“Beat-em-up” video games are relics of the past that manage to still persist to this day mostly as nostalgia trips. Examples include River City Girls (a gender role reversal of River City Ransom) a…
Feb 10, 2021 • Subscribe
More like this
Overlord IV – 02 – If You Can’t Beat ‘Em…
Ainz wants to create a kingdom he can be proud to show his colleagues, regardless of whether they’ll ever return to this world (or if they are here,…
Killin’ ‘Em With Kindness: The radical compassion of Kamado Tanjiro within the modern shounen landscape
Tanjiro's got that moralistic determination trait/defect common in many of my Shounen Sons (™), but what makes him different is a clear and consistent decision to choose kindness…
HYrule Warriors Age of Calamity: A Relativily Short Beat ‘Em Up (Relativily Speaking)
So, long story with this game (and why this review is out such a long time after the game’s release). I had thought about buying Hyrule Warriors: Age…
The Ups and Downs of Square Enix’s Manga UP!
Here’s something I haven’t had to do in a while: try out a new manga service! Well, technically, Manga UP! isn’t new. Gaming and media company Square Enix…
Corporate Turmoil: The Ups and Downs of the Elevator Business
Fujitec, a major Japanese company that has been in business for the last 75 years, has come into the spotlight over the last couple of months. Fujitec is…
Pick of the Week: Modern Dracula
MICHELLE: It's absolutely Glitch for me this week. Siblings investigating a weird town would be enough on its own even without the goodwill Lost Lad London engendered, honestly,…
The Lazyness of Modern Shounen Jump
Disclaimer: This is all just my opinion. I’m obviously not in the board rooms of Shueisha & I don’t have any specific or unique data to reinforce. Perhaps…
The Impossibly Modern World of 'Flebus'
On Ernest Pintoff's 1957 Terrytoons classic.
The Curse of the Modern Anime Fan
Internet Pitstop and I talk about anime's growing popularity globally. We discuss how it was like for us to bring Yu-Gi-Oh! cards and Pokemon games to school, seeing…
Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure Episode 45: The Princess and the Empress
The legendary Pretty Cure’s story continues in the forty-fifth episode of Soaring Sky! Pretty Cure, allowing Sora and Mashiro to get to know Empress Undergu even more.
write 'em, cowboy
Japanese animation, anime, cartoons, manga, 1960-1990, Tezuka, Miyazaki, Ishinomori, Matsumoto, Yamato, Gatchaman, Star Blazers, Captain Harlock
Konnected UPS Backup Battery
A small lithium-ion battery UPS. Konnected is a known company. But they aren’t known for UPS batteries but known for their alarm panels. This product is specially for…
Grown-ups (2022) review
An intimate and touching account of the drama that romance and becoming a woman can be.
Gotta Catch Em’ All: The (Brief) History Of Pokemon!
If you were a kid growing up in the 90’s then you might’ve been involved in the various trends of that decade; Hot Wheels, Power Rangers, Video Games,…
Gattai: The Global Interplay of Mecha Design
Shipped overseas and repackaged in the ’70s and ’80s, the Japanese concept of “giant robots” has become a global phenomenon, the stuff of Hollywood films, video games, TV…
The Design of Monster Hunter World: Iceborne
Want to see ALL videos early? Support me on patreon for exclusive access! https://www.patreon.com/oceaniz TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Intro 01:59 - Beotodus 03:23 - Banbaro 04:55 - Viper Tobi-Kadachi 06:11 - Nightshade Paolumu 07:31 - Coral Pukei-Pukei 08:47…
The Elegant Design of Suntory’s Virtual Youtuber
There’s a 50/50 chance that saying “the Japanese beverage company Suntory has their own official Virtual Youtuber” would come as a surprise. But the blue-haired “Suntory Nomu” is…
Seraph of the End – Appreciating Character Design
I have been hearing bout Seraph of the End for a long time and I sure liked those character designs I saw everywhere!
The Rise and Falling of Shojo Beat
Shojo Beat is an imprint from the company Viz Media that publishes works of manga geared towards young girls and women. It has been around for more than…
Pick of the Week: Jump to the Beat
SEAN: It’s Jump/Beat week, so we have an embarrassment of titles. I’ll pick the final Anonymous Noise, which is not quite as gripping now that it’s not showing…
Pick of the Week: Classic and Modern
MICHELLE: Part of me really wants to pick Marmalade Boy here, as it's one of the first manga I ever read and I have tremendous nostalgic feelings about…
History of Mecha: "Kill 'em All" Tomino
I talk about the history of the legend of "Kill 'em All" Tomino, the creator of Gundam. This is the latest in my series on the History of…
The “Beat” Goes On
The Japanese really love their robots, whether it is the standard mechanical type, their Gundams or the AI versions. They all have a place in their society and…
Books: History of Modern Manga
By Jonathan Clements. “The history of manga,” notes the back-cover blurb for Matthieu Pinon and Laurent Lefebvre’s new book, “is inextricably tied to Japan’s social, economic, political, and…
Hafu: The Ups And Downs Of Being ‘Half Japanese’ In Japan
I don’t look Japanese enough. I don’t speak enough Japanese. So, does that mean I’m not Japanese?
The Ups and Downs of Watching Popular Anime As They Air
I’ve only recently started watching seasonal anime in simulcast. For one the option hasn’t even been available for that long and for two I generally prefer to soft…
Today’s Robits: Got ’em!
Ever since “New Item B” from the Gundam the Witch from Mercury High Grade line was revealed to be Gundam Calibarn, I’ve been really hoping to get the…
The Rise and Fall Of Pokémon's Region Design
Pokémon Games important to the discussion (lol I just need this for the tags): Pokémon Red Pokémon Blue Pokémon Yellow Pokémon Fire Red Pokémon Leaf Green Pokémon Gold Pokémon Silver Pokémon Heart Gold Pokémon Soul Silver Pokémon Ruby Pokémon…
Re:Monster #01 — Obtrusive Pop Ups
Fantastic. I had this as April 4th, because that's what the official site shows, but I guess we've got early airings again on certain streaming sites. Oops.…
Pick of the Week: Turn the Skip Beat Around
SEAN: Once again, tempted to just say "Viz". We get so much good shoujo this week, with a new sequel for Kimi ni Todoke, the next Neighborhood Story,…
Did Haruhi engineer the trends of modern Anime?
Tigers! had a very insightful comment on Haruhi, believing it to be a series that was "at the right place at the right time", and a significant contributor…
In/Spectre – The Birth of a Modern Ghost
I’m a bit of a repeating record lately but there’s a lot to say about myth and magic. And sure, it’s fun to think about the classics but…
In Transition: Lain & The Evolution of Modern Identity
When it comes to modern day ideals on identity, a lot has managed to be found from exploring the internet and how, as a result, we've managed to…
Higurashi, subversion of moe, and the birth of the modern yandere
Rena and Shion originally appeared in direct counterpoint to the then-oversaturated moe tropes of the time; however, what began as subversion would become an archetype all of its…
Cosplay Advice from Cosplayers: Expert Tips from the Community
Whether you're stepping into the world of cosplay for the first time or looking to take your skills to the next level, these community insights will give you…
Josei Beat
Discovering manga for adults via Viz's Shojo Beat imprint
Beat & Motion
If I could make this episode description the one expression all of these characters make in this series, I would. 8:33 - Beat & Motion 37:04 - Ichi the Witch…
Why It Works: Let’s Explore the Finer Points of Anime Power-Ups!
I’ve got another fairly breezy Why It Works column for you all this week, though this one certainly plays into a fair number of storytelling and conflict-building fundamentals.…
Not a Circle, but a Sphere of ’Em: The Orbital Children
I’m not the kind of anime fan who thinks having specific names on a project is the be-all, end-all. That said, as soon as I saw that there…
![Featured image for [eight – Encanto] you can’t live with ’em, you can’t kick ’em out](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20211226/1640477318.27970.55286.png)
[eight – Encanto] you can’t live with ’em, you can’t kick ’em out
I wrote this review of Encanto on Christmas Day, surrounded by family. There’s my sister, my parents, my grandmother and my uncle and his family. And we all…
Sister Sister 2 (Chị Chị Em Em 2, Vũ Ngọc Đãng, 2023)
An ambitious young woman determined to escape the world of sex work resorts to a series of schemes to get close to the number one beauty in 1930s…
Pick of the Week: Spies, Assassins and Skip Beat!
MICHELLE: There is soooo much good stuff coming out this week and there’s really only one thing that beats Yona of the Dawn with such ease, and that…
The Recipe for Modern Anime
Anime has changed a lot in the last 60 years, with each decade being defined by the introduction of new technology. Today, anime isn't just defined by the…
Mobile Suit Gundam, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, Fate/Zero, Fist of the North Star, Gargantia on the Verdurous Planet
Digimon in the Modern Era
In its over two decades of existence, Digimon has seen a wide array of iterations, so today we'll be taking a look at the most recent anime…
Most Legendary Power Ups in Anime
Get ready to power up with the most legendary power ups in anime! From Super Saiyan transformations to Sharingan unlocks, we'll cover the best power ups in anime…
Street Fighter 6 and the History of “Modern Controls”
Street Fighter 6 has succeeded in its goal of bringing in new players through a simplified control scheme labeled “Modern.” The signature special inputs that Street Fighter pioneered…
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…
No Game No Life Episode 3: Expert
Sora challenges Kurami for the throne! And they decide to play a game of chess but the pieces have a will of their own (it reminded me of…
Osama no Mimi: est em
The best thing about having a beloved friend come visit from Japan after being separated by the pandemic for two plus years is obviously the joy of getting…
