Fun Stuff: 100th Post Extravaganza

Soooo, it's my 100th post on this blog of mine, and I wanted to celebrate in a very special way! Since 100 is the magic number, I've compiled 10 top ten lists of Asian pop culture things I love- anime, manga, music, bishounens, etc- as a way to sum up all the things I've been talking about on my blog. So, without further ado, here's your chance to learn a little about the world of Quickand2thePointless!

xxxHolic, Natsume Yuujinchou, FMA: Brotherhood, Code Geass, Hetalia, X, Tiger & Bunny, Sekaiichi Hatsukoi, Durarara!, and Nodame Cantabile.

When it comes to anime, I love supernatural/fantasy elements, male leads (not that I don't love the ladies, but Japan is a bit heavy on the fan-service, dependent types, and I like a gal who can define herself- like xxxHolic's Yuuko), and plots that lead to unique perspectives on human emotions and behavior.

Fai (Tsubasa), Yuuko (xxxHolic/Tsubasa), Subaru (Tokyo Babylon/X), Natsume (Natsume Yuujinchou), Kotetsu (Tiger & Bunny), Scar (FMA: Brotherhood), Lelouch (Code Geass), Holo (Spice & Wolf), Hakkai (Saiyuki), America (Hetalia)

The characters I love the most are strong-willed, independent, and though they are burdened by their pasts and regrets, they actively seek paths of redemption or develop to the point where they can come to terms with who they are and the world they live in.

Just a sample of what's been on my playlist lately!

With music, I tend to gravitate towards two sounds-- either the type of pop music that reminds me of my boy band obsessed childhood during the days of NSYNC and Backstreet Boys, or inspired singer-songwriter type tracks which break through the language barrier and still manage to tell a beautiful story.

Tales of Symphonia, Golden Sun, Fire Emblem, Sakura Wars, Arc Rise Fantasia, Pokemon, Dragon Age, Monkey Island, Soul Calibur, and Street Fighter

I'm a bit limited when it comes to games, since the only consoles I have access to are the Gameboy Advance, Wii (and thus GameCube), and my trusty PC. Nonetheless, I'm a huge fan of JRPGs, strategy/tactics based adventures, and anything with fantasy elements and beautiful artwork. 

Fantasy, Supernatural, Bishounen, Comedy, Shounen-ai, Shoujo-ai, Historical, Action, Music, and Samurai

Besides my obvious love for beautiful men, I also enjoy plotlines that teach me about Japanese history and folklore, as well as stories that make me laugh or tug at my heartstrings. Romances are always appreciated (hence the shounen and shoujo-ai), but shoujo didn't make the list this time since, as stated earlier, I'm not a huge fan on Japanese leading ladies (exceptions do exist, such as Toradora and Ouran High School Host Club). As a huge fan of Asian music, music themed shows are always, always on my list!

Tsubasa, Fruits Basket, Fullmetal Alchemist, xxxHolic, Rurouni Kenshin, Chobits, FAKE, Saiyuki, Tokyo Babylon, Cardcaptor Sakura

If we're being completely honest... I love CLAMP. Fruits Basket is also the first manga series I ever completed, and it immediately hooked me by pairing shoujo with the supernatural elements I love so much in the other series I read. 

Sebastian (Black Butler), Doumeki (xxxHolic), Keith (Tiger & Bunny), Greece (Hetalia), Sanzo (Saiyuki), Kyoya (Ouran High School Host Club), Kaname (Vampire Knight), Kratos (Tales of Symphonia), Lantis (Magic Knight Rayearth), Haruka (Tactics)

Looks like I'm shallow! But when it comes to personality, I like a little bit of stoicism that hides a truly sweet personality, a little bit of gruffness,  but someone who turns out being a little bit of a doof when you get to know them better.

Nico Touches the Walls, Shikao Suga, SHINee, YUI, Big Bang, Asian Kung-Fu Generation, Yuya Matsushita, Epik High, Maaya Sakamoto, Miss A.

I love all kinds of music, and these artists span all my favorite genres: alternative rock, dance pop, singer-songwriter, hip pop, throwback rap, and straight up vocal talent.

All of these have been featured as a Theme Spotlight for a reason: I love them each!

Anime themes really need to suit the atmosphere of the show, and quite a few of these were picked because of how well they achieved that purpose- I especially get into the theme if it is paired with a brilliant opening/closing video, or if the lyrics meaningfully tie back into the message of the show. I also like a bit of fun in my music, which is probably why "Kimi ni Mune Kyun" continues to be one of my favorites.

Kurogane/Fai (Tsubasa), Winry/Ed (FMA), Doumeki/Watanuki (xxxHolic), Chiaki/Nodame (Nodame Cantabile), Seishirou/Subaru (Tokyo Babylon/X), Chi/Hideki (Chobits), Kamui/Fuuma (X), Ryuuji/Taiga (Toradora), Kendappa/ Souma (RG Veda), Okabe/Kurisu (Steins;gate)

Clearly, I love how CLAMP does their slash pairings, but when it comes to het, I LOVE vitriolic couples that leave you wondering whether they'll get together in the end (although I suppose Chi and Hideki don't exactly fall into this). I love it when both the male and female characters have difficult personalities, but still find a way to make it work. As for my CLAMP... I love it when couples suffer and sacrifice for each other, always fighting for the futures that make them happy, even when it doesn't turn out the way they want it to.