017: Animated blood is not blood

I find myself not thinking about anything in particular. This is right after looking through facebook or twitter. Or after being forced to watch an episode of Dawson's Creek. Roby is the thick of nostalgia for his youth with 6 seasons of Dawson's Creek, there is no escape because the living room is also the kitchen; clearing the dirty dishes after dinner.

How did I end up like that. In fact TV watching after has been a tradition even back when I was in Singapore. Is there no alternative? (We don't have a TV. We have a projector with AppleTV connected. Which is more or less the same thing.) Nowadays I prefer watching anime which is 24mins per episode. I don't binge watch so only one at a time and then I'm off doing the housework. If we watch a film after dinner, then I nod off on the sofa after 1/2 an hour. Following in the great tradition of my parents' after dinner routine.

The plots of the soaps are formula with a bit of variation on the theme. I don't exactly know why we don't choose more exciting forms of entertainment. Also I can't escape this trap that I find myself in. I already know that the more you watch the less you live. Simple. You can be doing more than 1 thing at a time. With the exception of my ex-colleague's father, who has the tv on, read the newspaper and the radio on for toto results. 2 tvs on, reading the paper and talking to his kids. That's amazing multitasking for you!

Maybe in experiencing the same type of stories over and over again, give you a certain comfort and nostalgia, that warm cosy feeling. Nothing too shocking. Nothing out of the ordinary. We don't want to think or to be troubled by what we see. It like your favourite food being having the same taste as the last time you ordered it. No changes can be an improvement. LOL

At least plots in anime works has a more darwinian approach. There are a lot of stories being written. Out of these, there are really some really good plots; plots that put new ideas some very strange. Provided you can put up the really bad shows and like the animate form, these great stories are not going to reach you. It remains niche. Roby just don't like animation in general because he can't feel the connection between him and the story; doesn't feel real enough. Animated blood is not blood. He is more a Dawson's Creek kind of person. But blood in the soap opera is fake as well. I guess he feels closer to the character if they are filmed in a real setting.

A lot of my friends can't take the animation too. It's something that they take their kids to. Part of childhood, so as adults and as parent they put themselves on the other side. They would pick a predictable plot over anime anyday.

Anime has for me replaced the films I use to watch in film festival days. I no longer have the patience to sit through 2 hour long film. 24mins is just perfect.

Here are 2 thought provoking bloody anime recommendations with links to descriptions:

Subete ga F ni naru: The Perfect Insider This is a mystery series. I had a good time guessing what happened and how it happened.

Parasyte A lot of blacked out scenes because it got too bloody. Not my usual genre. It made me question our dependence on another species of animals for food. The general arrogance and disrespect toward another species of being. How we ignore the fact that death is involved on a daily basis over lunch or dinner (except for you vegetarians)

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