A bit late, but 新年おめでとうございます！ The newsletter went out a couple weeks back, and I wrote a little about 甘える (amaeru), a word that is extremely difficult to define in English absent of context. Give it a read! One additional … Continue reading →
Jan 30, 2023 • Subscribe
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甘える
Brute forcing difficult words - How to Japanese - January 2023
The Hungry Lion / 飢えたライオン
Based on The Hungry Lion’s marketing campaign, which features images of teenage girls taking selfies, you might think that this is a Black Mirror-style parable about the dangers…
Japanese People Don't Say いいえ iie, What Do We Say?
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Here Because of You (君たちがいて僕がいた, Ryuichi Takamori, 1964)
Post-war teens take on injustice in the form of a problematic parent at their school in Ryuichi Takamori’s cheerful youth movie.
Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 1 (作りたい女と食べたい女)
I am so excited to be able to review this particular book as my first review of 2022! Since I first read this on Comic Walker, I’ve been…
Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 4 (作りたい女と食べたい女)
There are so many reasons that Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 4 (作りたい女と食べたい女) is an amazing volume of manga, that I’m hard pressed to pick one thing.…
Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 5 (作りたい女と食べたい女)
With more than two decades of reading, I am still absolutely amazed at the high quality of Yuri manga we have gotten in the last few years –…
Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 3 (作りたい女と食べたい女)
In Volume 1, we met Nomoto Yuki, a contractor in an office. She finds society’s expectations for women confining and stress-cooks to relax. We then met Kasuga-san, her…
Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 2 (作りたい女と食べたい女)
Because I loved Volume 1 so very much, I ran out immediately after reviewing it, and bought Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna, Volume 2 (作りたい女と食べたい女) as a digital…
Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ)
In the Yuri world Ikeda Takashi is best known for Sasamekikoto / Whispered Words in English, from One Peace Books. That series made fun of every Yuri trope,…
Tsukurita Onna to Tabetai Onna Live-Action Drama (作りたい女と食べたい女)
Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna (作りたい女と食べたい女), the NHK live-action drama, may well be the very best adaptation from a manga I have ever seen in any media. Nomoto…
Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 4 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ)
In Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 4 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ) Ikeda Takashi brings his specific brand of wacky slice-of-life to a fantastic conclusion. In the first three volumes of…
Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 3 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ)
One of the defining characteristics of an adult life is facing setbacks. You can work really hard, gambare with all you have and still not achieve the goal.…
Futari ha Daitai Konna Kanji, Volume 2 (ふたりはだいたいこんなかんじ)
Okay, so here’s a mood. You like a creator, so when they announce a new book or series, you’re cautiously optimistic at the least. You know it might…
Lonely Girl ni Sakaraenai, Volume 1 (ロンリーガールに逆らえない)
Sakuraii is a model student but has a fatal flaw – she absolutely sucks at tests. If it weren’t for tests, she’d have no trouble at all getting…
Lonely Girl ni Sakaraenai, Volume 2 (ロンリーガールに逆らえない)
The best romantic comedies, in my opinion, are ones that stop trying to be a comedy. In Volume 1, this series was definitely a comedy. Lonely Girl ni…
Struggling Man (私はいったい、何と闘っているのか, Toshio Lee, 2021)
A dejected middle-aged man experiences a crisis of masculinity when his home and work lives come under threat in Toshio Lee’s warmhearted comedy.
いい歳
How to Know You're in the Good Old Days - How to Japanese - May 2021
Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara, Volume 2 (今日、小柴葵に会えたら)
In Volume 1, we met Sahoko, who had some kind of feelings about her classmate Aoi. In Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara, Volume 2 (今日、小柴葵に会えたら) the story gets…
Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara, Volume 2 (今日、小柴葵に会えたら)
In Volume 1, we met Sahoko, who had some kind of feelings about her classmate Aoi. In Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara, Volume 2 (今日、小柴葵に会えたら) the story gets…
Yuri Manga: Kyou, Koshiba Aoi ni Aetara (今日、小柴葵に会えたら)
Never let it be said that I am immune to cheap marketing ploys. Well…I am *mostly* immune to them, having worked in advertising and possessing a health dose…
Lesson in Murder (死刑にいたる病, Kazuya Shiraishi, 2022)
A diffident student falls under the spell of a manipulative serial killer in Kazuya Shirashi’s intense mystery drama.
Kita no Onna ni Tamesaretai （北の女に試されたい）
Hokuryuu Aya, who is a tall, cool woman, meets Kuromizu Suzuka who is also a tall, cool woman and both are surprised that the other is as tall…
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 11 (#しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 11. Fushihara, Yuurei-chan, & Myaako celebrate New Years with Satsuki and Lily.
いろいろ December 2023
I ran out of space over at the newsletter this month, so I thought I’d share the いろいろ section on the blog instead. Podcast link at the bottom!…
Watashi ha Ongaku de Naguritai: Band Yuri Novel (わたしは音楽で殴りたい: バンド百合小説)
Watashi ha Ongaku de Naguritai: Band Yuri Novel (わたしは音楽で殴りたい: バンド百合小説) by Yuruico Vraisravana is the very last item I picked up in February 2019 when I was in…
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 10 (Christmas #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 10. Yuurei-chan & Myaako learn about Christmas and Santa-san.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 12 (Finale #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 12. The oni mikogami Miko-chan warns Fushihara of impending misfortune.
Ai ni Airashi Itoshi Anata (愛に愛らし愛しいあなた)
Suzuki Yufuko’s Ai ni Airashi Itoshi Anata (愛に愛らし愛しいあなた) was not at all what I expected it to be. No, scratch that. It was exactly everything I expected it…
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost (Series Review #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews the anime Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost, better named Shachiku-san Wants to be Healed by a Little Girl Ghost
Dekisokonai Hime-tachi, Volume 4 (できそこないの姫君たち)
Fujishiro Nanaki, having been ostracized by her group of fashionable and popular girls, has found acceptance with the “nerd” group, Kurokawa’s friends Izumi and Iroha. Together th…
い Particle
The i い particle in Japanese, found in phrases like nandai なんだい, sou kai そうかい, ganbaru zoi がんばるぞい, and akireta wai 呆れたわい.
Baka and Test - Summon the Beasts, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 02 (Too Adorable! #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 02. Yuurei-chan comes to Fushiharai's home. Fushihara's kohai gets freaked out.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 07 (Summer Activities #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 07. Fushihara celebrates Yuurei-chan, then takes her and Myaako to a festival.
Dekisokonai no Hime-tachi, Volume 3 (できそこないの姫君たち)
In Volume 1, otaku and class loner Kurokawa Kaede is thrown together with school princess, Fujishiro Nanaki. In time-honored fashion, Fujishiro gives a radical makeover to the girl…
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 09 (Autumn Activities! #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 09. Yuurei-chan & Myaako go shopping. Tsukimi and Halloween arrive.
Lonely Glory わたしの見ている世界が全て Director: Keitaro Sakon
Lonely Glory わたしの見ている世界が全て, directed by Keitaro Sakon, plays as part of the Japan Film Festival + 2023 season.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 04 (Sisters of Sorts #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 04. Yuurei-chan gets jealous of Myaako, but the two become friends in adversity.
![Featured image for Just Remembering (ちょっと思い出しただけ, Daigo Matsui, 2021) [Fantasia 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220723/1658536740.40271.70023.jpg)
Just Remembering (ちょっと思い出しただけ, Daigo Matsui, 2021) [Fantasia 2022]
Former lovers are confronted by reminders of their failed romance amid the loneliness of the coronavirus pandemic in Daigo Matsui’s melancholy drama.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 06 (Adorable Yet Sad #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 06.Myaako tells a story about her brush. Yuurei-chan dreams of her mom.
Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 03 (Enter the Kitten! #しゃちされたい)
AstroNerdBoy reviews Miss Shachiku and the Little Baby Ghost 03. Fushihara and Yuurei-chan adopt an abandoned kitten, who has a humanoid form
Howling (遠吠え, M Haris Sheikh, 2022)
A dejected 40-year-old man attempts to seize an opportunity to play the hero but soon discovers it may be beyond him in M Haris Sheikh’s ironic indie drama.
~i ～い Copula
About the ~i ～い copulative suffix found in i-adjectives (形容詞) in Japanese.
![Featured image for Lesson in Murder 死刑にいたる病 Director: Kazuya Shiraishi [New York Asian Film Festival 2022]](https://cdn.aniblogtracker.com/live/20220726/1658833140.40524.70313.jpg)
Lesson in Murder 死刑にいたる病 Director: Kazuya Shiraishi [New York Asian Film Festival 2022]
Lesson in Murder is a fine Kazuya Shiraishi production that adapts a novel for the big screen. Although slow, the performances will enrapture viewers. Lesson in Murder 死刑にいたる病 Director: Kazuya Shir…
Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 1 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)
Hinako’s family died in a tragic accident. Most of what she remembers is falling into the deep, deep ocean. So when, one day, she stops to look at…
Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 6 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)
Shiori confides to Miko how she met Hinako…and how it has ruined Hinako’s life. At last, the pieces of the puzzle that is Hinako begin to fall into…
To Sleep So as to Dream (夢みるように眠りたい, Kaizo Hayashi, 1986)
A detective becomes lost in the labyrinths of cinema while chasing a ghost of the silver screen in Kaizo Hayashi’s ethereal ode to the silent movie
Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 4 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)
Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 4 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし) was one of the skin-crawlingest creepy manga I have ever read. If you like youkai and supernatural creature-type creepies,…
Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 7 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)
In a moment of extraordinary timing, Yen Press has just announced that they have licensed this series as This Monster Wants To Eat Me, with Volume 1 headed…
Watashi o Tabetai, Hito de Nashi, Volume 5 (私を喰べたい、ひとでなし)
You know, it sounds kinda cool to have a bunch of youkai fighting over you for your delicious blood but, as Hinako has found out, it’s not, really.…