For storytelling reasons heroes often have sidekicks. Sure, right? A sidekick can do a lot of things, like be comic relief, or have some skill that the hero lacks (think brawny heroes with brainy s…
Confessions of an Overage otaku
Mar 27, 2023 • Subscribe
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Oh, So Trope-ical: Pinocchio
Yeah, yeah, you’re saying to yourself that Pinocchio wasn’t an anime. First of all, that’s not entirely true. In fact, there have been TWO Pinocchio anime series, one…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Gamer God
There are certain tropes that are so obvious it’s almost a waste of time to look at them. Oh, man, what’s the point of the Princess in Peril…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Broken Girl
It sure seems like the number of anime where the kids belong to/come from a complete nuclear family with a mother and a father is pretty small. There…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Ugly Duckling
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Ugly Duckling Okay, you know the story of the Ugly Duckling and I know the story of the Ugly Duckling. It’s from Hans Christian…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Metastable Relationship
I’ve talked about metastable relationships in passing so many times it occurs that there’s something bigger going on there. And sho ‘nuf … The term metastable comes from…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Idol Girl
There are a lot of idol girls in anime. It’s almost unavoidable, right? The purpose of anime is to get eyeballs on the screen, and a key way…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Hair Bra
The point of manga and anime is to get eyeballs onto content, whether it’s paid for directly (by buying manga) or indirectly (by ad sales during anime). In…
Oh, So Trope-ical: Raised by Wolves
Well, no, I don’t literally mean raised by actual, you know, wolves, since, you know that doesn’t really happen, the myth of Romulus and Remus aside. But what…
Oh, So Trope-ical: The Sexually Aggressive Gal
Yeah, I started spelling it Trope-ical. There’s no point in a pun no one gets. But yeah, there are a lot of tropes in storytelling. That’s not an…
Oh, so Trope-ical: Too Cool for School
One of the things you typically look for in kids’ media … and remember, the target audience for most anime is slightly nerdy Japanese high school boys ……
Oh So Trope-ical: Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi
Tropes are one of those things that I’ve mentioned about a zillion times but never actually talked about. There’s probably a formal definition, but a trope is basically…
Oh, So Trop(e)ical: The Dirty Old Man
It seems like just about every anime comedy with a romantic plot or subplot has at least one dirty old man. Well, not ALL of them. Those that…
Oh, So Trope-cal: I Can’t Say “I Love You”
Look, if you’re writing a popular romance manga, or an anime made from a popular romance manga, you often have a big problem: How do you keep the…
Visual Prison ep.3 – Oh Brother!
ONG, Visual Prison is everything I needed right now. Also a lot more that I didn't even realize I needed. Are you curious?
Fruits Basket Episode 28: Oh Brother
The third episode of the second season of Fruits Basket backtracks to chapter 36 of the manga, in which Tohru Honda and Yuki Sohma visit Ayame’s costume boutique.…
Spy x Family episode 28 – Oh Brother!
I was already a big fan of the manga, who wasn't? So I won't pretend that I wasn't extra excited about the Spy x Family anime!
Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 5 Review – Big Brother Hikari
Hikari is growing up! *sniffles* He’s growing too fast.
Big Brother Denji: Chainsaw Man and Personal Growth
It can sometimes be a struggle to explain why Chainsaw Man is so good, even to those who have become fans of it through the anime. It’s as…
Tadaima, Okaeri Episode 5 Review – Big Brother Hikari
Hikari is growing up! *sniffles* He’s growing too fast.
Oh, So Tropical: The Chosen One
The essence of The Chosen One trope is that there is someone out there in the universe who has been Marked by Fate (or the Gods, or whomever)…
Oh, So Tropical: The Nose Bleed
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: tropes exist because they work. If you’re a writer like I am, tropes is your friend. Here’s a question…
The Oh So Fun Blog Update
Hello, everyone. I hope you all are doing well considering the circumstances of the world. I am writing this update to inform everyone that my output will be…
Oh, So Tropical: The Family Princess
I started out wanting to do a character analysis of Rea Sanka, the main female character (and namesake) of Sankarea, Undying Love, but I ran into a little…
Oh, So Tropical: The Soul Girl
I don’t know how many times I’ve looked at a trio of characters and seen them forming a classic Mind-Body-Soul trio. Sure. How about Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles,…
Oh, So Tropical: The Convenient Stomach Rumble
I’m a writer so I can say this: There are a lot of gimmicks writers use to keep the story moving. For instance, the great crime writer Raymond…
Oh, So Tropical: Avatar: The Last Airbender
I had a date with a nice lady whose only experience of anime was Avatar: The Last Airbender. “I wonder what you think of it?” she said. Well,…
Oh So Mysterious! The Mystery Blogger Award!
Well Curtis, aka ospreyshire, nominated me for this oh so mysterious award and all I can say is thank you! Check out his post HERE. Honestly it surprises…
Oh, So Tropical: The Princess in Peril
You know that the Princess in Peril is one of the oldest tropes in film, let along anime, right? I mean, seriously, The Perils of Pauline was made…
Oh, So Tropical: The Pre-pubescent Horndog
As a writer I love tropes. Tropes are tropes because they work in telling good stories. Sure. Take the “Hero-Sidekick-Girlfriend” trio, right? You can use that interrelationship to…
Oh, So Tropical: The Stupid Harem Protagonist
You’ve seen harem shows. Just admit it. Admit that you are powerless, and put yourself in the hands of a higher power. No, wait. That’s for alcohol. But…
Oh, So Meta: Excel Saga
I’ve always been interested in things that are self-referential, or meta, if you prefer. This goes back to my college days, where we studied cybernetics. Sure. The Basic…
Oh, So Meta: Lucky Star
There’s just something so addictive about Lucky Star. I don’t know about you, but I can watch it over and over. And I have. And it cracks me…
Oh, So Tropical: The Look-at-Me Woman
You know what? I think I may have discovered a whole new trope. Okay, let’s start with this fundamental fact: Anime is a medium largely created by Japanese…
Brief Thoughts On: I don’t like my big brother at all!!
I do not condone violence against older brothers.
The Big Secret So I’m a Spider, So What? Hides in Plain Sight
Built into this story structure is a trick that hides the true nature of what is going on—even as it gives you the pieces to figure it out…
The Sneezing Trope in Anime
Have you ever noticed that when a character sneezes in an anime, it means something. I explore the trope in today's post.
Oh, So Tropical: The He-Can’t-Love-Me Woman
In a lot of ways romance animes are some of the dumbest on the air. I mean, seriously? You have Person A and Person B and everyone knows…
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Episode 8: Scandal! Big Brother Not a Bother At All!
Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress Episode 8: Biba arrives, and immediately, Ikoma is on guard. Ayame soon shares his concerns. But Biba is a hero!
Oh, So Tropical: The “Nice To Meet You, Ms. Ayanami”
There are some anime you watch – I’m looking at YOU What Are You Doing Here Teacher – where you watch it and all you take away from…
Not So Big in Japan: Heavy Metal Miniatures
After the release of Dungeons & Dragons in Japan in 1985, hobby magazines began pushing imported metal miniatures to hobbyists. Despite regular coverage for a few years, miniatures…
Oh- SO CLOSE. Black Clover Chapter 317 BREAKDOWN
THAT reference comes from everyone’s Favorite whipcracking Flash animated show- Johnny Test. Maybe I’ll do a “Nostalgia Corner” on it someday. But don’t hold me to tha…
Most Legendary Brother vs Brother Fights in Anime
Here are the best brother vs brother fights in anime. If you like the video please like and share. This list is just my opinion, so feel…
Obsession: Dear Brother
Minor spoiler warning. 0:00 Introductory AMV "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow? 2:38 The Self Healing Messages Of Dear Brother 3:55 Nanako (Tomoko is goofy) 5:12 Rei (Tomoko is goofy 2) 5:59 AMV:…
Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 1
By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart.…
Goodbye, Overtime! This Reincarnated Villainess Is Living for Her New Big Brother, Vol. 2
By Chidori Hama and Wan Hachipisu. Released in Japan as “Akuyaku Reijō, Brocon ni Job Change Shimasu” by Kadokawa Beans Bunko. Released in North America by J-Novel Heart.…
Miss Kuroitsu and the Anime Trope Department
Your favorite Super Sentai show, but from the perspective of the poor employee making the monsters.
My Thoughts On The Inner Demon Trope.
The Inner Demon Trope In Anime And Manga. Let's talk about it. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/maskedasura Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/masked_asura Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_masked_asura/?igshid=OGQ2MjdiOTE%3D Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@themaskedmanyt?_t=8ZLL7iPa77m&_r=1 ► "Copyright Disclaimer, Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is…
Dear Brother: When the Walls Fell
Well, it’s time to discuss this Dezaki directed anime adaptation of Riyoko Ikeda’s Girl’s Love manga from years ago. You know, pretty much the same crew and creator…
What’s your favorite romance trope?
Is it different for comedy vs drama? Is it different for LGBTQ+ romance vs het? Has a specific series ever pulled off a trope you otherwise loathe?
Little Kitty, Big City: Itty Witty Bitty Kitty So CUUUUUTE
As a cat owner, I understand that cats are the true master race on this planet. However, I never played Stray because I didn’t really care for the…