DES MOINES, IA — 26-year-old Devin Lawrie has much to say about a particular anime this season. But in the last few weeks, he’s found that his latest hot take might be a little too provocative for some. The second season of Kyoto Animation’s Hibike! Euphonium has garnered a lot of attention for its animation quality and narrative conflicts. But Lawrie, an expert in anime who has been watching the Japanese art form since Miyazaki was in diapers (2007), claims he’s beyond all the hype. One man stands tall against the excitement. He is not watching Hibike! Euphonium season 2.

We recently spoke to Lawrie in his small suburban apartment.

“The show doesn’t have high enough stakes! I can’t watch shows unless someone’s going to die. Forget about kids and their dreams, forget about simple conflicts that are easy to relate to. I can’t…. it’s… too much for me.”

You know, I put on this identity of being this strong personality. I put on this identity of being an expert. Being better than the plebs I criticize online. And yea, I’m still better than them. But… the reason I can’t watch shows with low stakes, is because it hits too close to home. I don’t want to see these kids accomplish their dreams,” Lawrie continued.

“You know, it wasn’t always like this. I had dreams too at one point. I loved watching Nodame Cantabile as a kid. I wanted to be involved in music. But then I realized… it doesn’t matter. It’s all child’s play. Everyone knows that adults have to deal with real drama. In my job as a store clerk, I constantly have to face bank robbers while being held at gunpoint. And you know, the 14 year olds I attack online only attack me because they haven’t dealt with real high stakes.”

Share this: Facebook

Reddit

Twitter

Email

