Welcome to The "Good" Senpai! What you have here is an anime blog...for the most part. What you have here is a space where I can dispense my nerdy thoughts. I review anime, I talk about movies, sometimes soccer, video games, and mostly anything that is on my mind. Hope you stay and read some articles and feel free to comment.
Many shows are aware enough to point out their own idiosyncrasies and even hang lampshades on them. Take the above comic for example, anyone who knows anything about Batman knows that The Joker has 'died' more times than anyone can count. It is just the way that Batman comics work, villains avoid death so that they can be reused down the line. The fact that Robin is so sure that The Joker is dead puts him in one of the more regrettable catagories in media: genre-blindess. There are often characters who have no idea what kind of show they're in exactly. Not literally of course but their actions are often completely oblivious considering the kind of show that they are in. Anime, having a wide array of sub-genres within itself often finds itself in this predicament. Many shounen animes have a few characters with hints of shoujo in them as well as many others. For a better idea of genre blindness lets have a look at a few characters: Shirley Fenette, Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
We start with a rather tragic example. Shirley is an interesting character as she seems to be under the impression that her show is a shoujo or harem anime rather than a shounen about terrorism. While most of the main cast is worrying about how they plan to start revolutions or avoiding being killed, Shirley is more worried about what her darling Lelouch thinks of her. Most of Shirley's time onscreen is spent playing the "does he like me game" and frequently engaging in romance anime tropes. Unfortunately, her genre-blindness proves fatal. These kind of actions don't really fly in the very cynical world of Code Geass which gets Shirley in big trouble more than a few times. (Similar things could be said about another classmate, Rivalz Cardemonde, but we'll keep this to one character per show)
Rock, Black Lagoon
The world of Black Lagoon is filled with killers, drug dealers, mob bosses, and psychopaths; Rokuro Okajima is not one of them. Rock is the typical anime protagonist who has high ideals that are frequently called into question by the cynical and crapsack world around him. However, while most shows will give evidence that the hero's idealism is actually needed in the world, Black Lagoon never actually gives you any indication that Rock is actually right. Instead you keep waiting for him to finally become the badass criminal that you keep expecting to be. Instead he keeps expecting the best out of the criminal underworld, people who have never acted nobly in their entire lives. A truly Genre-Blind character if there ever was one.
Rossiu, Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Rossiu has all the traits of a great leader: he understands politics, sometimes the ends have to justify the means, and overall is a realist. However, he exists in a universe where doing the impossible is not only possible but the main trade of the protagonists. In a real-life scenario his "greatest good for the greatest number" philosophy is justified. However, in an anime that frequently defies all the conventions of the actual world that we, the viewer, live in; he is just plain wrong.
Every Yu-Gi-Oh! Villain EVER
Anybody who has ever watched Yu-Gi-Oh! is completely aware of how ridiculous of a show it is. I mean, I understand that it is a show about card games and it has to be the be all end all. However, it has the most genre-blind villains on the face of the planet. They live in a world in which the protagonist is pretty much invincible in one very specific area, playing a children's card game. There are much better ways to defeat a protagonist: giant death traps, guns, knives; just about anything other than playing a children's card game. Most of their evil plans wouldn't even seem to necessitate playing a card game as most of them have powers that work outside of that arena. What powers you ask? Soul-stealing powers, powers of possession, ANCIENT EGYPTIAN LASER BEAMS!! All things that you don't need to be playing a children's card game to use.
The time has come again, the summer transfer window will open in July. However, this being a World Cup year, business will be done differently this year than in most years. The competition will likely keep transfer activity slow in the early going but expect loads of moving and shuffling as soon as it ends. Some teams have gotten started early despite this so lets look at the transfer outlook for each of the Premier League's top teams. Let's start with the newly minted champions: Manchester City
Manchester City
Goal: Keep Yaya Youre
Toure's recent comments have created doubts about his future at City
Safe to say, there are not many areas where Manchester City actually needs to strengthen. They have the best midfield pairing in the league, the deepest pool of strikers, and a solid back line. The only player who has had a real strong link to City is Arsenal right back Bacary Sagna who announced today he would not be re-signing with the Gunners. There could be some action for City as they try to improve at left back as well. Manchester City's offseason will be more about retaining players rather than going out and buying them. Yaya Toure's comments in the past week have put the team on high alert. City really cannot afford to lose Toure who has been their standout player since his arrival in 2010. Toure recently commented that "it would be an honor to play for PSG". In addition, City might lose James Milner and Edin Dzeko if they are not careful. Rumours about Sergio Aguero will always be rampant and there is always the chance that Real Madrid comes calling for the classy striker. Finally, City will also have to deal with the sanctions brought down on them for violating UEFA's Financial Fair Play Policy. Other than the Toure saga however, it should be a rather quiet summer for the champions.
Liverpool Goals: Get the team prepared for Champions League, keep Luis Suarez
Rodgers must have his team ready for UCL play
The advantage that Liverpool had over the other top teams in the league this season was that they did not have to play Champions League football or Europa League. That meant that their players could get plenty of rest in between league games which only helped their blistering attack. However, next season the Reds are in Europe which means their already thin squad will need bolstering. Help in the midfield will definitely be appreciated as Lucas Leiva could be on his way out. A strong defensive midfielder could be the last missing piece the team needs. Someone like Bayern Munich's Javi Martinez perhaps? In addition, manager Brendan Rodgers could potentially be looking to bolster his shaky backline this window as well. Improving squad depth is paramount as well as stocking the bench with attacking options, something Liverpool lacked this past season. Southampton's Adam Lallana and QPR's Loic Remy have already been labeled as targets. However, Brendan Rodgers is often unpredictable during the transfer window. Lastly, despite Real Madrid's claims that they are not interested in Suarez it is very likely that the European Champions will make a bid this summer. Suarez has already said that he plans to remain with Liverpool for the foreseeable future but Real Madrid often have a knack for getting their man. Watch this space.
Chelsea Goal: Find a star striker
All signs point to Costa being on his way to Chelsea
Chelsea's quest to find the star striker to go along with their excellent midfield may finally be over as recent reports suggest that Atletico Madrid's Diego Costa is on his way to Stamford Bridge. However, counting one's chickens before they hatch is always a dangerous game. Even if Costa lands at Stamford Bridge it is likely that Mourinho still kicks the tires on PSG's Edinson Cavani and AS Monaco's Radamel Falcao. This will also follow the exodus of Samuel Eto'o and Fernando Torres away from the club as Mourinho continues to shape the team in his image. There are also reports that Eden Hazard could be tempted away from the club after recent comments hinted at a rocky relationship with Mourinho. Even so, it is unlikely Hazard goes anywhere. Chelsea today also agreed to sign Atletico Madrid's Tiago on a free transfer, giving Mourinho another bus parking weapon.
Arsenal Goals: Get a striker, replace Bacary Sagna
Wenger has talked big about his spending power
I already covered some of this in my Arsenal season review but I'll continue that dialogue here. One thing to know about Arsenal in transfers is that the players that the media links them to are often not the ones they are really after. Other than Lukas Podolski's transfer to the club two years ago, it is rare to see the media give concrete reports about Arsene Wenger's plans until the day of the transfer. Wenger and the Arsenal execs have been bragging about the team's ability to spend, that they could afford any player other than the Messi, Ronaldo, Bale upper stratosphere. Arsenal's need for a striker is hardly recent news in fact it has been the story of the season. Arsenal has been linked to just about every striker 'on the market': Diego Costa, Mario Mandzukic, Karim Benzema, Loic Remy, and Carlos Vela. Other reports have the Gunners chasing defensive midfield talents such as Bayern's Javi Martinez, Southampton's Morgan Schneiderlin, or Real Madrid's Sami Khedira all of whom would add steel to the heart of Arsenal's midfield. The current pressing issue however is who will replace the departing Bacary Sagna. Toulouse's Serge Aurier has been a constant link and Wenger is known to be a big fan of Dortmund's Lukasz Piszczek as well. Should be an interesting summer for the Gunners.
Everton Goal: Retain or replace their loanees, keep their core
Can Everton hold on to Ross Barkley?
Losing Romelu Lukaku, Gareth Barry, and Gerard Deulofeu will be a huge loss for this Everton team. Already looking at the gloomy prospect of competing in the Europa League, Roberto Martinez will need to bolster his thin side. Previous manager David Moyes made a living off of bargain signings and Martinez could very well do the same. Retaining Lukaku is of the utmost importance but odds are he lands back at Chelsea. Perhaps a move for Manchester United's Danny Welbeck could be in the cards. Everton will also have to contend with other sides coming after their players as well. Ross Barkley, Seamus Coleman, and Leighton Baines should all see heavy amount of interest this offseason. Everton is the big wild card in the transfer market being the top team with the least spending power. If they can retain their loanees and then bolster the squad on top of that, they will consider this a successful summer.
Tottenham Hotspur Goal: Stability
Daniel Levy may be wise to lay off the spending this window
Tottenham have been big movers and shakers over the past two seasons. However, despite flashy moves in the transfer market they haven't exactly closed the gap between them and the upper echelon of the Premier League. That being said it could be tempting for the Spurs top brass to shake things up again. However, that would also be the wrong thing to do. Spurs have a chance to develop some consistency in their squad and have a fresh start with new manager Mauricio Pochettino. The roster isn't suited for his style yet but based on how constant turnover has only crippled Spurs in the past it might be wise to shake things up as little as possible. Roberto Soldado, Paulinho, and Erik Lamela are good players that will no doubt improve next year. Massive roster turnover would only hurt the team again/ That being said, Spurs could still improve in some areas, most notably defense and at striker. Pochettino's hiring could also open up the Southampton player market to them so they may bid for Luka Shaw or Adam Lallana. Reports also have them interested in Loic Remy as well.
Manchester United Goal: Win back credibility
Van Gaal must better his predecessor this window
Man U's past season goes without saying, it was rather awful. Awesome for everyone who wasn't a fan of them, but living hell for everyone at the club and everyone who supports the club. The appointment of Louis van Gaal as manager should immediately restore the credibility vacuum that was left when Sir Alex Ferguson left and David Moyes took over. Man U players have already commented on how van Gaal has already brought that credibility back to the club. Now Man U must have a successful transfer window, this means the cleaning out of the deadwood and elderly players. It also means that the club must land one or two big transfers. Defensive midfield appears to be where the club needs help the most so expect the club to spend there as well as reinforcing their shaky back line. Early reports say that Southampton left back Luke Shaw is on his way to Old Trafford but similar to Chelsea's Diego Costa situation; anything could happen.
I have to say that I'm not the biggest fan of surprises, at least surprises of the bad variety. However, every once in awhile something comes along that surprises you in the best of ways. The Devil Is A Part-Timer is one of those pleasant surprise, a dark horse if you will that came out of the Fall 2013 anime season. Of course, despite the rave reviews it received I kept myself from watching it due to my rule that I never watch an anime until it has finished its run. Overall, I found myself pleasantly surprised by The Devil Is A Part-Timer during it's fun-filled 13 episode run.
The plot of The Devil Is A Part-Timer! is essentially right there on the packaging. In the world of Ente Isla, The Devil (or Satan if you will) and his horde of demons are constantly at war with the humans. He's a pretty mean and terrible guy who has killed a lot of people. Of course, humanity fights back against his terrible ways and in fact pins him back in his own castle. Sensing defeat, The Devil flees to to our world alongside his general Alciel. However, upon escaping into our world, Satan and Alciel find themselves without magic and in human forms. Realizing that reacquiring their powers is the only way to return to Ente Isla they decide that until they can do so, they will have to abide by the rules of the human world. This forces Satan into the most hilarious of roles, a part-time worker at "MgRonalds" an obvious rip off of the real world McDonalds franchise. The opening episodes deal mostly with Satan, now known as Sadao Maou and Alciel, now known as Shirou Ashiya, adjusting to the human world in hilarious fashion. However, their somewhat peaceful living situation is complicated by the revelation that Satan's archenemy from Ente Isla, Hero Emilia has followed him into the human world and is working in customer service, a similarly hilarious occupation. While originally this appears to be a source of drama and tension for the show, it ends up being played for laughs. Despite Emelia's hostile words the two enter a rather hilarious situation where neither has their powers and both find themselves in the boat of adjusting to the scary reality of our world. Circumstances force them into a rather uneasy ceasefire that leads to a lot of hilarity.
The hilarity of The Devil Is A Part-Timer! comes from its simple and yet hilarious premise. Placing characters from a mythical world of magic and monsters into our modern world is absolutely hysterical. The show is littered with hardly subtle callouts to modern restaurant chains like MgRonalds and Sentucky Fried Chicken. Even a pop culture reference like Holy Potter appears at one point. Hearing Satan plot out his plan to become employee of month with the same glee that one would apply to discussing a plan for world domination. In addition to these depowered character having to take part-time jobs and live paycheck to paycheck we see them placed into real world situations and watch them fail miserably in them. Similar to Ouran High School Host Club even the most mundane of situations can be turned into real drama. For example, an entire episode is dedicated to Satan's attempts to attract customers and compete with the Sentucky Fried Chicken that opened across the street. Seeing the once all-powerful demon king become terrified of his shift manager is definitely entertaining. The Devil Is A Part-Timer! draws it's strength from lampshade hanging mostly of the world in which these characters come from and mocking the bravado they apply to the most everyday of situations. Of course, this lampshading is lampshaded by another cast of characters, like Emilia who deliver snark wherever necessary. All of this collides into one incredibly entertaining show. It does have its share of serious moments and the animation style always switches to let you know when the mood changes. This is most evident in the action scenes where the characters use what little powers they still have left. The show handles this just as well as any other shounen would. However, as entertaining as it is The Devil Is A Part-Timer! is not without its share of flaws.
While it starts especially strong, The Devil Is A Part-Timer! doesn't exactly sustain it's momentum throughout its 13 episode run. The first five episodes or so are wildly entertaining, lots of comedy and playing with the ridiculousness of the show's premise. However, afterwards the show's quality begins to decrease. It's still entertaining but I didn't find myself laughing out loud as much as I did in the show's beginning. For a show that only runs for 13 episodes there is little excuse for it to run out of steam midway through its run. The finale also struck me as a little disappointing as it lacked the feeling of finality and closure that a final episode should have. However, the open ended way that it does end indicates that there may be a second season on the horizon. Despite my gripes with the plot, The Devil Is A Part-Timer! still manages to be entertaining the entire way, even if the later episodes can't match the initial quality.
For a premise like this to work, the characters need to be strong. While The Devil Is A Part-Timer's characters don't really do much other than reinforce a lot of anime stereotypes they actually fit the show's premise very well. However, despite being a main character is amazing at how little of the focus is actually on Satan himself. The character who receives the most growth over the course of the show is Emilia who begins as a tsundere who is much more tsun than dere at the beginning. She's skeptical of Satan at the beginning since she only knows him as the demon king from Ente Isla, however like the viewing audience she starts to see that he's really not so bad. Satan himself goes from being a ruthless killer to a compassionate and hard working human. The character who experiences the most hilarious change is Ashiya who goes from being a fearsome general in Satan's army to one who plays the role of the housewife and gives Satan a hard slap on the wrist whenever he mismanages the household funds. The problem here is that the characters seem to make their biggest changes following the early episodes and then never really growing. Emilia of course is the one example as she slowly begins to warm up to Satan and Ashiya. I found that she was the best character of the bunch as her mistrust of the demons results in some of the show's best moments. The show also seems to play off how titles and appearances can be deceiving. Emilia constantly views herself as the prototypical hero though most of the cast remarks at how many of her actions don't seem to fit the profile. At the same time, the rest of the cast sees that Satan isn't necessarily a bad guy just because he's Satan. People can change if they will it to be so would seem to be the theme here.
There is also the girl that Satan works with at MgRonald's named Chi who is quite obviously there mostly for fanservice reasons. Her character really only exists to be a love interest for Satan and most of the time she just ends up being downright annoying. Same goes for Suzuno who is another character who joins the main cast about midway through and doesn't exactly add much the the plot in any way. It seems that beyond Satan, Ashiya, and Emilia that the show lacks any original or interesting characters. Hopefully if there is a second season this will be addressed.
AV-wise, it's hard to say that The Devil Is A Part-Timer! does anything extraordinary here. The character designs are well-made and the animation is fun to watch. Here it's more about the writing than anything else. It looks about as good as you'd expect, the highlights being whenever the characters use their powers. The soundtrack is inoffensive as well, its good enough to succeed, even if the opening and ending themes are rather subpar. This catagory is probably the most average thing about the show and by no means does it mean bad. However, after going through three animes with fantastic soundtracks (Psycho-Pass, Kill la Kill, and Attack On Titan) this feels a little disappointing.
The Devil Is A Part-Timer is a great watch, there's little risk or time commitment involved as it is only 13 episodes. What you'll find here is a highly entertaining show and what it may lack in substance or intellectual depth it makes up for with great writing and burst at the seams laughter. Is it perfect, of course not, but it's exactly what it is. This never claimed to be a show about anything else other than a collection of beings from a mythical realm trying to hack it as part-timers in Modern Japan. It definitely deserves the praise that it is getting and without a doubt is a show that any anime fan should check out.
This coming Saturday, Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid will face off in Lisbon for the right to lift the trophy above on the right, the Champions League. It is the the greatest honor in all of club football, recognition that your team is Europe's best and in the same vein, is the best team in the world. However, this comes into conflict with the message sent by the World Cup, that its winner is the greatest team in the world. In fact, it is now a reasonable debate as to whether the Champions League has eclipsed the World Cup in terms of significance. The answer to this question is not entirely clear, while the Champions League is certainly a large achievement, does it really carry the same or greater weight than the World Cup? Let's take it to some analysis:
1.) Champions League has a better pool of teams and players
The World Cup is missing one of the world's best attacking pairs
The truth about a national team is that each side is limited in terms of the players that they can field. For example, a team like Sweden can't just go out and buy a new left back to shore up a weakness. For the most part, national teams are stuck with the players they have and there isn't much they can do about it. The quality of teams in the Champions League is certainly higher as there are several players who aren't making appearances at this World Cup, more teams means that more players can get in, especially ones who come from sides like Wales, Armenia, Sweden, or Austria. This year's World Cup will be missing the likes of Gareth Bale, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, David Alaba, Aaron Ramsey, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Like the World Cup, the Champions League does have its pecking order of teams, however, the gap between the best team and the worst team is not nearly as large as it is between say Spain and Iran. So yes, the Champions League has a stronger talent pool.
2.) More attacking football
UCL play is more free flowing than international play
The problem that comes with single-elimination games after the group stage is that it forces teams to play defensively. The World Cup is a different stage altogether because of this, both teams are afraid of making the first mistake. This doesn't mean that some teams won't attack, teams like Germany will obviously come out on the front foot in most games. However, the fear of pressing too high up the pitch is present for every team. The Champions League features two-legs fixtures after the group stages up until the final which puts more of an emphasis on attacking first making for more entertaining games. Of course, this doesn't mean that some teams won't play defensively (ahem, Chelsea) but attacking football is more of the trend in UCL play.
3.) However, what the World Cup misses in quality it makes up for with passion
World Cup is an entirely different animal
So yes, perhaps the quality of football is better in club play, however, it misses the key ingredient of passion that makes world football so wonderful. It is easy to get behind a club team, you pick them based on players or maybe you're just a front runner. Perhaps you just like their uniforms or think Cristiano Ronaldo is really hot. National teams are different, you can't just switch allegiances on a whim. Being American I'm not unused to feeling a little insecure about the US's position in world football, doesn't mean I'm not going to cheer for them with everything I have. You may be a Real Madrid fan, a Bayern Munich fan, a Liverpool fan, a Benfica fan, but you're also Spanish, British, German, or Belgian. Club allegiances may change but national pride never dies. The World Cup brings countries together, solves feuds, and has each nation's fans cheering as loud as they can in the stands. You can see it in the players as well, it is an honor to represent your country and to win the World Cup for your country. In that sense it is on a different level than the Champions League. Many players have passion for their clubs but it will always be eclipsed by the passion they feel for their country.
4.) The world's game, not just Europe
The World Cup turns even the US into a soccer nation
The Champions League has the world's best players and the best teams, this is true. However, it is not the world spectacle that the World Cup is. The World Cup final still attracts more viewers worldwide than the UCL. The World Cup is more likely to attract the casual football fan than the UCL because once again it is about national pride rather than club pride. Even a country like the US in which football plays second fiddle to the NFL and the other major sports, the US is able to get behind its national team. For a few weeks in the summer, the whole world is football crazed.
5.) So which is actually the bigger trophy to win?
The Champions League trophy is probably the bigger accomplishment nowadays. A higher level of competition and a longer road to the cup make the UCL a tougher competition all around. However, the World Cup will always mean more to the players and the fans. Score the winning goal in a World Cup final and you'll be a national hero like Andres Iniesta. It is not a stretch to think that the World Cup is a bigger dream for fans and players alike. It only comes around every 4 years, that span of time makes the trophy that much more elusive. The Champions League is there every year, the list of great players who never won a World Cup is likely longer than those who didn't win the UCL. It is that elusiveness that will forever make the World Cup the preeminent trophy to win.
The Arsenal season of 2013-2014 was one of many highs and many lows. This season saw the Gunners overcome a lot of adversity and negative press and forced them to make their own happy ending. The Gunners started the seasons strong, in great form and at the top of the table. However, injuries and some terrible results to their title rivals derailed the title challenge and saw Arsenal finish in the all too familiar position of 4th. However, the best success of the season was found in the FA Cup where yesterday Arsenal overturned a two goal deficit to beat Hull City to win the trophy, effectively putting an end to the 9 year trophy drought. So without further ado lets address the big points at hand here.
1.) The FA Cup is a big achievement but Arsenal must use this as a stepping stone
Arsenal fans felt a big release of emotion following the final whistle at the end of extra time. Hull really took the game to Arsenal but through some fighting spirit (and a little luck) the Gunners were able to pull through. While not the most convincing of wins, it was a trophy that Arsenal thoroughly deserve. They beat Spurs, Liverpool, Everton, and Wigan (the cup holders) to get to the final and Hull could hardly be considered an "easy" opponent. The important thing is the Arsenal won and these players now have experienced the feeling of winning a major trophy. There is now a greater feeling of optimism around the Gunners heading into the summer this year as opposed to last year in which finishing in 4th felt more like a punch to the gut. Arsenal has finally gotten back to winning trophies, now they must use this success to go out and invest in the squad and challenge for the Premier League next season.
2.) Arsene Wenger's kids are growing up
Arsene Wenger is often criticized by fans and pundits alike for relying too much on youth to win. However, the critics now might be eating their words when they look at the young core that Wenger has assembled. Aaron Ramsey, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott, and Kieran Gibbs among others all hit incredible runs of form. Ramsey stands out the most for going from fan pariah to probably the most loved player among the fans in a matter of months. Gibbs is another player who elevated himself into the group of best left backs on the continent this season with several brilliant attacking performances. A new group of youngsters could also be on their way down the line in the forms of Yaya Sanogo, Gedion Zelalem, and Serge Gnabry. The future really does look bright for the Gunners.
3.) Squad Consistency
Once again it doesn't appear that there will be a major exodus of players out the door this season for Arsenal. That fact alone led to the Gunners success this season, no major players left and shook up the team. Keeping the same players together allowed Aaron Ramsey to emerge this year, Olivier Giroud to improve, and Koscielny and Mertesacker to further develop their partnership. This is a squad that seems to love one another and enjoys playing together. That love really showed in the celebrations following the FA Cup win. Keeping the core of this team together is best for everyone.
So now here are my awards for this season:
Player(s) of the Season: Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny
It was really hard not to give this award to Aaron Ramsey because of his spectacular season but to get to the core of why Arsenal was successful this year it comes down to defense. In years past Arsenal has been doomed by defensive errors and has struggled to find a working centre-back combination. Mertescaker and Koscielny were that iron wall for Arsenal this season, working hard together and delivering many a clean sheet for the Gunners. By fixing the problem at the back, Arsenal improved the entire team which is why I have to give the honors to these guys.
Honorable mentions: Aaron Ramsey, Wojciech Szczesny, Bacary Sagna
"Worst" Player of the Season: Nacho Monreal
Picking a least valuable player out of this year's bunch was rather difficult because no Arsenal player actually stood out in that way. Even the guy I've chosen this year, Nacho Monreal, scored the winning penalty in a League Cup shoot-out! However, Monreal was also on the receiving end of some pretty bad maulings this season, most notably against Liverpool. Monreal started the year on equal footing with Kieran Gibbs and by the end was quite clearly second-choice, his performances in relief of Gibbs indicating that as well. Monreal was not egregiously bad this year but his marginalization within the team is what earns him this award.
Honorable Mention: Nicklas Bendtner (barely, you need to actually play to be considered for this)
Game of the Season: FA Cup Final vs Hull City Was there any doubt about this one? Sure Arsenal may have played better games during the season but this was easily the most meaningful and important win of them all. The game started out nightmarishly for the Gunners, going down by 2 goals in the first 8 minutes. Many Arsenal fans had their head in the hands thinking that Arsenal was simply folding in a big game again. However, instead of folding, they rose to the challenge. A Santi Cazorla free kick in the first half got them back in the game. Lauren Koscielny drew them level in the second half and from there the game's result was never in doubt. When Aaron Ramsey scored the winner in the second period of extra time, 9 years of frustration was released all across Wembley; Arsenal were finally champions again.
Honorable Mentions: 4-1 vs Norwich, 2-0 vs Liverpool, 2-0 vs Napoli in Champions League, and the first 1-0 win over Spurs at the Emirates
Worst Game of the Season: The Mauling at Anfield
Handed another chance to prove themselves in a big game the Gunners found themselves 4-0 down to Liverpool before the twenty minute mark. Liverpool's fast paced blitz felt like a call back to the Arsene Wenger teams of old and felt like a reminder of how long it had been since Arsenal had won a trophy. Arsenal would eventually pull a goal back through Mikel Arteta but by then it was already too late. Liverpool had announced their title candidacy with the win and Arsenal began to see the Premier League title slip through their fingers.
Honorable Mention: the 6-0 drubbing at Stamford Bridge, the 3-0 beating at the hands of Everton, the 2-2 draw against Swansea at the Emirates, and Bayern's 2-0 victory at the Emirates which saw Wojciech Szczesny sent off
Surprise of the Season: Aaron Ramsey
Aaron Ramsey's Arsenal career before the season was marked by two things, a broken leg against Stoke in 2010 and constant criticism from Arsenal fans just about every game. Most of the criticism was unfair and by the end of last season he had established himself as one of Arsenal's best players. However, nobody could have forseen the leap Aaron Ramsey took this year from a good player to a great player. At the start of the season he was scoring cracking goals for fun, playing with intense energy every game, and the team always played best when he was in the side. In a span of months he became Arsenal's pivotal player and their dip in form correlated closely with when he was lost to injury after the New Year. Even after he returned from injury no other Arsenal player had laid claim to his spot of second leading goalscorer. When he returned in the spring he picked up exactly where he left off and scored the winner in the FA Cup final. He's only 23 which means his best years are still yet to come.
Honorable Mention: Yaya Sanogo
Performance of the Season: The midfield in the 2-0 win over Liverpool at the Emirates
The stakes were high, an early season matchup between the two teams that occupied the table at the time. Most of the pregame talk was about Liverpool's star strikers Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge however after the game the talk was about Arsenal's midfield. Brendan Rodgers sent his Liverpool team out with three man midfield that quickly found itself overwhelmed by the creative interplay between Mesut Özil, Tomas Rosicky, Aaron Ramsey, Mikel Arteta, and Santi Cazorla. Arsenal ran the game and ended it with a huge win that provided a glimpse of just how good they could be. It was that game that forced Rodgers to switch up his tactics to the ones which led to Liverpool's title push.
Goals of the Season (Known this year as "The Aaron Ramsey Show"): 5.) Aaron Ramsey vs Norwich
It was a game filled with fantastic goals and Aaron Ramsey's was no exception. Great move into the box, through one defender, by the other and a classy finish.
4.) Tomas Rosicky vs Sunderland
An exquisite goal that features all of the lovely passing and skill that makes Arsene Wenger's style of football so brilliant to watch. The lovely chip at the end makes it all the sweeter.
3.) Aaron Ramsey vs Norwich pt. 2
Having missed several months since the New Year, Aaron Ramsey picked the last game of the season to show Arsenal fans that he early season form wasn't just a flash in the pan. Fantastic technique to volley the ball home.
2.) Aaron Ramsey vs Liverpool
This time he strikes from long range, goalkeeper helpless. A great goal from one of Arsenal's best wins this season.
1.) Jack Wilshere vs Norwich
Like the Rosicky goal this goal represents the end product of some fantastic one touch passing. Voted the Premier League's goal of the season this one has to go down as one of the best team goals of the year and of all-time.
So what does Arsenal need to improve for next year? 1.) Better results against top teams
Arsenal figured out how to beat up on the small fries this season. The only losses they had to teams outside the top 5 were to Stoke City and Manchester United. However, their form against their title rivals left little to be desired. 6-3 at Manchester City, 5-1 at Liverpool, 6-0 at Chelsea, and 3-0 at Everton. Sense a trend? Arsenal had their worst results this season away against top teams and things got ugly quick. Arsenal needs to be better prepared mentally for big games, even against Hull they struggled out of the gates. In order to contend for the league next year Arsenal will need better results against these teams.
2.) Sign a top striker
The two teams that were in the race for the title on the last day of the season, Liverpool and Manchester City, both had one thing in common. They possess world class strikers who provide goals when the team needs them. Olivier Giroud's 22 goals in all competitions was a fine tally, however lack of depth at striker meant that he was playing many of Arsenal's biggest games extremely fatigued. Giroud has also shown great form when he can play off a second striker who is faster, for example Yaya Sanogo. Giroud is good enough to play at Arsenal but signing a second striker is definitely necessary for Arsenal to contend for the Premier League title.
Now onto the summer, who will Arsenal be in the market for?
Loic Remy was spotted in the stands during the Arsenal-West Brom match earlier this month, fueling speculation that he could on his way to Arsenal. The striker has spent the past year on loan at Newcastle from Queens Park Rangers and would relish a permanent move to top club in the Premier League. His pace is exactly the kind of thing Arsenal's midfield wants, a striker who can get behind defenders; something that was missing in Theo Walcott's absence.
Rumors are abound that Arsenal is interested in activating the buy-back clause that they have on Real Sociedad striker and former Gunner Carlos Vela. Vela left the Emirates before the start of the 2012-2013 season but Arsene Wenger felt reason to include a buy-back clause in the deal. Now Vela is available to the Gunners for a relatively cheap 3.3 million pounds. Few players in Europe have been as prolific as Vela has been for Sociedad over the past two years so it may be a risk worth taking.
Another Real Sociedad man, Antoine Griezmann, could also be available this summer. His price will most definitely be higher than either Vela or Remy but Arsene Wenger could be convinced to splash the cash on the young Frenchman.
A more radical rumor is that Arsenal is willing to bid 30 million for the services of Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema. The Frenchman has been in fine form for Madrid this season and he seems to be an unlikely arrival unless Madrid pull off a shock move for Liverpool's Luis Suarez.
Reports out of France suggest that Toulouse full-back Serge Aurier is headed to the Emirates this summer. He could be seen as a replacement for the potentially departing Bacary Sagna. Aurier is known as a huge Arsenal fan and is willing to make the switch no matter the price according to French sources.
Well it finally happened. After an absolutely killer second season, Arrow wrapped up last night on a rather high note with "Unthinkable". Simply put, it wasn't up to the same quality as the recent string of episodes which packed so much emotional punch and character development into them. "Unthinkable" is more fast-paced, cutting out the character interactions in favor of absolutely epic moments. Overall, it was a good final episode, rehashing several of the best themes from this season and bringing a satisfying end to the Slade/Oliver storyline...for now at least. So here's a few notes from last night's episode.
1.) Several plot points just sort of drop dead The writing in the second season has been much improved from the first, most notably with the ability to bring up plot points and character arcs and close them off nicely. However, the finale fails to bring several plot points to satisfactory ends. For example, Isabel Rochev tormented Oliver all season and had only just been resurrected with the Mirakuru. About 15 minutes into the episode she's quickly dispatched by Nyssa, not even getting to finish her last sentence. Seemed rather anticlimactic for her character. It also surprised me that they didn't keep her around as Ravager or a loose end to set up a possible return for Slade. Secondly, can Arrow really drop a bombshell like Detective Lance's medical emergency in the dying moments of the show and then not resolve it? What about when Amanda Waller just announces Leila's pregnancy in the middle of a heated Mexican stand-off? Those two moments just felt like rather unnecessary swerves that got squeezed into what was already a pretty packed finale. Either way, the fact that these events happened sets up some rather interesting things for the third season.
2.) However, Oliver and Slade seem to get a fitting end This entire season has been a battle between Oliver and Slade, which is actually what turned out to be Slade's downfall. Not being able to notice that Oliver was actually on to his placing cameras all around the Queen estate was a rather big mistake. This allowed Oliver to finally inject Slade with the cure and fight him on even footing. Dovetailing the present battle and their one in the past on the Amazo was a brilliant cinematic decision. It shows not only how Oliver is still reliving the mistakes of his past but also how much he has learned from them. When Slade is at his mercy, instead of choosing to kill him like he did in the past, Oliver takes the second option. The fight also showed that Oliver's skills have improved a great deal over the past two years, disproving Slade's notion that it was him who made Oliver. On that same point, the scene where Oliver thanks Slade for helping him was not only a great twisting of the knife to Slade but also a slight call back to when the two were the best of friends. It still remains heartbreaking to see what Slade had become, even if he claims it wasn't the Mirakuru that made him hate Oliver. The fight also was a little bittersweet as it also reminded me of how little we actually got to see of Slade as Deathstroke this season. Lastly, Slade ends up locked up on the island which either means we'll never see him again or the fact that he's locked up with A.R.G.U.S. could imply a future team up with the Suicide Squad. Deathstroke is a recurring member of Suicide Squad in the comics but given Amanda Waller's reaction to Slade's action it is more likely he remains locked up.
3.) Thea's running away with Malcolm Merlyn looks like one of the best storylines of Season 3 During the season Malcolm Merlyn inexplicably showed up, dropped the bombshell that Thea was his daughter, got told off by Moira, and then promptly dropped off the face of the earth. All while no real reason was given as to how exactly he survived being stabbed through the heart. That was until he came back to Starling City to rescue Thea in the final two episodes. Through some rather manipulative words he seems to have convinced Thea to come with him. Where to exactly is another question. Perhaps he's going to train Thea as an archer and launch another plan on Starling City? Thea has been called Speedy frequently during the show, a name which is typically given to Roy instead as Green Arrow's sidekick. John Barrowman has also now been added as a series regular for the next season which means we can expect Merlyn to be a prominent character. Even so, that is really all we know. Of the several parts of the open ended ending, the twist of Thea leaving Roy to go with Merlyn was definitely the best, mostly because it's extremely ambiguous as to what exactly is going to happen.
4.) So who's wearing the masks in Season 3?
Towards the end of the finale it looked like the superteam was going to be a one-hit wonder as Sara pledged to return to the League of Assassins after the fight and Roy promised to leave with Thea. However, several interesting developments at the end seem to have changed that. Sara gives her jacket to Laurel when she leaves which definitely opens the door for Laurel to take up the mantle of Black Canary, even if Detective Lance doesn't seem to be fond of the idea. Doesn't seem like Starling is exactly done with the League of Assassins either. Given Nyssa's dissatisfaction with Oliver's methods it is likely they come back to Starling City to clean it up their way. Roy looks set up to become Speedy, Red Arrow, or Arsenal (one of the three) in the next season though its hard to imagine that he's not going to be a pain in Oliver's ass given Thea's departure. At the same time, Roy grew up a lot this season but given his past characterizations in other DC media it wouldn't be surprising to see him full of angst next season. Finally there's the matter of The Flash, the new spin-off. The teaser trailer aired right after the finale and the full trailer finally came out today. Finally seeing Barry in the Flash suit was definitely a treat. The series itself looks really cool though the question is how well Grant Gustin does as a main character. Buffy the Vampire Slayer was very successful with it's spin-off Angel however the main difference there is that Buffy has three season's to develop Angel as a protagonist before he got his own show. The character of Barry Allen got a two episode guest appearance in Arrow so there's still a lot we have yet to know about him. However, the trailer definitely shows that he has weight as a main character and only made me more excited to see how Arrow and The Flash will work together.
5.) Oliver and Felicity shippers get what they want...sort of... The fanbase seems very big on the Oliver/Felicity relationship so it seemed like a big deal when Oliver took her into his house to protect her from Slade. Oliver's declaration of that Felicity is the one he loves instead of Laurel seemed like a big moment that for the most part the season had been building towards. There were several moments during the season that hinted towards a future relationship so the moment felt right. However, we later learn that Oliver used that to trick Slade, giving Felicity the Mirakuru cure so that she could get close enough to Slade to use it. Afterwards, Oliver and Felicity seem to acknowledge that it was a trick, a convincing one, but a trick nonetheless. Ambiguity thy name is Oliver Queen. Hard not to feel sad for Felicity in that moment especially when the trailer for The Flash also gives us a look at Barry's love interest. That and Oliver seemed very intent on stating that Laurel wasn't the one he loved in front of Slade's cameras implying that she actually is the one he loves. The scene was either perfect or completely out of place. Either way, Oliver's plan was actually brilliant (minus the whole toying with Felicity's feelings thing), so props to the writers for that. 6.) We're done with the island...for now...
Oliver's interactions with Amanda Waller this season have hinted at some sort of relationship in the past. Turns out that A.R.G.U.S. are the ones who rescued Oliver from the Amazo and in the process took him off the island to Hong Kong. This should be a nice change from the last two seasons in which the flashback villains have simply been run of the mill "use the island for it's resources" kind of people. Also, anything involving Amanda Waller and A.R.G.U.S. should bring Oliver into contact with some interesting easter eggs from the comics. At the same time, we also know that Oliver somehow gets back to island which makes his leaving it in the third season all the more intriguing.
It is always nice to imagine a world without crime in which everyone lives in peace and security. Of course, the ways of achieving such a world are often unseemly despite philosophers best efforts. Psycho-Pass is a show which takes a crack at that perfect society while at the same time pointing out the negatives of placing human beings within systems. It got its run in lat 2012 and concluded in March of last year as one of the most popular and highly rated shows of that season. Stories about justice and its ambiguity have always interested me so it wasn't hard to sell me on the show's premise. Without further ado lets get to it.
Psycho-Pass takes place during an unspecified date in the near future where society is run by the Sibyl System. This system can instantaneously measure and quantify a person's state of mind and personality. In other words, the system judges whether a person has a criminal mentality. This measurement is used to preemptively take out criminals before they can commit a crime. Because of the system, society lives in peace. The story picks up with Akane Tsunemori, a young woman who has just started work as an Inspector with the MWSPD, the main unit of law enforcement. Along with Nobuchika Ginoza, her partner Inspector, she helps lead the Enforcers, those who have criminal mentalities but instead help the police solve crimes. Tsunemori quickly becomes attached to one of them, Shinya Kogami, and the plot proceeds from there. Also, the plot brings them into conflict with Shougo Makashima, an extremely dangerous criminal who can change his criminal mentality at will. The story moves rather slowly at the beginning as that time is used for Tsunemori to find out more about the Enforcers as well as giving the viewer an idea of what exactly society is like. She soon finds that the system isn't perfect and whether it is truly objective is up for debate. The motivations of the criminals are also quite interesting as the show provides some interesting philosophy on the criminal mentality as well.
Despite its rather small cast, Psycho-Pass struggles to makes its characters interesting
Some of the criminals have noble intentions with what they are doing but find their criminal mentality rising into dangerous territory. Even when society assigns a value to something and is able to quantify it, the system fails to account for human will. Its very Kantian and the characters very frequently delve into the works of many famous philosophers which is a treat for anyone who has studied that field. The plot makes you think long after you've finished watching the show. Whether its about how exactly we can mitigate crime or how we can achieve a "perfect" society. It has been awhile since an anime has really made me think in the way Psycho-Pass did. The story also seems to be a commentary on how technology has become more and more prominent in our lives as well as the contentment that people seem to have about deferring to it. It represents the danger of entrusting so much to technology and how complacent it makes people. For example, because of the existence of the Sibyl System a crime could be committed in public and many people just stand around and watch because they don't believe that crime even exists in society. It is a very dark concept and one that Psycho-Pass pulls it off very well.
Psycho-Pass does not have a very large cast which one would think would put an imperative on making each character deep and interesting. It is successful with the former but not so much the latter. There is plenty of backstory to had especially with each of the Enforcers who have each been through a horrendous amount of grief before the show even starts. Psycho-Pass is much more interested in fleshing out the Akane/Kogami relationship more that anything else, though Inspecter Ginoza and Masaoka probably comes close. While the relationship between Akane and Kogami is interesting, because debates about justice are always awesome, the rest of the characters feel very left out. Their jobs are more to spit out exposition or just deliver the lines that make you think rather than experience much development. Of the seven main members of the cast, four get solid screetime and most of that time is filled up by Akane and Kogami, whose relationship moves a little too quickly to make sense in actuality. The character I liked the most was Kagari, one of the Enforcers because he supplied the little bits of humor that the show has. However, his screentime was very much limited by those other four characters. At first, Akane seemed like the wide eyed and idealist protagonist who populates about 85% of anime. While I was frustrated with her character, the more the series went on the more I started to understand why her character is actually perfect. An anime like this that frequently vacations in grey areas needs an incorruptible and idealist hero. She reminded me a lot of Utena from Revolutionary Girl Utena in that sense. The gem of the characters however is the villain Makashima who is terrifying most of the time he's on screen. His calm demeanor makes it even more chilling when he manipulates people into become murderers or the stoic way he commits crimes himself. His status as an outlier in the system makes his personality especially threatening. For a main character though, I was very disappointed with Kogami. He's a total badass and his action scenes are some of the show's best however he's such a bland and uninteresting character that I couldn't really get behind him. The other character mostly fall into standard anime tropes; Ginoza is the strict and unfair boss, Masaoka is the father figure, and Kunizuka is the mysterious girl of the group. Psycho-Pass encourages you to immerse yourself within the world not so much within the characters, even so its hard to ignore the mostly lackluster cast.
Akane and Kogami doing their investigation thing
Psycho-Pass looks great and sounds great. The visuals were stunning, not so much the the character designs but rather the look and feel of the world. This is most noticeable in the interfaces of the technology that people use. Everything is slick and placed into holographic screens. People can change their clothing at will, the police use very cool guns called Dominators, and my screen was always filled with detailed images of a futuristic city. Psycho-Pass does a fantastic job setting up its environments and really immersing you within this near future world. The soundtrack was also highly enjoyable with two strong opening songs and a strong ending song courtesy of Egoist. I won't go as far as saying its was as enjoyable as the music in Kill la Kill but I found myself enjoying it more often than not.
Psycho-Pass is a highly enjoyable anime but I struggle to say that its exactly fun to watch. It's something that will make you think and by the time the later episodes come around it requires you to be highly attentive in order to get the full enjoyment out of it. Even so, I definitely recommend watching it because it is able to handle some very deep, dark, and philosophical elements and pull them off very well. If you're looking for a show that will make you think and maybe even raise your criminal mentality a bit, this is it.
