Check-in Station Year in Review: Winter 2013 (the Warmth of Companionship – and Subpar Anime)

With my Christmas post, I’ve already started my recap series for the year that I’ve dubbed End of Year Faffery.  My love of  British culture, and love the phrase “faffing about” is the inspiration behind this.  But don’t get the wrong idea.  Though I’m playing with concepts, presentation and ideas all the time on this blog; I’m seriously going through this blogs journey in anime throughout the entire year of 2013.  And I’m of course starting with the first season of the year, the Winter season.  After all, this blog is named the Check-in Station. It wouldn’t be appropriate for me to not not check-in at the end of the year with everything I’ve discovered, and experienced in world of anime.  Please enjoy, as I take on my journey through the year of anime, 2013.

Check-in Station: BTOOOM! eps1-5 (Island of the Jackasses)

In an age where it seems everyone is hypersensitive and has an opinion on everything regardless of experience or knowledge, I was a little skeptical about picking up BTOOOM!  For one, I’ve seen/read enough Battle Royale and anything that its spawned to no longer be entertained or excited by the mere concept of people killing each other for sport and spectator entertainment.  Plus, I don’t really care to see/hear anyone’s new interpretation of how video games turn people into psychos, killing machines, outcasts or jackasses.  It’s old hat to me.  Sort of like when a show does a “Gladiator” episode.  You should know what I’m talking about.  The hero(s) are transported to an alien world/planet where they’re apparently enslaved and must fight their way not only towards survival, but towards making that world a better place.  Superman’s done it in just about everything he’s been in.  Hulk is famous for it.  The Justice League cartoon milked that idea to death.  It’s come up in a few anime, but the actual names slip my mind.  I wouldn’t be surprised if My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic has an episode in the works!  Anyway, this blog post is not about that trend, but the one of having people kill each other for sport.  It’s a tune that’s been played to death.  But I suppose if something was enjoyed once, it can be enjoyed again with enough time to get over your initial exhaustion over it.  I’m thinking that that may be the case with BTOOOM!  Ugh… I am getting tired of typing that silly name though.

BTOOOM ep2: ew! I can’t think of a better reason for censorship than fat man sucking titty!

So now we get Himiko’s side of the story. I’m a little confused about her being blonde foreigner whose name is Himiko. Were her parents just a pair of weeaboos who loved Japan that much? Or is her story just a little bunked?

Regardless, she certainly had a rough time. Then again, she’s got some really bad luck. She has idiot friends that want to hang out with creepy rockers that, let’s be honest, look like their main hobby is raping little girls. Seriously, I wouldn’t be surprised if they [censored] [censored] into their own [censored]. Or [censored] small [censored] for fun. Ew!