It's been a nice day

Cool things

I'm not sure how well I have been keeping you up to date on my employment, but for the record I am working as a waiter (once again). To start things off, here are some things that customers do that make me (and presumably other waiters) happy:

1. Wait to be seated
2. Be polite and understanding
3. Pile up dishes at the end
4. Control children
5. Not make a mess

#1 is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to being a waiter. If you do this, what you're saying to me is that a) you think you're better than everybody else, b) you do not have a single morsel of respect, and c) you do not want good service.

I'm a waiter - it's literally my job to provide good service to customers. If I'm busy and you decide to seat yourself down, I will not know that you are there until you walk up to me two minutes later and demand a menu, stating that you have been "seated for several minutes now without any service."

#2 is more of a general life tip than anything, but it applies doubly so when it comes to the service industry. If you're making things as easy as possible for me, I'll feel more inclined to a better experience for you.

If you do #3, you might be doing it in a way that's "inefficient" for the waiter to pick it up, but it's the thought that counts (it really does go a long way, at least for me).

#4 is slotted lower in the list because I get that children are hard to control and hard to get away from. Not everybody can hire a sitter and children are just... messy. I don't mind cleaning up a messy table, but if your kid is flinging food against the wall or sticking it in places where it shouldn't go, please control your kid. Maybe this means taking away the food or spoon feeding. If your little one starts throwing a tantrum due to this, then maybe he/she isn't the greatest to take out to eat. Pick up.

#5 - kinda hard to do since you naturally are more carefree with your mess, but very appreciated. Makes it easier for us to clean the table.

Alright that ended up being longer than I thought, so I'll just tell you the cool things that happened today from work. A customer arranged droplets of water on the table so that they formed a heart, and I think that was pretty neat. Thanks for being cool random stranger! Another neat thing that happened was when I was actually going home from work. The bus driver was super friendly, despite the bus being absolutely packed, and he even got us to play "If You're Happy and You Know It" for a bit.

When I finally got home I found my tenant's cat loafed up on the front lawn, and I sat down in one of my tenant's comfy lawn chairs and she jumped up and I patted her for a bit. That was nice.

Finally started that workout

For a while now I've been disappointed in my body and how sluggish I've become. Maybe it's the large amount of fast food ingested since summer started, maybe it's the hours spent lounging at my desk and in bed. Most likely the cause of my "sudden flab" is a combination of the two.

Putting the reason aside, I used the sight of my belly jiggling as I walked around my house as motivation to get in shape. My first day consisted of me failing to do even half the reps featured in the Ab Ripper X routine, however I swore that I felt my abs were already transforming into the six-pack that I coveted.

I remember from somewhere that it's not good to do the same workout for a group of muscles daily, and that knowledge was cemented by the slight pain I would feel in my abdominal region whenever I sneezed or even when I walked. I held off until two days later, and I did the same Ab Ripper X routine after getting off work.

It felt like I was doing better and I was immensely proud of myself. Things were looking up, and I should have kept looking up because when I looked down in the mirror I was greeted with the sight of a psuedo-double-chin (am I using my hyphens right here?) I grew dismayed, and my spirits dropped.

That double-chin thing actually happened today. And today, I found the will and motivation to complete a different routine. A few hours ago I tried to complete the Cardio Challenge of the Insanity series, and while I struggled to finish each rep and skipped a whole bunch, I saw it through to the end.

I struggled. I found myself sweating more than I ever have (in recent memory at least). For the entire half an hour every breath was laboured, every movement was done tired to the bone, but at some point, when I realized that I was sweating profusely, I found joy.

That was my moment of liberation. I feel so happy knowing that I can work that hard and I know that I will be able to reach my goal.

tl;dr: so yeah I finally started doing that workout thing and work was alright

Final Thoughts: Anime of Spring 2017

- WARNING: THE FOLLOWING POST MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS -

I like how I changed the spelling of everybody's names since the first impressions post.

MyAnimeList
First Impressions: Anime of Spring 2017

Shortcuts:
Eromanga-sensei
Re:Creators
Renai Boukun
Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat

Eromanga-sensei (12)

I Rate: 7.3
One Sentence: Did it... end?

I didn't think Eromanga-sensei would actually revolve around sibling love, and thankfully it didn't. I would argue that it actually has less to do with that particular theme and instead focuses on being a comedy. Sure, the very premise of the show generated a lot of buzz around it, but there is little to actually say on the note of Masamune and Sagiri's relationship.

I thought the art was pretty nice, and the music was pretty catchy. In terms of plot progression, it's basically all done in the first few episodes, as the characters in Eromanga-sensei never face any meaningful conflicts later on.

So why did I rate this anime relatively high?

It was just... funny. Similar to the way Mayoiga was funny. Reading episode discussions was always a blast every week, and the show did have some legitimately funny scenes. Where Eromanga-sensei lacks in depth of characters/story, it makes up with some really "memey" and hilarious moments.

Basically go in, don't expect a thoughtful and constructive piece of work, and you will have a blast (granted, you need a sense of humour beforehand).

Best Girl: Tomoe is pretty cool and relatively pure


Re:Creators* (6/22, dropped)

I Rate: 6.8
One Sentence: By the time I reached episode 6 the show had failed to live up to my expectations, and the already uninteresting events and interactions seem forced.

While Re:Creators had one of the most promising starts to the spring season, I found myself becoming less and less interested as the anime continued to air. For what I was hoping would be a highlight of the season, I am sorely disappointed.

The largest gripe that I have with Re:Creators is the poor execution of not only plot development but also character development. I can honestly say that through the six episodes that I did watch, I do not remember any significant events occurring that actually did something to further the story.

As I had noted in my initial impressions of this show, I felt that the characters were quite lacking in unique personalities. There were no reasons given for me to support or sympathize with any of the characters, and the fact that there is are so many characters makes it even more difficult to do so. Many, if not all, of the characters are not enjoyable to watch. Alice is an extremely stubborn and headstrong individual, and it makes me cringe (for lack of a better word) to see her actions and decisions unfold. Perhaps this is just a personal preference of mine, but I believe the characters are what makes Re:Creators mediocre.

Despite this, I do think that (for the right person) Re:Creators can be an intriguing show. For those more geared towards spectacular and awesome action scenes with less interest in characters, maybe this show has something for you.

Best Girl: Selesia is the only bearable one (asides from Metorea)


Renai Boukun (12)

I Rate: 7.2
One Sentence: Despite how unusual and unappealing Renai Boukun seems, it still managed to make me laugh and kinda look forward to each episode.

Renai Boukun was weird. For me, most of its value is derived from my enjoyment of the show. However there are others who look for other aspects and, in the case of Renai Boukun, may be disappointed.

There is nothing outstanding about Renai Boukun. You can check off your list of the holy anime pillars and find that the show is quite average in all categories, premise excluded. The animation, characters, and music are all decent. In terms of the premise, I'll give studio EMT² the benefit of the doubt that they did not delve deeper into character development/backstories because of the 12 episode season.

I dunno, I think that's all.

Best Girl: still Akane


Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records (12)

I Rate: 7.4
One Sentence: Sleeper hit of the season - much better than anticipated but still confined by its tropes and genre.

For the whole season I waited for a nickname to be given to Rokudenashi Majutsu Koushi to Akashic Records, and at long last I came across one on MAL just when the anime ended. On the bright side I can at least use it for this post.

At first glance and nothing but that, RokuAka seems like your run of the mill anime about a magic academy with a fantasy setting.

It is.

I feel that RokuAka really shone from episodes 2 - 6, but it never went back to peak form for the rest of the series. After the two mini arcs that were featured in that range, the show reverts back to very predictable and "industry standard" conflicts and events, which is a shame because I genuinely enjoyed the first half of the anime.

All the characters except Glenn and Celica are boring, and Celica hardly counts because I can count the number of things I know about her on one hand. I thought Glenn was pretty cool because RokuAka hinted at a very dark and grim backstory, but that is never fully explored.

I'd say skip it honestly.

Best Girl: Rumia still best, despite her 5/10 rating


Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata Flat (11)

I Rate: 7.9
One Sentence: Really enjoyed this season for what it had to offer in actual developments and there is a significant conflict for once.

Man I'm just biased but I really like Saekano in general. The clean and vibrant art style is right up my alley and I'm pretty attached to the characters. I thought that the second season was quite fitting and stuff actually happens.

The art, music, characters are all the same, and for good reason. The show found great success in its first season and it managed to address its main flaw in the second season - the lack of meaningful plot events. In Saekano Flat we see each of the characters experience realistic conflicts, not only with the other characters, but within themselves. We most vividly see this with Eriri, who found her artistic peak but is never able to return to form again because of how lenient Aki is.

All in all, I really enjoyed this season of Saekano, and while a third season doesn't seem likely, I can only hope. If you thought the first season was any good, I highly recommend Saekano Flat. And if you haven't watched the first season, give it a try!

Best Girl: Katou cements herself as disputable best girl