As shocking as it sounds, some people hate anime. With some of the oddities and quirkiness of the medium, it is understandable. Kawaii, high school heroes, and chibis are not everyone’s cup of tea. However, as us anime watchers know not all anime is created equal. Not every series has to do with high-schoolers swinging…
Year: 2012
Harvest Festival
Japanese harvest and fertility festivals look very odd to our Western eyes. Grounded in Shinto and stretching as far back as 1,500 years ago, these festivals help ensure a good harvest and promote human fertility. What makes the festival odd for us Westerners are the centerpieces: giant wooden penises and vulvas. So I guess you…
Neon Alley: Interview with Brian Ige
JapanPowered was recently given the opportunity to interview Brian Ige, the Vice President of Viz Media about their newest project: Neon Alley. Neon Alley is a 24/7 channel that features Japanese television shows and anime including Inuyasha: the Final Act, Blue Exorcist, and Tiger & Bunny. Zach Weaver led the questions. Viz Media has created…
The Hibagon–Japanese Bigfoot
If locals are to be believed, something strange stalks the hills and mountains of Hiroshima Prefecture. Reports have come in sporadically since the 1970’s of a five foot tall, hairy, gorilla like creature out in the forest. Japanese Boy Scouts have taken casts of ten inch footprints, and multiple witnesses have reported a creature with…
Gyaru
Gyaru is a combination of the English word “gal” and the Japanese word for girl. What started as a jeans brand slogan morphed into yet another Japanese subculture. Gyaru is a street fashion that we basically would call “glam” here in the States. They wear man made wigs, fake eyelashes, fake nails, and often dye…
Nekomimi
Lately there are a lot of teen and 20-something girls sprouting cat tails and ears around here. Nekomimi must be in the water. Nekomimi ( literally cat ears) is a style of cosplay or anime/manga character that is human in all ways except having cat ears, a tail, and cat like behavior. They are often…