Research and Anime

At work yesterday I made my wrist flare-up. I think I have early arthritis or carpal tunnel in my right wrist. I think it was a combination of what I did and the changing weather. All that to say I’m not sure if I will get this posted tonight or tomorrow. (I’m writing it out doing the day at work.)

I finished typing up my last book now and started the next one a while ago. I have not worked on it a lot though. Part of the reason was I wanted to get some research done before I get too far. This book will take place largely at sea on a ship. This is an area I don’t know a lot about. I have always lived land-locked. I have been to both costs and on a boat ones. But I was like five, and this is an area I was very ignorant in. Since this is a fantasy story I can, to some extent, make things up and do what I want. (For example, I am not restricted to a time frame for boat designs.) But I still want things based on reality. Also since I don’t have guns in my stories, I can’t very well have cannons either. Maybe I could but that feels like I’d be pushing the line.

So ships and sea fighting before cannons. Do you know how little information I could find?! After the research, I have done, it's starting to make sense though. Around that time sailors were getting more ambitious and going farther out to sea rather than hugging the coast. So only then did they need bigger ships and so means of protection as well. Also, there was not as much fighting at sea. The Greeks and Romans, respectively, did use their ships to ram each other. The Vikings sailed right up to the shore, attacked, and then retreated back to the open water, but they did little fighting from the boats I think. There have always been pirates too, but their tactics have always been to be fast, surprise, intimidate, and then, if possible, board. It’s to surprise or intimidate rather than overwhelm with power.

So there was not a lot of accusal fighting at sea before the cannon.

I think another reason it’s hard to find information is because our idea of fighting ships is linked with the cannon. When you think of two ships fighting at sea, the picture of two ships blasting cannons at each other is the picture that comes to mind (or something in much more recent history with torpedoes and subs.) Also, for whatever reason, being in America we focus on the Atlantic Ocean and more European history. We hear about European ship designs and maybe the Meditation. Never mind that the Chinese and Asia were sailing for likely just as long and with different designs.

My local library is small so getting lots of world history is going to be hard. I think I have got about everything from there I can. Now it’s time to turn to the internet. I’m not sure how long I will be researching. Plans and ship designs are forming in my head. Something of a cross between the Chinese Junk and the more traditional European design. We will see how it goes.

As for what I have been amusing myself with...

Well, for Lent this year I am not letting myself read any online books, webtoons, and such. I think it will be good to take a break from them for now. But when I do again I have another mange series saved and I want to read. I watch the two seasons of it and maybe we will get more. Its call Kono Oto Tomare which I have seen translated as Stop this Sound, and The Sounds of Life. The later name I think fits it better. It’s a school, musical, romance, slice of life type anime. I am not musical inclined at all, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The instrument is the Koto. I’m not sure if it’s traditionally Japanese or more broadly Asian, but I found it interesting and enjoyed the sounds. And with me, who holds that story is king, it did not disappoint. There are some clichés, but such things popping up for a reason, and I enjoyed them in fact. The only problem I have is that one character, who starts out with ill intent, does a 180 a little too fast. I felt like she should have struggled with her words, actions, and choices a little more. People don’t change old habits that fast. But this one gets a big thumbs up from me. I haven’t bought it yet, but I think I might.

Another series I started is Free! It’s a swimming anime, and I have watched the first season and plan to watch the rest. It’s one I have heard about before and a lot of people seem to really like it. For that reason, I might have gone in with too high of expectations. It was good, don’t get me wrong, but there were things it could have done better. It felt a little like the author created a conflict but had not come up with the reason why or the solution until near the end, and then insert reason and solution. I could be wrong, and if I re-watched it I might see more hints, but personally, I did not feel like they flushed it out enough. It felt a little jarring. They could have developed things more and told the story better in my opinion. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed it and well keep watching, and the problem may lie more with me. I had certain expectations and preconceived ideas about the show that were not so, which is more on me than the creators.

The humor and tone were not what I was expecting either. (Insert man dramatically taking off shirt and standing in a pose like potion with a well-trimmed body!) Here again, because it was not what I expected, it felt a little jarring, but I thoroughly enjoyed it too. (I could stand with Go and ogol all the good-looking guys.)

Well, that will be all for now I think.

God Bless