#akebissailoruniform — Public Fediverse posts

I think my favorite guitar piece in #anime is Oshizu Hebimori playing for Komichi Akebi after accidentally getting caught telling Komichi she knew how to play the guitar when she didn't. But she made up for it by putting in the work to learn some basic cords.

Note how Oshizu isn't looking at Komichi as she plays. Nor is she looking away. She is focused on her hand movements, doing her best to get things right in her first time playing for a friend.

#Anime #AniMangaAlsoRan #AkebisSailorUniform

I think my favorite guitar piece in #anime is Oshizu Hebimori playing for Komichi Akebi after accidentally getting caught telling Komichi she knew how to play the guitar when she didn't. But she made up for it by putting in the work to learn some basic cords.

Note how Oshizu isn't looking at Komichi as she plays. Nor is she looking away. She is focused on her hand movements, doing her best to get things right in her first time playing for a friend.

#Anime #AniMangaAlsoRan #AkebisSailorUniform

I think my favorite guitar piece in #anime is Oshizu Hebimori playing for Komichi Akebi after accidentally getting caught telling Komichi she knew how to play the guitar when she didn't. But she made up for it by putting in the work to learn some basic cords.

Note how Oshizu isn't looking at Komichi as she plays. Nor is she looking away. She is focused on her hand movements, doing her best to get things right in her first time playing for a friend.

#Anime #AniMangaAlsoRan #AkebisSailorUniform

RE: https://starside.social/@Ragashingo/117086266492294971

Today's #anime was Akebi's Sailor Uniform. Komichi Akebi practices her acrobatic jumps while waving to some local farmers all the while daydreaming about her favorite teen pop idol.

It's a fantastically well-animated show that's just non-nonsense cute and wholesome. From swim competitions, to mall shopping, to some surprisingly touching instrument solos, this is one of my favorites in recent years.

I dare say it deserves all the praise and more!

#FirstMinuteAnime #AkebisSailorUniform

When Oshizu Hebimori tried to impress Komichi Akebi by telling her she could play the guitar, she never expected the energetic country bumpkin to accidentally call her on her lie by asking her to play something.

After several weeks of practicing basic guitar cords in secret, Oshizu shows up to class one morning with her father's guitar strapped across her back determined to make good on her embarrassingly false claim.

#Anime #AkebisSailorUniform #RandomAnime

Today's #AniAnimal are this white cat and golden retriever from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform". Riri and Riona both petting their respective pets is such a cute scene.

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』の白猫とゴールデンレトリバーです。りりと璃生奈がそれぞれのペットを撫でるシーンが可愛い。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/LP-bft9Jpf7Xj3fzm2Jg7fC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AnimeDog #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #アニメ犬 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are this white cat and golden retriever from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform". Riri and Riona both petting their respective pets is such a cute scene.

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』の白猫とゴールデンレトリバーです。りりと璃生奈がそれぞれのペットを撫でるシーンが可愛い。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/LP-bft9Jpf7Xj3fzm2Jg7fC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AnimeDog #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #アニメ犬 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are this white cat and golden retriever from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform". Riri and Riona both petting their respective pets is such a cute scene.

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』の白猫とゴールデンレトリバーです。りりと璃生奈がそれぞれのペットを撫でるシーンが可愛い。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/LP-bft9Jpf7Xj3fzm2Jg7fC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AnimeDog #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #アニメ犬 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are this white cat and golden retriever from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform". Riri and Riona both petting their respective pets is such a cute scene.

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』の白猫とゴールデンレトリバーです。りりと璃生奈がそれぞれのペットを撫でるシーンが可愛い。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/LP-bft9Jpf7Xj3fzm2Jg7fC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AnimeDog #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #アニメ犬 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are this white cat and golden retriever from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform". Riri and Riona both petting their respective pets is such a cute scene.

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』の白猫とゴールデンレトリバーです。りりと璃生奈がそれぞれのペットを撫でるシーンが可愛い。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/LP-bft9Jpf7Xj3fzm2Jg7fC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AnimeDog #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #アニメ犬 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is Riri as a panther in "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のパンサーとしてのリリです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/2ZwK0f8yDkY6bgY8DmFTmZC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is Riri as a panther in "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のパンサーとしてのリリです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/2ZwK0f8yDkY6bgY8DmFTmZC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is Riri as a panther in "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のパンサーとしてのリリです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/2ZwK0f8yDkY6bgY8DmFTmZC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is Riri as a panther in "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のパンサーとしてのリリです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/2ZwK0f8yDkY6bgY8DmFTmZC/

#Anime #AnimeCat #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ猫 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are these drawn birds, mother duck, and her ducklings from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』に登場する鳥のスケッチと親アヒルと子アヒルです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/Q2gsbqkBGrdx4ccQ1qH5MtC/

#Anime #AnimeBird #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ鳥 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are these drawn birds, mother duck, and her ducklings from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』に登場する鳥のスケッチと親アヒルと子アヒルです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/Q2gsbqkBGrdx4ccQ1qH5MtC/

#Anime #AnimeBird #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ鳥 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are these drawn birds, mother duck, and her ducklings from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』に登場する鳥のスケッチと親アヒルと子アヒルです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/Q2gsbqkBGrdx4ccQ1qH5MtC/

#Anime #AnimeBird #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ鳥 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal are these drawn birds, mother duck, and her ducklings from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』に登場する鳥のスケッチと親アヒルと子アヒルです。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/Q2gsbqkBGrdx4ccQ1qH5MtC/

#Anime #AnimeBird #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ鳥 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Oshizu Hebimori sits alone after class having not chosen to not join any clubs. But, of course, her minor isolation is no match for the friendly, good spirited nature of a wandering Komichi Akebi!

Their interaction here beside their school's small lake eventually leads Oshizu to new heights and skill at playing a new instrument.

#anime #RandomAnime #AkebisSailorUniform

Love, learning, and all the rest: Fictional libraries in “Fruits Basket” and beyond

Before watching Fruits Basket, an anime which mixes the romantic comedy, slice-of-life, and supernatural genres, I knew there was a librarian character (voiced by Sayumi Watabe). I was not aware, however, that libraries would have an important role in the series, at least in a few episodes. In this post, I’ll examine the scenes in Fruits Basket, and connect it to other posts on this blog.

In the third episode of Fruits Basket, a schoolgirl confesses to Yuki Soma (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) in the library and he pushes her off. She is disappointed, saying he is closed off to most people and asks why he can’t let her in. The truth is that if women hug him, then he turns into an animal, a rat to be specific. The schoolgirl, understandably runs off, sad and likely crying, leaving him standing in the library. As it turns out, Tohru Honda (voiced by Manaka Iwami ), who is living at his house, tells him later that she is happy that he let her in, making him happy. The impact of this library scene is a strong one, even though the scene is pretty short.

In some ways, I can relate this to a few issues of the romantic slice-of-life webcomic, Literary Link. The protagonist, Faye, gets a community service job at the local public library’s literary club, due to a fighter in school, and meets a girl named Atlas. As would be expected, Faye falls in love with Atlas, after she teases her a bit, and agrees to keep volunteering at the literary club. Although Atlas isn’t sure if Faye will return, she does, making her happy, especially when she brings cupcakes, and Atlas bandages Faye up from an earlier fight. [1]

Literary Link and Fruits Basket are relatively different from other depictions of romance within libraries that I’ve noted on this blog. In The Truman Show (1998) and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), which I wrote about in the early days of this blog, the libraries play a big role in the stories of each film. In the first film, it is pivotal moment for Truman Burbank, as he meets the woman he loves, Sylvia, and runs out from the library with her to a secluded beach. In the second film, Harold remembers how he met his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, in the library. Both of them, in line with the fact the film is a stoner comedy, smoke pot in the library, even though it isn’t allowed.

There are many other examples of love, and romance, within libraries, whether Luz’s crush on Amity (which is later canonized) in The Owl House, Sophia beginning to confess her love to Catarina in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, an almost-kiss between Shizuma and Nagisa in the Strawberry Panic! episode “Etoile”, and Fumi and Sugimoto kissing in an episode of Whispered Words (“Adolescence is Beautiful”). There are other instances of love being expressed inside of library walls, including a bun-wearing librarian shushing male students who are expressing their romance in the library.

The second time that libraries appear in the series is a short scene at the end of the fourth episode, when Tohru checks out books from the library about vegetable gardens and martial arts, so she can learn about what Yuki and Kyo like and dislike. She hopes to find “hidden sides” of them. Not long after, she ends up dropping these books, dramatically, when she learns that her Grandpa’s place is now ready for her to move back in. As it turns out, she doesn’t want to go back, but she decides she has to, although she is later saved by Yuki and Kyo in the following episode. This library scene has the first librarian character in the series, the aforementioned librarian voiced by Sayumi Watabe. This librarian is a student library worker. She checks out the books for Tohru.

Such librarians are not unique in anime. I mentioned many of them in my post back in April, including one protagonist, Haruki, in the striking and moving anime film, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. He ends up helping another protagonist, Sakura Yamauchi, who’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. He becomes her good friend and later her love interest. She works in the library alongside him. This example differs from school-age student librarians, library workers to be precise, who are almost exclusively female, shown in various series. [2]

Some of the more prominent and recurring student librarians include Hisami Hishishii in multiple episodes of R.O.D. the TV, protagonist Hanamaru Kunikida in Love Live! Sunshine!!, Yamada and Kosuda in B Gata H Kei, Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words, Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Fumio Murakumi in Girl Friend Beta, Himeko Agari in Komi Can’t Communicate, Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!, Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, and Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends. Of these characters, they are often said to be quiet, shy, hardworking, diligent, lonely, sweet, socially awkward, or introverted. There are exceptions like the lustful and flirtatious Yamada, or Pansy who has strong charisma and observation skills. Many also have yuri subtext integral to their characters either directly or indirectly. [3]

A unique character is Rin Shima in Laid Back-Camp. She fits with the overall theme of iyashikei, a genre of anime which is “healing,” shying away from romance or action in favor of “meaningful connections with family and friends, and finding joy in the minutiae of life,” as Marley Crusch of Polygon put it. Shima is further described by Crusch as a girl who enjoys camping, quiet, reserved personality, and an introvert, although she becomes better at talking with others by the time of the 2nd season. [4]

This differs from more professional, yet unvoiced, ones in episodes of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Kin-iro Mosaic, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Maria Watches Over Us, Is the Order a Rabbit, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, and The Dangers in My Heart. Kanina Shizuka in Maria Watches Over Us, is another example, but she is a supporting character. This connects to what I wrote in August, noting that within workplaces, there are unspoken/spoken “common standards of professional appearance” which penalize those with “tattoos and piercings, connecting with societally-sanctioned standards of appearance, which can be harsher on women.

In anime, all the characters, with stated or presumed professional credentials, in this post would be called librarians and assistant librarians, according to the landmark Library Act in Japan. In any case, one must continually be critical of what Fobazi Ettarh has defined as vocational awe, a set of values, ideas, and assumptions that “librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries…are inherently good…sacred, and…beyond critique.” With that, my post comes to a close. Until next week, where my post will examine the profound lack of libraries in Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians and stronger fictional depictions.

© 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] “Literary Club” [Issue 1]; Literary Link, May 6, 2023; “What’s her name?” [Issue 2], Literary Link, May 12, 2023; “Ethically Questionable” [Issue 3], Literary Link, May 27, 2023; “Careful with your face” [Issue 4], Literary Link, Jun. 10, 2023; “Overthinking” [Issue 5], Literary Link, Jun. 24, 2023.

[2] I’m referring to, in part, Nagisa Yasaka in My Roommate is a Cat, Nagisa Yasaka (episode: “Ones Who Can’t Be Controlled” and “What Connects Us”), Aoi Uribe in Myself ; Yourself (episode “The Important Melody”), Hasegawa Sumika in Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Kamiya in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (episode: “Cultural Festival I”), Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends,  and Female Student B (librarian) in Azumanga Daioh (episode 19 segment “Springtime of Life”).

[3] “Hisami Hishiishii,” Read or Die Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Hanamaru Kunikida,” Love Live Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Yamada,” B Gata H Kei Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Fumio Murakumi,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Agari Himeko,” Komi-San Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Chiyo Tsukudate,” Strawberry Panic! Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Sumireko Sanshokunin,” Oresuki Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Grea,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Anne (Rage of Bagamut),” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

[4] “Rin Shima,” Yuru Camp Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

#AkebiSSailorUniform #AmityBlight #AoiHana #AzumangaDaioh #beautyStandards #ChiyoTsukudate #disabledPatrons #FobaziEttarh #FruitsBasket #groomingStandards #HanamaruKunikida #HaroldAndKumar #HisamiHishishii #IWantToEatYourPancreas #IsTheOrderARabbit #JapaneseLibrarians #JapanesePatrons #JapaneseWomen #KinIroMosaic #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LaidBackCamp #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #libraryPatrons #libraryWorkers #LiteraryLink #LoveLiveSunshine #MariaWatchesOverUs #MissBernardSaid #MyNextLifeAsAVillainess #MyRoommateIsACat #MyselfYourself #professionals #RevengeOfTheLibrarians #RevolutionaryGirlUtena #ShikimoriSNotJustACutie #StrawberryPanic #students #SweetBlueFlowers #TheDangersInMyHeart #TheOwlHouse #TheTrumanShow #vocationalAwe #WhisperedWords

Love, learning, and all the rest: Fictional libraries in “Fruits Basket” and beyond

Before watching Fruits Basket, an anime which mixes the romantic comedy, slice-of-life, and supernatural genres, I knew there was a librarian character (voiced by Sayumi Watabe). I was not aware, however, that libraries would have an important role in the series, at least in a few episodes. In this post, I’ll examine the scenes in Fruits Basket, and connect it to other posts on this blog.

In the third episode of Fruits Basket, a schoolgirl confesses to Yuki Soma (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) in the library and he pushes her off. She is disappointed, saying he is closed off to most people and asks why he can’t let her in. The truth is that if women hug him, then he turns into an animal, a rat to be specific. The schoolgirl, understandably runs off, sad and likely crying, leaving him standing in the library. As it turns out, Tohru Honda (voiced by Manaka Iwami ), who is living at his house, tells him later that she is happy that he let her in, making him happy. The impact of this library scene is a strong one, even though the scene is pretty short.

In some ways, I can relate this to a few issues of the romantic slice-of-life webcomic, Literary Link. The protagonist, Faye, gets a community service job at the local public library’s literary club, due to a fighter in school, and meets a girl named Atlas. As would be expected, Faye falls in love with Atlas, after she teases her a bit, and agrees to keep volunteering at the literary club. Although Atlas isn’t sure if Faye will return, she does, making her happy, especially when she brings cupcakes, and Atlas bandages Faye up from an earlier fight. [1]

Literary Link and Fruits Basket are relatively different from other depictions of romance within libraries that I’ve noted on this blog. In The Truman Show (1998) and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), which I wrote about in the early days of this blog, the libraries play a big role in the stories of each film. In the first film, it is pivotal moment for Truman Burbank, as he meets the woman he loves, Sylvia, and runs out from the library with her to a secluded beach. In the second film, Harold remembers how he met his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, in the library. Both of them, in line with the fact the film is a stoner comedy, smoke pot in the library, even though it isn’t allowed.

There are many other examples of love, and romance, within libraries, whether Luz’s crush on Amity (which is later canonized) in The Owl House, Sophia beginning to confess her love to Catarina in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, an almost-kiss between Shizuma and Nagisa in the Strawberry Panic! episode “Etoile”, and Fumi and Sugimoto kissing in an episode of Whispered Words (“Adolescence is Beautiful”). There are other instances of love being expressed inside of library walls, including a bun-wearing librarian shushing male students who are expressing their romance in the library.

The second time that libraries appear in the series is a short scene at the end of the fourth episode, when Tohru checks out books from the library about vegetable gardens and martial arts, so she can learn about what Yuki and Kyo like and dislike. She hopes to find “hidden sides” of them. Not long after, she ends up dropping these books, dramatically, when she learns that her Grandpa’s place is now ready for her to move back in. As it turns out, she doesn’t want to go back, but she decides she has to, although she is later saved by Yuki and Kyo in the following episode. This library scene has the first librarian character in the series, the aforementioned librarian voiced by Sayumi Watabe. This librarian is a student library worker. She checks out the books for Tohru.

Such librarians are not unique in anime. I mentioned many of them in my post back in April, including one protagonist, Haruki, in the striking and moving anime film, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. He ends up helping another protagonist, Sakura Yamauchi, who’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. He becomes her good friend and later her love interest. She works in the library alongside him. This example differs from school-age student librarians, library workers to be precise, who are almost exclusively female, shown in various series. [2]

Some of the more prominent and recurring student librarians include Hisami Hishishii in multiple episodes of R.O.D. the TV, protagonist Hanamaru Kunikida in Love Live! Sunshine!!, Yamada and Kosuda in B Gata H Kei, Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words, Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Fumio Murakumi in Girl Friend Beta, Himeko Agari in Komi Can’t Communicate, Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!, Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, and Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends. Of these characters, they are often said to be quiet, shy, hardworking, diligent, lonely, sweet, socially awkward, or introverted. There are exceptions like the lustful and flirtatious Yamada, or Pansy who has strong charisma and observation skills. Many also have yuri subtext integral to their characters either directly or indirectly. [3]

A unique character is Rin Shima in Laid Back-Camp. She fits with the overall theme of iyashikei, a genre of anime which is “healing,” shying away from romance or action in favor of “meaningful connections with family and friends, and finding joy in the minutiae of life,” as Marley Crusch of Polygon put it. Shima is further described by Crusch as a girl who enjoys camping, quiet, reserved personality, and an introvert, although she becomes better at talking with others by the time of the 2nd season. [4]

This differs from more professional, yet unvoiced, ones in episodes of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Kin-iro Mosaic, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Maria Watches Over Us, Is the Order a Rabbit, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, and The Dangers in My Heart. Kanina Shizuka in Maria Watches Over Us, is another example, but she is a supporting character. This connects to what I wrote in August, noting that within workplaces, there are unspoken/spoken “common standards of professional appearance” which penalize those with “tattoos and piercings, connecting with societally-sanctioned standards of appearance, which can be harsher on women.

In anime, all the characters, with stated or presumed professional credentials, in this post would be called librarians and assistant librarians, according to the landmark Library Act in Japan. In any case, one must continually be critical of what Fobazi Ettarh has defined as vocational awe, a set of values, ideas, and assumptions that “librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries…are inherently good…sacred, and…beyond critique.” With that, my post comes to a close. Until next week, where my post will examine the profound lack of libraries in Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians and stronger fictional depictions.

© 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] “Literary Club” [Issue 1]; Literary Link, May 6, 2023; “What’s her name?” [Issue 2], Literary Link, May 12, 2023; “Ethically Questionable” [Issue 3], Literary Link, May 27, 2023; “Careful with your face” [Issue 4], Literary Link, Jun. 10, 2023; “Overthinking” [Issue 5], Literary Link, Jun. 24, 2023.

[2] I’m referring to, in part, Nagisa Yasaka in My Roommate is a Cat, Nagisa Yasaka (episode: “Ones Who Can’t Be Controlled” and “What Connects Us”), Aoi Uribe in Myself ; Yourself (episode “The Important Melody”), Hasegawa Sumika in Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Kamiya in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (episode: “Cultural Festival I”), Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends,  and Female Student B (librarian) in Azumanga Daioh (episode 19 segment “Springtime of Life”).

[3] “Hisami Hishiishii,” Read or Die Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Hanamaru Kunikida,” Love Live Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Yamada,” B Gata H Kei Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Fumio Murakumi,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Agari Himeko,” Komi-San Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Chiyo Tsukudate,” Strawberry Panic! Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Sumireko Sanshokunin,” Oresuki Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Grea,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Anne (Rage of Bagamut),” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

[4] “Rin Shima,” Yuru Camp Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

#AkebiSSailorUniform #AmityBlight #AoiHana #AzumangaDaioh #beautyStandards #ChiyoTsukudate #disabledPatrons #FobaziEttarh #FruitsBasket #groomingStandards #HanamaruKunikida #HaroldAndKumar #HisamiHishishii #IWantToEatYourPancreas #IsTheOrderARabbit #JapaneseLibrarians #JapanesePatrons #JapaneseWomen #KinIroMosaic #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LaidBackCamp #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #libraryPatrons #libraryWorkers #LiteraryLink #LoveLiveSunshine #MariaWatchesOverUs #MissBernardSaid #MyNextLifeAsAVillainess #MyRoommateIsACat #MyselfYourself #professionals #RevengeOfTheLibrarians #RevolutionaryGirlUtena #ShikimoriSNotJustACutie #StrawberryPanic #students #SweetBlueFlowers #TheDangersInMyHeart #TheOwlHouse #TheTrumanShow #vocationalAwe #WhisperedWords

Love, learning, and all the rest: Fictional libraries in “Fruits Basket” and beyond

Before watching Fruits Basket, an anime which mixes the romantic comedy, slice-of-life, and supernatural genres, I knew there was a librarian character (voiced by Sayumi Watabe). I was not aware, however, that libraries would have an important role in the series, at least in a few episodes. In this post, I’ll examine the scenes in Fruits Basket, and connect it to other posts on this blog.

In the third episode of Fruits Basket, a schoolgirl confesses to Yuki Soma (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) in the library and he pushes her off. She is disappointed, saying he is closed off to most people and asks why he can’t let her in. The truth is that if women hug him, then he turns into an animal, a rat to be specific. The schoolgirl, understandably runs off, sad and likely crying, leaving him standing in the library. As it turns out, Tohru Honda (voiced by Manaka Iwami ), who is living at his house, tells him later that she is happy that he let her in, making him happy. The impact of this library scene is a strong one, even though the scene is pretty short.

In some ways, I can relate this to a few issues of the romantic slice-of-life webcomic, Literary Link. The protagonist, Faye, gets a community service job at the local public library’s literary club, due to a fighter in school, and meets a girl named Atlas. As would be expected, Faye falls in love with Atlas, after she teases her a bit, and agrees to keep volunteering at the literary club. Although Atlas isn’t sure if Faye will return, she does, making her happy, especially when she brings cupcakes, and Atlas bandages Faye up from an earlier fight. [1]

Literary Link and Fruits Basket are relatively different from other depictions of romance within libraries that I’ve noted on this blog. In The Truman Show (1998) and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), which I wrote about in the early days of this blog, the libraries play a big role in the stories of each film. In the first film, it is pivotal moment for Truman Burbank, as he meets the woman he loves, Sylvia, and runs out from the library with her to a secluded beach. In the second film, Harold remembers how he met his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, in the library. Both of them, in line with the fact the film is a stoner comedy, smoke pot in the library, even though it isn’t allowed.

There are many other examples of love, and romance, within libraries, whether Luz’s crush on Amity (which is later canonized) in The Owl House, Sophia beginning to confess her love to Catarina in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, an almost-kiss between Shizuma and Nagisa in the Strawberry Panic! episode “Etoile”, and Fumi and Sugimoto kissing in an episode of Whispered Words (“Adolescence is Beautiful”). There are other instances of love being expressed inside of library walls, including a bun-wearing librarian shushing male students who are expressing their romance in the library.

The second time that libraries appear in the series is a short scene at the end of the fourth episode, when Tohru checks out books from the library about vegetable gardens and martial arts, so she can learn about what Yuki and Kyo like and dislike. She hopes to find “hidden sides” of them. Not long after, she ends up dropping these books, dramatically, when she learns that her Grandpa’s place is now ready for her to move back in. As it turns out, she doesn’t want to go back, but she decides she has to, although she is later saved by Yuki and Kyo in the following episode. This library scene has the first librarian character in the series, the aforementioned librarian voiced by Sayumi Watabe. This librarian is a student library worker. She checks out the books for Tohru.

Such librarians are not unique in anime. I mentioned many of them in my post back in April, including one protagonist, Haruki, in the striking and moving anime film, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. He ends up helping another protagonist, Sakura Yamauchi, who’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. He becomes her good friend and later her love interest. She works in the library alongside him. This example differs from school-age student librarians, library workers to be precise, who are almost exclusively female, shown in various series. [2]

Some of the more prominent and recurring student librarians include Hisami Hishishii in multiple episodes of R.O.D. the TV, protagonist Hanamaru Kunikida in Love Live! Sunshine!!, Yamada and Kosuda in B Gata H Kei, Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words, Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Fumio Murakumi in Girl Friend Beta, Himeko Agari in Komi Can’t Communicate, Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!, Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, and Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends. Of these characters, they are often said to be quiet, shy, hardworking, diligent, lonely, sweet, socially awkward, or introverted. There are exceptions like the lustful and flirtatious Yamada, or Pansy who has strong charisma and observation skills. Many also have yuri subtext integral to their characters either directly or indirectly. [3]

A unique character is Rin Shima in Laid Back-Camp. She fits with the overall theme of iyashikei, a genre of anime which is “healing,” shying away from romance or action in favor of “meaningful connections with family and friends, and finding joy in the minutiae of life,” as Marley Crusch of Polygon put it. Shima is further described by Crusch as a girl who enjoys camping, quiet, reserved personality, and an introvert, although she becomes better at talking with others by the time of the 2nd season. [4]

This differs from more professional, yet unvoiced, ones in episodes of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Kin-iro Mosaic, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Maria Watches Over Us, Is the Order a Rabbit, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, and The Dangers in My Heart. Kanina Shizuka in Maria Watches Over Us, is another example, but she is a supporting character. This connects to what I wrote in August, noting that within workplaces, there are unspoken/spoken “common standards of professional appearance” which penalize those with “tattoos and piercings, connecting with societally-sanctioned standards of appearance, which can be harsher on women.

In anime, all the characters, with stated or presumed professional credentials, in this post would be called librarians and assistant librarians, according to the landmark Library Act in Japan. In any case, one must continually be critical of what Fobazi Ettarh has defined as vocational awe, a set of values, ideas, and assumptions that “librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries…are inherently good…sacred, and…beyond critique.” With that, my post comes to a close. Until next week, where my post will examine the profound lack of libraries in Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians and stronger fictional depictions.

© 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] “Literary Club” [Issue 1]; Literary Link, May 6, 2023; “What’s her name?” [Issue 2], Literary Link, May 12, 2023; “Ethically Questionable” [Issue 3], Literary Link, May 27, 2023; “Careful with your face” [Issue 4], Literary Link, Jun. 10, 2023; “Overthinking” [Issue 5], Literary Link, Jun. 24, 2023.

[2] I’m referring to, in part, Nagisa Yasaka in My Roommate is a Cat, Nagisa Yasaka (episode: “Ones Who Can’t Be Controlled” and “What Connects Us”), Aoi Uribe in Myself ; Yourself (episode “The Important Melody”), Hasegawa Sumika in Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Kamiya in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (episode: “Cultural Festival I”), Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends,  and Female Student B (librarian) in Azumanga Daioh (episode 19 segment “Springtime of Life”).

[3] “Hisami Hishiishii,” Read or Die Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Hanamaru Kunikida,” Love Live Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Yamada,” B Gata H Kei Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Fumio Murakumi,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Agari Himeko,” Komi-San Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Chiyo Tsukudate,” Strawberry Panic! Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Sumireko Sanshokunin,” Oresuki Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Grea,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Anne (Rage of Bagamut),” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

[4] “Rin Shima,” Yuru Camp Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

#AkebiSSailorUniform #AmityBlight #AoiHana #AzumangaDaioh #beautyStandards #ChiyoTsukudate #disabledPatrons #FobaziEttarh #FruitsBasket #groomingStandards #HanamaruKunikida #HaroldAndKumar #HisamiHishishii #IWantToEatYourPancreas #IsTheOrderARabbit #JapaneseLibrarians #JapanesePatrons #JapaneseWomen #KinIroMosaic #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LaidBackCamp #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #libraryPatrons #libraryWorkers #LiteraryLink #LoveLiveSunshine #MariaWatchesOverUs #MissBernardSaid #MyNextLifeAsAVillainess #MyRoommateIsACat #MyselfYourself #professionals #RevengeOfTheLibrarians #RevolutionaryGirlUtena #ShikimoriSNotJustACutie #StrawberryPanic #students #SweetBlueFlowers #TheDangersInMyHeart #TheOwlHouse #TheTrumanShow #vocationalAwe #WhisperedWords

Love, learning, and all the rest: Fictional libraries in “Fruits Basket” and beyond

Before watching Fruits Basket, an anime which mixes the romantic comedy, slice-of-life, and supernatural genres, I knew there was a librarian character (voiced by Sayumi Watabe). I was not aware, however, that libraries would have an important role in the series, at least in a few episodes. In this post, I’ll examine the scenes in Fruits Basket, and connect it to other posts on this blog.

In the third episode of Fruits Basket, a schoolgirl confesses to Yuki Soma (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) in the library and he pushes her off. She is disappointed, saying he is closed off to most people and asks why he can’t let her in. The truth is that if women hug him, then he turns into an animal, a rat to be specific. The schoolgirl, understandably runs off, sad and likely crying, leaving him standing in the library. As it turns out, Tohru Honda (voiced by Manaka Iwami ), who is living at his house, tells him later that she is happy that he let her in, making him happy. The impact of this library scene is a strong one, even though the scene is pretty short.

In some ways, I can relate this to a few issues of the romantic slice-of-life webcomic, Literary Link. The protagonist, Faye, gets a community service job at the local public library’s literary club, due to a fighter in school, and meets a girl named Atlas. As would be expected, Faye falls in love with Atlas, after she teases her a bit, and agrees to keep volunteering at the literary club. Although Atlas isn’t sure if Faye will return, she does, making her happy, especially when she brings cupcakes, and Atlas bandages Faye up from an earlier fight. [1]

Literary Link and Fruits Basket are relatively different from other depictions of romance within libraries that I’ve noted on this blog. In The Truman Show (1998) and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), which I wrote about in the early days of this blog, the libraries play a big role in the stories of each film. In the first film, it is pivotal moment for Truman Burbank, as he meets the woman he loves, Sylvia, and runs out from the library with her to a secluded beach. In the second film, Harold remembers how he met his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, in the library. Both of them, in line with the fact the film is a stoner comedy, smoke pot in the library, even though it isn’t allowed.

There are many other examples of love, and romance, within libraries, whether Luz’s crush on Amity (which is later canonized) in The Owl House, Sophia beginning to confess her love to Catarina in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, an almost-kiss between Shizuma and Nagisa in the Strawberry Panic! episode “Etoile”, and Fumi and Sugimoto kissing in an episode of Whispered Words (“Adolescence is Beautiful”). There are other instances of love being expressed inside of library walls, including a bun-wearing librarian shushing male students who are expressing their romance in the library.

The second time that libraries appear in the series is a short scene at the end of the fourth episode, when Tohru checks out books from the library about vegetable gardens and martial arts, so she can learn about what Yuki and Kyo like and dislike. She hopes to find “hidden sides” of them. Not long after, she ends up dropping these books, dramatically, when she learns that her Grandpa’s place is now ready for her to move back in. As it turns out, she doesn’t want to go back, but she decides she has to, although she is later saved by Yuki and Kyo in the following episode. This library scene has the first librarian character in the series, the aforementioned librarian voiced by Sayumi Watabe. This librarian is a student library worker. She checks out the books for Tohru.

Such librarians are not unique in anime. I mentioned many of them in my post back in April, including one protagonist, Haruki, in the striking and moving anime film, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. He ends up helping another protagonist, Sakura Yamauchi, who’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. He becomes her good friend and later her love interest. She works in the library alongside him. This example differs from school-age student librarians, library workers to be precise, who are almost exclusively female, shown in various series. [2]

Some of the more prominent and recurring student librarians include Hisami Hishishii in multiple episodes of R.O.D. the TV, protagonist Hanamaru Kunikida in Love Live! Sunshine!!, Yamada and Kosuda in B Gata H Kei, Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words, Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Fumio Murakumi in Girl Friend Beta, Himeko Agari in Komi Can’t Communicate, Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!, Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, and Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends. Of these characters, they are often said to be quiet, shy, hardworking, diligent, lonely, sweet, socially awkward, or introverted. There are exceptions like the lustful and flirtatious Yamada, or Pansy who has strong charisma and observation skills. Many also have yuri subtext integral to their characters either directly or indirectly. [3]

A unique character is Rin Shima in Laid Back-Camp. She fits with the overall theme of iyashikei, a genre of anime which is “healing,” shying away from romance or action in favor of “meaningful connections with family and friends, and finding joy in the minutiae of life,” as Marley Crusch of Polygon put it. Shima is further described by Crusch as a girl who enjoys camping, quiet, reserved personality, and an introvert, although she becomes better at talking with others by the time of the 2nd season. [4]

This differs from more professional, yet unvoiced, ones in episodes of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Kin-iro Mosaic, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Maria Watches Over Us, Is the Order a Rabbit, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, and The Dangers in My Heart. Kanina Shizuka in Maria Watches Over Us, is another example, but she is a supporting character. This connects to what I wrote in August, noting that within workplaces, there are unspoken/spoken “common standards of professional appearance” which penalize those with “tattoos and piercings, connecting with societally-sanctioned standards of appearance, which can be harsher on women.

In anime, all the characters, with stated or presumed professional credentials, in this post would be called librarians and assistant librarians, according to the landmark Library Act in Japan. In any case, one must continually be critical of what Fobazi Ettarh has defined as vocational awe, a set of values, ideas, and assumptions that “librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries…are inherently good…sacred, and…beyond critique.” With that, my post comes to a close. Until next week, where my post will examine the profound lack of libraries in Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians and stronger fictional depictions.

© 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] “Literary Club” [Issue 1]; Literary Link, May 6, 2023; “What’s her name?” [Issue 2], Literary Link, May 12, 2023; “Ethically Questionable” [Issue 3], Literary Link, May 27, 2023; “Careful with your face” [Issue 4], Literary Link, Jun. 10, 2023; “Overthinking” [Issue 5], Literary Link, Jun. 24, 2023.

[2] I’m referring to, in part, Nagisa Yasaka in My Roommate is a Cat, Nagisa Yasaka (episode: “Ones Who Can’t Be Controlled” and “What Connects Us”), Aoi Uribe in Myself ; Yourself (episode “The Important Melody”), Hasegawa Sumika in Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Kamiya in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (episode: “Cultural Festival I”), Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends,  and Female Student B (librarian) in Azumanga Daioh (episode 19 segment “Springtime of Life”).

[3] “Hisami Hishiishii,” Read or Die Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Hanamaru Kunikida,” Love Live Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Yamada,” B Gata H Kei Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Fumio Murakumi,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Agari Himeko,” Komi-San Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Chiyo Tsukudate,” Strawberry Panic! Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Sumireko Sanshokunin,” Oresuki Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Grea,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Anne (Rage of Bagamut),” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

[4] “Rin Shima,” Yuru Camp Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

#AkebiSSailorUniform #AmityBlight #AoiHana #AzumangaDaioh #beautyStandards #ChiyoTsukudate #disabledPatrons #FobaziEttarh #FruitsBasket #groomingStandards #HanamaruKunikida #HaroldAndKumar #HisamiHishishii #IWantToEatYourPancreas #IsTheOrderARabbit #JapaneseLibrarians #JapanesePatrons #JapaneseWomen #KinIroMosaic #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LaidBackCamp #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #libraryPatrons #libraryWorkers #LiteraryLink #LoveLiveSunshine #MariaWatchesOverUs #MissBernardSaid #MyNextLifeAsAVillainess #MyRoommateIsACat #MyselfYourself #professionals #RevengeOfTheLibrarians #RevolutionaryGirlUtena #ShikimoriSNotJustACutie #StrawberryPanic #students #SweetBlueFlowers #TheDangersInMyHeart #TheOwlHouse #TheTrumanShow #vocationalAwe #WhisperedWords

Love, learning, and all the rest: Fictional libraries in “Fruits Basket” and beyond

Before watching Fruits Basket, an anime which mixes the romantic comedy, slice-of-life, and supernatural genres, I knew there was a librarian character (voiced by Sayumi Watabe). I was not aware, however, that libraries would have an important role in the series, at least in a few episodes. In this post, I’ll examine the scenes in Fruits Basket, and connect it to other posts on this blog.

In the third episode of Fruits Basket, a schoolgirl confesses to Yuki Soma (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) in the library and he pushes her off. She is disappointed, saying he is closed off to most people and asks why he can’t let her in. The truth is that if women hug him, then he turns into an animal, a rat to be specific. The schoolgirl, understandably runs off, sad and likely crying, leaving him standing in the library. As it turns out, Tohru Honda (voiced by Manaka Iwami ), who is living at his house, tells him later that she is happy that he let her in, making him happy. The impact of this library scene is a strong one, even though the scene is pretty short.

In some ways, I can relate this to a few issues of the romantic slice-of-life webcomic, Literary Link. The protagonist, Faye, gets a community service job at the local public library’s literary club, due to a fighter in school, and meets a girl named Atlas. As would be expected, Faye falls in love with Atlas, after she teases her a bit, and agrees to keep volunteering at the literary club. Although Atlas isn’t sure if Faye will return, she does, making her happy, especially when she brings cupcakes, and Atlas bandages Faye up from an earlier fight. [1]

Literary Link and Fruits Basket are relatively different from other depictions of romance within libraries that I’ve noted on this blog. In The Truman Show (1998) and Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay (2008), which I wrote about in the early days of this blog, the libraries play a big role in the stories of each film. In the first film, it is pivotal moment for Truman Burbank, as he meets the woman he loves, Sylvia, and runs out from the library with her to a secluded beach. In the second film, Harold remembers how he met his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, in the library. Both of them, in line with the fact the film is a stoner comedy, smoke pot in the library, even though it isn’t allowed.

There are many other examples of love, and romance, within libraries, whether Luz’s crush on Amity (which is later canonized) in The Owl House, Sophia beginning to confess her love to Catarina in My Next Life as a Villainess: All Routes Lead to Doom!, an almost-kiss between Shizuma and Nagisa in the Strawberry Panic! episode “Etoile”, and Fumi and Sugimoto kissing in an episode of Whispered Words (“Adolescence is Beautiful”). There are other instances of love being expressed inside of library walls, including a bun-wearing librarian shushing male students who are expressing their romance in the library.

The second time that libraries appear in the series is a short scene at the end of the fourth episode, when Tohru checks out books from the library about vegetable gardens and martial arts, so she can learn about what Yuki and Kyo like and dislike. She hopes to find “hidden sides” of them. Not long after, she ends up dropping these books, dramatically, when she learns that her Grandpa’s place is now ready for her to move back in. As it turns out, she doesn’t want to go back, but she decides she has to, although she is later saved by Yuki and Kyo in the following episode. This library scene has the first librarian character in the series, the aforementioned librarian voiced by Sayumi Watabe. This librarian is a student library worker. She checks out the books for Tohru.

Such librarians are not unique in anime. I mentioned many of them in my post back in April, including one protagonist, Haruki, in the striking and moving anime film, I Want to Eat Your Pancreas. He ends up helping another protagonist, Sakura Yamauchi, who’s disabled and uses a wheelchair. He becomes her good friend and later her love interest. She works in the library alongside him. This example differs from school-age student librarians, library workers to be precise, who are almost exclusively female, shown in various series. [2]

Some of the more prominent and recurring student librarians include Hisami Hishishii in multiple episodes of R.O.D. the TV, protagonist Hanamaru Kunikida in Love Live! Sunshine!!, Yamada and Kosuda in B Gata H Kei, Azusa Aoi in Whispered Words, Fumi Manjōme in Aoi Hana / Sweet Blue Flowers, Fumio Murakumi in Girl Friend Beta, Himeko Agari in Komi Can’t Communicate, Chiyo Tsukudate in Strawberry Panic!, Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, and Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends. Of these characters, they are often said to be quiet, shy, hardworking, diligent, lonely, sweet, socially awkward, or introverted. There are exceptions like the lustful and flirtatious Yamada, or Pansy who has strong charisma and observation skills. Many also have yuri subtext integral to their characters either directly or indirectly. [3]

A unique character is Rin Shima in Laid Back-Camp. She fits with the overall theme of iyashikei, a genre of anime which is “healing,” shying away from romance or action in favor of “meaningful connections with family and friends, and finding joy in the minutiae of life,” as Marley Crusch of Polygon put it. Shima is further described by Crusch as a girl who enjoys camping, quiet, reserved personality, and an introvert, although she becomes better at talking with others by the time of the 2nd season. [4]

This differs from more professional, yet unvoiced, ones in episodes of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform, Kin-iro Mosaic, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Maria Watches Over Us, Is the Order a Rabbit, Kubo Won’t Let Me Be Invisible, and The Dangers in My Heart. Kanina Shizuka in Maria Watches Over Us, is another example, but she is a supporting character. This connects to what I wrote in August, noting that within workplaces, there are unspoken/spoken “common standards of professional appearance” which penalize those with “tattoos and piercings, connecting with societally-sanctioned standards of appearance, which can be harsher on women.

In anime, all the characters, with stated or presumed professional credentials, in this post would be called librarians and assistant librarians, according to the landmark Library Act in Japan. In any case, one must continually be critical of what Fobazi Ettarh has defined as vocational awe, a set of values, ideas, and assumptions that “librarians have about themselves and the profession that result in beliefs that libraries…are inherently good…sacred, and…beyond critique.” With that, my post comes to a close. Until next week, where my post will examine the profound lack of libraries in Tom Gauld’s Revenge of the Librarians and stronger fictional depictions.

© 2023-2024 Burkely Hermann. All rights reserved.

Notes

[1] “Literary Club” [Issue 1]; Literary Link, May 6, 2023; “What’s her name?” [Issue 2], Literary Link, May 12, 2023; “Ethically Questionable” [Issue 3], Literary Link, May 27, 2023; “Careful with your face” [Issue 4], Literary Link, Jun. 10, 2023; “Overthinking” [Issue 5], Literary Link, Jun. 24, 2023.

[2] I’m referring to, in part, Nagisa Yasaka in My Roommate is a Cat, Nagisa Yasaka (episode: “Ones Who Can’t Be Controlled” and “What Connects Us”), Aoi Uribe in Myself ; Yourself (episode “The Important Melody”), Hasegawa Sumika in Bernard-jou Iwaku a.k.a. Miss Bernard said, Kamiya in Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie (episode: “Cultural Festival I”), Sumireko Sanshokunin a.k.a. “Pansy” in Oresuki, Anne and Grea in Manaria Friends,  and Female Student B (librarian) in Azumanga Daioh (episode 19 segment “Springtime of Life”).

[3] “Hisami Hishiishii,” Read or Die Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Hanamaru Kunikida,” Love Live Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Yamada,” B Gata H Kei Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Fumio Murakumi,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Agari Himeko,” Komi-San Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Chiyo Tsukudate,” Strawberry Panic! Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Sumireko Sanshokunin,” Oresuki Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Grea,” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023; “Anne (Rage of Bagamut),” Yuri Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

[4] “Rin Shima,” Yuru Camp Wiki, accessed Jul. 4, 2023.

#AkebiSSailorUniform #AmityBlight #AoiHana #AzumangaDaioh #beautyStandards #ChiyoTsukudate #disabledPatrons #FobaziEttarh #FruitsBasket #groomingStandards #HanamaruKunikida #HaroldAndKumar #HisamiHishishii #IWantToEatYourPancreas #IsTheOrderARabbit #JapaneseLibrarians #JapanesePatrons #JapaneseWomen #KinIroMosaic #KuboWonTLetMeBeInvisible #LaidBackCamp #LesbianLibrarians #LGBTQ #libraryPatrons #libraryWorkers #LiteraryLink #LoveLiveSunshine #MariaWatchesOverUs #MissBernardSaid #MyNextLifeAsAVillainess #MyRoommateIsACat #MyselfYourself #professionals #RevengeOfTheLibrarians #RevolutionaryGirlUtena #ShikimoriSNotJustACutie #StrawberryPanic #students #SweetBlueFlowers #TheDangersInMyHeart #TheOwlHouse #TheTrumanShow #vocationalAwe #WhisperedWords

Today's #AniAnimal is this snake from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のこの蛇です。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/vQx36CfyD_4-cVLw-bBz3nC/

#Anime #AnimeSnake #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ蛇 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is this snake from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のこの蛇です。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/vQx36CfyD_4-cVLw-bBz3nC/

#Anime #AnimeSnake #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ蛇 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is this snake from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のこの蛇です。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/vQx36CfyD_4-cVLw-bBz3nC/

#Anime #AnimeSnake #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ蛇 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is this snake from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のこの蛇です。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/vQx36CfyD_4-cVLw-bBz3nC/

#Anime #AnimeSnake #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ蛇 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Today's #AniAnimal is this snake from "Akebi’s Sailor Uniform".

今日の #アニアニマル は『明日ちゃんのセーラー服』のこの蛇です。

More info and other AniAnimals at: https://www.anianimals.moe/scene/vQx36CfyD_4-cVLw-bBz3nC/

#Anime #AnimeSnake #AkebisSailorUniform #アニメ #アニメ蛇 #明日ちゃんのセーラー服

Set to the show’s own opening theme, this MAD for Akebi’s Sailor Uniform does a terrific job of showing off the #anime and a little of the original #manga.

Great transitions. Great pacing. Some fun flourishes bringing in moments of sound or animation from the sports festival to Komichi’s after party choreographed dance.

The whole thing just made me smile at how good a job it did highlighting this delightfully wonderful show!

#AkebisSailorUniform

https://youtu.be/_7Pctj8NOAk?si=kGucQD7oHwaCpt4S

With my #DoItYourself #rewatch ending on Sunday, I'm going to put up another rewatch poll. This'll be the last rewatch I host before the spring anime start up. Your choices this time are

#AkebisSailorUniform
#chainsawman
#CyberpunkEdgerunners
#BeastTamer
#shikimorisan

The poll will be up for three days. You can vote for as many options as you'd like.

#akebichannosailorfuku #edgerunners #ShikimorisNotJustACutie #animedon

With my #DoItYourself #rewatch ending on Sunday, I'm going to put up another rewatch poll. This'll be the last rewatch I host before the spring anime start up. Your choices this time are

#AkebisSailorUniform
#chainsawman
#CyberpunkEdgerunners
#BeastTamer
#shikimorisan

The poll will be up for three days. You can vote for as many options as you'd like.

#akebichannosailorfuku #edgerunners #ShikimorisNotJustACutie #animedon

With my #DoItYourself #rewatch ending on Sunday, I'm going to put up another rewatch poll. This'll be the last rewatch I host before the spring anime start up. Your choices this time are

#AkebisSailorUniform
#chainsawman
#CyberpunkEdgerunners
#BeastTamer
#shikimorisan

The poll will be up for three days. You can vote for as many options as you'd like.

#akebichannosailorfuku #edgerunners #ShikimorisNotJustACutie #animedon

With my #DoItYourself #rewatch ending on Sunday, I'm going to put up another rewatch poll. This'll be the last rewatch I host before the spring anime start up. Your choices this time are

#AkebisSailorUniform
#chainsawman
#CyberpunkEdgerunners
#BeastTamer
#shikimorisan

The poll will be up for three days. You can vote for as many options as you'd like.

#akebichannosailorfuku #edgerunners #ShikimorisNotJustACutie #animedon

My #bofuri #rewatch will finish in a few hours, which means it's time for my next rewatch poll. The options this time are:

#AkebisSailorUniform
#chainsawman
#CyberpunkEdgerunners
#DoItYourself
#LycorisRecoil

The poll will last for three days. You can vote for as many options as you'd like.

#anime #akebichannosailorfuku #cyberpunk

My #bofuri #rewatch will finish in a few hours, which means it's time for my next rewatch poll. The options this time are:

#AkebisSailorUniform
#chainsawman
#CyberpunkEdgerunners
#DoItYourself
#LycorisRecoil

The poll will last for three days. You can vote for as many options as you'd like.

#anime #akebichannosailorfuku #cyberpunk

2022:

AOTY: #akebichannosailorfuku

One thing I wanna talk about with Akebi-chan in this edition is Episode 7, “Please Let Me Hear It.” While the show already had a high level of visual beauty, this one kicked up to another level when it had no reason to do so. The episode directorial debut of moaang, this exploration of self-improvement and the desire to not let others down becomes a symphony of visual fluidity and the joy of being honest with who you are - and what you could become.

#AkebisSailorUniform

2022:

AOTY: #akebichannosailorfuku

One thing I wanna talk about with Akebi-chan in this edition is Episode 7, “Please Let Me Hear It.” While the show already had a high level of visual beauty, this one kicked up to another level when it had no reason to do so. The episode directorial debut of moaang, this exploration of self-improvement and the desire to not let others down becomes a symphony of visual fluidity and the joy of being honest with who you are - and what you could become.

#AkebisSailorUniform

2022:

AOTY: #akebichannosailorfuku

One thing I wanna talk about with Akebi-chan in this edition is Episode 7, “Please Let Me Hear It.” While the show already had a high level of visual beauty, this one kicked up to another level when it had no reason to do so. The episode directorial debut of moaang, this exploration of self-improvement and the desire to not let others down becomes a symphony of visual fluidity and the joy of being honest with who you are - and what you could become.

#AkebisSailorUniform

2022:

AOTY: #akebichannosailorfuku

One thing I wanna talk about with Akebi-chan in this edition is Episode 7, “Please Let Me Hear It.” While the show already had a high level of visual beauty, this one kicked up to another level when it had no reason to do so. The episode directorial debut of moaang, this exploration of self-improvement and the desire to not let others down becomes a symphony of visual fluidity and the joy of being honest with who you are - and what you could become.

#AkebisSailorUniform

2022:

AOTY: #akebichannosailorfuku

One thing I wanna talk about with Akebi-chan in this edition is Episode 7, “Please Let Me Hear It.” While the show already had a high level of visual beauty, this one kicked up to another level when it had no reason to do so. The episode directorial debut of moaang, this exploration of self-improvement and the desire to not let others down becomes a symphony of visual fluidity and the joy of being honest with who you are - and what you could become.

#AkebisSailorUniform

OK, #akebichannosailorfuku really went 0 to 100 on the yuri train this chapter.

#AkebisSailorUniform #yuri #manga

OK, #akebichannosailorfuku really went 0 to 100 on the yuri train this chapter.

#AkebisSailorUniform #yuri #manga

OK, #akebichannosailorfuku really went 0 to 100 on the yuri train this chapter.

#AkebisSailorUniform #yuri #manga

It's wild that most people know #AkebisSailorUniform as the feet anime when it really made possible a queer rural utopia... that also had a lot of feet shots.

#anime #akebichannosailorfuku

In 2022, Hanazawa made us fear the progress of time by becoming the mother to a middle schooler in #AkebisSailorUniform. As Komichi's mother Yuwa, Hanazawa was there to provide a kind voice to the frustrations and joys of growing up.

#akebichannosailorfuku

In 2022, Hanazawa made us fear the progress of time by becoming the mother to a middle schooler in #AkebisSailorUniform. As Komichi's mother Yuwa, Hanazawa was there to provide a kind voice to the frustrations and joys of growing up.

#akebichannosailorfuku

In 2022, Hanazawa made us fear the progress of time by becoming the mother to a middle schooler in #AkebisSailorUniform. As Komichi's mother Yuwa, Hanazawa was there to provide a kind voice to the frustrations and joys of growing up.

#akebichannosailorfuku

In 2022, Hanazawa made us fear the progress of time by becoming the mother to a middle schooler in #AkebisSailorUniform. As Komichi's mother Yuwa, Hanazawa was there to provide a kind voice to the frustrations and joys of growing up.

#akebichannosailorfuku

2022:

AOTY: #AkebisSailorUniform and #BocchitheRock

I was torn deciding which of my 9s would be the AOTY for 2022 before going “Fuck it, give it to both of them.” Such a decision made sense the more I thought about it; for me, 2022 was a banner year for slice-of-life anime and these two series demonstrate how that greatness can be presented in multiple ways. First, the year started off with a beautiful traditional example of the genre in Akebi. No big gimmicks, no overexaggeration; just a realistic depiction of young women coming into themselves and finding bonds they never expected.

Your daily reminder that Akebi's mom is a baddie.

#AkebisSailorUniform #akebichannosailorfuku #anime

Your daily reminder that Akebi's mom is a baddie.

#AkebisSailorUniform #akebichannosailorfuku #anime

Finally for the week, Kito joined the massive cast of #akebichannosailorfuku in 2022 as Touko, one of Akebi's classmates. A true extrovert, Touko was a constant moodsetter in the series even as she paid attention to what was troubling others. A natural fit for Kito, she gave Touko a confidence in her speech that always helped everyone that she was around.

#AkebisSailorUniform