I'ts meaningless to fear aging itself.
Your biggest fear should be becoming another cynical, run-of-the-mill adult that's forgotten what it means to daydream and find wonder in everything somewhere along the way.
...oh crap, didn't see you there. T-To think a complete stranger would want to read about a mere poopyhead like me, I'm..*sniff* I'm... truly blessed...*slaps cheeks* Hi! I'm Tin, also known online as ShadowMonkey and oni_no_onii_chan. Self-proclaimed professional weirdo, stoic, stereotypical INFP, and epic gamer boy. Been poopin' out the same ass for 20 Earthling years.
I've been watching anime and playing Japanese games ever since I was a little pant-pooper, but it was around the age of 10 that I started actively picking anime to watch and got myself into the community. Nearly a decade later, I'm pretty happy where I stand with both my lists and I think that my taste has evolved quite a bit during my years of obsessively consuming Japanese media. Don't nobody is better at witnessing Chinese cartoons than the ShadowMonkey!
I'm open to any genre, but most of all I love sci-fi, mecha, psychological, adventure, martial arts, comedy, and mystery. What can I say, I like big-ass robots and coming-of-age stories, mang.
I guess, apart from ecchi and hentai, I care the least about stuff like RPG fantasy and isekai. But as I said, I'm open to anything and even among those I'll find series and things to like and enjoy.
My top 5 favorite anime movies that I rewatch all the time: #1 Tekkon Kinkreet #2 Kaguya-hime no Monogatari #3 Tokyo Godfathers #4 Macross: Do You Remember Love? #5 Yoru wa Mijikashi Arukeyo Otome
I tend to prefer cel animation and older media in general. I find myself spending a lot of time feeling nostalgic about the past as well as melancholic that I'll never get a chance to experience the times before I was born, so naturally, I find myself way more enthusiastic about older stuff than the newer stuff, most of the time at least.
I'm not often drawn to dark/depressing stories, and when I am it's usually stuff with an optimistic outlook and/or positive outcome, unless I think the darkness is really well done...which is often the case but still, there's edgy stuff out there.
I adore bizarre psychological/dementia sh*t, as well as unconventional and experimental animation and storytelling, especially when there's a deeper meaning behind it all. My main passions in life are philosophy, psychology, and comedy, so if your story has large quantities of at least one of those ingredients and makes sense, I'll probably enjoy it.
Huge animation nut. The type of nerd that watches sakuga MADs for hours and researches which animator did which scene of a show. my favorite video on yt <3
I guess my favorite settings are post-apocalyptic or dystopian sci-fi worlds, feudal Japan, and urban settings (especially when there's crazy architecture or abandoned buildings going on), and my least favorite RPG-inspired medieval-like worlds, but I'll appreciate good worldbuilding no matter what the setting is.
I have a guilty pleasure for murder elimination/battle royale stories. I also adore coming-of-age stories with a "boy/girl meets creature/robot/alien/whatever and finds themself in the process" premise. Heck, I love Digimon and my favorite movie is Bumblebee.
As for slice of life anime/manga, I mostly prefer deep seinen over iyashikei, but I love both. I like my slice of life stuff with both comedy and drama.
My favorite video game of all time is NieR:Automata, and my favorite gaming franchises are Sonic the Hedgehog (Dreamcast>Modern>Classic), NieR/Drakengard, Shenmue, The King of Fighters, Ape Escape, Klonoa, NiGHTS, and Guilty Gear.
My favorite Japanese bands are the pillows, Guitar Vader, Shinsei Kamattechan, and Sambomaster, my favorite Western bands are Streetlight Manifesto, System Of A Down, The Cure, Pixies, and Kero Kero Bonito, while my favorite albums are In the Aeroplane Over the Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel and Knife Man by Andrew Jackson Jihad.
I follow a bunch of Western comedians and their podcasts, but I adore Japanese comedy as well. If I had to pick a single favorite comedy series, I'd go for either Arakawa Under the Bridge or Dr. Slump.
Not the biggest horror junkie, but when I do watch/read some it has to be cleverly written and psychologically challenging rather than just spooky for the heck of it. An example of my type of horror is Hyouryuu Kyoushitsu.
I seldom enjoy ecchi, hentai, or any sort of pervy media. I can appreciate sex as a narrative or comedy device here and there, but when you start senselessly shoving a ton of it in my face, I'm not gonna like it. In fact, that drive to create mature stories without feeling the need to include cringy amounts of sex and violence is what makes me choose Japanese over Western media in the first place.....WAIFUS MAKE MY HEART WARM AND NOT MY PEEPEE HARD! OKAY MOVING ON, THIS INTRODUCTION IS STARTING TO GO DOWN THE SH*TTER
Just an eccentric dude that sees the world a bit differently from most people, has way too much energy and gets way too little sleep, and also spends way too much time playing video games, watching anime, reading manga, and listening to podcasts and music. I have a constant drive to stand out, be weird, and pour as much of myself as I can into everything I say and do, which is often hindered by my shyness IRL, so I find it the easiest to express myself through things like this mess of a profile you're reading (tehe~) and other stuff I post online.
Something between a phlegmatic and a melancholic, leaning way more on the melancholic side. A textbook, hardcore Mediator (INFP).
Huge perfectionist, completionist, and pedantic. Straight white male, but also really gender-atypical and all-around not very obsessed with my own masculinity. Way more nurturing, careful, and reserved. The type that'll stop to take a snail off the sidewalk and put it back in the grass. I tend to vibe a lot more with groups of girls than groups of guys because I feel like I share a lot more sensibilities with girls by default.
Mature mind, juvenile soul, and the body of an old man :P
My favorite school subjects were psychology, biology, logic, and philosophy, and my least favorite math, history, and physics. I like to come to my own conclusions and explore new horizons using my own creativity/intelligence, as opposed to being constrained by rules/patterns/formulas, as well as having to study cold facts about things that don't impact my life in the slightest. I'm sort of a romantic weirdo in that way.
I still struggle with starting this topic off without getting insecure and feeling like a jackass who feels the need to bring his intelligence up, but this is a personal profile and I want you to know me as deeply as possible, so here goes. I am indeed gifted (IQ 150+, I wasn't told the exact number after the test), mostly in areas that have to do with language, social sciences, and abstract thinking in general. I could sit and talk to you for hours about how this has impacted my life from the time I was a baby until now (feel free to ask me about anything!) and how the "genius" label has impacted my social interactions and mental health over the years, but just know that while it is a lonely existence by default, I try to use my talents to help those around me see the world through a different lens. I'm really grateful that my brain works in the unusual ways that it does, and I've made a vow with myself to use it purely to make this world a better place...while enjoying really complicated art/media on the side :P
My two biggest passions in life are psychology and philosophy. Currently in college for a preschool teacher, and enjoying every minute of it :) I always knew I wanted to work with children and impact future generations directly. At first, I was shooting for a career in psychology, but decided last-minute that kindergarten teaching and child care would be more appropriate. This way, I feel like I'll be able to have a positive impact on a significantly larger number of kiddos, while putting my creativity and social talents to good use :D I already have 50+ hours of experience of working at a daycare, and it's truly the most beautiful profession in the world. I adore kids and enjoy interacting with them more than anything in the world. That genuine spark of excitement and passion kids have about everything in their little worlds is something I feel immense nostalgia for and aim to model even my present after. I always aim to keep in touch with my past self and see dumb things I did/said/wrote when I was younger as a portal to my past instead of something to cringe at or hide/erase, which I feel helps me understand kids better. For those reasons, I often fill the "cool cousin/uncle/older bro" archetype and kiddos love me for it, hehe.
My favorite colors are cyan, teal, and Sonic dark blue.
Positive/open-minded to a fault. I'm just wired to never be cynical and to look for the best in everything. I'd like to think it's a positive trait, and it probably is, I just feel as if I come off as juvenile and naive because of it in certain situations :P
Anxiety and impostor syndrome gang 24/7, but it has gotten much better lately. I used to be a shut-in for a long time in highschool due to crippling anxiety and physical health issues. Even though that was a super dark period of my life, as I was almost completely disconnected from the real world and socially aloof (except for online friends on MAL and Discord and stuff), I was lucky to have all that time alone to explore my interests more thoroughly and ultimately "find myself" earlier than most people, so I do see that period as sort of a blessing in disguise and wouldn't go back and change the past for anything.
Not competitive at all. I only need to prove myself to myself, and as such I have no need to outdo anyone. Heck, I'd rather help other people get ahead of me. It's not a secret that I've always been a gifted kid that was always ahead of his peers in nearly everything since kindergarten all the way to now (as I've written about previously), but I never really saw that as something to boast about. In fact, I used to (and still do to an extent) feel insane amounts of guilt purely because I've intellectually always been so far ahead, and I still tend to cope with that by offering my 100% to everyone I care about and using everything in my arsenal to help them when they need it. That's part of the reason why I wanted to be a psychologist for the longest time before I chose my current career path.
But yeah, you'll almost never see me raising my hand in class or really getting into competitive multiplayer games or sports. I'm much more of a reserved, singleplayer dude.
I'm a very analytical person and I'll spend hours on end (usually while taking long walks or in bed before going to sleep) just being lost in all kinds of thoughts about life, other people, myself, art... You name it. Also, even though listening to other people and getting to know them as well as possible is literally my favorite thing in the world, I'm not one to follow other people's advice or philosophies. I'll take the hard road and be my own philosopher in life, however much more complicated and lonely that might be, as long as it means staying true to myself (It's so obvious why Sonic the Hedgehog is my favorite fictional character of all time lmao). I come off as very reckless and rash to some people because of that, but things always work out in the end, hehe. I also have a strong animosity for data, rules, and patterns, and always approach everything individually, with every possibility in mind. My favorite word is "freedom", and I feel like that's reflected both through what my favorite stories are and how I approach life and other people.
I do vibe with (and practice) stoicism, though. We could all afford to be a bit more stoic in this day and age...
I'm generally the main clown/comedian of the group, as well as the "dad figure". I get wild and goofy at social gatherings, but at the end of the day, I make it my mission to take responsibility and make sure everyone is having a good time. If you want to know what I'm like in social situations and what type of role I play in my social circles, think Sonic the Hedgehog, Ryouji Kaji (Evangelion), Lupin III, Gosha (Beastars), and Max Jenius (Macross).
I'm initially shy and socially anxious, but as soon as you give me a little bit of attention, you'll see that I'm actually an affectionate fluffball that loves people.
I prefer outdoor gatherings and don't really vibe with places like clubs and bars, but I am extremely sociable regardless and always love meeting new people, regardless of the situation. I am very obsessive when it comes to other people, though, so don't be surprised if I call you a dear friend even though we've only ever talked like two times (I do that with everyone IRL as well lolol).
Though I'm open to having as many friends and acquaintances as possible, I tend to gravitate toward smaller groups. I also like to spend as much time with my closest circle of friends as possible and place the most importance on them.
I have a very rich and varied imagination, and therefore daydream a bunch during the day, creating worlds, stories, and characters in my head, as well as scenarios with people that I know. I can't draw or animate for crap, though, so I've never really been able to fully transfer my ideas on paper except through writing, which I'm not very passionate about when it comes to fiction. I was bummed out about this for many years, but have recently come to terms that it just wasn't my destiny to be an outwardly artsy kid. It just sucks that I can't directly show people the craziness that goes on in my mind daily...
I'm much more of an observer than a participator in most cases, I guess. Don't like to waste my energy on forcing myself to be around people I don't fit in with, even if I do care about those people individually. I'll become a part of your friend group only if I feel consistently accepted because my biggest fear in life is being a nuisance to people :P
I guess my biggest weakness is my sense of orientation, both in real life and in video games. I'm basically Zoro from One Piece. You can take me to the same place 10 times, but the moment I try to get there alone, I'll probably dissociate, get lost, and have no idea where the hell I am. It's not impossible for me to get lost in neighborhoods I know well even, just because I made a wrong turn or miscalculated the number of buildings I've walked by. My friends love poking fun at me for this quirk lolol
Not a sporty type in the slightest. I work out and occasionally run to stay skinny and keep my health in check, but my non-competitiveness and dreamy/chill attitude in life have led me to never be super interested in sports. When I try to watch sports, I just start thinking things like "Man, I wish I could know their personal stories and what's going on in their heads, maybe then I'd actually care"...this is where sports anime come into play lolol.
My comedy idols are Bobby Lee, Tim & Eric, Game Grumps, AVGN, Vargskelethor Joel, videogamedunkey, and h3h3.
I'm entirely on the left and super progressive, but I much rather focus on trying my best to make other people's and my stay on this floating rock as pleasant as possible instead of focusing too much on politics, the past, or celebrities and just feeling angry and triggered all the time. I guess I just value harmony more than anything in life, and anything involving conflict or hostility between people is just going to end up causing me a headache :P
Speaking of conflict, the only time you'll see me all confrontational is if other people are involved. You can assume and say stuff about me all you want and I'll ignore it, but if I see you irrationally targeting other people (especially those who are near and dear to me) because of your own insecurities, you can bet I'm coming for your ass >:(
If I had to describe myself using a few anime characters I'd say: Maximilian Jenius (my biggest fictional role model), Ryouji Kaji, Legosi, Gosha, Koyomi Araragi, Masanosuke Akitsu, Midori Asakusa, Yato, and Shouta Aizawa
Anime that are left dropped at -/? scored - are shows I watched as a kid on TV or something.
SCORING SYSTEM
Please consider that the reason I give such high scores is that I rate subjectively and always look for the best in everything I consume, as much as I can (surprise surprise). I do have a critical mindset, it's just that I'm not a very strict person. I start things optimistically and try to stay that way for as long as I can throughout consuming them. However, if there are any problems, I'll notice them (mostly sensitive to crappy visuals, unnecessary sex, and unironically edgy stories/plot twists and characters) and deduct from the score based on how much they bothered me personally, instead of the plain fact that they exist. My main goal when approaching any piece of media is to see directly into the creators' imagination/brain and appreciate every little detail, thereby expanding my own imagination. I don't really care about tropes and clichés either, as long as I'm getting someone's authentic vision (that's not a blatant ripoff or cash-grab). Those are just some of the factors that give me my neverending positivity and optimism about almost everything. Over the years, I've noticed that most people can't really relate to that, so I hope you can at least understand it a little better now :D
Furthermore, I use my scores primarily as a means of getting across how much I liked the thing, so I don't really place that much importance on them. If you want my further opinions on a series, by all means, comment on my profile or PM me :D
I remove myself from cynicism and negativity as much as possible. I don't look at community scores or reviews at all before starting something. I give everything an equal chance, without any kind of bias or prejudice, really focus on and try to appreciate every aspect (that's worth appreciating) of whatever I'm watching/reading, and approach everything subjectively and personally, without any kind of influence from any individual (friend or stranger) or the public opinion. That's part of the reason you'll frequently find my opinions differing greatly from those of the often closed-minded majority and communities that tend to collectively think in more black-&-white ways.
Basically, my philosophy is to make the most out of everything I consume and not to try and play critic per se, but to completely realize and communicate to myself (and then gladly to others as well) all of my personal likes and dislikes regarding a series (down to the most miscellaneous little detail), instead of being exclusively "objective", flaunting my taste, and building a superiority complex or whatever people like doing these days. For the record, I don't dislike objectivity or critical thinking (in fact, I find them commendable), I'm just not a big fan of people looking down on others' tastes and dictating what others should or shouldn't watch and enjoy. That's why I like to go to the other extreme.
Also, I am particularly perplexed by people who call my (or anyone else's) need to add everything tied to a franchise and/or shorts/animations to my list "list-padding". I tend to be very passionate about every piece of media I experience and not adding a single one would be illogical and false to me. As a completionist, I have a need to see everything related to a franchise, even specials and CMs, and as an animation nut and connoisseur of abstract media, I like to pursue the shorts, animations, and music videos that dwell at the bottom of MAL's database. Just because you're not passionate about those things, doesn't mean that everyone's consuming/adding them has the sole purpose of "padding" >:o
10 - blew me away, both by being technically superb and by connecting with me on a higher level 9 - almost exclusively enjoyed it, didn't necessarily have any problems with it and it might've connected with me on a personal level, but it didn't absolutely change my life either 8, 7 - really liked most of it, but I either had more than a few problems with it that I didn't manage to forget/forgive by the end or it just simply wasn't well-made/captivating enough to get a higher score 6, 5 - ehhh (might've had a bunch of appealing or charming elements, but was in the end full of problems that severely dragged down the experience, in turn making finishing it feel more like a chore) 4-1 - didn't like it, problems all over the board, usually found it either pretentious/dumb, generic, edgy, or gross
I write reviews only if I have something to say about every aspect of the anime/manga. I'll usually leave "mini-reviews" in the tags for anime/manga I don't write a review for although more often than not I'll forget to do so.
Oh, and also, don't take my scores for things I'm currently watching/reading too seriously. I'll usually gather all my opinions after completing.
MUSIC CORNER
UNDER RECONSTRUCTION!
Favorite video games:
Stellar writing, enchanting atmosphere, and terrific worldbuilding. This game's story, in my eyes, has 2 overarching themes, one being a classic "think for yourself, don't follow others", and the other finding beauty and meaning in life, even in the face of utter despair, and I honestly can't decide which is done more perfectly. In a way, it's the ultimate middle finger to nihilism, and that becomes more and more apparent the further you get into it. I don't think a single piece of media has affected me or made me think about life as much as this game has, and so it will (probably) forever be not only my favorite game, but also my favorite story of all time. Yoko Taro is truly my biggest role model and inspiration when it comes to my imagination and what I value in both video games and storytelling. This might sound silly to some, but I couldn't be more genuine when I say that if it wasn't for the Sonic franchise, I definitely don't think that I'd be the person I am today, and I think that I have this game to thank the most. The amount of human values you're able to learn from this game as a kid is something I still marvel at today when I replay it 2 or 3 times a year. Tails', Knuckles', and Gamma's storylines are especially near and dear to my heart. This game is not only a lot of fun to play, but it also has a very complex and heartfelt story, and the love put into it all still oozes from the game more than 2 decades later. I sincerely hope that the people in charge of Sonic's future will realize, sooner rather than later, that the "Dreamcast era" was the heyday of the franchise. I stand behind my opinion that Ape Escape has the most unique and fun formula for a game since the olden times, and the third installment takes it all to the max. The new mechanics are a blast, and the TV/movie theme works wonders for the game's variety when it comes to level design. If you'd told me as a kid that when I grew up, the majority of the last 2 hours of one of my favorite games would be almost entirely made up of talking to a mysterious girl while walking through a forest in the mountains of China in 1987, I probably would've given you a weird look. But lo and behold, the Shenmue series is very important to me. The serenity, wholesomeness, and maturity of these games is something extremely enchanting, and it truly feels like the maximum amount of love and care was put into every story beat and line of dialogue. I feel blessed for having the chance to play these games, and I think that Yu Suzuki is a great mind in the world of game directors that we should appreciate a lot more. Shenmue III is just as much of a great Shenmue game, F the haters >:( A highly underappreciated platformer and one of my favorites since I was a kiddo. It has a Sonic-type vibe to it but it's more of a steady puzzle game and also quite artistic. I know that it's great, I can sense it in my feet! Sonic Adventure 2 allows me to feel >:) As someone who's dealt with anxiety for a very long time, I can tell you that it's not exactly the easiest condition to explain. It's often misunderstood or belittled and doesn't get much coverage in media. So when I played NiGHTS into dreams for the first time and realized just how well it portrays it while still being a very fun game, I was pleasantly surprised. DiGi Valentine's analysis How NiGHTS presented ANXIETY in 1996 explains it better than I ever could. Might as well segue from NiGHTS straight to Balan. If you've even heard about Balan Wonderworld, chances are you've seen nothing but a suspicious amount of hate and negative reviews for it online. Well, what if I told you that's almost exclusively comprised of disgusting lies and propaganda about the game, its creators, and its fans, trying to paint the game as bad and the fanbase as evil, even going as far as to harass and ridicule anyone (especially reviewers) who tries to spread some much-needed positivity and objectivity about it? In reality, Balan Wonderworld is a very imaginative platformer that's amazing both on a technical and an artistic level. It's already one of my favorite gaming and story experiences of all time, and it's a shame that it got hit by a hate train that makes even the hate for the Sonic franchise seem like nothing in comparison. If you'd like to learn more about this game and its bizarre/unfair reception, check out my highlight on it that I have on my linked Instagram profile. I really poured my heart into that. I mean, come on. Who you kiddin? Sly 3 has to be one of the best and richest games ever made, folks. This game and Tekkon Kinkreet are the closest you can get to my aesthetic. The soundtrack and character design are some of my favorites of all time, and the game never ceases to be fun. Oh, and my mains are Mew, Beat, and Garam :D
Things I adore:
-the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise
-things from the early-to-mid 2000s that remind me of my childhood
-sakuga
-positive/kind/considerate/open-minded people
-sci-fi
-interacting with kids
-the look and feel of old anime (or anything old for that matter)
-fighting games, platformers, and JRPGs (among other genres)
-thinking about stuff
-daydreaming
-nightdreaming
-giant robots
-planes/jets, and the idea of piloting one
-getting lost in other worlds, whether it be through games, anime, manga or music, and then using all that art as an inspiration to make my own little stories, characters, and animations in my head
-nostalgia
-freedom
Things I can't stand:
-people who genuinely ridicule or belittle others for their tastes or opinions on art and the like, I'm a firm advocate for subjectivity
-spoilers
-cynicism, nihilism, and hopelessness, both in people and in stories
-sites/apps that crop your profile picture into a goddamn circle of all shapes
-JC Staff
-agists. a 13-year-old can easily be more intelligent and mature than a 20-year-old
-when songs fade out
-remakes that have the same title as the original
-showing off. I'm at my most anxious when I have to express my talents in front of people and/or prove myself to somebody
-the modern gaming industry and its shitty methods
-ideological blindness, mass ignorance, and sticking to popular opinion without experiencing or even researching the object of discussion
-anything sticky, clammy, wet, greasy, or too warm...hence why I like winter and ACs so much
-people who pose as good persons but are actually poopy crappy doodoo kakadookies and/or creeps
-the smell of cigarettes
-time trials in games
Now that you know stuff about me...probably way more than necessary, don't hesitate to talk to me about anything and everything (~‾∇‾)~ I accept all requests, even if you're a spambot.
It might take a while for me to reply though, depending on how busy lazy I'm feeling that day lolol
In the meantime though, here's a gif of Asakusa that's an accurate representation of my brain 24/7:
"The strong are those who win without fighting. Fighting to display one's power is what weaklings do." - Senou Souichirou, Takemitsuzamurai
lolol
Profile views as of 18 Sep 2016:
I know there's no purpose for this here but I like how they make a little blurred wallpaper out of the key visual for whatever you've watched last in the background huhu
lolol
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have a great 2023 ahead
Otsukaresama~ !! You will be remembered!