that if I could pick the tournament, it would be a clear winner.
A blog started by two long distance lovers – sounds too cute to be any good, right? If you’ve ever been to the Altair and Vega blog, however, you’ll know that it’s anything but cute. Driven by posts that have a tone which accessible and academic, intelligent and interesting, smart and engaging, there is no blog that contributes such consistently awe-inspiring writing. The colloquium posts are a particular joy (and a learning experience), though all essays on the site are of the utmost quality. With the addition of equally terrific writers in recent months, it’s become clear to me that this is the best aniblog on the net, and that if I could pick the tournament, it would be a clear winner.
Study of Anime
With Brian Ruh no longer writing the “Brain Diving” column for Anime News Network, there’s a major lack of academic-related material in the regular venues for us non-academics. Charles Dunbar fills this void, however, with his excellent Study of Anime site. The site itself is neat and clean in appearance, in some way matching Dunbar’s writing, which is well-suited for his studies in anthropology and religion. I learn so much from his posts (for instance, did you know about the connection between Glasgow smiles and Japanese culture?), which are unfortunately irregular. Because of this (and because some posts are more in the line of the “next con I’ll be at” variety, it only barely slips in the semifinals, getting by other luminaries such as Heart of Manga, Anime Instrumentality, Draggalog’s Anime Blog, Listless Ink, Black Mage Shooter, Ephemeral Dreamer, GAR GAR Stegosaurus, Kritik der Animationskraft, Ogiue Maniax, and The Cart Driver.
With Brian Ruh no longer writing the “Brain Diving” column for Anime News Network, there’s a major lack of academic-related material in the regular venues for us non-academics. Charles Dunbar fills this void, however, with his excellent Study of Anime site. The site itself is neat and clean in appearance, in some way matching Dunbar’s writing, which is well-suited for his studies in anthropology and religion. I learn so much from his posts (for instance, did you know about the connection between Glasgow smiles and Japanese culture?), which are unfortunately irregular. Because of this (and because some posts are more in the line of the “next con I’ll be at” variety, it only barely slips in the semifinals, getting by other luminaries such as Heart of Manga, Anime Instrumentality, Draggalog’s Anime Blog, Listless Ink, Black Mage Shooter, Ephemeral Dreamer, GAR GAR Stegosaurus, Kritik der Animationskraft, Ogiue Maniax, and The Cart Driver.
We Remember Love
Ghostlightning is one of the smartest people I’ve ever chatted with. Ghostlightning is one of the funniest people in the blogosphere. 1 + 1 = awesome blog. But to call We Remember Love a simple blog isn’t really accurate. It’s a shrine to love for anime and the nostalgia associated with it (and not nearly limited to Macross). It’s a gateway to Gundam series (which is how I originally found the site, long before I started following aniblogs). It’s a place of expertise and discussion. It’s a guide to how to create posts that are both fun and well-written. And it’s all headed by Ghostlightning (though he now has a co-blogger), who I think of as the granddaddy of all anibloggers. It doesn’t get much better than We Remember Love.
Ghostlightning is one of the smartest people I’ve ever chatted with. Ghostlightning is one of the funniest people in the blogosphere. 1 + 1 = awesome blog. But to call We Remember Love a simple blog isn’t really accurate. It’s a shrine to love for anime and the nostalgia associated with it (and not nearly limited to Macross). It’s a gateway to Gundam series (which is how I originally found the site, long before I started following aniblogs). It’s a place of expertise and discussion. It’s a guide to how to create posts that are both fun and well-written. And it’s all headed by Ghostlightning (though he now has a co-blogger), who I think of as the granddaddy of all anibloggers. It doesn’t get much better than We Remember Love.
Baka Laureate
Another blog that didn’t exist when the last tournament was held, Baka Laureate is a blog that is fun to read, plain and simple. Krizzlybear has an uncommon touch for the common – his posts draw regular joes in, but his writing is anything but regular – it’s engaging. His creativity in selecting topics is even better. Recently, he featured a “best of” feature with this smatter of wide-ranging posts: But You Don’t Look Sick: Spoon Theory and Why I Love Kawata Shoujo So Much; If Famous Directors Adapted Twilight; Mawaru Penguindrum: Ringo (Apple) Curry Recipe!; and An Open Valentine’s Day Letter to Yuki Nagato, among others. Somewhere in there, I bet there’s a post that you want to read, and that’s what Baka Laureate does best – it hooks you like few other blogs can do.
Another blog that didn’t exist when the last tournament was held, Baka Laureate is a blog that is fun to read, plain and simple. Krizzlybear has an uncommon touch for the common – his posts draw regular joes in, but his writing is anything but regular – it’s engaging. His creativity in selecting topics is even better. Recently, he featured a “best of” feature with this smatter of wide-ranging posts: But You Don’t Look Sick: Spoon Theory and Why I Love Kawata Shoujo So Much; If Famous Directors Adapted Twilight; Mawaru Penguindrum: Ringo (Apple) Curry Recipe!; and An Open Valentine’s Day Letter to Yuki Nagato, among others. Somewhere in there, I bet there’s a post that you want to read, and that’s what Baka Laureate does best – it hooks you like few other blogs can do.
The Otaku Journalist
“Unique” is a word that is rarely used to describe aniblogs, which by and large look the same. But everything about Lauren Rae Orsini’s site is unique, largely because its purpose is different from most aniblogs, acting as a portfolio project of sorts. But this doesn’t mean the content is boring or unoriginal – quite the contrary. Lauren is a professional journalist (and a darn good one), so the quality of writing on her posts is among the best in the blogosphere. She also investigates topics that no one else is; recent posts include “The Hip-Hop Stylings of Heero Yuy,” “Can You Pass the Geek Test,” and “Today in Fandom: anime piracy and how the anime industry is like journalism.” Although the blog is arguably more about the crossing of geek culture with journalism, Lauren still concentrates on anime enough, I believe, to be considered in the tournament.
“Unique” is a word that is rarely used to describe aniblogs, which by and large look the same. But everything about Lauren Rae Orsini’s site is unique, largely because its purpose is different from most aniblogs, acting as a portfolio project of sorts. But this doesn’t mean the content is boring or unoriginal – quite the contrary. Lauren is a professional journalist (and a darn good one), so the quality of writing on her posts is among the best in the blogosphere. She also investigates topics that no one else is; recent posts include “The Hip-Hop Stylings of Heero Yuy,” “Can You Pass the Geek Test,” and “Today in Fandom: anime piracy and how the anime industry is like journalism.” Although the blog is arguably more about the crossing of geek culture with journalism, Lauren still concentrates on anime enough, I believe, to be considered in the tournament.
Manga Bookshelf
You know what I’ve found? Anibloggers and manga critics don’t mix. While some tweet back and forth, most generally occupy their own sphere, which is one of the biggest reasons I’m looking forward to the tourney, since manga blogs will join anime ones to create an interesting mishmash. The most authoritative blog is Manga Bookshelf, which, if included (I’m not real sure about how the tourney rules apply to such a site), could win this whole thing. It would be a shocker, but only if you haven’t been following Manga Bookshelf, which features a huge who’s who list of regular writers and contributors. Everyone who writes for the site is excellent and the features and columns are as good as the reviews. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this giant fares.
You know what I’ve found? Anibloggers and manga critics don’t mix. While some tweet back and forth, most generally occupy their own sphere, which is one of the biggest reasons I’m looking forward to the tourney, since manga blogs will join anime ones to create an interesting mishmash. The most authoritative blog is Manga Bookshelf, which, if included (I’m not real sure about how the tourney rules apply to such a site), could win this whole thing. It would be a shocker, but only if you haven’t been following Manga Bookshelf, which features a huge who’s who list of regular writers and contributors. Everyone who writes for the site is excellent and the features and columns are as good as the reviews. It’s going to be very interesting to see how this giant fares.
Mainichi Anime Yume
If Ghostlightning is the grandfather of aniblogs, the grandmother must been Yume (I’m sure she’ll be thrilled at this analogy). She’s been blogging for years and years and years. Strangely enough, her approach to blogging is simple and obvious, but different from almost all anibloggers. Yume engages her community of readers in her posts by posing questions and bringing up topics that are ripe for discussion. She gives her thoughts in detail, but her posts are, in essence, completed by her audience, as demonstrated by the large number of comments she receives from what must be a considerable audience. But this isn’t pandering – her authority (particularly in regards to anime of the 1990s) is considerable and the topics she presents are of the “I wanna give my two cents!” kind. Add to that her willingness to be open with her readers, and you have a powerhouse of a personal blog.
If Ghostlightning is the grandfather of aniblogs, the grandmother must been Yume (I’m sure she’ll be thrilled at this analogy). She’s been blogging for years and years and years. Strangely enough, her approach to blogging is simple and obvious, but different from almost all anibloggers. Yume engages her community of readers in her posts by posing questions and bringing up topics that are ripe for discussion. She gives her thoughts in detail, but her posts are, in essence, completed by her audience, as demonstrated by the large number of comments she receives from what must be a considerable audience. But this isn’t pandering – her authority (particularly in regards to anime of the 1990s) is considerable and the topics she presents are of the “I wanna give my two cents!” kind. Add to that her willingness to be open with her readers, and you have a powerhouse of a personal blog.
Anime B&B
Younger than most of the aniblogs in my selections, Anime B&B is nonetheless one of my very favorites. In her time on the blogosphere, Marina’s site has become an excellent place to visit for editorials, previews, and all manner of posts, including ones about cooking Japanese food (obviously fitting for the blog title). Her blog has a clean, beautiful look to it, which is no surprise, since Marina is excellent with manipulating images (some of the large team blogs could take note). But most important is Marina’s voice. A graduate student in English (I believe), her writing is good as expected. There is a literary quality to it and it never lacks in content. She’s one of the few writers whose posts distract me because while reading, I find myself appreciating the posts’ strong structure, among other qualities, and find myself trying to learn lessons in how to become a better writer. And when you add “writer” to “blogger,” you create a combination that that often equals “winner.”
Younger than most of the aniblogs in my selections, Anime B&B is nonetheless one of my very favorites. In her time on the blogosphere, Marina’s site has become an excellent place to visit for editorials, previews, and all manner of posts, including ones about cooking Japanese food (obviously fitting for the blog title). Her blog has a clean, beautiful look to it, which is no surprise, since Marina is excellent with manipulating images (some of the large team blogs could take note). But most important is Marina’s voice. A graduate student in English (I believe), her writing is good as expected. There is a literary quality to it and it never lacks in content. She’s one of the few writers whose posts distract me because while reading, I find myself appreciating the posts’ strong structure, among other qualities, and find myself trying to learn lessons in how to become a better writer. And when you add “writer” to “blogger,” you create a combination that that often equals “winner.”
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That about does it for this week's Aniblog Tourney column. Join us again next Sunday as we take a look at one of the--
*signal cuts off*
