The Hundredth Post! /// Music Monday #100

I never really thought that when I started my blog a few years back, I'd end up sharing 100 songs with you. Like, it's a super crazy thought . . . but also not, somehow? I wonder if I'll wind up reaching 200 Music Monday posts.

When I was trying to decide what song I should choose to commemorate this momentous occasion, I figured it had to be one that was special to me in some way. Well, extra special, perhaps. As I wracked my brain, one song came to mind, and it has a very special place in my heart. I give to you . . .

"Guren no Yumiya" from the album Jiyuu e no Shingeki

Performed by Linked Horizon

(Yes, I know I just did an anime song, but bear with me.)

When I thought about this particular song, I tried to recall just how I discovered it. It was one of two ways: I either first heard it in a meme video and ended up listening to the whole thing (which I'm 99% certain was how I found it), or I randomly wanted to check out anime music (which is definitely not sounding right the more I think about it). The important thing is that I found it and listened. It was in that moment that my life was changed.

You see, I liked the song so much that it made me want to watch the show. Who would've thought that hearing a single song would light such a strong interest in me? That interest was enough to buy the first two and a half seasons off of eBay without having watched a single episode. On the fateful day of September 15, 2019, I began my journey both into Attack on Titan and anime in general, and I haven't looked back.

I'm sure you're very well aware by this point that I absolutely love Attack on Titan and am maybe, kinda, just a little obsessed with it. But who knows what would've happened if I hadn't heard the song first? How much longer would it have taken me to watch the show? Would I have ever seen it? (The answer is yes, I think I would've gotten around to it eventually. But that's easy to say now, 'cuz I don't actually know.)

What is it about the song that I love so much? Well, there's that amazing choir that starts the song off with an angelic bang. Then the rest of the instruments kick in, with all the drums and strings and guitars and who-knows-what else. Honestly, "Guren no Yumiya" is a perfect example of just how well "regular" rock instruments can work with an orchestra and a choir. The combination is almost deadly. And let's not forget Revo's voice and how awesome it is too. There's something very . . . likeable about it. I couldn't tell you what exactly, but considering that this song got me into Japanese music, he obviously did something right.

Can I also say that it's cool to hear a Japanese person speak German? Works really well considering that the show is very European-based. Fun side note: the main character, Eren, has the last name Jaeger. In German, that translates to "hunter." So the very first line in the song approximately translates as, "We aren't the prey, we are the hunters!" It fits very well as one of the major themes of the show, not to mention the fact that the song is kind of considered to be Eren's theme.

Anyway, I'll stop rambling now. As you can tell, this song is one of my favorites (and is very popular with fans, as they often are referring to this one if they talk about the theme song for Attack on Titan), and it means a lot to me in a few different ways. Seemed like a very appropriate thing to share in celebration of 100 Mondays of music.

So what're your thoughts on "Guren no Yumiya?" Does it make you want to watch Attack on Titan as well? Any thoughts on the last 100 Music Monday posts? I say we raise a glass to the next 100--cheers and huzzah, I say!

The First Anime Opening /// Music Monday #99

Wow, it's time for another one of these? Maybe it just feels like that because of the all the Music Monday Awards posts I've written, especially since there was an extra round.

Our song for today is . . .

"Kiri" from the album Turbulence

Performed by Monoral

I realized that I had yet to showcase any anime opening or ending theme yet. In case you weren't aware, virtually every anime (that I know of) has a song that plays at the beginning of an episode and another for the end. They often have cool visuals that show off both aspects of the current plot and the characters therein without making it obvious that they're spoiling stuff. You tend to notice only after the fact.

Anyway, this one is a bit unusual because openings tend to be more upbeat or intense--at least, in the anime I'm watching--whereas this one is more mellow. That, however, doesn't make it any less good. Not only does it fit its show, Ergo Proxy, really well, but it's also just a nice song to listen to. If I didn't know better, I'd think I was listening to an early 2000s hit, or maybe even a bit of an older Christian song. But nope, it's a Japanese alternative rock band. I have to say, I'm impressed by the lead singer's English. Some Japanese singers have some difficulty pronouncing English words, but this guy doesn't seem to have that issue.

I decided to pick this because it was recently Easter, and this somehow felt like an appropriate song to choose? I dunno, some of the lyrics could be interpreted from a Christian perspective. The main chorus is simply crying out, "Come and save me." And then there's stuff like "You refill my place" and "Believe in me and drink the wine and take my hand and fill me up." It even ends by saying, "Take my hand and let me follow." Could just be me, but it felt like it has some Easter themes to it.

Anyway, I'm not sure what else to say. I'm pretty tired as of my writing this, so I apologize if it's not as interesting as usual. Seeing as the next one will be the 100th addition to this series, I'll have to do something really special for it!

What're your thoughts on the song? Do you agree that it could be seen from the viewpoint of a Christian? How do you feel about there being nearly 100 Music Monday posts?

Monthly HapPENings: March

Well, hel-LO there, April! How'd you get here so fast?

Seriously, where the heck did March end up going? It was here one minute and gone the next. And guess what? I didn't do squat! I know this is probably getting super boring at this point, but for real, there's nothing all that spectacular or noteworthy happening in my life right now--though I suppose that's the same for a lot of people, what with the lockdowns and restrictions and what-have-you. I did go to a local restaurant with my sisters for supper the other day. That was fun, since we haven't eaten out in quite some time. I just want things to get back to normal already.

Bookish HapPENings

Didn't really do any reading last month; in fact, I haven't even started my next book. But I want to get at least this one novel done before May, so . . . cross your fingers with me!

HapPENings on the Screen

I recently watched both Incredibles movies, and dang! I knew I absolutely loved the two films, but I think I had forgotten just how much. Like, I'm tempted to blog about them sometime, because they're actually some of the most mature Disney-Pixar movies to date. Plus they got really creative with their spins on the superhero genre, the first installment doing this even before the genre was popular. I need to get them for myself one of these days.

Just finished Joker Game several days ago. If you want a really interesting spy movie with more realism than Mission: Impossible despite being animated, you should watch it. The ending was very different from what I thought it would be, but I can certainly appreciate it. And while the whole show is very episodic, I think it does very well at telling the story and the messages that it wants to tell. I'd divulge into it more, but spoilers, am I right? (I really need to start a series of posts where I analyze anime.)

So I've been watching S4 of My Hero Academia for several weeks now--really loving the plot of the first arc. It's creepy, it's intense, and the fact that there's some dark realism to some of the plot points just makes everything hit that much harder. (Can't discuss those points, because, y'know, spoilers.) And then there's also the fact that I have no idea where the season is going to go afterward. Makes me very, very curious--and a tad worried.

While we're on the subject of hero shows, I've started watching S6 of The Flash. I'd say it's pretty solid so far! There was a time where the show was looking kind of meh, but I think it's found its stride again. The plot is pretty interesting, especially with how it was set up with stuff from the previous season. I also appreciate that it's only 19 episodes this time around. I've often felt like the other seasons have had a few "fluff and filler" episodes, so perhaps this will ensure that the plot is honed in on.

I was a bit nervous going into S2 of Psycho-Pass, as I'd seen people saying it wasn't as good as the first season. I needn't have bothered--I've found the second season to be just as good as its predecessor. Both are dark, violent tales that have very interesting commentary on society and free will. In fact, I'd say a lot of those messages and warnings hold true with everything going on these days. It makes it a very timely watch for me. I look forward to seeing how things conclude in this season!

Gaming HapPENings

Last week Saturday, I ended up playing Super Mario Odyssey for an hour or two. In that time, I reached Bowser's Kingdom, and was I not expecting it. First off, the architecture itself is unlike the usual for the Koopa King. He tends to have blockier, medieval-style castles. This one, as you can see, veers into the Japanese style--which I absolutely love. The backdrop of a moonlit sky with colorful clouds also helps make this final world a very memorable one. Did I mention the music, by the way? Because it is DOPE. I suspect I'll be finishing the main story in this game the next time I play, so I'm curious about that, as well as the endgame content.

Normally when I play my 2DS XL, I'll play a few different games at a time before I decide to change to a few other games. Not so in the month of March. During that time, I instead played 15-20 hours of just Tomodachi Life, and I loved every moment of it. Like, I really enjoyed the game before, but in the span of 31 days, I think it's become one of my top favorite 3DS titles of all time. It's so much fun and so nonsensical. For example, a character from The Flash show recently broke up with Tracey and was feeling super sad about it. My youngest two sisters and I hosted a pity party for him at the café, but the saddest part was that--while us other three had the most random and hilarious conversations--whenever we'd look at him for input, he'd stare unblinkingly at his cake. There are also the little things that make the game amusing, like how I gave my friend Preston a boxing suit, which he loved. He then proceeded to, whilst wearing his boxing gloves, type away furiously at his keyboard while someone sat there with him. If you have a 3DS or any of the other systems in its family, you need to buy this game.

Writerly HapPENings

And just like last month and the month before and so on and so forth, I have nothing to say in this section. I don't know how long it's been now since I last properly written, but . . . yeah. Maybe April will be different? Guess we'll see.

So that was my March! How was yours? Did it also fly by way too fast? What did you end up doing? Oh, and happy Good Friday/Easter to you and your family!