So, I had to take a little detour. The elections really had me in their thrall for a while. And, why not? They had all of the thrill of a truly Squee-worthy anime: Good V.S. Evil, nations in peril, vorpal swords. Well, maybe not the last bit. My candidate won, and now I can slink back into fantasy.
I'm currently taking Japanese classes (Yes. I am THAT anime fangirl. Well, intellectually at least. You won't catch me at cosplay or anything), and although I consider watching anime "practice," it really isnt at this point. Last night I had a dream that I was trying to speak Japanese, and I kept slipping up, and I said," I really need to study more." And, someone said, "Yes. Yes, you do." It's not an easy language. Well, it's not easy when you're of a certain age. A lot of the younger students seem to pick it up just like that. I have to really work at it.
Regardless, if there is one anime that actually does seem to fit nicely into language learning it is Mushi Shi. The stories and narration are very slow. The words and topics aren't too complex. There is a lot of vocabulary associated with nature, people, and actions that a beginning or intermediate learner can pick up pretty easily. At the same time, the stories remain beautifully written, solitary and part of an larger arc, and simply lovely.
My semester ends, for better or worse, in about two weeks, and I'll have spare time to dedicate to anime and manga as that happens. Keep your fingers crossed that I pass. I'm kind of not sure right now if I will, or if I will have to repeat the course before moving on. Eeeek.
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