Back in the Edo period of Japan (between 1603 and 1868), an artist had a genius and hilarious idea: a Fart Battle. The scroll depicts a flatulent fight between, uh, “warriors”. We are not talking your average after dinner gas. No, this is the gas of the gods! Mighty men who can fart down walls…
Author: Chris Kincaid
It is All About the Hair: The Meaning of Red
Anime is famous for its unrealistic hair color. Okay, we can dye our hair to match anime colors now. Anyway, originally the wild colors of hair were used as a way to distinguish one character from another. Manga also didn’t have color since it is a black and white medium. However, over time hair color…
The Case for Cliche
Normally cliches are something best avoided. Cliches are methods, characters, and story elements that are used to the point of becoming meaningless or losing the original meaning. After reading this post from Mainichi Anime Yume ( a great anime blog for those who haven’t read it yet), I realized there is a place for cliches….
Anime Facial Expressions
I wrote about the visual language of anime a while back. However, there are a few things I left out. Anime also has a large range of facial expressions. Although generally facial expressions are easier to understand than visual shorthand like speed lines, there are some that just make you wonder how they came about….
Anime for Those Who Hate Anime
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…
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…