Waifuism is a fairly recent development in otaku culture. Google records the first significant appearance of the word waifu in November 2007 (Google Trends, n.d.). The oldest entry for mai waifu appears in the Urban Dictionary in April 2, 2007. However, waifu has a longer history outside of otaku culture. Waifu is an English loanword…
Category: Otaku Culture
The End of Bleach…for now
There is something to be said about how anime can hold our attention for years on end. Bleach managed to hold my attention for over 7 years. Only Star Trek managed to come close. I watched Bleach on Adult Swim and looked forward to each Saturday night. It was my night to relax and forget about being an adult….
Anime and Manga Blogging Primer
Anime and Manga blogging is a common hobby for those of us who are interested in sharing our thoughts with the rest of the online community. However, the Net is littered with the debris of good intentions and burned out writers. This article seeks to provide a little advice on how to create a successful…
Are Fansubs and Scanlations Piracy?
Fansubs and scanlations have been around since the late ’70s. Back then, Americans would record shows like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica and exchange them with Japanese fans for anime. Over time, the VHS recordings would be translated and further shared with fans. Fansubbing and scanlations are the reasons why anime and manga became widely…
Considering Unrealistic Views of Japan
Sometimes we in the manga/anime community can foster unrealistic views of Japan. Of course, manga and anime encourage these views with the likes of fan service, high school stories and more. American media, for that matter, encourages similar unrealistic views of the United States. The other day I stumbled across a Tumblr page that pokes…
Anime Blogging and Copyright Considerations
American copyright law is a beast! The regulations are complicated and often confusing. Because I am a librarian by profession, I thought I would demystify some of these legal wranglings. First, the usual disclaimer: this article is by no means legal advice or a legal guide. It is for informational purposes (there, no one can…