A Bright Sunshiny Day! The Sunshine Blogger Award

sunshine-blogger-award

I don’t know why I haven’t answered the many times I’ve been tagged before…  some silly reason or another.  But I felt like writing, and two bloggers have recently tagged me, so I decided to stop being silly.

Anyhow, you know the drill, hit the jump and read my answers to the questions asked of me!

The post title comes not just from the award, but also from song from my distant childhood…  That being said, let’s dive into the meat of the matter…

First, The Rules: 

  1. Thank the blogger who nominated you in the blog post and link back to their blog.
  2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger asked you.
  3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 new questions.
  4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or on your blog.

The first set of questions are thanks to Kieko‘s nomination.  Thank you Kieko!

Is there an anime you’ve always wanted to watch but have yet to?

I’d post a screenshot of my Crunchyroll queue, but it would just be embarrassing.  And then there’s my Netflix, Amazon Prime, HiDive, and Funimation queues to consider….

I guess my highest priority right now should be My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU.  I’ve heard many good things about it over the years, and there’s a third season coming next year.  (For that matter, there’s a bumper crop of sequels coming next year.)

What genre of anime have you not tried out yet? Why?

That would be…  supernatural/horror.  (As opposed the existential/horror like Promised Neverland.)  As a general rule I don’t like supernatural stories, and I can take horror or leave it…  Mostly because it just leaves me cold.

Is there an anime ending that frustrated you? If so, which one?

There’s an absolute ton of them over the years!  I hate inconclusive endings, and I don’t care much for “and our battle goes on” endings.  Very few of the latter are well done, and all too often just feel like they’ve just run out of time.

The most recent most annoying one would probably be Granbelm – not only inconclusive, but a pointless cliffhanger to boot.  Pointless because there’s no obvious story left to be told, and thus there’s unlikely to be a second season.

Currently, what’s your favourite op/ed?

Kind of a hard question to answer.  The term OP is used interchangeably to mean the actual animated OP, and to refer to the OP song.  (Since I use the latter, that’s how I’m gonna roll…)  Also hard to answer because there’s so many I love.

So, I’m going to go with…

Which shouldn’t surprise anyone because my love for Yorimoi (second only to my love for Euph) is pretty well known.

As a bonus answer…

My favorite ED, and one of the very few ED’s I actually watched each week.  Usually, I just fast forward to the end and any “next episode” information.  (Or potential post credits scenes – I always look for those.)

You can see more of my taste in anime music in my Anime Playlist and Favorite OP Bingo posts.

Which three anime characters would be the worst to get stuck in an elevator with?

Hmm…  Minamikujō Ayame (Silver Spoon), because she’s just so self centered and annoying.  Tada Banri (Golden Time), because he’s just so darned morose so much of the time.  Sugō Nobuyuki (Sword Art Online), because he’s such a loathsome piece of garbage.

What do you enjoy the most about blogging?

Responding to comments, and taking part in discussions in the comments.

Do you plan your posts or are they more spontaneous?

Yes.  That is, I do both depending on my mood and the nature of the post.

Do you have a notebook dedicated to jotting down blog post ideas? (I find it quite helpful to have one)

I don’t have a notebook per se, but I do have a ton of drafts of works in progress.  I really should have a notebook for stuff that hasn’t progressed to being a draft yet.  And I do have three steno pads less than six inches from my fingers…

What’s your favourite season? Why?

Mountain and mundanity.

Honestly, except for the hottest days of summer, think pretty much every season has something to recommend itself.  I’m not too fond of the coldest, dreariest, days of the Pacific Northwet’s long winter rainy season…  But on the days the sun is out, the mountains on the horizon are snow covered and awesome.  The picture above was taken off the side of the road while I was driving to the grocery store.

Are you a coffee or a tea person?

As far as hot beverages go, coffee hands down.  I do love me some sweet tea though.

What’s your favourite type of food?

I’d say that Japanese is my favorite cuisine…  But BBQ is by far my favorite type of food.

The second set of questions are thanks to Merlin‘s nomination.  Thank you Merlin!

Who is your favorite celebrity crush, real or fictitious? By all means, include a picture. 😉

Scarlett Johansson, or more accurately – Agent Romanoff, the Black Widow.

What would your Patronus/spirit animal be?

Not a huge Harry Potter fan, and…  not something I’ve ever really thought about.  Gonna take a pass on this one.

If you suddenly had superpowers, what would they be (you can pick up to three of them) and what would be a practical day job to use them in?

I’ve always thought that being able to control someone’s emotions would be the ultimate superpower…  As far as a day job goes, I could be a grief counselor, work in suicide prevention, or as some kind of therapist.  The idea isn’t a permanent alteration, but a temporary one as a form of relief, support, or assistance.

Be it the Shire or the Federation of Planets, storytellers tend to make up some society which is their ideal. Mine is an extended clan of half-demons who prioritize honor, compassion, freedom, and strength. What would yours be?

That’s a hard one to answer, especially given the stream-of-consciousness way I’m answering these questions.  Equality, equity, and opportunity would be key characteristics I’d build into my ideal society.

You are captain of a starship that has discovered a habitable planet. What did you name your ship, and what would you name this planet?

Assuming an independent vessel of my own?  Wanderer.  The name of the planet though would be more situational… depending if I’d run out of obvious ones and the characteristics of the planet.

You can visit three worlds from anime/books/TV/etc., for twenty-four hours each. Which ones do you visit and what do you do while there?

The Four Islands Archipelago (Aokana:Four Rythm Across the Blue),  I’d spend as much time as possible flying with grav shoes.  Maybe try a game of Flying Circus, but I’m not all that coordinated or much a sports type…  But I’d like to try.

Kissuisō (Hanasaku Iroha), and I’d just enjoy the experience of visiting a Japanese inn.

I can’t really come up with a third that’s not more about the characters.  There’s any number of idol groups I’d love to see in concert though…

What is a book, comic/manga, or game you’d love to see in a cinematic form? Or the other way around, what is a movie, TV show, or cartoon/anime you’d love to read in written form?

I’ve long loved the movie Command Decision…  I’d love to see a version set in modern times, and with the theme of the moral ambiguity of the US’ recent conflicts woven into the narrative.  It would be a good fit I think.

What is your favorite color?

Blue.

Your favorite supernatural creature is real. What is it, and can humanity coexist with it?

I don’t have a favorite supernatural creature…

What would love to get for Christmas, or a birthday?

I could just link to my Amazon wish list…  :)  But generally books or cooking utensils are my favorite.

My wife says she gives me cooking stuff out of enlightened self interest.  She’s often (jokingly) threatened to give me cookbooks from my list – with post it notes marking the recipes she wants me to try.

What are your most and least favorite parts about blogging?

Most?  As I said above, talking and debating in the comment section would be my favorite.  The actual process of writing would be my least, as it does not come naturally to me.

My questions:

  1. Of all the sequels coming in 2020, what’s your most anticipated?
  2. You win an all expenses paid two week vacation to Japan.  Where are you going to go?  What are you going to do?
  3. You are magically given talented amateur level skill of any (real life) skill you wish.  What skill will you choose?
  4. You are invited to a pot luck party and asked to bring your favorite side dish.  What do you bring?  Do you make it or buy it?
  5. You can interview any anime character for your blog.  Who?  And what are some of the questions you’d ask?
  6. Your favorite character from Sword Art Online?
  7. What’s your most unusual fandom/hobby/collection/interest?
  8. You can choose one anime to be remade and done right this time….  What anime and what flaws would you want corrected?  (Note: Remade/rebooted, not a sequel or a side story.)
  9. But let’s roll with the topic of side stories…  What secondary or minor character from an anime would like to see more of their story?  (I’m going to ground rule out TK from Angel Beats.  No points for the easy ones!)
  10. You get to have a meal at any anime eating establishment – where will you go?
  11. What comic book, book, or other media property would you like to see as an anime?

Yeah, the last question is kinda lame…  But I’m running short of time today so I kinda punted.  Sorry.

My nominations (in no particular order):

1. Remy
2. Chris
3. Karandi
4. Xenodude
5. Tiger
6. Crow
7. wingking
8. Moya
9. Samantha
10. Jon
11. Anyone else who needs a ray of sun in their day and wants to take a swing at the questions!

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And that’s that then!  If you want to take a swing at the questions asked of me, or the questions I ask, drop a comment!

28 thoughts on “A Bright Sunshiny Day! The Sunshine Blogger Award”

  1. Thank you Derek :) I won’t be keeping the chain going but very much appreciate it. However, I do want to take the time to answer your questions!

    Of all the sequels coming in 2020, what’s your most anticipated?

    I haven’t even looked yet XD I have no idea at all, sorry.

    You win an all expenses paid two week vacation to Japan. Where are you going to go? What are you going to do?

    Hmm, I would want to go someplace smaller for a majority of it. Though I would like to see Kyoto. No idea what I’d want to do in particular, just enjoy myself mainly and eat good food :)

    You are magically given talented amateur level skill of any (real life) skill you wish. What skill will you choose?

    Programming. I really hate doing it, but maybe if I had some talent in that area I would enjoy it more. That, and it would be a useful practical skill.

    You are invited to a pot luck party and asked to bring your favorite side dish. What do you bring? Do you make it or buy it?

    Probably just potatoes. I can afford that. I know that’s boring though. Let’s assume money isn’t an issue though and I have all the stuff I need to prep and transport easily, I’d probably convince folks to let me bake. Given the season, it would be impossible pumpkin pie squares with homemade whipping cream. It’s really good.

    You can interview any anime character for your blog. Who? And what are some of the questions you’d ask?

    There are too many good choices. I would have to think a really long time about it and write specific questions for whoever I picked. So off the top of my head, I really have no clue.

    Your favorite character from Sword Art Online?

    Easy, it’s Silica (Ayano Keiko).

    What’s your most unusual fandom/hobby/collection/interest?

    Fake country songs. I really enjoy those. Look up, “Parked Out By The Lake” by Dean Summerland sometime.

    You can choose one anime to be remade and done right this time…. What anime and what flaws would you want corrected? (Note: Remade/rebooted, not a sequel or a side story.)

    Probably Soul Eater, I know that would be a good candidate for it. Get the FMA: Brotherhood treatment. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a full adaptation of Gantz, a really good one.

    But let’s roll with the topic of side stories… What secondary or minor character from an anime would like to see more of their story? (I’m going to ground rule out TK from Angel Beats. No points for the easy ones!)

    Oh, easy! Isaac and Miria from Baccano! They easily deserve a whole OVA series, at least.

    You get to have a meal at any anime eating establishment – where will you go?

    You know, I actually don’t know many eateries in anime now that you mention it. So, WcDonalds I guess? XD Really though, I have no idea, a fantasy place would be the most interesting, like somewhere with totally unique food.

    What comic book, book, or other media property would you like to see as an anime?

    I read Sweet Home the other day, that would make for a good anime if it had more content. Hmm… otherwise I’d have to really think about it.

    Hope you enjoyed my answers :)

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    1. Now I kinda want to see the recipe for pumpkin pie squares… (I love pumpkin pie, and my wife makes her own filling from pie pumpkins.)

      “Parked Out By The Lake” is funny… and right on the nose! Though the tune sounds a bit more folk/bluegrass-ish than country.

      Thanks for the answers!

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      1. Remind me later and I’ll try and dig up the recipe :) Dean Summerwind’s song is more like older country, I have more than just that song though XD Glad you enjoyed reading all the same!

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  3. Thanks for the nomination. Given I’ve been terrible at responding to these I’m just going to answer a question here. Favourite SAO character: definitely Kirito.

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      1. Sorry. I was trying to keep track of these to respond to them but then so much time would pass and I just wasn’t getting time to write responses I was happy with.

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  5. This is a surprise! I’ve never been tagged before, though I suppose that’s for obvious reasons. Good questions, though! I’ll have to give them some thought.

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  6. Thank you for andwering my questions 😊 Your answers were interesting to read! It’s such a great way to learn new things about the person behind the blog. :’)

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  7. Heh, I found the ending of Granbelm neither inconclusive nor a cliff-hanger. There’s no perfect closure to be sure; it’s an open ending in the sense that we still don’t quite understand how magic works, and what it means to “get rid of it”. Basically, Shingetsu succeeded at her goal, though it’s left open whether her goal was well-enough thought through to begin with.

    And the cliff hanger? I thought that was just an ambiguous ending to suggest some sort of Altair/Vega ending: by not showing the transfer student you suggest it’s Mangetsu, but by Shingetsu’s subdued smile you suggest the transfer student just reminded her of her. It’s a typical ambiguous ending that pits wish-fulfillment against rationality, which perfectly fits the tone of the series and the show’s magical motif. I hardly find the ending perfect, but it provides me with all the closure I need. It’s the sort of story that gets ruined by too much closure, because the concept of both magic and life locked in some sort of dance doesn’t allow for actual closure. I’d say it’s a 3.5/5 or 4/5 ending.

    And because answering questions is fun, and in the comments section it comes without the chain letter aspect of the awards games:

    I don’t actually know too much about what’s coming. I don’t count stuff like Fruits Basket, as in my head that’s one long running show that takes breaks (same production planning, a bit like split cour). Chihayafuru aired a season too early to count. I’m more wary than excited about Oregairu (I loved season 2, but with that many LN out, I’m afraid of it just fading out into nothing). If Zombieland Saga makes it to 2020, it’s a good candidate, as is Dragon Maid, but neither is confirmed for even the year yet (though it’s likely to be 2020 for both). I’ve heard rumours that Utawarerumono – The False Faces will get a sequel, which is probably the most surprising, but 2020? So from what I’m sure about I’m going with:

    Jasshin Chan Dropkick (I didn’t know it was getting a second season before you asked this question, so this might be my what?-reaction acting up. But I really loved that goofy show.)

    Kyoto. Take a while to acclimate myself, than just take extended walks and see what strikes my fancy. I’m not much of a planner.
    Playing the piano. Amateur level is enough for my purposes. I’m interested in music theory and composition more than performance, so that’d be perfect. I have trouble even hitting a 9th interval.
    I’m not much of a cook, so I’ll probably buy it. Most likely some sort of vegetable sampler – cucumbers, bell peppers, carrots, whatever’s in season. Something light and versatile that goes with lots of different things.
    That’s a mean question. The characters I’d find the most interesting to interview are also the characters I’d rather not want to notice me. For example, Orihara Izaya from Durarara or Magane from Re:Creators. Interesting but fatal.
    … I’ve only ever seen season 1, but I’d say that tall black merchant who owns a bar in real life? I don’t remember his name.
    I’m not exactly sure what’s unusual. But maybe linguistics? It’s just fun to see how different languages conceptualise reality. (Google absolutive/ergative languages for some real fun. It’s really counterintuitive, how subjects and objects work, if you come from a nominative/accusative language, like nearly all of the world.)
    I’ve forgotten the title, but there was <5min anime: a harem where the male main got turned into a cat. The staff weren’t even trying. At one point, they just aired live footage of goats with what sounded like ad-libbing voice actors. It’s not that I expect the source to be awesome, but surely it’s coherent and deserves a serious attempt at an anime? I’ve been curious ever since I dropped this… waste of time.
    I’d love to see a raod-movie type of show starring Illumi and Hisoka from HunterXHunter. They should call it the Two Horsemen of the Apocalypse. (Two is enough, trust me.)
    Oh, the Rokuhoudou definitely. Such a calming atmosphere, and the food looked great – everything from a meal to a dessert.
    The first two books of the Gormenghast trilogy are tailormade for anime. Swelter vs. Flay. The owls in the attic. The bright carvers. The flood…

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    1. I forgot that wordpress messes up the format if you number lists with a dot. Sorry about that.

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    2. Sorry for the late reply, had a busy few days!

      I’ve only ever seen season 1, but I’d say that tall black merchant who owns a bar in real life? I don’t remember his name.

      Agil. He is an interesting fellow, and I’d love to see more of his story.

      Oh, the Rokuhoudou definitely. Such a calming atmosphere, and the food looked great – everything from a meal to a dessert.

      I hadn’t thought of my own answers to my own questions, but Rokuhoudou would almost certainly make the shortlist of finalists. Also, Gure’s latte art strikes me as one of those trainwrecks you can’t resist seeing with your own eyes!

      I read the Wikipedia article on ergative languages, and all it did was leave me more confused… But then I’ve never been very good at that kind of theory.

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      1. Yes, Agil. I tried looking it up on MAL, but they use only real-life names (which I most certainly don’t remember for anyone in the show), and the thumbnails weren’t conclusive, so I was lazy and gave up.

        As for ergativity: Don’t worry, I picked one of the hardest concepts I’ve encountered. If a language encodes something your language does not, that’s fairly easy to learn. But if a language codes something differently from yours that’s more difficult. However, if a language codes something differently from yours and you never in your wildest dreams could have considered that it was possible to code differently than that’s very hard to even understand at first.

        I chose this to demonstrate what I like about linguisitics: it gives you a systematic tool to discover and work with things you took for granted but maybe shouldn’t in all contexts.

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  9. Okay, here we go!

    The 2020 Sequel I’m hyped for: While I’m excited for Quintuplets 2 (because I know what’s coming), and Neverland 2 (because I DON’T know what’s coming), my answer has to be Heaven’s Feel III. The first movie blew away my already high expectations, and the second one was even better. This could end up being my favorite anime film series ever; all they have to do is stick the landing.

    Vacationing in Japan: I know that I’d want to focus my trip on Southern Japan – Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Hiroshima, Himeji Castle, Honnoji Temple, etc. I’d have to do some actual research to describe a more detailed travel plan than that, though.

    For a magically gifted talent: Please make me more proficient at foreign languages. Some people have an innate knack for picking up new languages quickly, and some don’t. I don’t. Even with five years of Spanish in school I can barely string five words together, and forget about harder languages like Japanese.

    Bringing a side dish to the potluck party: It’s gotta be my mom’s potato salad. Obviously homemade, of course, since I’ve never tasted another potato salad that comes anywhere close to matching the flavor profile she developed. We make a monster bowl of the stuff for the family Xmas party every year, and it’s always gone by the end of the night.

    The anime character I’m interviewing: Alexander the Great, from Fate/Zero. He’s a very lively guy with tons of personality. It’d be a blast to be able to talk with him, and can’t you just imagine the stories he’d be able to tell from when he was off conquering the world?

    Favorite SAO Character: Never seen it, but if I do it’ll probably be Leafa, just because from what I can tell she’s not very popular. Dunno if the public has terrible taste or I’m just weird, but in anime franchises that are big enough to have popularity polls it seems like my best girl always checks in near the bottom of those polls.

    One of my unusual hobbies: I’ve been playing Star Fleet Battles for about 30 years; that’s a tabletop tactical wargame where you fight using ships and races from the Star Trek TOS universe. Battles can be anything from one-on-one cruiser fights up to massive fleet engagements or even base assaults. Admittedly it’s getting harder these days to find opponents or even people who still know about the game unless you’re willing to play online or by e-mail (which never appealed to me), but I go back far enough that I competed in the national championship tournament a couple of times in the 90s, though I never got out of the first round.

    My pick for the anime that needs to be remade: Rurouni Kenshin. It’s my all-time favorite manga, and except for the Trust & Betrayal OVA, which is more of a side story, there hasn’t been a truly good RK anime made yet. In fact, it might be the only major manga franchise where the best adaptation of the main storyline is the live action movies, and that just ain’t right.

    Side characters who deserve their own story: A-Rise from Love Live. They really got the short end of the character development & backstory stick, especially compared to their Saint Snow counterparts in LL Sunshine.

    An anime restaurant I want to visit: Cafe Concrucio from Flying Witch. For anyone who’s watched the show, it should be self-explanatory.

    What could be turned into anime: My stock answer to this question for years was Harry Potter, but I’ve seen enough magic school anime by now that I’m not so hot on that idea anymore. The series I’d actually like to see anime-ized now is Scott Pilgrim. I really enjoyed both the graphic novels and the movie, and the books are rather manga-like anyway, so it isn’t too much of a stretch to imagine a more fully fleshed-out adaptation done in anime format.

    Thanks, this was fun!

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    1. Sorry for the late reply, had a busy few days!

      One of my unusual hobbies: I’ve been playing Star Fleet Battles for about 30 years

      That’s not unusual to me… :) :) I started playing it back when it came in digest sized books packaged in a zip-lock bag. Haven’t played it eons, but I still have all my stuff in storage somewhere. I miss that era, lots of good stuff could be had for cheap. Lots of krep too, but it was cheap enough to take a chance on.

      An anime restaurant I want to visit: Cafe Concrucio from Flying Witch. For anyone who’s watched the show, it should be self-explanatory.

      Indeed! Along with Rokuhoudou, that too would have a spot on the short list of finalists.

      You really should watch SAO and SAO II one of these days… And then you’ll appreciate that Asuna is the One True Best Girl of the series. (Grin)

      Side characters who deserve their own story: A-Rise from Love Live. They really got the short end of the character development & backstory stick, especially compared to their Saint Snow counterparts in LL Sunshine.

      Indeed. And “Shocking Party” is one of my favorite songs from the series.

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      1. That’s not unusual to me…

        Well that’s just because you’re a super-cool guy like that! I learned the game from my older brothers – I don’t know exactly how far back they went with it, but I know they had the first boxed edition because that’s now in my possession, though I’ve never really played with that set since the rules had already changed by the time I came along.

        You really should watch SAO and SAO II one of these days… And then you’ll appreciate that Asuna is the One True Best Girl of the series. (Grin)

        I have actually toyed with the thought of watching SAO recently. Maybe once I get through Operation: Clear My DVD Backlog and the three dozen other shows that would be ahead of it on my priority list I’ll finally get there (or in other words, about the same time you finally sit down to watch K-On!).

        Right now I’m juggling Saekano Flat on Prime and Saiyuki on DVD (this after finishing Sound of the Sky and Saekano S1 – a nice little run of “S” anime), and after Saekano I’m leaning towards Ano Natsu as my next stream. Saiyuki’s the big one to get through though because that’s a 50-episode series; it’s the longest watch/rewatch that I have on my shelf, so once that’s done it’ll instantly make getting through the rest feel a lot less daunting.

        And there’s no doubt that Asuna’s a cutie – I don’t even have to watch the show to know that. I’m just saying, I know myself and my usual patterns, that’s all.

        I pulled my Love Live discs back off the shelf the other night just to rewatch that Shocking Party/Yume no Tobira back-to-back performance. Definitely one of the highlights of season 2.

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  11. Thank you so much for the nomination and sorry that I am so late to getting around to reading and commenting on this post! You have some great answers and some amazing questions to answer :D

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  12. Pingback: Super Mage’s Sunshine Blogger Award (Award/Tag Q&A) | Xenodude's Scribbles

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