Ideally by the time I’m posting this I’ll have watched The Idol. It’s only five episodes after all. I usually make a point to give a piece of media, despite it’s reputation,…
Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan
Aug 9, 2023 • Subscribe
More like this
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…
FAQ for Aspiring Japanese to English Media Translators
Frequently asked questions for aspiring translators interested in Japanese to English media translation. Happy International Translation Day!
Should You Watch Idol Anime?
I watched way too much anime for this... PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/keksiweksi TWITTER: https://twitter.com/keksiweksi ~Muuuusic~ Idolm@ster OST - Town theme Idolm@ster Opening Cardcaptor Sakura OST - Genki Ippai Sonic Unleashed OST - Windmill Isle (Night) スタマス 『KAWAIIウォーズ』 (琴葉、詩花) FFXIV OST -…
Edit: If you can’t watch the video, try this one instead. A...
Edit: If you can’t watch the video, try this one instead. A special on Quick Action Recorder - クイックアクシオンレコーダー used in Akira to view how scenes would look like…
Street Fighter Alpha The Animation | Retro Japanese Media Retrospective
Things have been moving and shaking in the world of Street Fighter, and if you’re a fan of the Alpha subseries specifically like I am, you’re probably a…
Anibros Podcast Episode 19 – The Scent of an Idol (Let’s Watch)
Way back in 2012, we sat down with Pat and Mr. Gentleman to watch some Grade-A anime, because that’s what people do at…
5 YouTube Channels to Watch for Studying Japanese
It’s never easy to learn a new language, but here are 5 Youtubers to learn Japanese from anywhere.
FamilyMart Socks Take Over Japanese Social Media
Innerwear items are a common sight at most Japanese convenience stores. So why have these cheap, simple FamilyMart Socks gone viral?
Katsuhiro Otomo returns to manga... but this time looks to the past instead of the future
by Chris MaGee Katsuhiro Otomo -- the name is synonymous with modern Japanese pop culture. His epic sci-fi manga-turned-anime film "Akira"...
Idol Watch #19: July/August 2023
Rounding up the best idol songs from the past two months, featuring BiTE A SHOCK, airattic, Takane No Nadeshiko and more, plus some thoughts on navigating bias as…
I don’t Watch Idol Anime, Except . . .
If anyone had asked me last week if I watched Idol Anime, I would have definitely said, no. Though I don’t find anything offensive about the genre, the…
Idol Watch #18: May/June 2023
It's the boy group edition of the idol music column!
Idol Watch #20: January/February 2023
Rounding up the best idol songs from the past two months, featuring pinponpanpon, COMIQ ON, RYUTist and more, plus a deep dive into the composer behind FRUIT ZIPPER's…
Idol Watch #21: March/April 2024
Rounding up the best idol songs from the past two months, featuring YUION, ASP, courtesea and more, plus a look back into the great catalog of MIGMA SHELTER
Time Management Tips for Freelance Japanese Media Translators
Time management tips for freelance Japanese media translators working in media. Tools, tips, and tricks to improve your work-life-clarity.
The Fascinating World of Lost Media
Lost Media is exactly what it sounds like, something that aired on TV but now you can’t watch, a song you used to hear on the radio but…
What I’ll do instead of watching the fall anime season
Last week, in a burst of emotion, I wrote my first blog post in a year. In hindsight, maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to boycott the…
Do a survey: Gender Identity among Overseas Fans of Queer Japanese Media
March 2022: Here is a survey that may be of interest to some readers of this blog: “Questionnaire on Gender Identity among Overseas Fans of Queer Japanese Media…
Japan’s Worst Tourist Traps and Where to Go Instead
Some of the most famous destinations in Japan aren’t as great as advertised, but a better option might be just around the corner.
Date Her Instead: Your Newest Enemies to Lovers Obsession
Saturnalia Blackrose’s Yuri web novel Date Her Instead has consumed my life for the past week. I am so thrilled to partner with its creator for this spotlight…
Phantom of the Idol Streaming
Can a ghost revitalize a disillusioned idol singer's career?
[Review] Phantom of the Idol
The first of the summer shows to wrap up the season is 10-episode long Phantom of the Idol. This light hearted series follows Yuuya Niyodo, one half of…
Physical Media > Digital Media
AstroNerdBoy learns of how Amazon utterly destroys comiXology. As such, it is time to push physical copies for anime and manga purchases.
Why Machine Translating Japanese Media is a BAD Idea
Machine translation has always been notorious for just being bad. It’s great if you’re playing around or lost in a country and need help, but when applied to…
How to Watch Anime: The Rule of Mami
Mami is hot. Also, your teacher on how to watch anime.
5 Reasons To Watch: Sword of the Stranger
More than just some cool fight scenes
3 Reasons To Watch: Land of the Lustrous
Join in and witness the internet’s latest fetishes.
5 Reasons To Watch: The Familiar of Zero
Small rich girl or big titty maid GF?
5 Reasons To Watch: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind
Many anime like this try to lecture to their viewers, but Nausicaä manages to both get its message across and be an exciting action movie.
A Guide to Anime Social Media
You can get all sorts of new sides to both the fandom and the anime if you interact with the official social media, such as seeing exclusive illustrations…
We’re Going to Master of Idol World 2023
For long time readers of this blog, you might recall back in 2013-2014 I did some stuff to prepare for Master of Idol World 2014. After that I…
Watch/Read/Buy: a recent media-merchandise roundup (US-focused)
Since I’ve been negligent for the past couple of months, I thought it might be good to do a quick rundown of some of developments regarding the recent…
“Son Goku” vs. “Sun Wukong”: The Challenge of Translating Chinese Names in Japanese Media into English
Let’s say you’re watching an episode of Raven of the Inner Palace in Japanese. Or maybe it’s Thunderbolt Fantasy. A new character appears and introduces themselves, but the…
Frightening Road Sign in Japanese City Draws Social Media Attention
A fitting sign for "Silent Hill": A warning sign in Shizuoka Prefecture's Izu City is so spooky it's gone viral. But who made it - and why?
First Impression: Phantom of the Idol
As one-half of the idol group ZINGS, Niyodo must put in the practice, effort, and love that will please the duo’s fans and lead them to popularity. Unfortunately,…
Phantom of the Idol – Episode 1
Much like ghosts, you'll either believe in Phantom of the Idol or you'll ignore it ratling around in the background due to its pretty okay premiere that, while…
First Look: Phantom of the Idol
Boy idols, except one of them hates being an idol so the ghost of a girl idol takes over his body and probably hilarity ensues
Phantom of the Idol – Spooookily Wholesome
What is scarier than ghosts? How about singing dancing ghosts!!! And that's just what you'll get with Phantom of the Idol.
Boys, Kiss Him Instead of Me – Live Action Review
So this review comes quite a few days after watching this film since I had a lot of thoughts before, during and after about it. Before those thoughts…
Anime and the Media
I don’t think it’s going to be a lie when it is said that anime and journalism do not have a good relationship with each other for one…
3 Reasons To Watch: The Tale of The Princess Kaguya
Really digging the pointy hats.
The Way of the Househusband is so fun to watch
It's been awhile since I had watched an anime. That is why watching Gokushufudou or in English, The Way of the Househusband was really refreshing to me.
The BEST Anime of Summer 2023 - Ones To Watch
Beat the Summer heat (and smoke) with the best new anime of the season! From magic schools to zombie vacations, we got something for everyone. Sponsored by Madtale: Idle…
5 Reasons To Watch: Saga of Tanya the Evil
I admit it, I just really wanted to watch Isekai Quartet.
5 Reasons To Watch: Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Team Yang is best team.
Anime to Watch just for the Craftsmanship of Animation
I feel like sometimes, anime fans get really caught up in the story being told, that they miss out on the techniques used in the animation. Other times,…
The BEST Anime of Summer 2022 - Ones To Watch
🕹 Join the millions of gamers optimizing their setup with the Opera GX browser. Throw resource-hungry browsers away, and click with confidence with Opera GX: https://operagx.gg/MothersBasement Thanks to…
Anime to watch for each day of the dead
I live on the West coast of the US, and not surprisingly as October comes to a close, we don’t just see Halloween decorations festooned on every doorway…
The BEST Anime of Spring 2022 - Ones To Watch
Spring Sprung on us like a bear trap in 2022, with FORTY FIVE new Anime and sequels hitting. Lucky for you, I've already sifted through them all to…