Kolbeins’ elegantly designed documentary showcases the breadth and diversity of Japan’s vibrant LGBTQ+ community without losing sight of battles still to be won
Sep 28, 2021 • Subscribe
More like this
Queer Japan Movie
Tokyo Pride 2016. It was my extraordinary pleasure to be able to speak at the Tokyo Comics Showcase, where I presented my Brief History of Yuri. One of…
[Links] 23-29 October 2019: 30 Years of Kiki’s Delivery Service, Queer Japan in US Theaters, and Hamster Evangelion
AniFem Round-Up [Feature] What We Owe to Creators: Burnout in manga artists and how to prevent it Priya Sridhar lays out the untenable working conditions imposed on manga…
Report: UCL Japan Youth Challenge 2019...
Report: UCL Japan Youth Challenge 2019 The 10-day-long 2...
Anime Japan 2019 – Gachas, artwork, and more!
Hey guys! Here’s my first video in Japan. I’m in the middle searching for a new microphone so I can record sound out in the wild, but for…
Upcoming Yuri and Queer ( and Queer-Adjacent) Events
We have a couple of upcoming Yuri or queer events of interest and I want you all to have time to register and join me virtually. ^_^ I’ll…
Talking The Pictures (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2021]
“Mayayuki’s celebration of cinematic history deeply satisfies the spectator’s desire to see cinema as an experience that can touch our being and the art of the benshi triumph.R…
Chaotically Queer Podcast Ep. 10 - "A Very Chrismaotically Queer Podcast"
(Originally Recorded 10/12/23) On this edition of the Podcast, Chloe is recovering from spicy flu (yay!), the SAG Strike is over and the cast talk about stuff they couldn't…
[Links] 3-9 July 2019: Summer Premiere Reviews, SARAZANMAI as Queer Commentary, and Cannon Busters
This week: premiere round-up, SARAZANMAI as critique of commodified queer desire, and the upcoming Netflix premiere of LeSean Thomas’ Cannon Busters. AniFem Round-Up [Review] How Heavy Are the…
[Links] 14-20 August 2019: Cannon Busters, Queer Community in FFXIV, and Remembering Ghost Trick
AniFem Round-Up [Feature] Kase-san and Queer Thirst: Depicting sexuality in a “pure” yuri manga Saori Mitsueda praises the manga’s inclusion of queer sexuality that uses an inclusive gaze.…
Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2019 comes to an end ...
Japan Foundation Touring Film Programme 2019 comes to an end ...
Tomino Yoshiyuki Q&A at Japan Expo 2019, July 6
Summary of the Q&A and event with Tomino Yoshiyuki on the third day of Japan Expo 2019.
Tomino Yoshiyuki Q&A at Japan Expo 2019, July 6
Summary of the Q&A and event with Tomino Yoshiyuki on the third day of Japan Expo 2019.
Reading Code:Realize as Queer Allegory
You wouldn’t expect an otome game like Code:Realize to have themes that resonate so strongly with common queer experiences. In many ways, the game follows genre conventions, with…
Blind Bombing, Filmed by a Bat (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2020]
Introduction Kota Takeuchi is man of many creative talents, but whatever he does – be it painting, filming, or sculpting – it is related to historical or contemporary…
Tora-san, Wish you were here (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2020]
“Yamada’s latest offers not only a powerful homage to the late great Kiyoshi Atsumi but also a moving nostalgic ride along many of the iconic scenes of the…
Short Movie Time: Two Of Us (2019) [Female Gaze – Japan Society]
Negishi proves that she is ready to tackle the daunting task of making a feature film.
Tracing the Journey of Queer Expression, Culture and Legislation from Pre-Modern to Present-Day Japan
By Callistine Jude Lewis (2nd Year BA Programme, St Stephen’s) Japan represents an interesting conundrum of a country when it comes to grappling with LGBTQIA+ issues, stemming from…
Pride For My Queer Otaku Family
When Pride Month 2020 began, I was absolutely, positively sure that we would not be celebrating. I believed, from the very depths of my heart, that this…
Short Movie Time: Bath House of Whales (2019) review [Japan Cuts 2020]
Introduction Mizuki Kiyama’s graduation short film Bath House of Whales is a creative reworking of her memories of accompanying her mother, a person of Korean descent living in…
Disability, Queer Identity, and Caressing Bear Nipples
Caressing the Nipples of My Hibernating Bear unexpectedly changed Borealis's life while teaching lessons only this erotic boys love story could.
Queer Subtext & Symbolism in Sk8 the Infinity
Can I do an ollie? No. But can I overanalyze the gnarly *gay undertones* from a skateboarding anime that came out 3 years ago? Heck yeah, dude. Sources…
Perfect Blue, Fullmetal Alchemist, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
Queer Echoes: Koike Chikyoku, Unlikely Warrior Artist
The story of a little-know artist-turned-warrior during the waning days of the samurai -- who just might have been a queer woman.
given – Grief, Moving On, and Queer Love
This October it will be three years since my Dad suddenly passed away during my junior year of college. When he died, all of my memories of him…
Silk & Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology
Some days, the weather is just perfect and all you need is something plain fun to read. Silk & Steel: A Queer Speculative Adventure Anthology is very fun…
Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia
I treated myself to a copy of Queer Transfigurations: Boys Love Media in Asia, edited by James Welker recently and I honestly found it to be really inspiring. …
Queer Subtext and Representation in Kamen Rider
Much of the franchise's homoeroticism is a result of the franchise’s severe gender disparity, which it has only recently taken steps to address; the series took 31 years…
The Surprisingly Queer-Friendly Narrative of Cybersix
Japanese animation has found numerous sources of inspiration, from comics and novels to video games and toys, located from both within and outside of its national borders. But…
Review: 2019 Kabuki Kaomise – the National Theatre of Japan and the Shinbashi Enbujo
PART TWO The November 2019 performance at the National Theatre of Japan was ‘Koko no Yushi Musume Kagekiyo: Hyuga-Jima’ (孤高勇士嬢景清: (四幕五場) 日向嶋. A Brave and Solitary Warrior Kagekiyo…
2019 Retrospective
2019 Retrospective There are spoilers ahead. If you see a show title you haven’t watched yet, you might want to skip that section until you have. Another year…
Dororo (2019)
There are a few gaps when it comes to my knowledge of Osamu Tezuka’s works beyond Astro Boy, which is something I’ve been wanting to fix for a…
Coluboccoro 2019
In the deep, dark past, an animator named Itoso Kenji created a one-man show called Coluboccoro . He did the story, the planning, the animat...
Barbapapa Around the World, Izumo, One Piece Film: Gold, Onigiri, Yamato 2520
PROMARE (2019)
In which I break convention and talk about a much more recent anime release I saw at the cinema.
BEM (2019)
Remakes of classic shows feel risky, since time can divest modern audiences of context, and of course tastes around art styles and technological advancements change the visual landscape…
Galaxycon 2019
Hi folks. It’s with great pleasure that I’m able to let you all know that J.C. and I will be serving as panelists at the first ever Galaxycon…
2019 Retrospective
Another year down, and a whole lot of manga to go over. Can Nik predict what happened during the year? What were the best moments of the year?…
World Trigger, Black Clover, Chainsaw Man, My Hero Academia, One Piece
Weekly Round-Up, 16-22 December 2020: Ainu Restaurant in Tokyo, Fxxx Me Royally!!, and Queer Japan on Streaming
AniFem Round-Up The Surprisingly Queer-Friendly Narrative of Cybersix This underrated 90s series treated its antihero’s fluid gender presentation with remarkable nonchalance and welcomed a queer audience in the…
MADE IN JAPAN 日本製造 メイド・イン・ジャパン (2019) Dir: Yusaku Matsumoto
A brutal murder leads one delinquent to milk news sites for money in this critique of how the media works. SAKKA will make Yusaku Matsumoto’s MADE IN JAPAN…
Queer East Film Festival Reveals Full 2022 Programme
In cinemas across London 18th to 29th May
NO STRAIGHT LINES: The Rise of Queer Comics
It’s the final Sunday of Pride month. NYC is gearing up for a virtual Pride Parade, which is being televised and sponsored and a real Queer Liberation March…
Queer East Film Festival Reveals Full 2021 Programme
In cinemas across London 15th to 26th September
Queer East Film Festival Reveals Full 2023 Programme
In cinemas across London 18th to 30th April.
The Queer Blood Ties of Vampire Princess Miyu
Miyu is born a vampire, and her bite does not seem to turn her victims into other vampires. In Vampire Princess Miyu, blood bonds become not something that…
Chaotically Queer Ep. 6 - "Juggling A Single Braincell"
Coming to you live from nearly one month ago being recorded! Chloe, Jazzy and Missy all attempt to juggle a single brain cell throughout this entire podcast as…
Niji Nights Day 3: Queer Coded-Wandering Paladin
Niji Nights day three is upon us and today, we’re bringing you a new series of blogs: Queer Coded. As avid anime watchers, we see a lot of…
12 Days 2019, Day 6: Short Awards 2019
Well this is the third year in a row I’ve done this so I guess it counts as a tradition now (technically it’s the fourth but I hadn’t…
#9 — Sarazanmai (2019)
I was on board with Sarazanmai as soon as I heard it existed. If Kunihiko Ikuhara (Sailor Moon S, Revolutionary Girl Utena, Mawaru Penguindrum, Yuri Kuma Arashi) is…
Dororo (2019) Review
This is review number four hundred and fifty eight. This anime is part of the Winter 2019 lineup, and it’s called Dororo. It’s an anime about a fifty…
S3E2 - Parasite (2019)
Hello everyone, In this episode of Heroic Purgatory: An Asian Cinema Podcast, John and Jason discuss Bong Joon-ho's award winning and record breaking 2019 film, Parasite. They discuss themes…
Anime Fusion 2019
Hi all. I know this is a bit (very) belated, but J.C. and I will be at Anime Fusion this weekend. We’ve deliberately elected to put on less…
Sunday Retrospective (2019)
Greetings all! It's the end of the year and I didn't want to leave the blog without looking back at 2019 in memorandum. Sunday went throu...