Spear-Wielder Balsa(mic) Brussels Sprouts
Guardian of the Sacred Spirit is my all-time favorite anime, due in very large part to the way Balsa, the main character, is portrayed to be multi-faceted, flawed, human, and -- most importantly -- kick-ass. My favorite line of hers is in the first episode, when she's just beat up a bunch of men sent to kill her, she points her spear at the final guy and says, "You'll die twice before you draw your sword." I live for moments of verbal genius, heavens. Now we've been enjoying Boba Fett Died like a B*tch brussels sprouts for some years now (about as long as I've been babbling endlessly about Star Wars , really), but this recipe -- much like Balsa's characterization as a protagonist -- elevates the art to the point that you almost feel sorry for its inferior. And I'll still eat Boba Fett sprouts, just like I'll still watch Star Wars , but there's no competition between it and Guardian , just as there's no competition between this rec...