More like this
The Origins of Visual Novels
Last year I wrote a blog post about the origins of visual novels and how I believe the term is often misused in the West to classify games…
The Five Anime that Defined My Decade
It’s fair to say that the past decade has been a little light on the Anime Almanac front. I burned out on the blog mid-way through 2010 and…
The Japanese Animation Studios that Defined 90s Anime
Anime wouldn't be what it is today without the studios that helped set the benchmark for the quality trademark of Japanese animation in the 90s.
The Big Three: Anime That Defined A Generation!
Anime. Who would’ve thought it would have this much mainstream popularity in this day and age, compared to being the underground ‘members-only’ niche medium it once was over…
Visual Novels: Completion And Internalization
Firstly, I’d like to credit the blog Intermittent Mechanism. I was perusing the WordPress Reader this month looking for interesting articles and lo and behold, I saw an…
TOP 5 Upcoming Visual Novels
So it has somehow already been three years since I did my last TOP 5 Upcoming Visual Novels list. A lot has changed in that time within the…
This Week in Anime - Visual Novels Aren't A Joke
Now that the Type-Moon's visual novels have a new lease on life in English, Lucas and Steve look at other great entries in the medium. Visual novels aren't…
Iczer-1: The Lesbian Horror Anime that Defined a Decade!
The Lesbian Horror Anime that Defined a Decade! | Fight! Izcer-1! I need this video to make a million dollars or the IRS will come to my house and…
Romance Visual Novels with Black Heroines
Black girls deserve to fall in love too! So, I compiled a list of romance visual novels I've played with Black heroines.
Video Games in Education – A Rudimentary Exploration ft. Visual Novels
Header Image from Hello, Goodbye. Edit: Later on in this article Manga Classics is mentioned. Unfortunately, it seems their main website continues to be down. Last night, I…
The I-Factor: A Perspective on Intimacy with Characters in Visual Novels
What do we do together with characters when we play visual novels and video games where intimacy is the focus? This is what I think.
Top Four Scariest Japanese Horror Visual Novels
Ever wondered what Japanese readers consider to be the scariest visual novels you can read right now? Well, wonder no The post Top Four Scariest Japanese Horror Visual…
Boys Love Visual Novels You Need to Play
So if you consider yourself a fujoshi, fudanshi, or fujin, you do not want to miss out on these boys love visual novels!
Two New Visual Novels Announced by Studio Élan!
This Saturday, publisher Studio Élan has announced two new visual novels at OffKai Expo, a vtuber convention in California.
Things that drive me wild in the Visual Kei Fandom (1)
3/12/24 Update: I hadn’t realized this post got a fair amount of traction over the years. I think it’s been linked or referenced online in a few spaces…
Parade’s Dark Fantasy BL Visual Novel, Lkyt Coming to the West
Mangagamer announced at AX 2022 that Parade's dark fantasy BL Visual Novel, Lkyt is coming to the West! I've got the deets on this new title!
“Save in the name of True Love” – Muv Luv Extra & Unlimited Visual Novels Spoiler Review
Well, I always seem to get myself into something mammoth for January, and this year it’s going to be a big, long look at the Muv Luv franchise.…
The Portrayal of Trans girls in Visual Novels and Its Connection to Characterization and Themes
[This post will include spoilers for Heart of the Woods, AIdol, and Heaven Will Be Mine] While visual novels were initially a Japanese creation, there are now plenty…
Visual Novels to Play this Pride Month (and Beyond)
Happy Pride Month Blerdy Tribe! Representation has come a long way over the years and now more than ever, there are so many great games featuring stories and identities…
Hired to Edit Yuri Visual Novels for Studio Élan!
A pretty short announcement: I am now the editor for Studio Élan’s visual novels! They are the good folks behind Heart of the Woods and Highway Blossoms. all…
What visual novels are you hoping will get licensed?
Has a wishlist title of yours gotten licensed before? Are there titles you know for a fact won’t come over, with a reason given? What older title would…
[Pride Month 2021] Loads More LGBTQ Positive Visual Novels
Hey Hey Blerdy Tribe, it’s LGBT Pride Month, the annual celebration dedicated to the richly diverse LGBT+ community!! Now more than ever, representation matters, especially in the wake of…
Composing Music for Visual Novels— Interview with Tim Reichert
Fuwanovel's YanYan interviews Tim Reichert, the developer of the horror visual novel Mycorrhiza, about what it's like composing VN music.
This Week in Games - Classic Visual Novels Get a New Lease on Life
ToHeart, Katawa Shoujo, and Castle of Shikigami III have re-releases in the works. Also, have you ever wondered why there was no Mario & Sonic Olympics game released…
FARMHOUSE overcomes the distance(s) that defined him and emerges as a hip hop artist in full flow.
The introductory descending notes on the keyboard and strings set a somber, cloud covered, rainy day vibe. Which, beautifully sets up the eventual ascendancy of the chords and…
Things that drive me wild in the Visual Kei Fandom – Part II
(First and foremost, this particular meme was sourced from Amino Apps Page. If you’d like more specific credit please let me know!!) Welcome back to my arguably, if…
The forgotten childhood anime
Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Digimon, the holy trinity of childhood anime, at least for those of us who grew up in the 90s and early 2000s.
Beyblade, Cardcaptor Sakura, Mushrambo, Pokémon, Sailor Moon
Meikyuu Black Company (The Dungeon of Black Company)
In the modern era, most everyone is running the rat race of life. Working long hours at jobs they don’t particular like in order to pay for things…
The Shifting Anime Distribution Company Game in NA
I’m going to just say it bluntly. Capitalism is annoying, isn’t it? In general, yeah. It feels like whenever companies feel blood in the water over something, they…
When Escape Rooms Meet Visual Novels | Detective Ridelle | PuzzLab Games | Interview
When escape rooms meet visual novels – PuzzLab games have brought their extensive expertise in designing puzzles and escape rooms to the table in Detective Ridelle…
Man Assembles High-End Gaming PC, Plays Visual Novels and Minecraft
FAIRFAX, VA – Ryan Pennell, 27, finally completed the build of his brand new gaming PC this week, according to local reports. Pennell had been planning the assembly…
The West Wing
It seems like I am forever playing catchup with my sources of entertainment. Half a decade after The West Wing finished airing, I finally took the time to…
Metropolis: The Forgotten Madhouse Masterpiece
In 2001, Studio Madhouse released a new vision of Fritz Lang and Osamu Tezuka's worlds, and created a stunning feature film that has since been lost to the…
Kirby and the Forgotten Land
Forgotten Land represents more than anything else, an opportunity for HAL Laboratory to break out of the side-scrolling mold and expand Kirby's horizons.
Breakout – How Atari defined Apple’s history
Okay. We all agree. Compared to modern video games, Atari’s Breakout is the equivalent of the Chinese morra. Yet this very simple video game that came four years…
Visual novels: why you should read them, from the perspective of a complete beginner
{Here’s one of my regular head ups! It’s been a while since I had the chance to slip one in, but for a start this post is quite…
The Forgotten Charms of the Fandub
English versions of anime have gotten exponentially better over the past few years. …
The Secret of the Forgotten City
detective fiction, 推理小説、games,
The DARKEST Yuri in Lycoris Recoil Light Novels
I love Lycoris Recoil for the yuri......but in the light novels lies a much darker side to this story. Twitter: https://twitter.com/RedJoker0808?s=09 Stream Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UC484Bx-gC-kDFOrER6hjlHw #lycorisrecoil #chisato #anime #chisatonishikigi #takina…
The Well-Being of Fans Living in the West
This might be somewhat off-topic for the blog and in the same time, it might be on-topic. I just read this report on a survey reporting on the mental…
Student Podcast Episode 4 - Anime in the West
In the Meiji at 150 Student Podcast, UBC students discuss aspects of Japanese culture they research in class. In this episode, a student shares his passion for anime…
Weekly Round-Up, 2-8 June 2021: Immigration in MEGALOBOX 2, LGBTQ+ Visual Novels, and the Best Sailor Moon
AniFem Round-Up My Fave is Problematic: The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya Bella Lara Blondeau revisits the 00s megahit to celebrate its highs and grapple with its casual attitude…
How I stopped worrying and got into Visual Novels and Otome Games
One of my favorite types of videogames is definitely Visual Novels; since I got into the genre I’ve played a good amount of them, ranging from horror, sci-fi…
12 Aesthetic Anime That Explore Visual Storytelling Stunningly
However, an aesthetic anime isn't just having superb animation and visual flair. There are many anime series that save their budget for those good sakuga
March Comes in Like a Lion, MUSHI-SHI, No Game, No Life, Non Non Biyori, The Ancient Magus' Bride
Weekly Round-Up, 13-19 2022: Dub Acting Pay Scales, Disability in Visual Novels, and Remembering ICO
AniFem Round-Up SHINEPOST – Episode 1 A solid start for fans of the idol genre. 2022 Summer Premiere Digest All our summer premieres with content warnings and notes.…
[Links] 11-17 September 2019: Hijab Cosplay, the Fall of Tokyopop, and Beginner Visual Novels
AniFem Round-Up REMINDER: This month the team is republishing classic feature articles in order to give the team time to focus on implementing the site redesign. [My Fave…
Cannibalism in Two Contemporary Japanese Novels
Futakuchi-Onna from Ehon Hyaku Monogatari (絵本百物語, “Picture Book of a Hundred Stories”) Like many other countries, Japan has its own body of folklore with cannibalistic monsters. Fo…
The Forgotten Hero Of 90s Anime
i really like tenchi universe : ) bird site: https://twitter.com/afewbruises patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HazelYT song list: https://i.imgur.com/1zioJMW.png 2nd channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9P1nNJvNyzHtjnGTkRFKSQ wife: https://twitter.com/lovelandisle (remastered toonami bumpers courtesy of SlimD716V2)
Book ‘The Early Reception of Manga in the West’ published
I’m thrilled and excited that my PhD thesis has now been published in print: The Early Reception of Manga in the WestCh. A. Bachmann Verlag 2023ISBN 978-3-96234-077-3 It…