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Good-Character Jammer Canceler: Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Freedom
Last year, I got the chance to interview Tanaka Rie, the voice of Lacus Clyne in Gundam SEED. She mentioned to me that there were certain answers I…
Gaogaigar, Godannar, and Gundam X: Kakazu Yumi Otakon 2024 Interview
Kakazu Yumi is a voice actor arguably best known for her role as Yuffie Kisaragi in the Final Fantasy franchise. I had the opportunity to interview her at…
Genshiken, Childhood Comics, and More: Kio Shimoku at Umeda Lateral Talk Notes
Kio recently had a talk at Umeda Lateral, an Osaka-based live music house and talk venue, to celebrate the release of his new artbook. Below are my notes…
My Challenges Writing About VTubers (It’s Not Just About VTubers)
I’ve been struggling a bit with the blog lately. I decided to re-read some of my posts from the last year or so, and I noticed that my…
Bringing It Home—Gundam Reconguista in G Part V: Crossing the Line Between Life and Death
Ever since the original Mobile Suit Gundam, works in the Gundam franchise have tended to end in space. Whether it’s a sequel or an alternate universe, they typically…
Where’d the Time Go?: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for October 2024
Actually kind of cold weather—can you believe it? This past month was a real rollercoaster, not least of which was due to hololive talent Amelia Watson announcing that…
Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights September 2024
This month featured a special live talk with Kio-sensei himself, as well as reactions to his artbook! Kio enjoyed a panpanya interview in Rakuen. Having seen the anime…
The Will and Aspirations of Cannon Fodder: Go! Go! Loser Ranger
Creating a story with a good antihero lead can be a challenge. It’s all too easy to end up with a character who’s more of a shallow reactionary…
Love Live’s Minami Kotori: Uchida Aya Otakon 2024 Interview
This interview was conducted at Otakon 2024. Uchida Aya is a Japanese voice actor, famous for playing the character Minami Kotori in Love Live! School Idol Project. Many…
She’s Not Just a Detective, She’s a Legend: Thank You, Amelia Watson
A few days ago, I felt an urge to write an essay dedicated to Amelia Watson. It’s something I’ve been doing for all my favorite VTubers over the…
See Kio Shimoku Talk About His Career!
To celebrate the release of his new artbook, Mata Ashita, Bushitsu de (See You Tomorrow in the Clubroom), Genshiken author Kio Shimoku had a special 2+ hour talk…
The Nonstop VTuber Experience at Anime NYC 2024
Anime NYC 2024 was a focal point for many areas of Japanese pop culture, but the one that caught my attention the most was the massive presence of…
Fear and Loathing, and That’s It
September 11 is a day that always makes me just a bit more introspective. Sometimes I express it on this blog and sometimes I approach things more lightly—it’s…
The Sequel Was Better: hololive EN Breaking Dimensions
In July of 2023, I went to hololive English’s first full concert, Connect the World. I was grateful for the opportunity to be part of that milestone, and…
I Want a Jet Alone Isekai
I’ve come to realize that I like isekai spin-offs that are about giving lesser characters another chance. After all, they’ve got the skills, and are often just overshadowed…
Busy as a Bee-Beaver Mutant Hybrid: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for September 2024
The fall weather is slowly coming in, and I’m hoping that we get away from the record-breaking summer heat for at least a little while. Last month was…
Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights August 2024
The latest side chapter of Spotted Flower! Available for free only for a limited time. The site for Kio’s artbook is showing off updated samples. Kio visiting his…
Respect for 30 Years: Otakon 2024
Otakon celebrated its 30th anniversary this year in Washington DC from August 2 through 4. Somehow, despite growing from a humble event to one over 70 times bigger,…
Deku and a Culture in Conflict: The End of My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia by Horikoshi Kohei is a manga that has stood out thanks to its gorgeous art, variety of memorable characters, and exploration on what it means…
Early-ish Thoughts on hololive EN Justice
It’s been almost two months since hololive debuted its 4th English generation, Justice. Now that I’ve gotten to watch them for a bit, I wanted to give some…
Reflecting on the Passing of Rachel Lillis
Rachel Lillis, one of the main voice actors of the original Pokémon dub, passed away recently. She was 55. I don’t hold that original 4Kids dub in special…
What if an RTS Race Had to Deal with Bureaucracy?
I used to be really into watching Starcraft and Starcraft II, before falling off around ten years ago. However, over the past year or so, I’ve become aware…
In Pursuit of New Experiences: A Sign of Affection
A Sign of Affection is a shoujo anime that makes a powerful impression. Based on the manga by Morishita Suu, it features a hearing-impaired protagonist in her first…
I Ate Nissin Curry Meshi Thanks to hololive
Truly “instant” curry rice is something I’ve always wanted, but the idea of a truly shelf stable with absolutely minimal prep time seemed a bit farfetched. That’s why…
The Amiba Isekai Has a More Balanced Roster than the Original Fist of the North Star
Fist of the North Star Side Story: The Genius Amiba’s Otherworld Conqueror Legend is a spin-off manga that has rarely disappointed. Its silly premise is that the minor…
Spiral Stinger and Photobomber: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for August 2024
Otakon 2024 is this weekend! There are a few guests I’m looking forward to seeing (and hopefully interviewing), like Kakazu Yumi (Shizuru in Godannar, Renais in Gaogaigar FINAL)…
Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights July 2024
New chapter of Spotted Flower came out at the end of last month, which is now followed by a new volume of Spotted Flower too! New chapter of…
A Locomotive of Motives: Train to the End of the World
I don’t know if Train to the End of the World is a true turning point in anime, but it feels like an important intersection of a lot…
I Want a Punch-Out!! Soulslike
I started playing Elden Ring recently, and it’s my first time with a Soulslike of any kind. Having to make my character stronger while also improving my own…
Miki Kinemi and the Electrifying Characters of Blue Period
I’ve been catching up on the English releases of the Blue Period manga, and I’ve come to a few realizations. I Really Like Miki Kinemi Miki first appears…
A Lesson Learned: My Brief Stint Going Viral on Social Media
Recently, I made a tweet that got over 100,000 likes. This is not a brag. I had nothing to do with its schedules, seeing as it was someone…
Bringing the Band Back Together: Sound! Euphonium 3
Sound! Euphonium 3 concludes a nine-year journey that follows the students of the Kitauji High School Music Club through the drama of high school and band competition. Taken…
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba and Kibutsuji Muzan’s Great Flaw
Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba’s Hashira Training Arc has just finished, acting as the prelude to the end. There’s a controversy over its pacing (namely that it streeetches…
How Takanashi Kiara’s Retro Outfit Reflects Changing Beauty Standards
hololive VTuber Takanashi Kiara revealed a new outfit last month: a 1980s aerobics ensemble that ties into one of her songs, the vaporwave retro–themed “Fever Night.” The look…
Muscling Through: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for July 2024
Things are looking dire in the United States because of the recent Supreme Court decision that grants presidents broad powers with few if any checks. I will admit…
Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights June 2024
The big thing this month is the announcement of the Kio Shimoku artbook! Also, a drawing of Darkness from KonoSuba! Kio is going to have an artbook! (I…
La+ Darknesss Is Now a Shoujo Manga Author
hololive’s La+ Darknesss is now a published manga author! As an anime blogger and a Plusmate, I had to write about it. Shoujo manga magazine Hana to Yume…
Kio Shimoku Is Releasing a 30th Anniversary Artbook!
Kio Shimoku, author of Genshiken, recently announced that he’s going to be releasing an artbook collecting his work from across his 30-year career! It will also include an…
Rivalry at Its Finest—Haikyu!!: The Dumpster Battle
In a sports anime where relationships on the court are centrally important, the defining team rivalry of Haikyu! is undoubtedly Karasuno vs. Nekoma. In Haikyu!! The Dumpster Battle,…
Checking out Holostars: Vanguard Debuts and Movin’ On
Over the past month, there have been a number of events for Holostars, the men’s side of hololive. While I don’t usually watch them often, I decided to…
The Dragons of My Childhood: In Remembrance of Ruth Stiles Gannett
Ruth Stiles Gannett, author of the My Father’s Dragon trilogy, passed away on June 11 at the age of 100. I can’t overstate how important she was to…
Revisiting “The Transformers: The Movie”
The 1980s Transformers movie looms large in my memory. I can still feel a part of me reacting to moments I first saw when I was maybe five…
The Psychological Price of Distance—Gundam Reconguista in G Part IV: The Love That Cries Out in Battle
It’s been over two years since my last review of a Gundam Reconguista in G movie. In Part IV: The Love That Cries Out in Battle, the series…
The Ideon Singer Has a Youtube Channel
Taira Isao is a Japanese singer famous for his contribution to multiple anime songs. Famously, he can be heard in the openings to Space Runaway Ideon, Muteki Robo…
Soul of Where’d My Money Go: Ogiue Maniax Status Update for June 2024
As we inch closer to summer (and all the fun and horror that entails), I find myself a little spend-happy. What can I do when the Soul of…
Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights May 2024
Not very many tweets this month, but starting off with some fun insight into how Spotted Flower has changed. Kio laments that Spotted Flower (a series that was…
Back to Basics: The Blue Beetle Film
On a whim, I decided to watch the recent superhero movie, Blue Beetle. I’ve been feeling a little burned out by the Marvel Cinematic Universe, so I figured…
Ultimate Character Combo: Idols, Gals, and the Jougasaki Sisters
As character types, the “idol” and the “gal” (or gyaru) have both been around in Japanese media for decades. However, they seem to have hit even greater notoriety…
Happy Birthday La+ Darknesss 2024
Decided to try and do a quick analog ink drawing of La+ Darknesss for her 2024 birthday. As always, VTuber outfits are hard… (I also talked about her…