Answers to 50 questions no one asked!

 

Who doesn’t love a good bandwagon? After seeing Caraniel post one of these, and tracing its origin back through several blogs, I thought “let’s pretend I’m a proper member of the blogworld instead of an occasional poster whose heyday was four years ago” and decided to post one of my own. Just bear in mind that I’ll probably call something my favourite only because I’ve completely forgotten something else that I like just as much.

 

 

1. Who is your favorite male anime character?

 

According to MAL, it is Ludwig from Meine Liebe. Since he’s so cool, laid back, smart and has great hair.

 

2. Who is your favorite female anime character?

 

I do like Karura a lot, which is why she is my internet namesake!

 

3. What is your favorite anime soundtrack?

 

I spend a lot of time listening to anime soundtracks and I love Yoko Kanno and Yuki Kajiura among others, but I think my absolute favourite overall is .hack//SIGN. When I bought the first OST I basically listened to it repeat over and over for hours on end. It’s just filled with such haunting and beautiful music.

 

4. What is your favorite anime opening + animation?

 

There are many great opening songs, but their accompanying animation is less memorable; hence, after a visit to Youtube I’ve decided to go with Cloud Age Symphony, the opening for the first Last Exile series, which is just as sweeping visually as it is aurally.

 

5. What is your favorite anime ending + animation?

 

Endings tend to be more sober affairs with stills rather than animation, but after some thought I’ve decided to go with Gravity from Wolf’s Rain. The song itself is not my favourite ED, but it has a running wolf accompanying it.

 

6. What is your favorite anime scene?

 

I thought about this for a while, but I’m going to have to cop out and say that you could pick pretty much any scene from Last Exile and call it a favourite scene. That series just has so much attention to detail that individual scenes really stand out, whereas for most other series an individual scene means little out of context. I suppose one could say the same about Wolf’s Rain.

 

7. If you could meet an anime character who would it be?

 

I’d love it if Nyanko-sensei was real; he could be cute and huggable but also transport me around and act as my bodyguard in his true form. He wouldn’t be pleased about that, but I would cook for him in return. Failing that, it would be good to train with one of the many martial arts masters of anime. I’m sure even I would improve under their tutelage!

 

8. What anime character is most similar to you in terms of personality?

 

After a guy I liked got back together with his ex, there was a temptation to go psycho Kaede from Shuffle (or Ayu from Honey and Clover), but I’m not sure there’s any one character I’d point to and say “Thou art I and I am thou”. In general, I’m a bit of a tsundere, I have my painfully shy side, and then my true, more volatile and evil self.

 

9. What is your favorite thing about anime?

 

I was initially drawn into the world of anime because I loved the art style, but it’s impossible now to point to just one thing. The music, storytelling, characters and ambience of a good anime series are all worthy reasons to tune in. And 25 minute long episodes suit my short attention span.

 

10. What is your least favorite thing about anime?

 

The endless waves of very similar, mediocre series. Though that’s not specific to anime – any form of entertainment has its fair share of dross. It’s just that somehow, we’ve come to hold anime to higher standards.

 

11. Who’s your favorite anime couple?

 

To be honest, I’m not sure I have one; the characters who actually get together are often less interesting than the ones who don’t. I suppose I would say either Shuji and Chise from Saikano or Yukino and Arima from Kare Kano, just to choose relationships that aren’t shallow or integral to a harem dynamic.

 

12. Who is your favorite anime animal?

 

I can’t settle on just one, it’s a three way tie between Mai-Otome’s Mikoto, Aria’s President Aria and Natsume Yuujinchou’s Nyanko-sensei. As you might be able to tell, I have a soft spot for fat cats, and these three are all highly entertaining.

 

13. What anime would make a good game?

 

I think pretty much every anime that would make a good game has already been turned into one, hasn’t it? Even though most are only released in Japan. I’ll get back to you on this one.

 

14. What game would make a good anime?

 

Anime adaptations of video games are usually pretty bad, but if they did it right, a proper Persona 3 anime would be good (Trinity Soul doesn’t count). Or maybe Jingai Makyo – not that I’ve played the game, but I’d love to see anime Ignis.

 

15. What was the first anime you ever watched?

 

I didn’t know it was anime back then, but I loved Samurai Pizza Cats back in the day. There was something about the visual style that drew me to it, and the fact that it also happened to be entertaining didn’t hurt.

 

16. Do you think you’ll ever stop watching anime?

 

When I first moved to London to do my PhD, I didn’t have a lot of time for anime so it kind of fell by the wayside for a couple of years until my viewing picked up again. So I figure that even if in the future I have periods of not watching anime for a while, I will always come back to it in the end.

 

17. What is your favorite genre of anime?

 

I guess I would go with slice-of-life when done correctly as in Aria, so that it becomes something gentle, healing and entertaining. Of course, get it wrong (Binbou Shimai Monogatari springs to mind) and it’s just plain dull.

 

18. What is your least favorite genre of anime?

 

I’m not terribly interested in sports anime, but then I’m not all that interested in sport in real life, so it’s hardly a surprise.

 

19. Are you open about watching anime with people you know?

 

Back at Imperial my desk was filled with fanart and anime figures, so it was no secret that I liked anime! I haven’t really talked about it at my new job, but that’s just because there’s hardly anyone else I know who’s interested in it. I have so many reasons for people to think I’m crazy that I’m not fussed if people know I like anime.

 

20. Have you ever been to Japan?

 

Not yet, but I would absolutely love to.

 

21. What anime was the biggest letdown for you?

 

Both Utawarerumono and Fate/Stay Night were series that I had high hopes for, and neither lived up to their potential. In both cases I have a curious love of both the character designs and the franchises as a whole, but the anime series themselves were sorely lacking. Oh, and Mai-Otome was so disappointing that I actually started writing my own version of how the show should have been.

 

22. What anime was better than expected?

 

I remember being pleasantly surprised that Divergence Eve was actually about more than just bouncing breasts, and there have been many similar experiences over the years. Recently I stumbled across an old season preview where I said I didn’t think Natsume Yuujinchou would be up to much – how wrong I was!

 

23. What is the best anime fight scene?

 

Again, I don’t keep detailed enough records in my memory to be able to answer this. Budget constraints often mean battles aren’t as action-packed as they could be, although I always enjoyed the battles in Eureka Seven.

 

24. Who is your anime waifu?

 

If video games were included, then probably Mitsuru from Persona 3 or Lightning from FFXIII, but otherwise then I guess Rin from Fate/Stay Night.

 

25. What was your favorite video game as a child?

 

I loved Chip’s Challenge from the Windows Entertainment Pack, and the Virgin Media PC version of the Lion King game. Both gave me hours of entertainment and frustration, as a game should.

 

26. Most embarrassing moment?

 

My life is one long litany of derpiness; there’s no one majorly embarrassing incident, just a long litany of minor stupidity and ridiculousness.

 

27. Can you drive?

 

Not yet. But I need to start learning imminently now that I’ve moved away from London.

 

28. Are you mature?

 

Well, I can be when the need arises, I mean I manage to look after myself and hold down a job without major incident. But I am also known for being a bit crazy and laughing hysterically at random stuff, so it could all just be a façade.

 

29. What year were you born?

 

Never ask a lady such questions! Though it was 1982, since you’re asking.

 

30. Do you prefer dogs or cats?

 

I love cats, I love every kind of cat, I just want to hug all of them, but I can’t…no one who visits this blog can possibly have failed to notice that I adore cats and faithfully serve our feline masters. Cats are awesome and superior in every way. Dogs are fine, mostly, but cats will always win!

 

31. Describe yourself physically.

 

Around 5’8”, slim, shoulder length black hair, glasses. Here’s a picture of me in cosplay.

 

32. What would you name your first child?

 

I’m not actually intending to have kids, but if I did, I would discuss this with my partner!

 

33. What is the worst injury you’ve ever had?

 

I haven’t had any major injuries, to be honest. Maybe I need to go on Dancing on Ice, they seem to have all sorts of injury porn there.

 

34. What is your worst habit?

 

I overthink stuff all the time. Oh, and I’m completely lazy and faff a lot. I should be working on my PhD right now.

 

35. Do you drink or smoke?

 

Never smoke, occasionally drink.

 

36. Do you have a tattoo?

 

No – I’ve contemplated it but I’m too indecisive to make a final decision on something so permanent (laser treatment aside).

 

37.  Are you a morning or a night person?

 

I hate getting up at any time that could be remotely construed as early. I also cannot be expected to be sociable until I’ve been up for at least an hour. I can barely be expected to be sociable even then!

 

38. Have you ever slept past midday?

 

Not as part of a regular night’s sleep, no. If I’m in bed ill or something like that then I’ve been asleep at midday, yes.

 

39. Do you regret anything?

 

There are things I regret, yes, but if I changed them, some of the good things that have happened to me would also disappear, and I don’t want that. It’s irrelevant anyway, all I can do is continue forward from this point.

 

40. Can you count the number of friends that you have on one hand?

 

I think I might just need a second hand. I have many acquaintances but only a few really good friends.

 

41. Do you wear glasses?

 

Yes, I am a meganekko. Can’t see a thing without them. I have sexy TV world glasses.

 

42. Are you a picky eater?

 

Not at all. There are a few things I don’t like, but I love cooking and trying new things.

 

43. Would you die for someone?

 

I’d rather not if it can be avoided. I mean maybe on the spur of the moment I might end up pushing someone out of the way of flowing lava and fall in myself, but it wouldn’t be pre-planned.

 

44. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

 

It might be interesting to be a telepath, as long as you could shut it off when you wanted to – although I’d probably feel too guilty about looking inside people’s heads!

 

45. Do you believe in the supernatural?

 

Since I’m a scientist, I’m inclined to scepticism, so in general, no.

 

46. Would you rather be rich or famous?

 

I’d love to be a rich bastard.

 

47. Have you ever committed a crime?

 

For the last time, I don’t know where the bodies are buried!

 

48. Time traveler or ghost?

 

I don’t see much advantage in being a ghost, unless having the boys from Supernatural come to burn your bones counts as a plus. I’d love to travel in time with the Doctor, but I’d always be concerned about paradoxes.

49. Does anybody have a crush on you?

You’ll have to ask them, I’m afraid. No one has indicated as such.

 

50. Are you in a relationship?

Is this what it was all leading up to, a proposition? No, but there is someone I like. When the eroge of my life is released, you’ll know more.