Search results
113 results, page 1 of 3
Initial D - The First Stage to the Overall Magic of Anime and Manga
Seeing this display at my local Kinokuniya Bookstore branch made my day and got me reminiscing. In the early 2000s', I was still in my phase of consuming everything…
To Strip the Flesh - A Powerful Story About Identity
"I don't want to die having given up. I don't want to drown in a puddle. I don't want to die looking like this. I want to die…
We Would Not Be Here Without Akira Toriyama
I am sad and emotionally wrecked right now. We lost a legend that changed everything. Akira Toriyama, who's famous for Dragon Ball and working on other properties like Dragon…
Berserk’s Continued Popularity and Trauma
I often keep up with what's selling in the manga world, so it's not a surprise that I check out ICv2's Manga Week when the site posts up…
14 Years Running
Today marks my 14th year writing this blog. One more year before the big 15. I do want to say that I'll be taking my time to write more…
Meguru Bachira (Blue Lock) - Accepting the Monster
"Tell me, monster. What should I do? What will it take for those two to acknowledge me?" If there's one hidden truth that's apparent once it's open, it's that…
Bad Circumstances Can Create Bad Outcomes
Many anime fans remember what happened in 2019 with regards to Kyoto Animation. An arson incident happened at their studio that took the lives of many people and…
What We Could Do More of
I've been thinking about this panel from Volume 14 of Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. There's a lot of people who have no one who will truly listen…
Kaiju No. 8 - The Beauty of a 32-Year Old Hero
When it comes to shonen manga, almost every protagonist is either a teenager or at most, a 20-something year old. However, in one shonen series, someone in their…
Get That Bit of Chunibyo Inside You
"We must have a bit of 'chūnibyō' inside us. The fact is we like manga because of the moral within that could touch us emotionally, and we have…
My Girlfriend’s Child - The Loneliness of Teen Parents
I'll admit that this is my first real shojo manga read in a very long time. I will say that this is a great title to get back…
Do You Revisit to Heal?
When it comes to a new year, everyone's talking about doing new things and resolutions to become better. But what if revisiting stuff can actually help you a…
Sometimes, Mental Health Pros Suck - On ANN’s Pulled Nagata Kabi Review
So I heard something controversial happened in the world of manga reviews. And it quite happens to revolve around a manga figure a lot of people know too…
Manga I Enjoyed in 2023
It's been another great year for manga. And I don't think we wouldn't have it any other way, right? I got to read a bunch of manga, old and…
A Home Far Away - A Timeless Story on How We Fail People
After reading The Yakuza's Bias, I decided check out Teki Yatsuda's debut work, A Home Far Away. I heard many good things about this work and I wanted…
The Accidental Trauma of the Negators (Undead Unluck)
The past few years, the word trauma has been thrown around a lot. Everyone's going through something. While one can argue who is suffering more, there's one thing…
I’m Happy for One Piece Fans
It's an understatement to say that this is a great time to be a One Piece fan in the West. From One Piece Film Red ads taking over Times…
Bonding Over Katanas
So I've been reading the one manga that seems to be memed on a lot, Kagurabachi. While I enjoyed the action so far, I think about its premise…
Just Be
I'm taking a little break from the manga posting to say something important. The holidays are here and I know people are saying things like "It's time to be…
The Yakuza’s Bias - A Hilarious Community Experience
"These stans are nuttier than yakuza!" If there's one manga that made me go "Wow, I wonder if I'm just like the main character of this series!," it's most…
Anime NYC 2023 - I Still Have a Place
What a weekend. Anime NYC 2023 just ended and while there were a few things I didn't like, I really enjoyed my time there this year. And more…
Off to Anime NYC 2023
It's that time of year again. Off to another Anime NYC this weekend. Unfortunately, I'm going through some stuff physically, so I probably will not be attending everything I…
Some Pain Is Healthy
I know the saying, "Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional." is cliched as hell, but there's a bunch of truth to it. The thing is some pain is…
Enjoy the Tumbling
For those who don't know, Tumblr is becoming more of a sinking ship as business executives aren't sure on how to grow the platform anymore. It's going to…
Starting the Second Half of My Life
I'm officially 41 now. Unlike last year when I turned 40, I actually celebrated with the people I care about and love. I ate well, played mahjong well and…
It’s Okay to Be the Way You Are
One time, I showed up to a mahjong meetup and my club leader "How was I doing?" since I hadn't shown up in a while. I kind of…
At Least Let the Love Remain
I wonder. How many of you have met someone you loved due to your fandom and thought those were the best days of your life? What could be…
It’s Okay to Still Be a Crybaby
Source: Kindergarten WARS, Chapter 50 If you've been through a lot, you definitely deserve a hug and compassion from anyone who cares. It's not your fault. Also, I know there…
Given - Wanting to be Heard Loud and Clear
"If one day you woke up, and the person you love was suddenly gone from this world, how would that make you feel? How would you describe it?" While…
Thoughts on the Fragmentation of Fandom
Now that summer pop culture convention season is over, it's time to reflect as we're slowly heading to another year. This year, I really got into K-Pop via 4th-generation…
Where’s the Proper Place to Find Yourself?
For anyone who has read Akane-banashi recently, this is arguably one of the best developments of the story in a series full of great ones. Our heroine, Akane Ousaki/Arakawa,…
The Most Joy I’ve Felt in a Long Time
23 years ago around this time, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and contemplating suicide. Although I got help, I didn't feel like I got better in terms…
The Farm as a Place of Healing - Vinland Saga
A while back when I was researching the clubhouse model for mental health, I found out that the clubhouse I visited in New York City had their very…
I Feel Like a Girl and Damn Proud of It
“Although I was a boy, I liked cute things like hamsters and stuffed animals, but in elementary school, for the first time, I was told, "Those are for…
It’s Okay to Do Nothing
I think almost all of us can agree that we wish we had time to stop being productive for the sake of being productive. For all the years I've…
We can’t all be physically strong as Vikings, but we can be tenacious and resilient as they are when…
The convention scene this summer has been fun to read about so far. Many popular guests have shown up with the crowds to back them up. With COVID…
Absolutely one of the best manga reads of 2023 by far.
While friendships are fun, they sometimes can be very scary. There often will be tense moments of potential conflict where one doesn't know how to address it. Neither…
Kowloon Generic Romance - A Perspective from a Cantonese-Speaking Person
After reading Mangasplaining’s great interview with Jun Mayuzuki and hearing a lot about the series, I jumped into the 1st 3 volumes of Kowloon Generic Romance. As someone…
The Spiral Can Become a Helix
Masashi Kishimoto picked a good time to draw Naruto once again with his new one-shot, The Whorl Within the Spiral. The one-shot explores the parents of Naruto Uzumaki, Minato…
A Thought On Talking to Someone Who Wants to End It All
Goodbye, Eri finally came in print a couple of weeks ago and people who missed out on last year’s digital release got to see how great this one-shot…
Don’t Choose the Community That Zombifies You
As much as I preach community, I know not every community has the best intentions. I also know there’s a balance between needing to be loved versus wanting…
A Shout-Out to the “Manga in Libraries” Guide
For those who don’t know, I’m a fan of borrowing manga from my local library. I’m very thankful that I’m in a situation where my library has managed…
Thinking About the “Othering” of Japanese Media
For those who keep up with Japanese video games, you may have heard comments from a prominent Japanese video game producer about how a certain term labeling a…
Relationships Over Events in Manga and Life
I just finished reading the 2nd volume of Paru Itagaki’s Beast Complex (a collection of short stories about the Beastars universe) and Itagaki wrote a thought-provoking (or not,…
Medalist - The Best Manga (Almost) No One Is Reading
“I want to strongly believe I can do it. I hate how much I know about the no-good side of me. I want to be more like the…
Anko Uguisu’s Past (Call of the Night) - Finding Peace in the Night
Shonen Sunday titles have gotten a lot of popularity over the past few years and one of its stand-out titles is Kotoyama’s Call of the Night, a comedy-drama…
It’s Hard to Talk About Everything Regarding Suicide
I want to start off by saying that I’m glad Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari’s Oshi no Ko has blown up in popularity. However, as I noted a year…
Chifuyu Matsuno - The First Line of Support
I wanted to give a shoutout to one of my favorite supporting characters over the past couple of years, Chifuyu Matsuno of Tokyo Revengers (who won the 2022…
Cry When It’s Hard
Over the past couple of months, I experienced some personal grief over the loss of relationships. It was somewhat long overdue. I thought I was ready to handle…
HIRAETH - The Middle and The End of It All
Continuing where I left off months ago, it’s time to explore the last two volumes of Yuhki Kamatani’s HIRAETH - The End of the Journey. The ending does…