Duty and Desire: what drives Chitanda?

In part two of our series on Chitanda Eru, we take a look at the reasons why Chitanda behaves as she does. What compels this girl to do as much as she can for people? Why is she so eager to please and be earnest with what she does? I feel her actions are mostly driven by her role as the future Chitanda family head and the upbringing that was likely associated with it. Not only that, but Chitanda is a person with a great sense of duty, which drives her to do whatever she needs to in order to get a job done. Together, these two parts of Chitanda’s being produce an inexorable desire to please others.

I highly recommend reading Ibu’s article on Chitanda’s two personas either before or after this. The articles were written with each other in mind, so they share a lot of ideas and fit together nicely.

The Watcher and the Watched: Shinsekai Yori (First Impressions)

The Fall 2012 season (which throws Dan back to March; cursed Australia) has been fairly promising so far. Of the many series we’re currently following, Shinsekai Yori has really won us over. In particular, the world it has established, with a seemingly omnipresent government, has captivated both of us.

If I don’t acknowledge it, it doesn’t exist: gender roles and obsession in Accel World

Accel World just finished airing with obvious sequel bait. As a series, I found it quite entertaining. Production values were high, the action was slick and fast paced and the soundtrack was pretty killer. But why was I unable to engage with a large portion of the core cast? The answer: Brain Burst.  And to top it all off, a nice serving of female disempowerment. So while Accel World did succeed on many fronts, it failed in what I consider the most important, its characters.

Rolo and Lelouch: was their final exchange a lie?

Ever since I finished Code Geass, I’ve wondered about the sincerity of the final exchange between the Lamperouge brothers. How genuine were Lelouch’s words? And so by asking that question, we ask what exactly was the nature of their relationship? Please be warned, spoilers for Code Geass ahead!

Fuku-chan and his identity crisis

Hyouka 16 saw Satoshi’s struggle to solve the Juumonji incident and show the world his brilliance continue. Alas, the episode wasn’t kind to him; Satoshi slipped further into despair and ultimately gave up on his quest, leaving Houtarou to solve the mystery, as per usual.