There are few plot devices more divisive and difficult to pull off than the unreliable narrator. Unless your work somehow manages to distinguish itself as a classic, the audience often feels cheated and is quick to turn on a story that can’t be trusted.
Tag: Irina pretends to know things
Stray Dogs, Dead Apples and Mel pt.2
Yesterday I told you I went to see Dead Apples with Mel and told you all about the movie. “All” being somewhat subjective at this point. “About” as well… I wrote a post that mentioned some Bungou Stray Dogs characters… But the movie you see, was only half of the experience! Side note: does your…
Danganronpa, Fullmetal Alchemist, and the Viciousness of Hope
I told you I had a couple of these up my sleeve. This time I’m contrasting Danganronpa with my latest obsession, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Yes, I realize I’m the absolute last person at this particular party. I’m still in the middle of the series (35 episodes in) as I write this, but I think I’m…
The Lighter Side of Deconstructions
I don’t know if you guys remember this, but a little while ago we had a whole series of really awesome posts on the subject of anime deconstructions. A slew of great bloggers weighted in and discussed various aspects and elements of deconstructions. And of course, debated over the definition and even existence of a…
In Anime and In Blogging, There is Nothing New Under the Sun
You know that thing: the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon? It’s basically when you’ve never even thought of something but suddenly it occurs to you then you start seeing it everywhere? I think it might be my superpower… With blog posts at least… As some of you know, I schedule everything and on average will write a post 2…
Berseria and Vesperia, Letting go of the Past Without Betraying Your Memories.
So here’s a little scenario that has been happening embarrassingly frequently lately. Irina’s inner monologue: It’s almost 10 pm, I’ll just play a little round of the Berseria card minigame, it takes like 2 minutes, then I’ll finish my presentation for tomorrow and be in bed by 11. I need to get up at 5, I…
Shaky Science – Binging Anime And Brains!
Binging anime vs weekly watching is an eternal debate… Many of my talented fellow bloggers have written great posts about the merits of each type of viewing. Here are a couple that I could find through my increasingly faulty reader app: https://lethargicramblings.wordpress.com/2017/04/15/lethargic-ramble-why-i-dont-watch-seasonal-anime/ https://remyfoolblog.com/2018/01/18/thoughts-on-marathoning-anime-following-seasonal-anime/ https://mechanicalanimereviews.com/2017/08/24/my-issues-with-binge-watching/
Lines in the Sand – My Fanservice Comfort Zone
Hi guys, for my next trick, I’m going to attempt the daunting task of honestly discussing fanservice without sucking all the fun out of it. Can I do it? Probably not.. tell you what, if you see me starting to loose the thread, just give me the signal and I’ll post some pics of half…
I Respectfully Disagree
Do you visit my blog for all the anime content? I admire your optimism! I’ll get back to reviews someday soon, I promise. Sadly, not today…. I am once again going to babble on about a random subject for way too long because I haven’t yet finished an anime I can review for you… Have…
Shoujo and Irina Talk About Problematic Otome Tropes pt1
Well Valentine’s is done, if you’re lucky you’re still on a sugar high! Code Realize is just about to hit the ps4 market (March 30th!), and mostly I’ve been playing a whole lot of dating sims lately so I figure it’s a good time to talk about something that’s been on my mind. I love…
Dealing With A Lull
Very few things in life are sustained. Pretty much everything both inside and outside of ourselves, goes through periods of high stress and activity and moments of calm. For bloggers, this can mean seeing a dip in your page views and a marked slowdown in new followers. If you haven’t done anything obvious to cause…
How To Blog with Lita! – Collab
I: Hi guys! Welcome to March 2018. Are you having fun yet? Not to rub it in or anything but I’m having a blast! I’m desperately trying to survive the eternal winter called Montreal – Buddy has decided his strategy is going to be to learn how to use the toilet and never go out…
Style Over Substance
I care about my blog’s appearance. Possibly a bit too much. I have poured hours into going over all the available WordPress themes just to end up keeping the one I have every single time. I like it a lot and I don’t see it that often, but I have overcluttered it a touch and…
Irina Adds Nothing to the Great Genre Debate
I’m a person that likes to classify things. Not so much because I feel the need to label and limit things but because I was the kid that sorted their legos by size and color. It’s just a thing I do. I also regularly reclassify things. Just because you are in one category, doesn’t mean…
The Joys and Struggles of Episodic Reviews
I have now been reviewing some shows on an episode by episode basis for weeks, WEEKS, so I’m fairly sure I now know everything there is to know about this particular process. I’ve thought about the differences of these types of posts as opposed to full series reviews and I figured those of you who…















