An intimate and touching account of the drama that romance and becoming a woman can be.
Nov 2, 2022 • Subscribe
More like this
Manga for Grown-Ups – Anime Detour 2022
Hi all. I hope those of you who attended “Manga for Grown-Ups” enjoyed the panel. Below are the panel materials (presentation with links and notes) as well as…
Anime for Grown-Ups – Anime Detour 2022
Hi all, below are my panel materials for “Anime for Grown-Ups.” They include a PowerPoint Presentation with notes and links, and a hand out. Anime for Grown-Ups PowerPoint…
Grown-ups (わたし達はおとな, Takuya Kato, 2022)
A young couple struggle to reorient their lives while dealing with an unexpected pregnancy in Takuya Kato’s intense relationship drama.
This Randoseru Backpack Rethink Angered Some Grumpy Grown-Ups
Adults in Japan took to social media to lambaste a new randoseru backpack accessory. And then the kids who designed it clapped back.
Tokyopop Sponsors "Manga for Grown-Ups" Panel for Anime NYC 2024
Tokyopop announced its sponsorship of the "Manga for Grown-Ups: Building Bold Adult Collections in Libraries" panel at the 2024 Anime NYC convention. The panel will be held on…
![Featured image for Grown-ups わたし達はおとな (2022) Director: Takuya Kato [New York Asian Film Festival 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220801/1659350340.41038.70909.jpg)
Grown-ups わたし達はおとな (2022) Director: Takuya Kato [New York Asian Film Festival 2022]
Grown-ups わたし達はおとな (2022) Director: Takuya Kato [New York Asian Film Festival 2022]
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…
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.…
Blogging as a Grown Up
Is blogging when you're still in school or does it get easier once you get a job and responsibilities? This is my personal experience.
Top 5 Animes I’ve Grown to Appreciate
Sometimes you watch an anime and it just ok but in time your view changes. These are 5 anime I have grown to love.
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…
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…
Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko! | Carol has grown on me.
At first, I will be honest, I was highly critical of Carol because in the first few opening episodes she felt like a robot. I also mentioned how…
![Featured image for Yamabuki (2022) review [IFFR 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220204/1643935114.30396.58118.jpg)
Yamabuki (2022) review [IFFR 2022]
“A beautiful socially-engaged narrative that explores the very fact that, by being grasped within the societal network of relations, one cannot but influence the other and become influenced…
12 Moments In Anime 2023, #9: Start-Ups and Stumbles
Some time ago, a supposedly new anime distribution company called AniMedia Entertainment appeared on Twitter, having licensed an old OVA called Hourglass of Summer and had plans to…
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…
Why It Works: My Hero Academia’s Most Terrifying Team-Ups!
Today I’ve got a pretty silly Why It Works feature, mostly prompted by how much fun the new My Hero Academia movie was. Inspired by that film’s generous…
![Featured image for Melting Sounds (2022) review [OAFF 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220414/1649898878.34540.62994.jpg)
Melting Sounds (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“Kahori Higashi’s debut is impressive.”
![Featured image for Random Call (2022) review [OAFF 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220420/1650435278.34892.63431.jpg)
Random Call (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
Ohkanda’s narrative proves that one does not need a big budget to deliver a narrative that touches the spectator.
![Featured image for Angry Son (2022) review [OAFF 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220318/1647566914.33043.61143.jpg)
Angry Son (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
“An incredibly rich and deep narrative that not only delivers a satisfying coming-of-age story but also an elegantly delivered social commentary on some of the frictions marking Japanese…
![Featured image for Stone Steps (2022) review [JFFH 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220701/1656653134.38682.68061.jpg)
Stone Steps (2022) review [JFFH 2022]
A great indie narrative that highlights the need for the parental and the traditional Other to aid the subject to embark on the path of his own desire.…
![Featured image for Straying (2022) review [Camera Japan 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220914/1663121940.43600.74074.jpg)
Straying (2022) review [Camera Japan 2022]
A pleasant and charming exploration of the fact that, within the game of love and romance and beyond, subjects often rely on acting-out to reveal to the other…
![Featured image for Shaman’s Daughter (2022) review [JFFH 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220818/1660787940.42009.72202.png)
Shaman’s Daughter (2022) review [JFFH 2022]
A genre mish-mash – a cocktail of light-hearted comedy, family drama, bloody thriller, and ghostly romance – that is not only pleasant but offers the spectator a rich…
Ribbon (2022) review
Non, in short, proves with her first feature film that she has a future as screenwriter and director.
2022 in Review
2022 winds down as catastrophically as most other recent years. The war in Ukraine grinds on. A "tripledemic" rages in the US. Covid has ret...
Usogui (2022) review
‘Usogui’ got 99 problems, but the manga-like appearances of the characters ain’t one.
Review: Summer (2022)
Summer 野夏天 China/Taiwan, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 113 mins. Director: Su Zhexian 苏哲贤. Rating: 4/10. Taiwan singer Chen Jiahua is overshadowed by Mainland character actor Geng Le in a…
Rageaholic (2022) review
“A great dystopian narrative that clearly gives expression the director’s fear of certain right-wing tendencies that linger within Japanese society.”
Missing (2022) review
Shinzo Katayama delivers one of the most satisfying drama-thrillers this year.
Tsuyukusa (2022) review
A narrative of subtle affection carried by the layered performances of the cast.
Wandering (2022) review
With his poetic sensitivity, Sang-il Lee delivers a rich tapestry of genuine emotionality and a powerful affirmation of the fact that the affirmation of the subject lies beyond…
Onpaku (2022) review
While Fujii does not re-invent the J-horror genre with Onpaku, he does prove the horror-frame can still be exploited to deliver satisfying horror narratives.
Noise (2022) review
A highly satisfying experience that delivers suspense as well as good dose of touching emotionality.
Review: Hero (2022)
Hero 世间有她 China/Hong Kong, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 115 mins. Directors: Li Shaohong 李少红 (I), Chen Chong 陈冲 [Joan Chen] (II), Zhang Aijia 张艾嘉 [Sylvia Chang] (III). Rating: 6/10.…
XXXholic (2022) review
“An exquisite visual experience that is sadly held back by its unfitting manga-like moments.”
Review: Snipers (2022)
Snipers 狙击手 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 95 mins. Directors: Zhang Yimou 张艺谋, Zhang Mo 张末. Rating: 6/10. Gripping action/psychodrama, as Chinese and US snipers face off in a…
Parallel (2022) review
A fabulous narrative that does not only delivers a thrilling slasher-like experience, but offers a touching romance between two people that are, in their own particular way, deeply…
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…
![Featured image for Our House Party (2022) review [OAFF 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220411/1649666678.34398.62824.jpg)
Our House Party (2022) review [OAFF 2022]
Kawanobe delivers a very touching and emotional story about homosexuality in Japan.
![Featured image for In The Distance (2022) review [Japannual 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20221204/1670140810.47841.79244.jpg)
In The Distance (2022) review [Japannual 2022]
“A very pleasant slice-of-life narrative that elegantly shows that bonds between subjects are that much more genuine if they are grounded in the acceptance of the other’s radical…
![Featured image for Goodbye Cruel World (2022) review [Japannual 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20221207/1670402410.47989.79429.jpg)
Goodbye Cruel World (2022) review [Japannual 2022]
“A stylish exploration of the cruel call for destruction that structures the perverse criminal field.”
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.…
Plan 75 (2022) review
Hayakawa hauntingly confronts the spectator with what would happen if the existence of the subject was radically reduced by the government to how much he/she financially contributes to…
Review: Ordinary Hero (2022)
Ordinary Hero 平凡英雄 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 96 mins. Director: Chen Guohui 陈国辉 [Tony Chan]. Rating: 4/10. Race-against-time medical drama is a melodramatic meld of weepie and heart-warmer,…
Year in Review 2022
Can you believe this will be the fifth time I get to write this post? Technically the blog is just over 6 years old at this point, but…
Review: 0.1% World (2022)
0.1% World 好想去你的世界爱你 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 93 mins. Director: Sun Lin 孙琳. Rating: 3/10. Fanciful rom-com’s only original factor is the two millennials being thousands of miles…
Offbeat Cops (2022) review
Uchida delivers what very well might be the feel-good movie of the year.
Review: Almost Love (2022)
Almost Love 遇见你 China, 2022, colour, 2.35:1, 109 mins. Director: Luo Luo 落落 [Zhao Jiarong 赵佳蓉]. Rating: 5/10. Initially interesting youth romance is worth a quick look for…