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No More Wars: the Edo Period’s Final Rebellions
After Japan was unified under Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and finished with Tokugawa Ieyasu, the Tokugawa government declared there would be no more wars. The final war is…
Sugoi Summer – TokyoTreat Box Review
Ichigo, the parent company of SakuraCo and TokyoTreat, asked me to review a TokyoTreat box. If you aren’t familiar with TokyoTreat, it’s a monthly subscription service that sends…
The Nature of Online Piracy
You’ve most likely broken the law by downloading something illegally. In fact, more than an estimated 75% of computers have at least one illegally downloaded file, and 22%…
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie addresses interesting themes. Let’s get to them! But first, the summary for those who haven’t seen the anime yet. Not Just a Cutie…
11 Steps to Stop Being an Incel
Incels, or involuntary celibates, are men with an unhealthy view of women and of life. Many, of course, would disagree with that statement. They view themselves as more…
Interviews with Monster Girls, A Review
Interviews with Monster Girls follows a biology teacher named Tetsuo Takahashi as he teaches three demi (or demi-human) high-school girls. He also tries to understand them better, including…
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Season 3
Kaguya-sama: Love is War shares a lot of similarities with Seinfeld. Seinfeld made a fuss out of nothing, such as waiting to be seated in a Chinese restaurant.…
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War
Kaguya-sama: Love is War shares a lot of similarities with Seinfeld. Seinfeld made a fuss out of nothing, such as waiting to be seated in a Chinese restaurant.…
Kaguya-Sama: Love is War Final Season
Kaguya-sama: Love is War shares a lot of similarities with Seinfeld. Seinfeld made a fuss out of nothing, such as waiting to be seated in a Chinese restaurant.…
Basho’s Travel Memoir, “The Narrow Road of the Interior”
Matsuo Basho is known for his haiku, poetry consisting of 17 syllables divided into lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. However, he is also famous for his…
5 Books Lovers of Japan Need to Read
The following list of books are must reads for those who are interested in Japanese culture, anime, and manga. This list focuses on important events and sections of…
Why Do I Write? A Personal Post
I love books. As a kid, I’d devour every book I got my hands on, and I read far above my grade level. In fifth grade,…
Ancient Appreciation for Objects: A Lesson for Modern Life
Recently, I cleaned out my wardrobe. I pulled two large garbage bags of clothes to donate. I don’t need a month’s worth of clothes that I don’t…
Examining Animation: Marin’s Embarrassment
During one scene in My Dress-up Darling, Marin stands in a bikini while Wakana takes her measurements so he can make her cosplay outfits. At one point, Marin’s…
For the Love of the Hobby: How Not to be the Best
I feel the drive to be the best, or at least be good, at everything I do. Beyond being impractical–after all, no one can be good at everything…
Eastern Wisdom in a Modern Context
The wisdom of Japan and China remains valuable for us today. Like the wisdom of Stoicism, we can look toward the past for lessons on how to live…
Darwin’s Game
Darwin’s Game reverses the isekai premise: it brings the game into the real world. Kaname Sudo stumbles into the death game blindly and must learn how to survive.…
Can Anime Show Sexual Assault Ethically?
A reader posed the question that serves as the title for the article, along with several other difficult and important questions. Long-time readers know I’ve addressed anime’s portrayal…
The Anime Community’s Best Trait
Many anime fans feel like I often beat up on the community. I don’t really beat up on it as much as point out problem areas. The…
Manga Artists, Child Pornography, and the Influence of Manga, Part 2
In the first part of this article, I examined the effects associated with pornography use, both child and adult, and how they encourage personality traits that can lead…
Manga Artists, Child Pornography, and the Influence of Manga, Part 1
When I heard about manga artist Kenya Suzuki being arrested for importing child pornography, I began to wonder if there’s something about manga that encourages such behavior. Manga…
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform
Akebi’s Sailor Uniform is a healing anime by CloverWorks, the same studio that produced the recent My Dress-Up Darling. The story follows Akebi as she joins an all-girls…
My Dress-Up Darling
My Dress-Up Darling surprised me with its heart and layers. I watched it on a whim, expecting the usual tired ecchi nonsense, but I quickly connected with the…
Impostor Syndrome
I suffer from Impostor Syndrome, and I am not alone. At least 70% of professionals report feeling Impostor Syndrome (IS) at some time during their careers (Gottlieb, 2020).…
Why are Incels, Neckbeards, and Others Attracted to Japan?
Why is Japan the fantasy for the socially awkward? Why does its culture, its media, and its women receive so much attention from some online men? Since I’ve…
Fact vs Truth in History
You’ve likely heard the phrase “history is written by the victors.” Because of this sentiment, historians feel skeptical about written histories sponsored by governments and winne…
Examining Animation: Marin’s Smile
In this article, I’ll attempt to show you an exercise I used to do when I was working on my animation undergraduate degree. The exercise has you take…
My Top Couples in Anime
Long time anime fans have their favorite couples. I enjoy couples with dynamic dialogue. It doesn’t matter if they get together by the end of the series or…
Japanese Professional Wrestling: Strong Style
Strong Style is the most common type of professional wrestling. It came from a disagreement in approach between the wrestlers Antonio Inoki and Shohei Baba. Inoki founded New…
Pythagora Switch on NHK is Strange But Enlightening
Pythagora Switch is a children’s educational broadcast on NHK. It’s a strange, surreal program that runs for 5-15 minutes. Pythagora Switch refers to how the segment uses a…
Japanese Professional Wrestling: King’s Road Style
Japanese professional wrestling has roots in American pro-wrestling. Many of the holds and brawling seen in early matches came from the various styles popular in the United States.…
The Authentic Voices Shift in Publishing
Lately in publishing there’s been a push for authentic voices. Authentic voices are usually minority authors writing stories that concern their groups and perspectives. This is wonderful! I…
What was the Cost of Things in Japan During the Early 1900s?
This seems like a strange question, but examining costs of items and salaries can offer interesting insights into history. I came across this information while I worked on…
Goodbye, Shika: The Gift of Mourning
A few hours ago, as I write this, my cat Shikamaru died. He had developed FIPV, or Feline Infectious Peritonitis, an incurable and fatal viral infection. Shika was…
Komi Can’t Communicate
Komi Can’t Communicate focuses on the perception and the challenges of having social anxiety. Komi is the most beautiful and popular girl in high school, but she suffers…
Looking Back on 2021
I spend most of 2021 revisiting older anime. I have articles in the queue where I reexamine them. There wasn’t too many new titles that caught my attention.…
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond
Pokemon Brilliant Diamond remakes Pokemon Diamond on the Nintendo DS. I hadn’t played Diamond, so I went into Brilliant Diamond blind. This is my preferred way of playing…
The Ending of Cowboy Bebop
[This post contains spoilers. I suggest you go watch Cowboy Bebop] When it comes to a classic story like Cowboy Bebop, what can I write that hasn’t been…
What Makes Anime, Anime?
It used to be anime was animation from Japan. That was why in the old, pre-Internet days it was often called Japanimation. It was known for being stiff,…
Is Anime a High Art?
Can we consider anime a high art? Before we can answer this question, we have to define what high art means. High art typically involves works of art…
The Experience of Rewriting Japanese Folklore for Modern Readers
My work Tales from Old Japan: Folktales and Legends from the Land of the Rising Sun proved to be a 4-year writing challenge. It’s my most ambition project…
Anime’s Bad Story Telling Habits
Anime has problems with its story telling habits. Habits we as fans often take for granted. It’s just how anime is, we say when we notice these problems.…
The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent
An isekei with a female lead? Sounds good! Unfortunately, The Saint’s Magic Power is Omnipotent has many interesting aspects, but suffers from a passive protagonist. Sei Takanashi sits…
What Was Happening in Japan When:
Sometimes I struggle to keep a large picture view of history. When I’m researching or reading about a time period, I don’t think about what was happening elsewhere…
Kai Riu O, The Dragon King of the World Under the Sea
This week, we finish this folklore series with one more from William Griffis. This time we meet a dragon. As before, this version retains Griffis’s original text. I…
The Procession of Lord Long Legs
Let’s take a break from monsters and look at how insects are said to have lived in yet another of William Griffis’s collected tales from Japan. Lovely and…
Senbazuru: One Thousand Steps to Happiness, Fold by Fold by Michael James Wong
Let’s take a break from folklore this week: Senbazuru: One Thousand Steps to Happiness takes a different perspective than most books I’ve read about mindfulness. It uses the…
Watanabe Kills the Great Spider
This week continues spooky October with another Watanabe and Raiko monster adventure. You can find modernized versions of these and other stories in my compilation “Tales from Old…
Watanabe Cuts Off the Oni’s Arm
To celebrate October (one of my favorite months), I will be posting Japanese folklore in their original English versions. You can find modernized versions of these and other…
The Appeal of Yashahime
Yashahime excited me when I saw it debut. Inuyasha was one of my first exposures to anime. I enjoyed its exploration of folklore and the characters. Yashahime continues…