I'm moving to WordPress

And when I just renamed the blog, I decided to move to WordPress as well. Blogger was being troublesome. Moreover, WordPress has a lot of features, despite the customized design limitation.

I won't delete this blogger for now.
If you find this blog interesting, you can follow me on WordPress instead.

Thanks for your understanding!

"miharusshi anime life lessons" becomes "Anime RAIFU"

I'm formally renaming this blog to Anime RAIFU. I realized that the previous blog title was just too long that readers might not remember it. So I figured I should use my URL instead. This blog title isn't taken yet, so it's just perfect. Besides, I can now freely post anything related to anime and not just about the life lessons I can derive from watching anime and reading manga.

With the renaming of this blog, I also christen this as my personal anime buroggu. Yay~ So that I can also post my own opinionated, random blabber regarding anime, manga, etc. :)

Of course, I wouldn't stop posting life lessons here. Life lessons are the reason I created this blog in the first place. Moreover, the blog description is still supporting the purpose of the blog's existence.

To close this, let me post this random but oishisou and umasou screencap:

Ciao,
miharusshi (みはる씨)

[Today's Lesson] Encouragement and good feels to live with

Our life circumstances can be pretty discouraging and depressing at times. There were times I thought of killing myself, but all those suicidal plans were never really put to action. Otherwise, I wouldn't be writing in this blog.

Really.

Each of us has his own story that no one else fully knows and understands. A story of pain and joy in endless successions, in never-ending cycles. Knowing this, as much as life is depressing, life is also a wonderful thing. Soredemo Sekai wa Utsukushii. The world is still beautiful despite its flaws and cruelty.

Photo from moesucks.com

And yes, as cliched as this fact can be, it's during those dark times that we are very needy and sincerely appreciative of uplifting words from people, especially from those who mean the world to us.

From REAL manga. Scorpion Shiratori, now limp,
thanks his real supporter for his support throughout
the years of his wrestling career, despite being
hated and antagonized by the world.

Words have amazing power. Some people may be tactless and don't think too much of what they say, but they are just blind to the weight being carried by the words they let out. If people are more aware of the power of words, how colorful life could become for most of us.

Words can push people forward to do the impossible. Sure, talking to oneself makes you a little bit more confident and courageous. But if your mother, sister, brother, or a single friend sees your adversities and says a simple phrase of support, your moral takes another leap forward, possibly a bigger leap than you alone could take. No one can stop you now, unless you choose to stop yourself.

So think about this: do not ever feel useless or unappreciated if you are the one doing the encouragement. To us, the people being supported, hearing those reassuring words is everything. We had faced a battle with ourselves [our puny minds] alone, but with your intervention, coaching, and assistance, we can face a battle with more confidence. It's now a whole different battlefield, one which has a higher possibility of winning such that our doubts and fears turn to faith and resolve. I'd like to thank you for the support, wherever you are.

Go for it, Yuki! 

Your words can turn our bad days into good ones. Accepting weakness and asking for assistance is one of the humblest act of humans. Responding to these actions with kindness is one of the most rewarding moments in our lives. I become really happy when other people, such as my friends or seniors, also acknowledge my weakness and see to it that something can be done to counter our flaws. Nobody is perfect to begin with, but nobody is so imperfect to feel unimportant.

And there's another thing to know. We can support people just by being existing and being near them. There are situations when we only need the assurance that we are not alone, that someone will always be there for us no matter what happens--whether the odds is against you or is in your favor.

"Just looking at you is fine, Hiyori."

There are people we look up to and, more likely than never ever happening, there are people who look up to you. People whom we look up to are often regarded as our "inspirations". These people add fuel to our innate desire to improve at something--drawing, dancing, singing, public speaking, writing, et cetera. They, just by existing, push us further. It's because we do not see them simply as our indirect and one-sided support system, but also as our standards. By constantly thinking of these people, we are reminded to do better and not to settle on the level we are not satisfied with. Keep on moving forward.Mochiron, it does not exclude people whom we have a crush on. It's not completely necessary to have a crush on someone, and those who are being admired do not have to strictly reciprocate the admiration. But for majority of mankind, having a crush on someone adds color to their lives. It's simple. It's wonderful.

 And if you, reader, still have doubts on something you want to do, to achieve, to reach...

Thank you, Amano-sensei.

It's better to try than never. And it's never to late. Let us not regret!

Thank you for reading! Have a good lifetime~

Mata ne~
miharusshi (みはる씨)

[Today's Lesson] Some jobs will eventually be obsolete... and other realizations

Last night, I browsed through my folder containing more folders of my anime screenshots. One of them was from an anime of the Young Animator Training Project 2010 entitled "Ojii-san no Lamp (Grandfather's Lamp)." The YATP (or now more commonly called Anime Mirai) is a government-funded project of Japan which aims to train young animators. Each year, the project releases 4 short films. (Source: Wiki.) So here's a little information about the anime ripped directly from myanimelist:

Anime Title: Ojii-san no Lamp; おぢいさんのランプ

Type: Movie

Episodes: 1

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Mar 5, 2011

Producers: Telecom Animation Film

Genres: Drama, Historical

Duration: 24 min. per episode

Rating: G - All Ages

Director: Takiguchi Teiichi

Synopsis: 

A boy finds a strange object while playing hide-and-seek. His grandfather tells him the story of his own youth, and the important role the old lamp played. This story is about the modernization of Japan and the changes that came with it.

Read more here

Have you ever been in a phase in your life when you do not know what you want to become in the future? When you don't know what future career you would like to take?

If you haven't, then maybe it's because you already know what you want to become and what kind of job you want to take on. Now that is a good thing.

If you have, then it's not necessarily a bad thing. I've been there. People like us just need the time of that phase to think about our future carefully and be certain of the path we will later take on---the path which we won't regret walking on.

The protagonist who is seen to be contented of his daily life
as a lamp seller, as shown in his smiling face and the brightness
of his surrounding. Behind him is the cart he pulls along as he walks
several kilometers from town to town.

The protagonist of the short film is the former type, one who was, for the most part, certain of his career. He enjoyed being a lamp seller or distributor. The film took place at the time when Japan already opened its doors to westernization, allowing technological advancements.


In the hometown of the protagonist, houses were distant and trees were abundant. This hometown is somewhere in the countryside of Japan. Gas lamps were popular back then, so being a lamp seller was a notable occupation. Today, we cannot find lamp sellers everywhere or in publicity.

A town where the protagonist sold his gas lamps. The striking
contrast of yellow light from the aligned lamps and of the violet
darkness of the evening create a soothing visual harmony.
The river reflecting this night scene is a plus. Water adds tranquility
to the whole picture. It really feels as if it was a happy
and satisfying time of life.

If you compare their time with our generation, we can never really grasp the contentment of having a yellow light in the house, no matter how blinding the insufficient light a gas lamp could provide. Consequently, we cannot imagine how highly respected the lamp sellers were for walking long distances. They also carried with them their heavy carts which contained a lot of those gas lamps. The roads weren't even completely flat by then because only the big cities had concrete roads while the rural areas had rocky and dusty roads. Just imagine how tough it was just to get past every stone with a heavy cart.

 However, as if he didn't see it coming, his life took a sudden downhill turn, a devastating one at that. If you define your life with what you do for a living, you might not recover right away if something happens to the industry you are working in.

The protagonist finds out that the city he traveled to had already resorted to electricity mainly to power their lamps. These new, technologically advanced lamps, however, were the very symbol of the end of the MC's career. In this screenshot, the MC is seen to be standing with his back turned to the electricity-powered light post, which illuminated almost the whole area. The light from electricity was undoubtedly brighter than the light gas lamps could give. As if not wanting to accept the reality laid in front of him, the MC turns away from the big light post. His grief is not only shown from his sad face and the wind that blew through him, but it was also emphasized by the darker color of the MC. The photo shows the contradiction of  "happiness of many, sadness of few."

My heart ached when I was watching this scene. It was like I just stepped into the kokoro of the protagonist. I cannot fully describe this sad feeling. It is beyond what I can tell.

The protagonist, realizing that he couldn't sell the gas lamps anymore, decides to throw away these wonderful tools of his time. Hanging them on branches of trees along the river (I don't know how he did that. It kinda seems tiresome.) and destroying them one by one is his way of saying thank you and goodbye. What I appreciate in this scene is that the gas lamps are lighted even at their final moment. The MC doesn't immediately throw them away. (I also think that it is pretty sadistic brave for the protagonist to bear this sad sight.)

Even now, many jobs or careers are threatened by technology. Isn't it ironic? Humans crave for the improvement of life in the future (technology), but the current occupations are at risk. Humans make life better for the younger generation, but at the expense of the older generation. It's just like a cycle of the give-and-take relationship of consecutive generations of humankind. The younger ones take what the older ones offer them, and the older ones give what they can offer the younger ones.

That is not entirely sad. It's a mix of happiness and sadness. During our youth, we get to enjoy what life has to give us, but in the end, we must give back what is expected from us in the form of surrender.

I read this post several weeks ago and you might want to read more about extinct jobs. 


Ciao,
miharusshi (みはる씨)

About the blog

Hello! This is miharusshi, author of the blog Miharusshi Palette. Since I wanted to talk about my favorite things, I might as well create another blog dedicated to anime, manga, anime music, light novels, or visual novels-- basically the Japanese media that I am so fond of!

I do not want to be labeled as an otaku just because of my love for these things. Well, as you might have already known, that word has a derogatory meaning behind it... at least, in Japan. I am not Japanese, so you might have been thinking why I would apply that meaning in a different context, which is my hometown far from Japan. However, I would like to apply those words and their meanings in my life, and instead I would not deny it if you simply call me a Japanophile, though I would not exert so much effort to cover almost every popular aspect of Japan, its culture, and its people. So there you have it. As much as possible, let us not discuss about what is being an otaku and what is being not an otaku. Let us just have a peaceful sharing of ideas, likes, and dislikes in this blog, okay? :)

If you have thought of a female rocker in Japan-- who grew up in Brooklyn, NY, who does not reveal her face and age publicly, and who, nonetheless, sings amazingly and captures the hearts of Jrock-anime fans---upon seeing this picture, then you have guessed I am also one of those fans. Please, just let me be a nano-fan/wannabe at this moment. :3 (By the way, this is my right hand.)

Though I may have mentioned light and visual novels, I may only be able to share so little about them. After all, anime and manga are the two media I spend a larger chunk of my time on among the four of the media. 

Now, why did I name this blog with "anime life lessons"? I did not think too much of what to name this blog, but since I realized that a lot of things can be learned from watching anime and reading manga, I wanted this blog to be filled with the different things I have learned from and appreciated in these media. And most of all, I want to share these wonderful lessons to you, readers. :) 

Thanks for reading and watch out for my future posts! 

Cheers,

miharusshi (みはる씨)