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 so far, and one that I felt inadequa…
Nov 28, 2021 • Subscribe
More like this
Modern Japanese Monsters and Their Folklore Equivalents
As anime writers get more creative, they often depart from the original versions of the traditional creatures and create their own spin.
Kitsune: The Enigmatic Foxes Of Japanese Folklore
The Kitsune, or fox spirit, holds a fascinating place in Japanese mythology. Often depicted as magical beings with powers that grow over time, Kitsune captivate both folklorists and…
J-Horror and Japanese Folklore: The Image of the Onryo [OWLS Blog Tour August 2020: Folklore]
This month’s OWLS topic was inspired by the name of Taylor Swift’s new album, Folklore. Yet rather than using her conceptual definition of what “folklore” means, we are going…
Experience the Best of Japanese Summer Festivals
Despite the heat, lively Japanese festivals invite many out to enjoy the seasonal atmosphere with spectacle and culture.
Japanese Folklore in Studio Ghibli Animation
Traditional creatures, classic fairy tales and so much more inspire the iconic studio’s films. Here are seven examples of influences from Japanese culture and folklore.
Why Japanese Folklore MATTERS! | Japan Station 126
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7waTdq7P-U
JapanKyo – Exploring Japan today via news, videos and podcasts
Why Japanese Folklore MATTERS! | Japan Station 126
On this episode of Japan Station, we talk about Japanese folklore with Thersa Matsuura of the Uncanny Japan podcast. 👉Topics Discussed About Japanese folklore About yokai About…
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
Ep.56: The Best Books (for New Readers) of Season One
This week, the Mangasplaining crew pick the Best Manga For New Readers from Season One of their podcast! Which 11 titles make the cut?
Rewriting Dragon Ball GT
Rewriting Dragon Ball GT has been someting I've considered doing for quite a long time but in truth never felt pushed to try until today. I've not kept…
Comikey’s App Unlocks More Options for Readers
Comic service Comikey has finally launched their app, which means Krystallina gives it a look in this week's Please Save My Money.
OWlS August “Folklore” Post: Durarara, Celty, and Folklore
In this month’s OWLS post, Jack talks about Durarara and its representation of Irish urban legend/folklore.
The Readers Have Spoken!
Or so I’d like to think. I hear audience-based material is all the rage nowadays, so I figured I would make a runaway blockbuster post as well. I…
Advanced Japanese Reading Practice with Side-by-Side Readers
Want Japanese reading practice with newspapers or essays? Here's how to level up your Japanese game with side-by-side readers.
Review—Well-Versed: Exploring Modern Japanese Haiku
Well-Versed: Exploring Modern Japanese Haiku is a collection of roughly three hundred modern haiku by different poets, curated from Ozawa's commentary in the magazine Haiku Arufa over the…
First Impression: The Promised Neverland Season 2 for Manga Readers
In line with our approach to the entirety of season one, Beneath the Tangles will be offering dual first impression posts for The Promised Neverland, one for viewers…
Princess Tutu: Rewriting Your Narrative
Source: Episode 12, Princess Tutu By: Beata Garrett | @clearsummers On the surface, Princess Tutu is a simple and formulaic story: Ahiru, a duck, is transformed one day…
First Impression: Infinite Dendrogram (for Light Novel Readers)
As someone who absolutely fell in love with Infinite Dendrogram after being introduced to it through the Light Novel Club, the series’s anime adaptation was easily the show…
Learn Advanced Japanese With These Side-by-Side English Readers
Want to read Japanese newspapers or essays? Preparing for JLPT N1? Here's how to level up your Japanese game with side-by-side readers.
The Impossibly Modern World of 'Flebus'
On Ernest Pintoff's 1957 Terrytoons classic.
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…
Localization and the search for the “authentic” anime experience
Localization is often villainized when we talk about anime and there is some reason for that. But today, I want to celebrate it!
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…
Blue Box | The Gold Standard for Modern Romance Manga
Shojo fans hate her. Shonen fans want to be him. Everyone should read Blue Box. A wholesome romance that delivers every trope with the right sense of flair and…
Demon Slayer: Crying Under the Light of the Moon || OWLS “Folklore”
A demon killed his family. But, when faced against the darkness, Tanjiro hesitates to pull his sword.
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…
PODCAST - Episode 56: The Best Manga (for New Readers) from Season One
New to manga or want to recommend great titles to friends? Here's 11 picks that are sure to please
Megami readers are a bunch of pedophiles
So I was browsing through the scourge of the internet for a little bit today, when I came across a most curious sight; a list of the…
A Certain Magical Index, A Certain Scientific Railgun, Bakemonogatari, Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha, Student Council's Discretion
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…
How to Experience Kendo (Japanese Sword Fighting) in Tokyo
Want to try something different on your next trip to Japan? Try kendo.
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…
The JOJOLands Listed in ‘Kono Manga ga Sugoi!’ 2024 Rankings for Male Readers
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 9: The JOJOLands ranks in top 20 for male readers in the 2024 rankings of the "Kono Manga ga Sugoi!" magazine.
8 Modern Video Games for 90s Anime Fans
Looking for some 90s anime flair in your modern games? Look no further than this list of some of the top modern titles for 90s anime fans!
Experience the Thrill of HOUSE OF SAYURI This Sunday!
Join us this Sunday, November 17, at the historic Music Box Theatre for a night to remember! The 2024 Chicago Japan Film Collective presents…
The “Expert” Design of Modern Beat ’em Ups
“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…
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…
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…
Essential Japanese Vocabulary For The Playground
Learn simple and handy Japanese vocabulary and phrases to smooth out your interactions at the playground or wherever young kids play.
Little Battlers eXperience Girls #01 — The Experience is Pain
No more transformation sequence, please. Ever. Impressions: This is one of the things that I skipped in the season preview because it's a spinoff of Little Battlers…
The Etymology of the Japanese Word for FART | Japan Station 125
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTz_kge7Puk On this episode of Japan Station, I talk about the origin of the Japanese word for "fart" (onara, おなら).
JapanKyo – Exploring Japan today via news, videos and podcasts
Five Japanese Works for the Age of the Covid-19 Virus...
Five Japanese Works for the Age of the Covid-19 Virus In this short art...
Kageki Shojo!! Manga Review, Vols. 0-5 (for manga-only readers)
I’ll admit it: I have an agenda. It is my goal to spread the word about Kageki Shojo!! and inspire more anime and manga fans to check out…
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…
The Gundam ZZ Experience
***Please Be Aware*** Youtube has wrongfully demonetized my channel. I have been working to resolve this issue and I am currently working on my second appeal. I was holding…
[Analysis] Natsume Yuujinchou: A Place for Yokai in the Modern World
Natsume Yuujinchou, crunchroll.com By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting Note: Hello, Everyone! So, last summer I took a special course on anime and Japanese culture. During that course, I completed…
[Analysis] Natsume Yuujinchou: A Place for Yokai in the Modern World
Natsume Yuujinchou, crunchroll.com By: Peggy Sue Wood | @pswediting Note: Hello, Everyone! So, last summer I took a special course on anime and Japanese culture. During that course,…
Kwaidan: My First Ever Experience with Japanese Live-Action Cinema
As much as I love Japanese culture, I have yet to watch a live movie from there. Most people would watch an Akira Kurosawa movie because he’s THE…
“I’m in Love With the Villainess” Translation Controversy – What Does it Mean For Readers?
What a day! I woke up this morning ready to face an AMA on reddit as part of a Women’s Month celebration with my publisher (the thread is…
The Fish with One Sleeve: A Short Film on a Japanese Trans Experience
The Fish With One Sleeve, by director Tsuyoshi Shoji, is a film about a Japanese trans woman returning to her hometown to see old friends.