4/15/2023 Question of the day

World Art Day: what is your favourite piece of art? Have you ever seen it or only admired it in pictures?

I don't think I have a single favorite. But the first thing I really like that leaps to mind is Dale Chihuly's chandeliers, some of which I've seen in person. There are pictures of a couple on this page but it's nothing like seeing them in person.

Spring anime hot takes

I managed to watch a bunch of premieres this time.

Hell's Paradise: Easily the best premiere of the season, featuring striking art and some nice twists on action tropes. The apparent moodiness of the protagonist is just a front which is taken down quickly, his wife who would have been horribly killed to motivate him in most stories is alive and well, and oh, a married protagonist, very unusual in a shonen show. Also a competent female secondary character who isn't belittled or harassed by anyone. This was followed by by a really dumb turn in episode 2 to introduce the rest of the cast, but I'll stick with it for now.

Heavenly Delusion/Tengoku Daimakyo: A nice competent post-apocalyptic dystopia. Sticking with this one too.

Too Cute Crisis: Cute enough, although it does take a brief trip into animal neglect and abuse. I am somewhat offended that it couldn't stick with cats for an entire episode and has to start squeeing about cute dogs too.

OPUS.COLORs: Meh. If you like dramas full of teenage bishonen then I guess it's okay.

Magical Destroyers: It's terrible, please watch Rumble Garanndoll instead.

The Marginal Service: Well, this has excellent marketers at least. Everyone was hyped up about a show that turned out to be an exercise in finding a way to claim that police brutality is Good Actually.

Oshi no Ko: The 90-minute premiere is quite a ride that winds up in a far, far different story than the initial premise suggests. I don't want to spoil you all here, but you can find fuller descriptions out there if you want to know more before you make up your mind about checking it out. I'll just say that I'm going to keep watching this one too.