Updates

End of January 2026 Update: New Year, Future Plans & Goals

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Hi all!

This was supposed to go out a MONTH ago, but alas, 2026 has already been testing me.

First, Happy New Year! It’s the year of the Fire Horse which, according to VOGUE sources, means something like this:

“It reflects a stage of life that moves boldly forward without the fear of obstacles, placing emphasis on being in motion rather than standing still.”

Whether you to subscribe to Chinese zodiac astrology or not, we can always take it upon ourselves to reflect on our past and present situations and decide to improve our future outcomes. So this year, I’m choosing to move forward with all of the creative endeavors that I used to enjoy so much in the past.

You see, ever since my life as a working adult picked up in 2023, I had dialed back my creative output dramatically, and largely without even knowing it. Blog posts stopped being written. YouTube videos were reduced to mere hauls (which I still love doing, don’t get me wrong). Cosplay . . . well, cosplay is still kind of going strong, if you account for the fact that I only “have” to prepare for one anime con each year.

In the space where I had been creating, I ended up filling it with watching more anime, playing games (curse you, Genshin), and sleeping. Honest. This isn’t entirely a foul trade-off, though, considering that one of the big reasons I hit a creative burnout point was because I hadn’t been watching nearly as much. I’ve had lots of time to rest since then, and it’s time to get back in the saddle in 2026.

Returning to Monthly Updates

I don’t plan to come back to blogging with any renewed vengeance. I’m starting small, beginning with my monthly updates that I used to routinely publish for years . . . until I’d stopped doing that, too. In these update posts, I’ll share what I’ve been watching and reading along with any related collection or hobby tidbits.

Changing the Blog Name

It’s the greatest blessing and curse to have a blog built around an existing concept. When I “opened the cafe” as a high school student, it was because I’d really, really wanted to own a cafe. And I liked anime. So I put the two together. Real creative, I know. Anyway, I’m still debating on whether to stick with the whole cafe thing, especially since the premise revolves around categorizing anime based on my REVIEWS of them. And I’ll be honest––I don’t plan to review anime anymore.

By changing the blog name, I’m referring to its subtitle, “Takuto’s Anime Cafe––anime reviews and relaxation.” Once I can locate the site setting, I’ll re-title it as “anime reflections and relaxation,” which makes a lot more sense with my personal writing style. It has surely shifted from crisp, strategically outlined reviews to ramblings on subtopics, informal analyses on themes, or my own viewing experience with a specific anime. The “cafe” theme stays for now, but I will move towards reflection-based writing. We’ll see if that helps tame the perfectionist in me.

Setting a Few 2026 Goals

First, I’d like to make it to the end of the year with all 12 monthly updates posted. This will at least give me 1 post per month (a 100% increase from the ZERO posts I had been publishing).

Second, I want to finish a few projects I had started/continued in 2025. The first is Blaugust––not necessarily the “blogging in August” part, but covering the topic: my summer 2025 trip to Japan. I think I left y’all somewhere in the countryside, whoops. I’ll make sure we’re brought back home. The other project that comes to mind is my semi-annual Sailor Moon themes analyses. These posts are some of my favorite that I’ve ever written. Unfortunately, they are usually aligned with whenever I feel like revisiting Sailor Moon, specifically the manga. I’ll try to wrap up the work on the Death Busters Arc draft and push onward through the final fifth arc.

Third, I aim to watch my entire physical backlog of anime. 2025 was an excellent year for my collection, less so for my wallet. Thankfully, most of the titles I picked up were ones that I’d already watched; I just wanted them archived on my shelves. However, there’s still a solid little stack of unwatched titles that I likely purchased while on sale but haven’t gotten around to yet. My next goal might help with this . . .

Fourth, I want to write a reflection post for at least one anime each month. This could be a retrospective post, such as my “Anime Revisited” series, though it might also be about a “new” title. For starters, I’d love to revisit any of my unplanned 2025 rewatches: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, Gunbuster, Bakugan Battle Brawlers, The Vision of Escaflowne, and Seraph of the End to name a few. Writing a monthly featured post like this also bumps the count to TWO posts per month. Talk about productivity!

Fifth, I plan to watch at last 26 anime released from 2021 to last year. I stayed mostly on top of what was hip and current, but that doesn’t mean I watched all of it. My net is cast wide precisely because there are anime from the early 2020s that I KNOW I passed up for one reason or another. If I watch more than 26, awesome. But there’s a good handful of vintage anime from as early as the 70s that I’m still working through. As long as I’m still watching, I won’t count anything out.

Recently Watched

Since I haven’t made an update post like this in literal years, this “recent” list could stretch back quite far. So, let’s just look at 2025 winter to now, start of February 2026.

Angel’s Egg––Oh yeah, this list definitely goes back a bit, as I was completely enthralled by GKIDS’ theatrical screening of Mamoru Oshii’s haunting and visionary standalone film from 1985. The 4k restoration is far more stunning than my initial traipse through Angel’s Egg as a 2-part 480p YouTube video during the early 2010s. I was so taken by the stark atmosphere and its visual motifs this time around that I jumped on the preorders for the re-release of the Japanese art book. It seems that the world was overdue for a revisit of this one. Now just to wait for the U.S. Blu-ray . . .

Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade––Fresh off the Oshii bus, I hopped on another one he helped write and was made immediately more depressed. Why must men be men sometimes. Ugh! But for real, this was a lot less sci-fi than I thought it’d be. I’m not even sure what gave me that impression in the first place; I’ve owned the Blu-ray for a while, so perhaps it was the signature suit and red spectacles that made me think it was not going to be so historically rooted. Regardless, it was equal parts harrowing and fear-inducing. I was instantly hooked by the MC’s situation: the risks he had to take, the depression he faced, the anxiety that edged him backwards and forwards. The ending was sad.

Royal Space Force: Wings of Honneamise––ANNO FEVER DREAM TIME. I know he wasn’t the director, but it was fun to explore more of this early work. This 1987 film is stunnin’, plain and simple. For some reason in retrospect, it has me asking some of the same questions that Millennium Actress does regarding our ambitions, what we sacrifice for them and how we make use of what truly little time we have to create and connect.

Otaku no Video––Can you tell I was going through the physical backlog? lmao. I abhor the roller coster this one took me on. WHY MUST MEN BE MEN. The first half of this two-part OVA/film project is all “look at how much we love anime!” while the second half is “this is what ‘loving anime’ did to us.” Sometimes wistful, sometimes regrettable, but always well animated. RIP Gainax.

Tekkonkinkreet––I have thoughts for this one, I swear . . . For now, I’ll leave it with this: Was Tekkonkinkreet inspired by Night on the Galactic Railroad? If that is, in fact, how I’m supposed to watch it, then it instantly gets my two thumbs up.

Memories––Of these backlog titles, these short “episodes” that comprise Katsuhiro Otomo’s Memories belong at the top of my “recommendations to friends and family if they want to experience bizarre sides of what anime can do.” Discotek’s sharp Blu-ray release (combined with NYAV Post and Sound Cadence Studios’ English dub work) has made each of these short stories infinitely more accessible to foreign audiences. I genuinely want to put on Magnetic Rose or Cannon Fodder for my family and see what their reactions to them are.

The Apothecary Diaries 2nd Season––At last, we’re back in the present era! I. Love. Apothecary. Diaries. I do, I do, I do. It took me a few episodes to get into the story (and that’s not because of the time period, because I enjoy a good period piece). Mao Mao’s adventures through ancient Chinese palace life offer more than intrigue, mystery, and romance. I find it’s a vibrant window to life during this time, even if fictionalized. We see poetry, art, textiles, etc. about periods this old, but when human bodies move through the space, living––surviving––like we do now, I learn to appreciate the depths of our collective history. And a third season is on the way, wahoo!

Scarlet––Let’s say that I caught the pre-season film awards IMAX screening of Mamoru Hosoda’s latest CG mess so that YOU don’t have to! I’m disappointed, which comes as little surprise given my immediate skepticism when the trailer initially came out. All Scarlet––the Hamlet-inspired action story set in a fantastic underworld afterlife––made me want to do was reread Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!––At some point, we need to address my need to consume everything Science SARU produces. Because when it misses, it’s at the very least entertaining and wild. And thankfully, it rarely misses! In the same vein as Shirobako and Zenshu, Eizouken is a well-known, well-animated series about aspects of animation production. What sets it apart from its peers is its setting: a school club located in some wacky kind of sci-fi enhanced cityscape. The trio of girls in this club wander the maze-like city seeking inspiration for their projects, not unlike the duo in Girls Last Tour. Their world is half scrapyard, half complex Japanese cityscape. In this way, their quest to make an anime is as ambitious as Eizouken‘s own production. LOTS of fun to be had in this one.

Godzilla Singular Point––Eventually, I made my way to Netflix. The backlog there only ever seems to grow, so I tackle it in pieces knowing that I’m only ever biting off more than I can chew. This Godzilla entry stands out because it was a collaboration project between studio’s Orange and Bones. Kaneko Yuki’s background animation art book reminded me that the 2021 series existed, and surprisingly, I did like parts of it. I guess S.P. wasn’t received well by most, and that makes sense because of its jarring CG monster work, huge cast for a single-cour series, and scattered plot following two separate leads (which may or may not involve time traveling elements). But when S.P. was committed to acting the part of a researcher, I actually felt compelled to root for the characters in this story about much more than Godzilla––challenging fate, our capacity as humans, and our dedication to discovering life’s answers.

Lord of Mysteries––We escape Japan for a moment to a Victorian-inspired steampunk world by Chinese animation studio B. CMAY PICTURES. I guess it’s a hugely popular web novel over there, and this donghua fascinated me FIRST because of its insane animation. The last time a series broke my brain with such level of detail was Violet Evergarden. I didn’t think it could be outdone. Yet, in many ways, it has. That’s not to say it’s a better or more preferred series, but I did enjoy it immensely. This will sound odd, but it’s the closest spiritual successor to the Castlevania animated series produced by China or Japan. Lovecraftian horror awaits at the heart of most mysteries our lead attempts to solve. And, ah, he’s also quite the catch, visually.

The Heike Story––It’s rare these days for me to add anime to my imagined “top ten” list. But out of all the anime to come across my screens over the past several years, Heike Monogatari stands out as a contender. And to be honest, I knew long in advance that it’d reach this status. When you have all-star director Naoko Yamada helming this ambitious project at Science SARU to adapt the grand, timeless tale of the Heike clan’s magnificent rise and immense fall, two things will be true: 1) it will be incredible; and 2) music will play a huge part of executing the drama. Perhaps one is direct result of the other here, though let’s just say that I hold The Heike Story in the highest. I hope it will endure for years as viewers’ gateway into Japan’s poetic past . . .

30,000 Miles From Chang’an––”Poetic past”––see what I did there? Well, you might if I weren’t about to briefly highlight one of the most amazing Chinese animated films from 2023. Light Chaser Animation is out here casually churning out what I would consider modern classics of Chinese movies left and right, from romance drama/tragedy White Snake (Bai She) to their xianxia reimagining of Chinese deities via their New Gods films. Chang’an is neither of these genres, though; rather, it’s a historical epic chronicling the lives and careers of poets Gao Shi and Li Bai as the Tang Dynasty breaks against the An Lushan Rebellion. The biggest crime about these films is that while some are rescued and released (THANK YOU GKIDS), Chang’an and many more like it seem at risk of being lost to time. I consider myself fortunate that I was able to find the film chopped up in at least 10 videos online (it’s almost 3 hours long, so the cuts were like episodes unto themselves). This was such a compelling watch and the perfect way to greet Chinese New Year in February. That said, someone––anyone––license this film! I’m begging!

Ongoing Watches

I’ll save this for next time since this post ended up being unexpectedly long.

Final Thoughts: V-Day is Coming Up

WOW, what a trip down memory lane! Guess these past few months really have been full of incredible watches. When not watching anime or carefully picking my way through danmei, I’ve been glued to Teyvat and roaming Nod-Krai in Genshin Impact. I try not to talk about Genshin too much because I could be here all day. Really! So, if you want to follow that part of me, my Twitter is where I retweet my favorite Genshin art. Safe to say, I’m smitten by Nod-Krai: Columbina’s story and return to the moon, Dottore’s multidimensional scheming, and everyone’s determination to find a place to call home.

In closing, I want to forecast an annual tradition––Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, which means the V-Day Special returns for another year! I’ll actually be out of town on the day of, so my “weekend” anime marathon will likely occur throughout the month, if not in the 3rd and 4th weeks, which is ok. I’ll release a post with more info soon, including the potential titles up for viewing.

I don’t expect anyone to actually read this full post; my writing is an exercise in reflection and keeping time tables, so to speak. That said, if you made it to the end, you must be dedicated! Thanks for reading! I hope you’ve been well! And since we opened with Chinese astrology, we’ll close out appropriately:

From me to you, Xin nian kuai le!

– Takuto

Blogging, Traveling, & Anime Watching This Summer

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Hey guys!

This upcoming summer is my first summer break working an adult job . . . and I chose teaching, which means I have the next couple months off. Sooo, I think I want to try regular blogging again throughout the summer . . .

!!!!!

I’m still deciding what kind of content it’ll be. I’ll probably steer clear of “regular anime reviews,” which is too bad for most because it’s the blog’s raison d’etre that I seem to have abandoned a couple years back (RIP). Instead, I might dabble with anime-related topics floating around my life, subjects like tackling the backlog, collecting habits, art books, etc. Of course, if I end up truly going rogue, you might stumble across ramble/rant posts, manga/reading updates, and general lifestyle posts.

My goal with writing more throughout the summer isn’t necessarily to “revive” the blog. Sometime between my transition from undergrad to graduate school, I’d reached a state of contentment with my lackadasical writing habits and infrequent pop-ins (if that wasn’t already obvious). I guess I find myself with a bit more time these days, and I remembered blogging being a more productive way to exert this extra creativity than simply lounging around, especially against the summer heat.

I’ve also found myself more drawn to travel videos these days. Lots of Japan and Korea, but even some South American and European vlogs have made their way onto my YouTube recommendations. These videos have made me needlessly restless. Yet, I’ve also been inspired by their informal, almost spontaneous communication style. (Years ago, blogs used to be THE places for this kind of thing!)

Last summer, I studied abroad as the capstone of my graduate career. I’m normally SUCH a homebody, so it’s frustrating that I feel so much urgency to GET OUT AND EXPLORE ;_; And traveling is expensive, too! ACK. Despite efforts to resist, the travel bug still lingers from those sunny days, so I’ve made sure to pack my summer schedule this year with plenty of city trips and country drives. I hope this energy will transfer to a momentum to write as well.

So, as the spring breeze rolls into a summer storm, that’s where I’m at with my upcoming seasonal “plans.” You might’ve noticed that I used a Violet Evergarden visual for this post’s header image. Although I never formally reviewed the series or its films, I’d like to try and sit down to compose some thoughts over it now that I’ve rewatched it all. (It’s got loads of travel in it, so a reflection about soul-searching or finding a place to belong might be the direction I take with it, maybe . . . Hey, if it ends up being the subject of the next post, then I’ll have actually stuck to a blogging commitment for once!)

IF all of this ends up flopping, well, I hope it would’ve been for good reasons. I just want to have fun with writing this summer, and I’d like as many of you to be a part of the experience with me 🙂 ‘Til next time, be it tomorrow, the day after, or the days after that~!

– Takuto

Catching the Spring Twilight: A Plan to Revisit Makoto Shinkai’s Works in 2024

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I’ve seen it all before, almost as if in a dream.

But now, I’ll have read the novels . . . and had some time to think.

In 2018, I embarked on a light comparative study over all of the works of Makoto Shinkai completed at the time. It’s a rough-around-the-edges, informal glance at his major and short films through the lenses of love, loneliness, and distance. I would take the time to edit and revise it, but part of me enjoys having a time capsule of my thoughts from back then. I could go in and update the image files and broken links, perhaps. Though, why tamper with old writing when I could revisit Shinkai’s art through a fresh, new adult perspective—one that has since then personally experienced greater joys, denser sorrows, and heavier heartbreaks?

It won’t necessarily be easy, but with Weathering With You rapidly approaching its 5th anniversary and Suzume having surpassed its 1st anniversary last fall (and international release date just this past April) I am more than due for comprehensive rewatch, fresh emotional scars or not.

The skies these days are growing more blue and more thunderous. So this year, this spring 2024, I want to catch Shinkai at the twilight of the season where I find his style resonates with me most. It’s a period as fleeting as the yozakura itself, yet I want to take on this challenge of revisiting his entire filmography before the night ends—and the rainy season begins.

Not only that, but I’ve managed to prepare by reading Makoto Shinkai’s original novelizations of various titles that are available in the States courtesy of Yen Press. Ok technically, once I’ve swept through the rest of The Garden of Words, THEN will I have completed this preliminary step. Still, I think this added insight will alter the way I experience the movies and do so in a mostly positive way. I already know of several animated scenes and characters that, to me, benefit from Shinkai’s novel counterparts. It will be exciting to decide how I might want to incorporate these literary perspectives.

“We might meet again, then. Just maybe. If it rains.”

– Yukino (The Garden of Words)

As I’m typing this closing paragraph, the rain is already tapping on my window, urging me to start this project before it stops. As with anything I do for the blog, expect me to be liberal with the time frame. I’m anticipating this will be a breezier post than the last one, nothing too crazy. Though again, I’d like to release these thoughts before we’re all choked by the summer heat. I hope I’ll be able to deliver on that! Until then, stay cool!

– Takuto

The V-Day Sci-Fi Special Returns for 2024!

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Happy Valentine’s Day~!

This might as well be recognized as some spiritual observation day on this blog, because longtime readers and friends may recognize that tend to go against the flow in favor of harvesting my own nostalgia. (Many bloggers participate in “Mecha March,” which in my mind was completely coined by the incredible Scott of Mechanical Anime Reviews. For me, however, sci-fi has always held a January-February pulse.) Anyhow, we’re back at it again this year, and we’re daring to take on another highly treasured anime property.

BUT, before I make the announcement, let’s look back on the history of this homegrown tradition. Here’s a refresher for those in need!

2013 ~ Steins;Gate

2014 ~ Kokoro Connect (I think . . . )

2015 ~ Neon Genesis Evangelion

2016 ~ The Rose of Versailles (It’s not always a sci-fi watch, I know!)

2017 ~ Ghost in the Shell

2018 ~ Haikyuu!! (Again, not sci-fi!)

2019 ~ RahXephon

2020 ~ Gunbuster (PANDEMIC)

2021 ~ Gunbuster

2022 ~ *SKIPPED* (I did watch Heroic Age, though.)

2023 ~ Evangelion: 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo (REWATCH)

This year, I reached out to Twitter/X and asked YOU to vote for the 2024 V-Day Special. The poll received over 20 votes and multiple comments. AND NOW, after a few years of fighting schedule complications, I’m happy to announce that this year’s V-Day Special will be . . .

2024 ~ Trigun

Not only did Trigun win the majority vote—I sent out a second poll asking what language to watch the series in, and the English dub won out. So, dubbed Trigun it is! Given that this is somewhat of a revival year for this festivity of mine, I even put a little more effort into designing the watch order “roadmap.” Hope y’all like it!

Trigun has been one of those titles lingering in my physical collection amassing a thick layer of dust on its case. After years of neglecting Funimation’s Anime Classics DVD set and the film’s BD on my shelves, it’s time to crack open the cases and give ’em the love they deserve.

Over the next few days, I’ll be hibernating before the TV and munching on the sweet treats in my Sakuraco Box. As I spend this time recollecting myself and appreciating all the things I’ve accomplished within the past few weeks, I hope you, too, will be spending this season of love doing that which makes you happy. Whether that means enjoying time with family, friends, or a loved one, what matters most is that you find and embrace that warm, tingly feeling that makes our hearts flutter. Of course, eating something sweet is a must as well!

When next we meet, I hope I’ll be able to muster the energy to organize my thoughts on the Trigun franchise, be it in the form of a review or a more casual reflection post. Look forward to it with passion!

Love and peace~!

– Takuto

Letting Readers Decide the 2024 V-Day Special!

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Hi there!

I realize I said that I’d be coming back and then disappeared for two weeks. (Is it just me or does time fly exceptionally faster for bloggers than any other content creators?) We rang in the new year, then BOOM, it’s already February—

Which means Valentine’s Day is right around the corner.

If you’re new to my blog, let me explain why this is such a spectacular holiday for me. While everyone else in the aniblogger community celebrates “Mecha March” (cause it’s a perfectly catchy name, who wouldn’t is the better question), I have taken the preceding lovely month all to myself to delight in those same mecha and sci-fi titles. It all started when I watched Evangelion for the first time in 2015, during which I blocked out an entire weekend to marathon the entire franchise (all but the final two Rebuild films which had not yet been released on Blu-ray). I have a post floating around here somewhere that breaks down all the titles I’ve watched. Historically, it’s been sci-fi, but I’ve dipped into sports and drama as well. At this point, anything is fair game so long as it’s an “older” title.

Since I’m also in the process of going through seasonal catch-up (see my last post) and working through the physical to-be-watched stack, I figured I’d let my readers decide what I watch this year! I’ve boiled it down to three options:

  • The Big O (complete series)
  • Trigun (+ film and remake series)
  • Patlabor (all of it; TV series, OVA series, 3 films)

You can vote for your top choice through this Twitter/X poll over the next three days. Alternatively, you can leave a comment on this blog with your choice. I’ll tally up the votes and announce the results in an official post sometime after the voting period.

While the marathon might not occur exactly on Valentine’s Day this year, it’ll still be held within the month of February. I’ll work out a schedule once the voting is done.

That’s all for now! Happy voting!

– Takuto

Am I Still . . . Weathering With You?

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Hi there, it’s been a while.

There’s a lot I want to say to you, so I’ll start where I always once used to in my reviews: some background context.

I’ve been time traveling.

!!

(Kidding ~~)

But I dusted off the keyboard and propped open the cafe’s awnings—only to realize that my last post was almost a year ago?? Yeah, it sure does feel like time travel. And as the case is with most travelers, I’ve been irresponsible with time.

Anyway, hello from the future!

My life is very different now, you know?

At some point, I apparently came in and edited my blog’s sidebar bio so that it no longer read that I was a “teenager.” Although, when I think about it, I wasn’t a teenager when I last talked to you on here, either. Regardless, since 2021, I’ve not only completed my undergraduate degree but also a 2-year master’s program AND started my first “adult job” this past fall.

I’ve grown up ahead of the blog, I guess.

With every new year that rolls in (By the way, I hope yours has been kind so far.) I think about this place. Really, I do. This online safe space where I used to greet readers and see them out each hour of the day. It truly is our corner of the internet.

We sure were busy back then, weren’t we? Hah!

All this talk about growing up brings me to what I really wanted to ask you.

//

Am I still . . . weathering with you?

//

Yesterday, I finished reading YenPress’s release of Makoto Shinkai’s Weathering With You novel. It’s a fantastic little book (and it’s actually little, only 180 pages). As I slipped the dust jacket back around the green hardback and archived it on my shelves, I couldn’t stop thinking about how much I love Shinkai’s work. Especially Weathering With You.

Last spring, I was lucky enough that my hometown theater had showings for Suzume, and that encounter, too, had me tumbling down memory lane. Discussions over many of Shinkai’s works have been “served up” here at the cafe over the years. Why I didn’t write about Suzume DESPITE it being my new favorite of his? . . . I had a lot on my mind at the time.

But back to Weathering With You, ah, my heart! It’s hard to believe that the film (and the book) will be celebrating 5 years this summer. As I’m revisiting it here, I’m going to spoil the end of the story, so go watch/read it if you haven’t!

Reading the novelization, I couldn’t help but re-realize how rough young people have it these days.

!!!

      

Seriously! If you make it to the end and can only despise Hodaka for effectively drowning Tokyo for love, then you’ve missed the entire point of the story.

How did Hodaka, a child, end up so desperate and starved for connection in the first place? Who put him in a position where all he felt he could do was run further and further away from the responsibility that comes with growing up?

We did. The adults in his life did. And we continue to fail adolescents just like him when we pressure them LIKE ADULTS and then treat their feelings as if they were TODDLERS throwing just another tantrum.

This seems unrelated, but in my recent rewatch of Fire Force (still a banger btw), Captain Obi proudly says that being a grown-up means “caring more broadly and deeply.” From our first meeting with Hodaka, we are already dealing with someone who feels tried and exiled from his hometown. Island life is suffocating, yet at the same time, he is neglected by those few with any real stock in him. With ambition, he leaves. And when he finds the adults in Tokyo just as unwilling, neglecting, and even downright unkind, he’s willing to abandon that world, too.

Caring more broadly and deeply. Ah. Perhaps we wouldn’t have found Hodaka’s entire world cradled in the care of Hina’s tiny, tired hands if the adults back home cared for him an ounce more than they had. He’s genuinely a good kid, too! Traumatized and hungry, all Hodaka wants is a job that can sustain him a little longer while he sorts life out. Thinking about it, it’s sad how it all went down. Thankfully, in the novel, one of Hodaka’s Tokyo “caretakers” and friends is able to learn about the hope that can come with adulthood before some of the others do:

Kid, I’m gonna grow up just a little earlier than you. I’ll become a role model to you and Hina whether you want it or not. I’ll be the kind of adult who makes you want to grow up faster so you can be the same. I’ll be nothing like Kei—I’ll be a fantastic, amazing, super adult like no one’s ever seen.

Natsumi Suga

Tokyo remains plunged underwater in the epilogue, and as gut-punching as the advent is, I closed the book satisfied that Hodaka—that Shinkai—was able to wake [the viewing/reading] society up to the suffering of its young. The endless rain is not only a karmic effect of neglecting an ages old superstition but also a reflection of the way we’ve continuously sacrificed the innocent and the good for our own benefit. Maybe the storms currently ravaging our world are starting to spark the same eye-opening effect that Hodaka and Hina’s rain has on theirs.

       

I didn’t intend on writing a current issues post, so let me circle back. Tenki no Ko, the Japanese title, translates more accurately as “Child of Weather” in English. Its localized title, however, is also lovely. “Weathering” sounds as if Hodaka and Hina are simply going around making the weather change, which is exactly what they do.

But also, “weathering” is the process that naturally wears down rocks and surfaces, leading to erosion. Finally, to “weather,” as a verb, means to come safely through something (like a storm). When Hodoka and Hina go weathering, I like to think that they are quite literally enduring life the way they’ve only recently discovered how:

By surviving the storm together.

When I asked towards the beginning of this post whether I was still weathering with you (cause that’s not confusing at all!), I was wondering if WE have been able to endure this long rainy season apart from one another—a blogger to his fellow blogger buddies and dearest readers—sincerely confused, anxious, and uncertain about whether we’ve weathered this distance ok.

Have we? Do you remember me?

Do you remember what we used to do here?

Because honestly, I couldn’t forget about you.

Thank you for having me back. For keeping the cafe warm.

I’m Takuto.

It’s very nice to meet you again.

*Abridged* V-Day Special!

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Happy Valentine’s Day~! 💛

If you’ve been following my blog for even a year, you’ll know that V-Day is something I take quite seriously. It has become tradition for me to book off an entire weekend to marathon anime (usually a classic, or something with several parts, such as films, OVAs, etc.) and enjoy quality time with myself.

Well, in lieu of binging an entire series as a challenge to myself (as I’m quite short on time due to my M.A. exam mid-March), I’ve decided to return to Evangelion.

And I’m sure this comes as literally zero surprise to anyone.

I’ve got tasty treats, a comfy couch, and my Funimation Blu-ray of Evangelion 3.33 You Can (Not) Redo. all lined up for me to enjoy this Tuesday evening! I always enjoy an Eva rewatch, but I’m especially partial to 3.33 during this season of love because it’s when I first watched it back in February 2016. Once more, time to relive the nostalgia and bittersweet promises that this title brings to me.

I hope you’re all spending V-Day doing something you love, whether that’s with someone or watching Eva for the hundredth time like me. I’ll be doing a TRUE marathon after my March exam, likely Trigun since it’s what people are talkin’ about these days (plus I’ve had the Anime Classics DVD for YEARS just gathering dust). Please look forward to it!

That’s all for now—stay sweet, and ‘til next time!

– Takuto

Just Stopping By! (Happy 2023!)

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Hi there!

Did I catch you by surprise?

I know, it’s been over 3 months since my last visit. Terrible track record. But, I did promise that I’d be back to regular blogging once I graduated. Unfortunately, that won’t be for another 5 months, although I’m sure—like most semesters—it’ll fly by! 🙏

So until the spring, I’m merely stopping by to wish everyone a Happy New Year and a welcome to 2023! My resolutions? Graduate and get a job (adulting sucks 😭). I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday. I logged in HOURS of board games and caught up on LOTS of shounen favorites that I’ve missed out on due to school. Here is what I watched over break in case you’re curious:

Belle (great, rated 8/10 for the lovely l CG work and meaningful message here, but need to rewatch already)

Chainsaw Man (GRUESOME GOODNESS, only watched first 4 episodes, will continue at some point)

My Hero Academia 6th Season Part 1 (significant step up from S5, rating 9/10 for the high stakes, can’t wait to see how the battle ends in P2)

Millionaire Detective – Balance: Unlimited (way more boring than I expected it to be, rated 7/10 for at least the pretty character designs, and FYI don’t watch the dub, sorry fam)

Jujutsu Kaisen (MY LOVES, this revived my passion for anime recently, honest!! Both series and 0 Movie are 9/10 for me, and I crave more)

Sword Art Online: Progressive – Aria of a Starless Night (surprisingly enjoyed a lot, rated 8/10 for Asuna continuing to be more interesting than Kirito, tempted to recommend this over S1 to newcomers)

Demon Slayer Season 2 (the main fight of the Entertainment District Arc dragged on a little long, but potentially more enjoyable than S1, rated 8/10 for that incredible Ufotable animation!)

Dr. Stone Season 1 (stopped after 11-ish episodes, it’s fine . . . when do we get to see Senku’s old friends again, I miss them)

Blood of Zeus (a fantastic recommendation if you’re chasing after that Castlevania high, rated 8/10 for Greek mythology continuing to serve)

Link Click (I knew I’d enjoy this one but WOW was I taken by these characters, rated 9/10 for the thrills and the whole aesthetic, but needing that sequel ASAP)

Odd Taxi (this one also wins for being a backlog serve, rated 8/10 for an actually engaging anthropomorphic title, and that ending, Y’ALL GOT ME GOOD)

NieR:Automata Ver1.1a (my recent obsession as a huge fan of the game, the only simulcast I’m following this season, and I’m still so shocked that A-1 is proceeding with this 2D/3D blend . . . staying hopeful it’ll be a masterpiece)

Of course, I also rewatched Ghibli favorites like Howl’s, Kiki’s, and Ponyo this winter break. Just trying to reignite the anime passion after feeling absent for a while now. 🔥

My primary goal with this post was to update you all with what I’ve been up to. Going forward, I’ll return to simul-uploading my YouTube videos on my channel and my blog. I apologize in advance if Kpop isn’t your thing, and I hope the manga/anime content is at least to your liking. >.<

The next time we “meet” will probably be for my annual V-Day special. (Hint hint, the show I’ll be watching currently has a remake airing!) That should be lots of fun, so look forward to it! 👍

Thank you as always for sticking with me throughout these content-less months. Once I’m done with uni, I’ll be able to officially brush off the cobwebs and start new projects. But for now, I wish you all a healthy start to the new year!

– Takuto

Thank You for 8 Years Together!

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Long time to see, friends!

It’s been 8 years since I first opened Takuto’s Anime Cafe!! 🥳 I’ve had all kinds of amazing opportunities throughout this time, including my latest ARC review for Bai Cha’s My Cat Hates Me that just went up. Never would I have guessed that I’d have more online friends than in-person ones, but it’s true—I am nothing without this community that has raised me and continued to teach me new things since I was a clueless sophomore in high school. Now I’m in my second and final year of grad school. I know, I can’t believe it either. Life comes at you fast, doesn’t it?

I owe you all so, so much more than this small pop-in, but I promise you that I’m still the same old Taku who’d rather catch up watching Call of the Night and Psycho Pass 3 instead of going out to the bars. (Yes, those are my latest watches. Both good ones, too!)

I hope you are all well, and I’ll try and make a big return to regular blogging once I finish school! In the meantime, it’ll be sporadic posts with the occasionally scheduled YouTube vid. We just hit 1k subs on the channel by the way!!! I was thinking of fun ways to celebrate—maybe a Q&A? We’re also getting super close to 800 cafe-goers. It’d be pretty cool to hit 800 during my 8th year, ya know?

Anyway, THANK YOU for all the support throughout the years, and special love to my WP aniblogger friends. 💙 I’ll try and stop in more often. ‘Til next time!

– Takuto, your host

A Whole Month of Evangelion! EVERYDAY EVA & Mecha March Announcement

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Hey guys!

I’m so excited to announce that I will be joining Scott (Mechanical Anime Reviews), Lita (LitaKino Anime Corner), and many other anibloggers in this year’s “Mecha March” festivities! Having been following this annual celebration since its conception several years back, I’ve been dying to participate myself as a blogger. In the past, I’d normally do my own personal mecha adventure in February (long story—it’s somewhere on the blog), but this year I decided not to marathon anything to focus on school instead.

Which is why this year I’d like to make amends for my lack of writing about anime by blogging every single day for an entire month. And the topic, of course, is the only thing I could possibly have the energy to talk senselessly yet passionately about for thirty days straight—Evangelion!

Starting tomorrow, March 1, I will be uploading daily posts covering every single episode of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion (and maybe the Rebuild, we’ll see). My reasons for writing are threefold. For one, it’s Mecha March, WOOT! Two, I’ll be watching Eva in high-def Blu-ray quality for the first time ever thanks to GKIDS’ ultra boujee Ultimate Edition set. And Third, I’ll be celebrating the FIRST ANNIVERSARY of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time, which was released in Japanese theaters on March 8, 2021.

I’ll set the precedent here that my participation in this project is mostly to help get me back into the blogging spirit. So, while you shouldn’t expect super high quality analysis posts and thorough episode reviews, you CAN look forward to short reflection posts containing personal anecdotes, production notes, and other random thoughts I have for each episode. It should be mostly relaxing and fun for the both of us. 🙂

If you are looking forward to this month-long series of posts on Eva or are also writing for Mecha March, let me know in the comments! Again, I’m looking forward to getting back into the blogging groove while talking about why I love this notorious yet classic mecha anime!

– Takuto