According to my stats, this is the fiftieth post on this blog, which is a pretty crazy high number considering I’ve only been blogging regularly for about a month or so. Anyway, what better way to celebrate this event than with the 50 Questions thing that seems to be the thing with anibloggers? If you want to stalk me (and I know you want to!) here is finally your chance.

1. Who is your favorite male anime character?

Suzaku from Code Geass. This might seem like an odd choice considering how hated he is, but actually a lot of my favourite male characters are pretty unpopular with the general fanbase. I like the nice guys who actually aren’t that nice. Or they really want to be nice but they end up coming across as dickheads instead for some reason or other. Suzaku falls perfectly into this category. Nice guys are boring, but nice guys with destructive patterns of thinking are strangely compelling.

2. Who is your favorite female anime character?

Lacus Clyne from Gundam Seed was the first female anime character I ever truly loved. Like, I have figurines of her and stuff. One of my most powerful memories early as an anime fan was getting entranced by Lacus’s singing, especially in Fields of Hope. I’ve been a fan ever since.

Fun fact: If you look at my list of favourite characters on my MAL, they all have pink hair! Funny that. I’ve always idealised the pure, sweet girls, mostly.

3. What is your favorite anime soundtrack?

Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicle. I think it’s the best work Yuki Kaijura’s ever produced, right up there with her soundtrack for Mai-Hime and Madoka. It’s also the first soundtrack I ever loved enough to download, despite the fact that the anime itself was a rather poor adaptation.

4. What is your favorite anime opening?

JIBUN WO~

5. What is your favorite anime closing?

Secret Base from AnoHana. I also like Days of Dash from Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo. I think it was because these two anime incorporated the EDs in the closing of their episodes. Even now I get overwhelmed with memories when I listen to the songs.

6. What is your favorite anime scene?

Episode 30 of Gundam Seed, when Kira and Athrun genuinely tried to kill each other after pussying around it for so long. When I had a huge fight with my friend, it was that scene that flashed in my mind as we punched each other up. And like Kira and Athrun, we got over it. We’re still friends to this day.

7. If you could meet any anime character, who would it be?

Hmmm, tough question. Realistically speaking, a lot of my favourite 2D characters remind me a lot of myself or someone I know in real life, so it’s not l feel any need to go out and meet them.

If you asked me which anime school I’d like to attend or which cast of anime characters I’d like to meet in general, I’d say Baka and Test. I would’ve had a real incentive to study if I went to Fumizuki Academy.

8. What anime character is most similar to you in terms of personality?

Satoshi from Hyouka. I’m always pretty cheerful and we both love variety maybe a little too much. You can probably see it in my blogging style, since I can never seem to stick to one topic. Like, for a hobby, I actually read up on all sorts of esoteric subjects, ranging from the state of South African politics to Military Keynesianism, and then I write essays on them.

I’m also not afraid of being “shocking pink” and regularly indulge in hobbies that don’t generally interest others of my own gender, to the extent that I might come off as ambiguously gay. (Anyone who has watched Hyouka to the end knows that Satoshi is far from gay, though.)

9. What is your favorite thing about anime?

The characters and the sheer variety of genres and styles. I can never get bored with it.

It’s not only anime itself that takes such an eclectic approach to storytelling. The way fans appreciate anime is extraordinarily diverse. From watching AMVs, reading blogs, fanfiction, looking at fanart, doujinshi, role-playing – I’ve had at least as much fun indulging in the fandom as I’ve had in watching anime itself. A lot of the people I’ve met through anime have become my friends for life. I think the social aspect of anime is often underrated compared to the artistic aspect, but I would actually say the former has had a greater influence over me as a person than the latter.

10. What is your least favorite thing about anime?

I’m not liking the shift towards shorter series. A lot of slower-paced stories end up getting hampered by the format and end up coming off as 12-13 episode-long commercials for whatever they’re adapted from.

11. Who are your favorite anime couple?

I don’t really have a solid favourite. Check out my shipping posts if you want to see my opinions on certain couples.

12. Who is your favorite anime animal?

This adorable little creature.

13. What anime would make a good game?

Sword Art Online. Obviously. Actually, I checked out that PSP game they made for it and it looked really fun (lots of fanservice!), but the combat was slow and completely non-awesome, not to mention there were some pretty lulzy bugs. You could walk through walls and shit. Thus I am convinced the only way to do SAO properly is to actually make a Nerve Gear and a full-on virtual world. Come on, Japan! Make it happen!

14. What game would make a good anime?

Ace Attorney as a generic choice. There’s a manga adaptation, but that’s not enough for me. I want to see Phoenix Wright yelling out “Objection!” and pointing his finger like a mad boss, along with epic fist-pumping music. Well, we get that in the game, but you know. Shiny, pretty animation. And stuff.

15. What was the first anime you ever watched?

Besides the usual Dragon Ball Z and Pokemon, my gateway anime was Inuyasha. It’s a little embarrassing, but I still have good memories of it, so it’s not like I thought it was a complete waste of time on retrospect.

16. Do you think you’ll ever stop watching anime?

I can see myself no longer following the current season, but I can’t see myself quitting anime altogether. It’s too ingrained a habit in me. I live voraciously through fiction and through my writing, so if I stop watching anime, it’ll be from lack of time, not lack of interest.

17. What is your favorite genre of anime?

I really like anime that feels very much like “anime”. Much as I would like to say I enjoy intelligent sci-fi and action, I know that’s something I can also get from reading books and watching movies, and in the end, the experience doesn’t feel like uniquely anime. So when it comes to the anime I like, I’m really keen on sports drama and mecha. Shonen romcom/harem is also steadily growing on me, to the extent that I find the genre to be quite underrated among the English-speaking fandom.

18. What is your least favorite genre of anime?

There is no genre that I dislike. To me, even ecchi, moe and fujoshi-centered material contribute to the diversity of the medium. Oh, yes, the quality can certainly vary, but the presence of so many different influences and styles is what makes anime so unique.

19. Are you open about watching anime with people you know?

Most of my friends know I’m into anime, so no problems about me being open. In fact, we even watch anime together at our uni club. I don’t tend to mention it to strangers, though.

20. Have you ever been to Japan?

Yes, once. That was for a school trip. Good fun, all around.

Actually, despite my interest in anime and the Japanese language, I’m not too interested in living in Japan or even in travelling there all that often. As in, I’m no more interested in going there than I am in going to other foreign countries. Sure, Japan’s an interesting place and all, but in the end I find home to be the greatest place on Earth.

By the way, I live Down Under, so if you’d like, you can imagine me reading this text aloud to you in my sexy Aussie accent.

21. What anime was the biggest let down for you?

Bakemonogatari. I expected great things from it after hearing so much praise for it, but it felt way too self-consciously clever for me to feel taken in by it.

I’d also like to mention Sakamichi no Apollon. It wasn’t that I was taken in by the director hype – it just seemed like the kind of anime I would enjoy – but in the end, it pulled too many soap opera twists to feel like a convincing coming-of-age drama to me. It was also too gay for me, even if I am a fujoshi on the inside.

22. What anime was better than expected?

Honestly, pretty much all my favourite anime were ones that I felt meh about in regards to the first episode. I tend to keep my expectations middling-to-low so that I don’t end up disappointed because of hype. But I’ll go ahead and say Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo for a recent example.

23. What is the best anime fight scene?

For some reason, can’t rid my mind of Taiga vs Student Council President from Toradora. That was pretty balls-out manly, I have to say.

…But not as manly as JOOOOOJOOOOOOOO!

24. Who is your anime waifu?

Lacus Clyne was my first waifu, but my primary waifu right now is Momo from To Love-Ru. Yes, I have multiple waifus.

As an aside, my anime waifus usually end up being very different from the girls who I get along with particularly well with in real life. I idealise the pure, pure girl in my head and end up with the sassy tsundere instead. I’m like Raku from Nisekoi, I swear. Well, I guess people end up having more chemistry with people they can have an intelligent conversation with, and you can’t really have that kind of candid connection with a girl who is too nice to step on your toes. Also, girls with pink hair don’t exist, unless they dyed it.

25. What was your favorite video game as a child?

Chrono Trigger, like that wasn’t obvious from my icon. And yeah, before you ask, my favourite character was Frog and yeah he did inspire my Internet handle. Ho hum.

26. Most Embarrassing moment?

In my modern Japanese history class last year, the lecturer would play one cheesy J-Pop song before he would start the lecture. One time, he played the OP of Code Geass. I stood up, in class, and started belting out an off-tune karaoke rendition along with it.

Every time I screamed out “JIBUN WO” I did a twirl.

To my knowledge, my lecturer has never played a J-Pop song before his lectures ever since.

27. Can you drive?

Not very well.

28. Are you mature?

Your mum’s fat.

29. What year were you born?

1994. That makes me nineteen at the time of this writing.

30. Do you prefer cats or dogs?

I prefer hamsters.

31. Describe yourself physically.

Short. Brown hair. I have a babyface. Not ugly, but I wouldn’t stand out in a crowd.

Shit, the more I describe myself, the more I sound like a lame harem protagonist… I’m just gonna stop.

32. What would you name your first child?

Kuroko. If it’s a boy, I’ll make him play basketball. If it’s a girl, I’ll enroll her in Academy City.

33. What is the worst injury you have ever had?

One time, I had to get a stitch on my leg because I cut it deep this one time I went biking. I’m actually really scared of bikes. I do know how to ride them, but every time I do I either end up falling into the river (yes this actually happened) or I have to have an operation.

34. What is your worst habit?

Procrastinating, like what I’m doing right now.

35. Do you drink or smoke?

No.

36. Do you have a tattoo?

No.

37. Are you a morn­ing per­son or a night person?

A morning person. I feel like I’m the only blogger in the world who said that.

38. Have you ever slept past midday?

Actually, yes. I didn’t like it. Funny story about my friend, though. She said she slept in so much that when she finally woke up, her little brother had already returned from school. That’s, what, 3 or 4 in the afternoon? Jesus.

39. Do you regret anything?

Aside from a few bad marks I’ve gotten on a few assignments, which were truly regrettable, I don’t think I’ve made a mistake that I haven’t endeavoured to learn from.

I’m really scared of regrets, though. One of the things I’m especially scared of is the idea that I might end up regretting all the hours and money I’ve poured into my anime addiction. That’s partly why I started blogging. It’s a way of pushing my abilities and taking meaning from anime, so that one day I can look back on it all without any regrets. It would be too sad to think that in the future I’ll think of it all as meaningless.

40. Can you count the number of friends you have on one hand?

Nope, I make Facebook count them for me.

41. Do you wear glasses?

Only for reading.

42. Are you a picky eater?

Not really, no. Then again, compared to my brother, who eats only about four dishes (spaghetti, pizza, McDonalds and tacos, in that order), anyone would seem like they have broad tastes.

43. Would you die for someone?

Difficult question. I think I’m like Suzaku. I would want to die for someone, but in the end, something would stop me and make me keep living.

Then again, it’s difficult to know this unless you actually experience the situation yourself, right?

44. If you could have any super­power, what would it be?

The ability to see through clothes. I won’t go into any details.

45. Do you believe in the supernatural?

I’ll remain a cautious but open-minded skeptic on the matter.

Interesting trivia about this, though. Sherlock Holmes is a firm disbeliever of the supernatural, but Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, was a fervent believer in the occult. Thought I’d throw that out there for you to nibble on.

46. Would you rather be rich or famous?

Famous. I’m an attention whore.

47. Have you ever com­mit­ted a crime?

Internet piracy, but that’s about it.

48. Time Traveller or ghost?

Time Traveller all the way. As a student, I always imagined I’d use that ability like Makoto did in The Girl Who Leapt Through Time. I’d earn great marks in school and all that. But now that I’m legally able to gamble, all I can think about is how much money I’d win from betting on the trifecta in horse races.

This is actually a pretty common fantasy for gamblers of all types, which is probably why my favourite Back to the Future movie was always the second one.

49. Does someone have a crush on you?

My childhood friend has a crush on me. So does the school nurse, the foreign exchange student, the alien girl, the local shrine maiden and my little sister. Unfortunately, I’m too dense to notice.

50. Are you in a relationship?

Yes, with my waifu. All real girls can just get lost.

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Aaaaaand that’s it. If there’s anything else you want to know about me, don’t be afraid to ask in the comments or wherever. As long as it’s not too personal, I’m happy with answering any questions.

In other news, I’ve also updated my About page. It should be much clearer and easier to read now. Here’s to another fifty posts worth of blogging!