Don’t Look Back Again Saiyuki Song Quote Analysis

“I think it’s okay to cry because it means that our hearts are beating.”
- Don’t Look Back Again (song from Saiyuki Reload Gunlock)

Don’t Look Back Again is the first opening theme song of the Saiyuki Reload Gunlock anime and manga series by Kazuya Minekura. It was sung by WAG.

Saiyuki Reload Gunlock is actually the sequel to Saiyuki Reload.

The Saiyuki series tells the story of 4 bishuonen (Genjo Sanzo, Sha Gojyo, Cho Hakkai and Son Goku) who have been sent by the Goddess of Mercy or Kanzeon Bosatsu on a journey to the west in order to stop the resurrection of the evil Demon King known as Gyumaoh.

What do you think about this quote from the Don’t Look Back Again song by WAG? It sounds kind of depressing, no?

And it’s not just because of the word ‘cry’ though that does play a part in making this quote sound and seem really quite depressing and sad. It’s also because of the entire phrase itself.

You can cry because you’re really happy about something, but, more often than not, when someone cries, it’s because they feel really sad, right?

People cry because they feel so much pain and sorrow and they can’t take it anymore so they just cry, letting out all the feelings that they’ve kept bottled up deep inside them.

People cry because they’re not okay, because they feel overwhelmed with all their problems and issues and because they might be close to their breaking point or because they just want to give up already and they don’t know what to do anymore.

They feel lost and alone, and, at times like that, you just feel like crying, right? Sometimes, we might feel reluctant to cry because it can be seen as a sign of weakness.

Some might think that crying makes them look weak. And they wouldn’t want to shed tears because they want to be seen as strong and tough and capable of anything.

But, there are times when you just can’t help but cry. The quote from Don’t Look Back Again tells us that it’s okay to cry and that’s true because, what’s wrong with crying, right?

Sometimes, you just have to let it all out and cry as much as you want to. Wouldn’t that make you feel better?

What about the rest of the Saiyuki quote then? This is the part that really makes the phrase depressing. A beating heart is a sign of being alive, right? If a heart stops beating, then that’s obviously bad. A beating heart - is that a proof of our existence?

We are alive, we are here and now because we can feel and hear our hearts beating. So, is it that our tears are also a sign that we are alive? We cry, so is that a proof that we exist?

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by CoDLia (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- Pic is meant to symbolize the featured quote from the Don't Look Back Again song
- Saiyuki pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above

Problems With Chocolat And Vanilla’s Wands In Sugar Sugar Rune

In Sugar Sugar Rune, an anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno, the main characters Chocolat Meilleure / Kato and Vanilla Mieux / Ice are given wands before they're sent to the Human World.

What's wrong with those 2 being given wands? Actually, there's really nothing wrong with that. Clearly, the magic system in this show includes wands just like in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

The problem is when these girls are given wands. It's pretty much right before they were sent to the Human World for the Queen Contest.

Prior to that, they were living in the Magical World. The question now is how come they only get wands now? Why weren't they given wands before? What's wrong with getting a wand before the Queen Contest?

The issue here is the fact that Chocolat and Vanilla were living in the Magical World. So, technically, it shouldn't be a problem for them to be carrying wands or to be seen with wands because the people around them also have magic.

What's the reason why they couldn't get wands before then? It doesn't seem to make sense, right? I talk more about this problem with Kato and Ice's wands in this post here on Soyuz Mir.

I'd have moved this one here on Anime Archives (Anime Meta) too, but it's already got some comments and notes on Tumblr, so I decided to keep it there indefinitely. I'm mentioning it here for reference as the rest of the anime posts on there will eventually be moved here.

*Notes:
- Pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above

Ichibyou No Refrain Get Backers Song Quote Analysis

“There’s still no one who knows the true me.”
- Ichibyou No Refrain (song from Get Backers)

Ichibyou No Refrain, which means "One Second Refrain" is the ending theme song from the Get Backers anime and manga series. It was sung by Otoha.

Get Backers tells the story of Midou Ban and Ginji Amano, friends who have special abilities. Their job is to get back anything that was lost or stolen, hence the title of the show.

This quote from the song Ichibyou No Refrain sounds really depressing, isn’t it? The song itself sounds melancholy and sad, so it’s no wonder that the lyrics contain phrases like this.

We all have our secrets. We all have our masks and facades. We keep a lot of things bottled up inside us, right?

Sometimes, we don’t always let people know what we really feel or what we really think. Sometimes, we just go with the flow and agree with people even if we don’t really want to or even if we have different beliefs, either because we don’t want a fight or because we don’t want to offend someone.

This quote from Get Backers is just like that song Reflection from the Disney movie Mulan. We hide our true selves and our true feelings from everyone, from the world, only presenting a reflection, something that isn’t always real or true.

Sometimes, maybe a part of what we present is really us, but it’s only a small part. We firmly hide our true selves deep inside of us. Why?

It could be because we are afraid that people will not accept us for who we really are. It could be because we don’t want to be left alone.

We don’t want to lose our friends, family and loved ones. But, don’t we want people to know the real us? Don’t we wish that we can find someone whom we can be really honest with and whom we can really show our true selves to?

If you find someone like that, you should treasure that person because it means that they’ve accepted you for who you really are regardless of your faults and weaknesses. Isn’t that something that we all want, that we’re all looking for?

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by MizuSasori (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- The mask the figure in the pic is wearing is meant to symbolize hiding one's true self

Initial Thoughts About The Sugar Sugar Rune Magic System

Sugar Sugar Rune is an anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno. It's got a pretty interesting magic system.

But, just like with the Ragnarok: Into The Abyss manhwa by Myung Jin-Lee, this show's magic system is confusing, to say the least.

It seems that there's no rhyme or reason with regards to how magic works in Sugar Sugar Rune.

I mean, we see some of the characters, like main character Chocolat Meilleure / Kato and her best friend, Vanilla Mieux / Ice, using wands, but then there are others, like Rockin' Robin, who don't use one. How come some people use wands and others don't? What's the criteria for this? Unfortunately, the anime has yet to answer these questions.

Then there's the use of magic spells. For example, Chocolat uses the words, "Sugar Sugar Rune Choco Rune." These words allow her to transform into her magical witch outfit. But it's not just that. These words also let her use other kinds of magic.

She says this phrase every time she uses magic. So, what's up with that? What kind of spell is that? Some all-around spell or something?

Even more confusing is the fact that other characters don't use that phrase at all. For example, Vanilla uses the words, "Sugar Sugar Rune Vani Rune," to transform into her magical witch outfit as well as to cast other kinds of spells.

Other characters don't even use words. So, what, can they do wandless and non-verbal kinds of magic now or what?

It's really confusing, isn't it? What do you think? I talk more about my initial thoughts about the Sugar Sugar Rune magic system in this post here on Soyuz Mir.

I'd have moved this one here on Anime Archives (Anime Meta) too, but it's already got some comments and notes on Tumblr, so I decided to keep it there indefinitely. I'm mentioning it here for reference as the rest of the anime posts on there will eventually be moved here.

*Notes:
- Both Sugar Sugar Rune pics are from Amazon.com; links shown here and here

Yasashii Yoake .hack//SIGN Song Quote Analysis

“Only in dark places are there things that shine.”
- Yasashii Yoake (song from .hack//SIGN)

Yasashii Yoake, which means "Gentle Dawn," is the ending theme song from the .hack//SIGN anime series. It was sung by SeeSaw.

.hack//SIGN focuses on Tsukasa and his adventures in The World, a virtual reality massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG), and how he is unable to log out of said game.

What do you think about the quote from the song Yasashii Yoake? It’s so true, isn’t it?

No matter how dark and dreary this world may be, there is always that shining ray of light that serves as our hope and guide.

No matter how dark the night can be, you can always find the light of the stars and the moon to illuminate your path.

It may not be easy to find the shining light in such dark places, but it’s there. It’s always there. We just need to believe. We just need to keep on believing and never stop hoping.

We may be lost and confused and filled with despair and darkness, but we just have to keep moving forward because there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. Someday, we can get out of this dark place and into the shining light.

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by KahoOkashii (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- Pic is meant to symbolize the featured quote from the Yasashii Yoake song

Sugar Sugar Rune: Initial Thoughts About Chocolat

This is how Chocolat Meilleure / Kato, the main
character in Sugar Sugar Rune looks like. One of the most 
noticeable things about her is her red hair and green eyes, 
which immediately reminded me of Lily Evans 
from the Harry Potter series

Just saw the first episode of the Sugar Sugar Rune anime and manga series by Moyoco Anno.

These are my initial thoughts/impressions about Chocolat Meilleure / Kato, the main female character.

(*Warning for possible spoilers for episode 1 of Sugar Sugar Rune)

One of the first things that anyone will notice about Chocolat is that she has red hair and green eyes. Being familiar with the Harry Potter series of fantasy books by J.K. Rowling, I immediately thought of Lily Evans, Harry’s mother, because she too has red hair and green eyes.

But, then again, I suppose this just goes to show that such a color combination isn’t exactly unusual as there are a number of other characters from other shows/series with that hair and eye color. Anyway, nothing wrong with Chocolat’s looks. Her personality/character, on the other hand…

So far, I’m not sure that I like Chocolat’s character or her personality. Maybe it’s because of how obvious it is that she’s the main character.

I mean, the show is titled Sugar Sugar Rune, but, right away, you can just tell that the protagonist is none other than Chocolat Meilleure. I’m already seeing/noticing the blatant main character favoritism. For instance:

• She gets the heart-shaped heart-holder while her best friend and rival Vanilla Mieux / Ice gets a diamond-shaped one
• Even her wand looks and seems more special than Vanilla’s. Just listen to Queen Candy’s speech about their wands and it’s clear that the redhead got the better wand

I also find myself wondering what is it with Kato and wanting to summon the guard dog of hell?

She kept talking about this and even asked Rockin' Robin if he can summon said creature. She even tries to summon it herself though she fails.

What is with her obsession with the guard dog of hell? Is this just meant to be seen as comical?

Is this just for comic relief purposes? Or is there a significance to this? Who knows? So, what do you think about Chocolat so far?

*Note:
- Pics are enlarged product images from Amazon.com; links shown above via Amazon's Native Shopping Ads widget

Mou Nakanaide Ranma 1/2 Song Quote Analysis

“Cheer up and don’t cry anymore. Once tomorrow comes, everything will change.”
- Mou Nakanaide (song from Ranma ½)

The above quote is part of the lyrics of the song entitled "Mou Nakanaide." The title means "Don’t Cry Anymore."

It's the 6th opening theme song from the Ranma ½ anime and manga series by Rumiko Takahashi. It was sung by Senou Azusa.

Ranma ½ is a comedy starring a lot of characters with complicated relationships. The main protagonist is Ranma Saotome who ends up falling into a cursed spring (called Jusenkyo), which causes him to turn into a girl whenever he is drenched in cold water.

This particular quote from the Mou Nakanaide song seems pretty inspiring at first and that is true, but, it’s also true that this phrase can be quite depressing when you really look at it. It’s inspiring because, don’t we all want someone to be there for us?

Don’t we all want someone to tell us to cheer up and not cry anymore? Don’t we want someone to reassure us and tell us that everything will be okay, that things will get better? We all want a shoulder to cry on, right?

We all want someone that we can talk to, someone who understands us and someone who will listen to us and be there for us.

The quote also comes across as hopeful with the second sentence.

It’s a sign of reassurance that we shouldn’t give up, that we should continue moving and fighting because, when tomorrow comes, things can get better, things can change.

But the entire quote from the Ranma ½ song can be depressing too and it’s not just because of the word “cry.” It’s because, if someone is telling you to cheer up and stop crying, that means that you’re feeling really sad and down, right?

It means you’re feeling depressed and that you’re experiencing a lot of worries and problems.

Maybe, you might even feel like giving up already. Maybe you feel like it’s no use to keep on fighting and that nothing ever comes of your efforts anyway, so you might as well just end it all.

And that’s a reason why someone would want to tell you these words from Mou Nakanaide. If you weren’t feeling sad and depressed, if you’re not already crying your eyes and heart out, then no one would need to say these words to you, right?

*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by ishizu123 (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- Pic is meant to symbolize the featured quote from the Mou Nakanaide song
- The rest of the pics are enlarged product images from Amazon.com; links shown above via Amazon's Native Shopping Ads widget