Anime has many different styles within its genre. Each of them is categorized by a specific demographic. In this article I will talk about the shows I enjoyed as a newbie and what manga they are associated with.
The first show that got me into Anime was BNA on Netflix believe it or not. “Brand New Animal” is about a teenager named Michiru who faces adversity for being different. She has the ability to turn into a humanoid animal and is cast out. It’s her story of trying to find a safe haven and accepting who she is as a Beastman. I thoroughly enjoyed the story telling of the show and it’s characters. The art style really reminded me of a lot of cartoons I grew up watching. It’s a show I am excited to re-watch and always recommend to my friends.
This specific Anime is a Seinen manga. Seinen are marketed to young adults. It also falls under a few other genres like Action, Fantasy and Science Fiction. With only twelve episodes I really can’t wait for the next season which unfortunate hasn’t been announced yet. With this series being so new I was so surprised how good it was and the fact that it’s a Netflix Original is just really cool. I would love to see more anime originals on their platform.
My husband I had a blast trying to figure out what type of Beastman each character was before it was revealed. Some are pretty obvious and others keep you guessing. A huge part of why I love this show is the story telling. The way that each episode ends keeps you at the edge of your seat. You think you know as much as you possible can figure out on your own but then there is something more to it. I thoroughly enjoyed it beginning to end.
This next Anime was remade in 2019 and released on HULU in collaboration with CrunchyRoll. Fruits Basket is an Anime about A girl named Tohru Honda, a high school student that finds out that the Soma Family are hiding something from everyone. In actuality there are possessed by the animals of the Chinese Zodiac and involuntary change into said animal when hugged by the opposite sex.
The characters are charming and their stories will give you all the feels. This show is very emotional so if you can’t handle some drama and heartache this one probably isn’t for you. I find that anime is like that though to draw you into the characters lives. Things can’t get lighter if there isn’t a little darkness.
The main characters really grow on you and their personalities truly shine. Tohru reminded me of myself a lot and I think that’s why I really enjoyed the show so much. When a character is relatable it makes the show that more enjoyable. I found the art style very cute and the back story of each member of the Soma family very intriguing. Similarly to BNA I had so much fun trying to guess what animal from the Zodiac calendar was who. Fruits Basket is a Shōjo manga meaning that this show was aimed at young women as their demographic. It also falls under the genre of ” Romantic Comedy” and Supernatural.
Similarily to Fruits Basket is HoriMiya focuses on highschool students Kyouko Hori and Izumi Miyamura. A couple that are complete opposites to one another. It’s a simple story of them opening up to each other and life with their friends in school.
The back stories aren’t the most in-depth or severely depressing like most shows which is refreshing to say the least. I liked this anime for the simplicity and cutesy romance between characters. There wasn’t much to the whole show but when you need a distraction I’d say this one could be your ticket into watching Anime series.
I got butterflies watching the romance bloom in their hearts and in their eyes. The demographic of this particular manga is Shōnen. Shōnen are usually targeted towards a young male audience. (I would have to argue that it is more of a Shojo type show being that its a romantic type of show but I digress.)
On to the action, My husband and I binge watched this one. BoFuri:I Don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense. You can probably tell by the title but this one is about a Virtual Reality role playing game world.
Maple starts playing this game with her friend after little deliberation and maxes out her defense in hopes to be able to stay alive in the game. In doing this she continues to put all her strength into defense as a tactic to be different from the rest. Usually in role playing games you want a balance of defense, attack and speed but she lacks everything except her shielding . You’d think she wasn’t doing as much as she could to compete but she proves everyone wrong.
This show is very creative in its approach. I really loved how cheesy everything was and how in depth the narrative went to show exactly what skills were reached and what her achievements were. It was like I was really watching someone play an RPG. If you aren’t into video games or any of that sort of stuff this Anime isn’t going to work for you. But my husband and I are huge nerds and loved it so much.
The characters were very cute and the animation was very unique. As a Seinen I would have to agree that young adults are the best demographic for this manga but I can see it being very appealing to adults as well. I am 29 and I absolutely would watch it again. I can’t wait for the next season to come out. 2022 here we go! This show was very easy to watch for me and didn’t have a ton of emotional content in it. Would highly recommend to anyone that loves adventure and video games.
And here comes the Anime that brings tears to your eyes. People tell me all the time that I only love sad sappy anime. That’s definitely not true. I love all different types of shows. It’s not my fault that a lot of the characters have sad lives and wear their hearts on their sleeves. I fall so hard for the lonely and depressed. I surely don’t seek out shows that make me cry. ” The Day I became a God” started out so bright and happy. It was so light-hearted and cute until it got down to the end. I won’t ruin it for you but please be warned. I definitely loved it but it was so short. In only twelve episodes you really fall in love with the protagonist.
The Anime is about a girl that goes by Hina Sato that claims that she’s a God named Odin. In claiming shes supernatural she expresses that the world is going to end in 30 days after running into the other main character Yōta Narukami. I won’t say much more about it but it was definitely a good one. Highly recommend if you can handle it. The demographic for this manga is seinen as well. This anime is fairly new to the scene and was released in 2020. Not sure if their will be a sequel or not.
Last but not least Sword Art Online anothertear-jerker. I have yet to finish this Anime because my husband couldn’t take the sadness but I promise I’ll complete it before the year is up. What I can say about the show is it took some getting used to at first. I started watching it after Bo-furi and found it pretty similar in theme. It’s about a virtual reality role playing world but with a twist.
This game doesn’t allow for you to leave the game unless you die or complete the final boss. When you die in game you die in real life. Bo-furi was not dark like that at all or really emotional in anyway. It started out very slow but gained momentum as it progressed. If you are not emotionally stable I wouldn’t give this one a watch. It’s pretty dark and can really make your heart hurt for a while. Not saying that as a bad thing necessarily but it really isn’t for everyone. This show seems like it’s for mature audiences. (contains nudity and violence as well as some language.)
The demographic for this Anime is shonen that being a male audience. I would definitely agree with that. The show is pretty straight forward as far as everything goes. Being that I haven’t finished the show yet I will say that it might not be as good all the way through. I have only made it to season two about half way but up until then I have enjoyed it. Kirito is a well rounded character and many of the characters you meet through out the series are great too.
Bravest warriors a fun new card game based by the characters created by Pendleton Ward.
This holiday season we discovered a new game called Bravest Warriors : Encounters. I was looking for an easy travel-friendly game to put in my husband’s stocking last year and this game popped up when I was browsing. It ended up being a hit with not only my husband but my parents too. Being a nerd of the show makes the game even better. Knowing the characters I find the game relatable.
Encounters come in two different decks. The red one and the blue one. Not a huge difference between the game play of each deck just depends on your hero card preference and the characters you like. Both packs of cards come with four different character cards, 7 dice, and 55 cards divided by items and encounters. Both decks can be combined to accommodate more players.
Each encounter card has a value you must reach before moving on to the next and so forth. It’s basically a press your luck dice game with a fun twist. If you end up not rolling the right value you forfeit your point value for that turn. If you end up rolling every value shown and use all your dice the next set of encounters double in points.
There are pretty great advantages in this game too. Each hero comes with its own perk so you can really use strategy to win your roll and you can use your points to purchase items that can give you an extra edge to victory. Game play can be modified depending on the duration you choose. The instructions suggest 30 points is the marker, and 20 for shorter games. But honestly it’s completely up to you. When my parents and I play we usually go for 15. But, obviously with more players that will vary.
Fun twist and game-play advantages
In addition to this game play you can play with the encounter symbols featured on certain cards; these icons represent roadblocks to make the game a little more interesting. No item symbols don’t allow for any additional help, assists are not permitted, extra points and cards that add additional die value to existing rolls.
Honestly this game’s just as fun without all the extra bells and whistles and if you’ve never played it I think you’d find it pretty enjoyable. At around $12 dollars a deck I’d say it would be worth giving it a go. The only other thing I feel like I should mention is that show and some of the cards might be inappropriate to younger children despite the 8+ rating provided. The show is a bit mature for certain age groups.
If you are looking for a more family-friendly game my husband wrote an article of one of our other favorite games. Click here for his thoughts on it.
A friend of mine let me play with their Canon DSLR and got pretty familiar with it so I decided to go with that brand because I knew it better than the rest. Canon had a pretty big cult following at the time and not many competitors like Sony. My first DSLR was the EOS Rebel t2i with the standard kit lens. I was content for the first couple years with it but as I grew as a photographer my needs changed.
Another friend and I went into business together shortly after high-school doing weddings. With the expectations as high as they were, the gear necessary to give them what they wanted got more involved. I decided to upgrade a little to the t7i because I wasn’t ready to get into full frame sensors yet.
Why I made the switch to Sony.
Towards the end of our wedding photography ventures I got tired of my setup and decided to upgrade to a camera that was mirror-less and had a bigger sensor. I switched to the Canon RP and that’s when I realized canon cameras weren’t all that great anymore. I was so excited to have a full frame camera that’s compatible with the lens I already had in my kit but needless to say I ended up hating the photo quality and poor auto focusing. Heartbroken, I decided to take back that camera because it honestly wasn’t up to par with my previous camera quality. It was so bittersweet to return it.
The Sony A7C is superior.
After a year of deliberating I decided to sell my Canon kit. My decision was finally made in March 2021. I ended up purchasing the SONY A7C because it’s lightweight, has long battery life and it is a full frame mirror-less camera. The Canon RP was the perfect size and weight for me. I liked all the features it offered but the quality of the camera and its photos were lacking. So the A7C was nearly the same thing just made by a different brand.
I initially went in on my search thinking I wanted the SONY A7iii but figured something more compact and had the flip out screen was better for me. I think I made the best decision for my line of work now. My old camera was bulky and heavy and this new set up is very streamline.
People that influenced my decision.
My cousin was a huge influence on my switch to Sony. His photography is always so crisp and effortless he really helped me to see that Sony was the best choice for the small sessions I do. Not only was he helpful in the direction I was headed but my favorite photographer chose Sony over shooting with Canon for years. After watching her videos I was very inspired to start over with my kit.
Julia Trotti is so incredible at what she does as a fashion and portrait photographer based in Australia. She is someone I always look up to for inspiration and I can’t thank her for showing me that Sony is right for me. Today I shoot with the 85 mm focal length. It’s her favorite portrait prime because of the clean background to foreground separation. I will one day add the 35 mm prime to my kit as well (her other favorite).
Starting over has been hard.
Learning everything over again definitely takes time. Selling all my gear has been difficult. Repurchasing lenses for another mount has been interesting and quite a bit more expensive but I say if you are tired with your current setup and not happy I think it’s worth it. Since switching I have become more excited about photography again.
Taken with the Canon t7iTaken with the A7c
I learned that custom buttons are your friends. Setting up my camera was a bit of a learning curve but now that it’s unique to me it cuts down on looking through menus and getting my test photos done quicker. Not only is it quicker to navigate, the function buttons are so easy to get to, unlike the previous system I used.
I reach for my camera more now that it’s more compact and less clunky. I rarely brought my camera out of the house unless I was doing photo shoots but now I carry my camera with me more often. The focus accuracy is impeccable . During my first photo shoot with it I had barely any photos out of focus and I took about 300 photos at the first location. The possibilities with this camera are endless.
I sometimes wish I had switched to Sony before now but I am glad that the A7C is my first Sony body. It’s so easy to use. I can’t wait for my next photo shoot to see what magic I can come up with.
We all remember the Emo/Scene days right? The dark aesthetic in fashion, the leopard extensions, the extra eyeliner and fluffy hair? Those were the days. Well, E-girl makeup is this generation’s “Emo phase” or the opposite of 2019s VSCO girls. I think it’s taken on its popularity because of it’s nod to the early 2000s and it’s allure over on TIK TOK. Today I’m here to show you how to achieve the look with a variety of different elements to make it your own. It only takes a few steps to pull off the total vibe and achieve the e-girl look.
E-girls of all types
I have seen e-girl makeup of all types. However some foundations are matte others are dewy but they all have the following things in common. Every E-girl look I have come across consists of a thick winged liner, a ton of blush, straight brows, freckles galore (optional), blurred popsicle lips and wet highlight on the highest parts of the face.
Make it your own
For example I watched a few of my favorite content creators do their take on the current trends, and I thought I would give it a go since I was a scene kid growing up.It’s really such a cute look to recreate. Whether you do it exactly like their version you see here or the ones you see on social media platforms make it your own. Go with a bold lip, or a more natural finish to the skin, small cat-eye flicks or a beautiful red lipstick the choice is yours.
Creating the look of an E-girl
To demonstrate this makeup tutorial I start off with my favorite skincare. A clean lightly moisturized base is key to it looking its best. (I like using the Good Molecules Ultra- Hydrating Facial oil mixed in with my foundation. It’s a cruelty free paraben free option to add to your skincare. Check out this article for more information. The foundation I used here is the Covergirl Clean liquid a lightweight formula.
Straight bold brows
After my skincare has sunk in I move onto brows. For my brows I like to keep them very natural and go in with feathered strokes. I will brush them out with a spoolie and go in with a powder to achieve my shape and add fullness. You can then go in with a gel to set them in place and give them a lifted effect. Eyeshadow for this look is very grungy and messy. You could go for a smokey eye in red tones or stay dark and go for greys. You can go for a romantic twist (like I did ) and choose rosy hues to compliment the blushing or you could do your own thing and focus on the under eyes by blowing out the color.
E-Girls are grungy so it doesn’t have to be perfect
For this makeup look I went pretty grungy. I ran a creme gel liner on the outer portion of my lower lash-line and then blended it out with a black shadow after creating my desired eye-shape. Next, I created a bit of a halo eye focusing the darker colors at the edges and the lighter toward the center. I used Cozette Beauty shadows to create my shape. To tie in the blush I took a reddish pink shade to blend out the black. I finished with a wing to compliment the shape that was already created with the shadows. I added a messy black hearts to both sides.
Pictured here are eye shadows from Cozzette Beauty in the shades Halite, Jet & Infrared infinite shadows.My favorite cruelty free eyeliners for sensitive eyes. Honest Beauty/ Pixi by Petra
Bold liner for that dramatic edge
All E-girl makeup looks are finished with a thick winged black eyeliner. With this liner you can do a very graphic shape to make it your own or a simple winged eyeliner. A bunch of looks I saw have little hearts incorporated in. These hearts are usually focused symmetrically under the eyes. I’ve also seen asymmetrical shapes done as well. The possibilities are endless. Here is my favorite liquid formula.
UD lip mousse in Halo for cheeks
UD lip mousse in Noise for cheeks
Are you blushing?
After the eyes we move onto blush. Whatever tone you choose, focus the color close to your eye bags and temples and along the bridge of your nose and the apples of your cheeks. The pink blush is usually heavily applied I usually go in with cream blush first. You can then go in with a powder blush to layer over the cream to set everything in place to get that signature look. Make sure its similar in tone though.
Freckles are optional.
Time for faux freckles. With the freckles you want to use a tone similar to that of real ones. Apply your freckles all over the bridge of your nose and along your cheeks to make them more realistic, do them in layers and spread them out to more parts of your face like a few on your lip, brow bone and temples.
Melt Cosmetics – Stargazer Digital Dust Highlighter
We love a glowy E-girl
Lastly choose a glossy highlighter that doesn’t take away from the blush or freckles and add it to the brow bone, tops of cheekbones, and bridge and tip of the nose. Finish off the lips by applying a sheer wash of color to the lips and adding more pigment to the center for that bitten look and that completes the overall look.
UD lip mousse in Fade applied to the center of lips
What’s a prime, the difference between a fixed lens and a zoom lens.
Starting out in photography you usually begin with a kit lens. A kit lens being a lens that your current camera model comes with. When I bought my first DSLR my Canon t2i came with the 18-55 mm kit lens. It’s standard for that camera. Its range is very limited but enough for a beginner photographer to capture everything from photos of people to landscapes. It zooms in enough to frame your subject and zooms out enough to get more in the frame. But a prime lens is a different story.
It wasn’t until I really got into photography that I started to use prime lenses. A prime lens is a lens that is fixed at a certain focal length. Prime lenses come in a variety of focal lengths such as 20 mm, 24 mm, 28 mm, 35 mm, 40 mm, 50 mm, 85 mm, 105 mm, 135 mm, 200 mm, 300 mm, 400 mm, and 600 mm.
You’re probably thinking to yourself why would I want to limit my focal length?
Well prime lenses are controlled by the photographer by walking towards or away from the subject to help you feel more connected to that subject. Prime lenses also let more light in so your photos have better image quality. They are usually more compact in size and are quicker than zoom lenses.
Dreamy quality.
A prime lens has a very unique quality about them. The subject can be separated from the background to give the photo an overall dreamy quality using bokeh. Bokeh are out of focus areas of an image that give visual interest to the photograph. That might be my favorite thing about using prime lenses. When you use a prime lens the depth of field can be very shallow. Shallow depth of field shows only a small part of an image in focus while the rest of it is out of focus. This comes in handy when you want to isolate your subject from the background.
Example #1
Here’s an example of a photograph on a standard kit lens vs a prime lens.
50mm prime lens
As you can see the difference is quite apparent. I love the stylized look of the prime lens. It makes your photographs even more special. This is a great example of shallow depth of field. The bottom photograph is only in focus on the subjects face specifically her mouth. It draws the viewer into the photograph.
Prime lens are the bees knees.
Another reason prime lens speak to me is that every focal length is different and unique in their own way. I started with the 50mm lens, and now I shoot with an 85mm and 35mm. The 85 has the most foreground to background separation between the two. It’s a telephoto lens meaning its magnified to blow out the background of an image. With the 50mm you can focus when your about a foot a way from your subject as for with the 85mm you have to be about three feet away.
Both lenses are incredible to work with. I would recommend a 50mm or 85mm for portrait work because of it’s lack in distortion of the image. When you go lower than 50mm the image widens. My next lens will be the 35mm. A 35 is fairly similar to a 50mm but more of the image is in frame so its great for portraits that you want the environment in. I can’t wait to get mine I’m so excited to have another that’s wider.
A kit lens might be your go to now but if you are comfortable trying a prime lens out I would highly suggest it. It’s a great way to expand your horizons when it comes to photography. I really think prime lens made my passion grow. I hope it does the same for you.
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