I should open a Tanning Parlor: Sunshine Blogger Award 8

My dear Island Guests, I wasn’t really planning to do these so soon but than I got pretty sick and wasn’t really able to keep up with my writing and I have a busy week ahead! So In rapid succession I will fire a few Blog Tags I have left open to get ahead a bit again. STAFF posts also had a bit of delay due to circumstances so welcome to catch up week! We start with my 8th Sunshine Blogger Award.

The Rules

By now I think we all know the rules of the Sunshine Blogger Award.  Display the logo, thank the one who tagged you and provide a link to their blog. Answer their 11 questions then ask 11 questions to 11 new people. However while I will ask 11 questions in none of my Sunshine Blogger Award Posts I shall tag people! If you want to answer these questions leave a comment and I will put a tag to your blog in there.. but I think this one deserves a bit of a rest.

I was nominated by Anime Good Reads! So thanks to them for providing me with the means to actually catch up with my work! Their Blog is filled with bite sized anime goodness so do give it a glance or two!  Unlike me they seem to know how to make their post short but sweet. Now it’s time for answering some questions! Yay!

As a blogger, what is more important to you other than just writing blog posts?

Writing posts isn’t that important as a blogger either, at least not as a hobby blogger.  What is important to me at least for blogging is putting myself out there. People might not read my Isekai story or think I ramble too long about pokémon. People might just stare at their names and the pictures on those lists … but what I put out there is me. People can like that, or dislike that or they can pretend to have read that. I have seen people calling themselves bloggers who just post a synopsis about an anime and list the main characters straight from MAL or Wiki and it gets more likes than my insightful post on the emotional impact of things. I have followed a Pokémon Blog who just posts straight up links to other news sites or slightly phrase a factoid in the news differently. To me that is not blogging. Having a blog is not just writing posts.. it’s adding yourself to online content. Adding your own voice.If I see a blogger who just rehashes content from elsewhere or doesn’t add any flavour of their own .. just to get a post done quicker. I quickly unfollow them. I can read anime news on bigger sites than your blog! I am there because I want to know what YOU feel about it. That is also what I want to do on Paradise. This is me

If you were to create your own anime, then explain how the “protagonist” would look and behave like?

In the series Pinkie gets Anime Powers, I often self insert as a main character in a spin-off anime or a very important character. For example in the stories about Yu-Gi-Oh and One Piece I  make myself a main character, so there are two good examples right there. Then there is my D&D Danganronpa show that I made a post for.  In it people would be trapped in a mansion and forced to play D&D experiencing a full on deep dive if they play.. as the two realities blur.  I never really went into the main character.  She would be a gay woman, as tends to be my defacto, as I find it easier to get invested in my own writing if I go with that.
She would look very girly, but also sloppy.  Think Tomoko but then normal anime girl sized.  Blonde Hair in the house and Pink in the Isekai world.  She would be socially awkward and clumsy. Let’s be honest here! Every anime hero is written as a blank slate for the ideal hero.  Their personality is toned down so we can all relate.  Yet I think it’s fairly safe to say  that nearly all of us here have experienced social awkwardness in some shape or form. A flawed character that has trouble getting things done in the way they do..instead of being overpowered. Make a character really based on your demographic for once. not glamour them up.. most Mangaka should know how we are because most are just like us!

Any best moment or scene from an anime/movie/drama show that you would like to share with us?

Not particularly no! I have talked extensively about a particular scene with a Radio from School Live, a slew of moments from Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann and a certain stage theme from a video game. Since we are a fairly close circle with people coming and going a bit..but still a fairly close bunch I would hope that people by now know. I can name the favourites of a few of you. So instead I will show you something random! My good geek buddy Geek Girl Joy showed this to me in a reply to my comment on one of her posts. It allegedly is the best scene from the movie so it fits the brief.. but also fits my spirit of randomness and I got to shout out a friend!

Are you a gamer? If yes, then which types of games do you prefer to play the most?

More so than most of the people reading this yes. I am not competitive, I am not a completionist and I might not be particularly skillful but I am a big gamer. I tend to stick to (J)Rpg’s the most.  In particular the subgenre of collectable creature games. About 90% of what I play in that genre is Pokémon games, fan games or rom hacks. However currently I am playing another collectable creature game and you can expect a review on my blog very soon. I am also a big fan of the older (up until X) Final Fantasy games, with VI being my absolute favourite and Chrono Trigger being a bit ahead of that too. I am also a big fan of Tales Of games.  They are a tad predictable but very fun!  I recently also got completely hooked on the mobile game Castle Cats!  Like HOOKED …  and I wasn’t even a cat person! 

What is more important to you, sports or academics?

Is there anyone who got tagged here  that picked sports? I mean we are all geeks! Would I have to choose between the two, Academics go for a much longer way. Up to a point where I think sports is factually the wrong answer. Sports can last you until you are 30 and even then the margin of success is fairly low. At least with academics you get a diploma that can get you into some places. Sports is such an overhyped measuring  standard. .. but so are Academics.

We should not have to prove our worth by being good at something.  We are human beings regardless if we are good at anything. We hold value even if we aren’t fast, strong, clever or wise. Maybe that uneducated friend really is good at comforting you when you are down! Even if she sits at home without a diploma. That freeloader guy who just roams the world and cleans chimneys to make a buck prevents you from monoxide poisoning. A good person is not persé sporty or educated to me. They are happy! Some reach that trough sports, other trough academics others trough freedom.  Whatever route you choose is fine however. What matters isn’t how you stack up to other people! It’s about making choices that make that person in the mirror smile at you in the morning. THAT is what is really important.. I couldn’t care less about the way you get there. I respect those who create their dream world! No matter what skills.. and it depends per person on how they get their. Achievements are hollow if they don’t lead to your happy place.

Any thrilling childhood experience that you had with your friends or family, maybe an adventure or a memorable trip? If yes, then please share!

A few. I share these fairly regularly but let’s talk about the time I almost drowned.  I was a small kid and for a friend’s birthday party we all went swimming in one of those sub tropical pools. At one point we went to play tag in the rapids.  It was a fairly weak stream so it was normally easy to get out. However.. My motor skills aren’t the best and sometimes I can experience moments of great muscle weakness. This was one of the first.  As we exited the rapids all my strength left me and I got sucked back in again.  I could still do the motions but I lacked the strength to push myself out. Unfortunately everyone went on land..to have lunch and they kinda forgot about me. That happened a lot at these type of parties. I lived across the kid throwing the party so I was one of those.. must invite.. type of people not really a part of the clique.  So people usually needed a while to notice when I was gone. I was left in the woods the year before.

So minutes past and I was still stuck, my strength was now leaving me rapidly and I barely had any strength to keep above water anymore. This was like 26 years ago or so , so there weren’t as many lifeguards yet either. Normally there is a rope you can use to exit.. but I lacked the strength to hold onto that. Just as I went under water for the second time I was bumped into a man.. and I thought I was saved. I tried to yell for help but he just looked at me annoyed and pushed me away. Then I went underwater again. Besides the man.. there was no one in the rapids. There were waves in the other half of that pool so everyone went there. I struggled to keep above water, and the guy pushed me away again now exiting the thing calling me a brat. I thought I was done for when two of my friends actually came back for me. They noticed I was gone (within minutes)  and as one of them chased after me the other swam to the exit to catch me. I was so weak I was just tumbling in the water now so my friend swam underneath me and scooped me up as a whale. I managed to put my arms around his neck and he swam me to the “shore”. There they yelled at the guy who let me drown.. and he said.. very dryly  “Oh.. sorry”.  I did not have lunch as I spent a little while throwing up all the water I had slurped in afterwards.

The weird thing after that.. I felt amazing.. two people noticed I was gone and came to save me! That was new to me!  They were so genuinely sweet to me for the rest of the day taking in account my weaker physique , playing games in the water I liked as well as them and in the end we all had fun. It took me a good three years to ever enter a rapid again though. 

Your thoughts on the current “COVID” scenario. (Very Odd Question)

I do hope that “COVID” between these brackets doesn’t mean you think it doesn’t exist or that people over react. I lost my grandpa to COVID19 and for a while we thought we might lose grandma as well. I was so sick I could not attend the funeral. That was quite a bad experience.  Now as for  the whole scenario. People are doing what they can. Everyone who thinks people are being overly careful .. well I’ll be honest I think they are utter idiots. If feel like you don’t need to clean a pen at the bank because you don’t feel sick and you don’t care if you kill someone’s grandma who is next in line as you don’t know her, go ahead and do what you want to do. It’s your life I can’t judge. Maybe you are really not sick! Yet I do get very annoyed when people think it’s an ploy.. or it’s related to 5g or whatever. I am pretty sure they harmed themselves more from smoke inhalation as that they stopped it from creation Corona shaped viruses.

It’s a disease people! Simple as that. While some people might be overly cautious which we will only know in hindsight, it can not really hurt. If they ask you to decontaminate a pen..just to be sure.. What is the friggin harm in doing that? It costs you a second to do that, it might give a 80 year old lady five more years to live..I am not saying it will.. I am saying that the fact that it MIGHT be good enough for you to obey the rules of your country and the places you visit.  Wear a mask in the places you have to,  disinfect your hands when asked and for the love of whoever you worship keep that distance. Is your night really THAT much more fun if you can invite too large of a group?!  Is it worth risking someone’s beloved eldery family member?! Heck is it worth risking someone like me?! I might not be old but I have bad lungs.  I do go out very sparingly but I keep my distance, I disinfect  and I also think of others. (that’s a thing here). My life might be a bit less fun I agree, but if by sacrificing some fun now me.. and that person who got to live can both have fun next year it is very much worth it.

If there are people out there who are of the opinion that old people should sacrifice themselves for the economy I can’t respect that opinion unless you feel so confident about that point that you’d say in your own grandfathers face. Grandpa please sacrifice yourself to the economy.. if you don’t have one anymore.. your dad or favourite teacher or whatever. If you are that convinced  that you would even sacrifice your own family, then you do have my respect. I do not agree…but at least you truly agree with yourself.. instead of the majority of people who spout this nonsense. 

Some skillful dreams that you want to accomplish (Ex. Riding a horse, Practice shooting with real Rifles and Shotguns, Mountain Climbing etc)?

All of those would kill me.Once our school organised a ski trip and I was called into the principal’s office by him and the gym  teachers requesting me to please not sign up for this trip. Because with my motor skills I will get harmed and ruin the trip for everyone. Today looking back at that, that might have been offensive but I actually wholeheartedly agreed.  I even laughed at it back then! I was really worried I was called in for something bad.  They just expected me to cry and feel left out and did not want to create drama in front of the school for asking the clumsy kid not to go on a ski trip. My toxic father also always discouraged skillful dreams as he always said I would not be able to do it.  So nothing in the adventurous sense.

I would live to learn Japanese properly though! Preferably with a study buddy so I have like a partner to spar with. Like Fitness you don’t do it when you’re alone.. at least for me. Of course this knowledge would be used to make a trip to Japan.. maybe I’d even migrate. I feel sometimes I need a change of pace. At least for a few weeks I would love to live in that other world and a language as foreign as Japanese can help me feel like I am in that strange place even more.

Any countries or places where you want to visit just to relax and chill?

So in Japan I would have lots I actually want to do! To Chill I love to go to Spain. Mostly the regions of Barcelona.  A smaller town nearby there. Like Calella or even more so L’Escala. I also would love to take another  trip to Porto in Portugal, such a pretty town! I would love to just sit there sip Port and watch the trollies or the boats pass by.  I oftenly have sore muscles and some sunshine and heat really makes me feel much less cramped up..so again would finding a job not be so hard for me while sick.. I’d probably move away. 

Arrange the following points based upon the priority (high to low) that you consider the most while watching an anime. The points are : Story, Characters, Animation, Music and Dialogues.

Characters: I very much want to care about people and if I don’t I tend to not like an anime that much. I really dislike Lelouche so I don’t like Geass. I do really like the characters from Hitman Reborn so that’s an anime I really enjoy. If we compare anime to a car, characters would be the engine. You can’t get far without an engine.

Story: If Characters are the engine of a car, the story is the road the car drives on .. the trip you make with it. If I don’t want to drive to Heroes-Victory, I will not drive on Shonen Street.  I can choose a trip across the things I want to experience based on the premises of a story alone. If I want to feel peppy all I have to do is read what an anime is about and I will know if it’s for me or not. The road of course has to be smooth for me to enjoy the ride. If there aren’t enough signs to tell me where I might be going I might be lost and end up stranded.  If there are too many bumps in the road I will never make that trip again. We all want a smooth and somewhat streamlined ride! Sometimes it can be fun to search a bit for that ideal spot we want to go on a road.. but it really depends on the trip

Dialogue: This is the steering wheel of anime. It keeps the car in check and on the road. Need a character to follow a certain plotpoint? An exposition line can keep him in check.. or through dialogue he can find a reason to follow the story. It also helps us understand the characters better than just their art or their actions so obviously I can’t put this one too far down my list! Good written dialogue can make so many other things obsolete and enforce them.

Music: The Radio of the car, it will make a trip more passable and helps make your experience a lot more pleasant. Nothing feels greater than putting some Radar Love on while on the road, or Highway to Hell when cruising on the American numbered routes. It makes you feel more powerful and it will help you on your trip. In anime this is the same.

Animation: Ah the windscreen wipers of anime. I do not get why people think this might be the most important. I do like motion and seeing an impact but I have as much fun with the animation of Castle Cats than I do in say Mirai Nikki. A Kamehameha in Super Sonic Warriors on GBA  feels as impactful to me as one in full HD in Dragon Ball Kakarot.  It’s just like windscreen wipers. Sure it helps you imagine the road for you better.. but even in the rain you DO have a functioning brain that can fill in the blanks you might miss. Sure you NEED some visuals but I like slide shows just as much as actual anime if the rest of these are good enough. So yes.. windscreen wipers.

In future, will you change the ‘prime niche’ of your blog or continue to write on the same topic?

I already have like six niches on my blog, I don’t really write in a single Niche.. I write about what keeps me busy. Which is divided in six different sub niches in general. But mostly I am my Niche… will I change that? No never. Might I shift from anime into fashion? Probably not but if I really get obsessed with dresses or cosplay I will tell you about it. I can’t tell how I will change.. heck  my heart might stop tomorrow and the blog is left to my staff and then horror fiction becomes it’s main niche. Or I might be able to blog from another world.. and the niche will change to my adventure.  I don’t write for you guys, I write for me and I am me..that won’t change. I just hope you can enjoy me.. or some of the things I do. 

My 11 Questions

I tend to theme my questions a bit and this posts one will be around the WordPress community.So if you like to answer these let me know in the comments if not the tag dies here. If you are a coconut you however are always nominated.

1. Who is a blogger you respect very much here on WordPress
2. Do you have a BlogSenpai an example you want to live up too?
3. Do you have an example on YouTube or another platform?
4. How long have you been a part of this WordPress community
5. How did you start your blogging adventure? 
6. What is one of the aspects you like less about the community
7. What is your take on social media?
8. What is your take on idolisation of influencers?
9. What makes you the happiest to be a blogger?
10. Is there a person who reads your blog whom you really appreciate?
11.  What is your stance on Blog Tags?

Again all my Coconuts are nominated by default so Thank You MikeKelly666 TsubakiKuro, The Holymailman and Ospreyshire for your Kofi support and always consider yourself nominated in my posts. As for everyone else out there! Just ask to participate and I will add you in my nominees list and act as if I always nominated you! I think this tag has been going on long enough to switch to the self nomination system. If you are to shy to self nominate you can also of course donate to my Kofi and get a default nomination as well! Yay!
Post done!