Last time on How to H, we learned about enemies. This post has nothing to do with that.

At some point in your life someone told you that everyone is special in their own way. The thought was reassuring because it meant that conformity was impossible. Yet, the drive to be the same or similar to those around you was so strong that to some degree you complied. Maybe, it was wearing a certain style of clothing. Maybe, it was using a certain style of slang. Maybe, it was an attitude.

Most people are more utterly similar than they are different.

Perhaps, it’s our differences that make us “unique.”

But, it’s our similarities that make us human.

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I’m a little behind on these posts, since the goal was to do about one per episode. I’ve still got B Gata H Kei episode 8 to do. Episode 9 is currently in the backlog.

Oddly enough, it was the lack of pants that originally turned me off of this show. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, as it were.  Strike Witches has so many gimmicky aspects that I figured there was no way an interesting story lay underneath.

Let’s list them out, shall we:

1. No pants – girls don’t wear pants or dresses. Sometimes, they go commando (I’ve noted, that I approve of this).
2. All girl/witch defense force
3. Mysterious non-human invincible enemy, kinda’
4. Girls with guns, big guns
5. Girls with magical powers
6. Girls with magical animal ears/tails
7. Striker units

I mean, really?

I wasn’t all that wrong, either. While the plot is fun and the characters are entertaining, the story isn’t very interesting. It’s fairly predictable.

Oddly enough, it was the lack of pants that brought me back to this show. It was intriguing. Where are the pants? What did they do with them? Is it a war-time conservation effort? I imagined that it may be necessary to use the fabric for army uniforms.

If the answers to my questions were presented in the show, I can only surmise that the reason I didn’t take that in was because I was preoccupied with fluffy tails and big guns.

We’ve been moving along rather nicely in our H-studies.  Last time we talked about centering our ero-power. This will come in handy because our next topic will be both physically and mentally challenging. In battle the only way to survive is to keep your head about you.

Enemies:

You need an enemy.

There absolutely has to be someone that can oppose you in all things. It must be a rival, a nemesis, that can beat you. Not all the time, though. You must find an enemy that will push you to grow further when you are defeated, and someone that will not back down when you are wallowing in your inevitable victories.

Finding an enemy:

All great powers have equally great enemies. Honestly, without great enemies, great powers are only half as great. Superman has Lex Luthor. Batman has the Joker. Tom has Jerry. The United States had the Soviet Union. The list goes on and on.

You’ll note that my list is somewhat lacking in anime characters. The problem with anime characters is that, individually, they are usually their own worst enemies.  This is actually closer to reality. It is usually our own self-doubts and fears that oppose us. Those are usually the hardest hurdles to cross.

But, saying your foe is yourself is a cop-out. How are you supposed to aspire to great H-ness without a viable archenemy? You aren’t, that’s how. You need somebody to push you along the path of overcoming those internal struggles. That’s the purpose of a arch-rival.

It’s not as easy as it seems to find and keep a nemesis. Here are some rules:

1. You don’t have to hate them, but it helps.
2. Opposites attract, but similarities conflict more.
3. Don’t win too often, let them win sometimes, too.
4. Don’t lose too often, fight dirty if you must.

It may be a good idea to put up some ads in the classified section of your newspaper or on some match making websites. You can also put up an archenemy application form on your blog.

Combat:

You don’t take your archenemy out for a Sunday brunch. Well, that is, unless you are planning to defeat them in an epic all you can eat tea and cakes battle (actually, that’s a pretty good idea).

Not everyone will fight their enemy in a one-on-one physical conflict. Some will face their opposition in a battle of wits. How you fight is not as important as the interaction.

In any case, fighting with your enemy is the only interaction you should have with them. This is important, because if you start to get to know your enemy, you may find out that they are driven my the same things that drive you. You may find that they are only superficially different from you.

You may like them. We can’t have that.

Winning:

Most people will say that winning “gracefully” is the proper way to win. It’s just good manners.

However, that’s just not fun. If you win, rub it in. Pour a little salt on the wound. Do a little victory dance.

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That reminds me, I need to practice my victory dance. More How to H next week.

Angel Beats has shown itself to be adept at being funny, with plenty of physical (absurd) humor. In many ways Angel Beats is more humorous than our Best Show Ever pick. My only issue with Angel Beats: it does not show the same skill in conveying the emotion in its characters as it does with comedy.

Take Kanade, for instance. She is a fairly standard “silent character” following in the footsteps of others like her (Haruhi’s Yuki, NEG’s Rei, etc). There is only so much that can be conveyed through physical expressiveness, especially with such a blank expression. This means that the viewer is left to fill in the missing pieces, due to the lack of story-emotional context.  It’s a relatively simply ploy and an easy way to draw the viewer into the plot and characters (are anime fans self centered?). It means the character is limited by the viewer, as long as the character refrains from talking.

Otonashi is another story. His emotions are given in extremes with short bursts. Take compassion. It’s not unusual for a protagonist to show great compassion. The prevailing trait of the typical anime’s hero is compassion. It’s another matter for the viewer to keep up with the fluctuation in intensity.

Although, the manic nature of his compassion may be more natural to the younger audience. Maybe, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be a teenager. On the other hand, I don’t really know what it would be like to die and then find myself back in high school with a cute silent girl trying to kill me. Hell, I’d rather have the cute silent girl trying to kill me than go back to high school.

The truth of the matter is that I feel it could be done better. Still, there is enjoyment in seeing the characters experience some form of deep feeling, even if it is a bit overplayed.

In the heart of every soul there is a tumultuous storm of memories and emotions. In some cases this chaos is unmanageable, leading to unending sorrows.  It is important that one bend this energy and form it for one’s own will.

Perhaps, I’m painting too bleak a picture. At any rate, the mind is a vast territory. How do you use your H-ness to conquer your self-imposed limitations?

Others may recommend a martial art or possibly some form of meditation to center one’s mind. That won’t do, our focus here is H. Therefore, we will be recommending something to center the individual’s ero-power. Sometimes it is referred to as the H-power. We won’t be referring to it as H-power because that’s kind of stupid.

The absolutely best way to flex one’s ero-muscles (hehe), is to remove the factors in one’s life that are restraining them. You have to free yourself of the confines of those restrictive covenants of chastity and modesty. You must let free repressed quarters of one’s form that are hidden away from the prying eyes of others but for the simple idea that they shame you somehow. What is shame? To be shy, in the face of the world. It is something to overcome and run from.

Of course, I’m talking about going commando. Not in the military sense but in the lack of undergarments sense. What could be more “freeing” than letting it all hang loose. Let thy loins be free.

Although, there is always the chance that society will not be ready for your newly freed loins.

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More How to H next week.