Recently, I attempted to read The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner because I’ve heard that I must read Faulkner as a writer. People herald him as a great American writer. Frankly, I couldn’t stand the book. It’s nonsensical and drove me crazy with its purposefully bad grammar. Faulkner attempted to write the American…
Category: Otaku Culture
My Favorite Teas
I debated what to write for my 600th article. Teas play a critical role in Japanese culture and in my personal life, which captures what JP is about–the intersection of anime, Japanese culture, international culture, and our lives. I’ve become a bit of a tea snob. Lipton tea doesn’t cut it anymore. I fell into…
Anime isn’t Niche Anymore. It is Mainstream.
Perhaps I’m a bit late to this realization, but anime has become mainstream. Over the last few years, I’ve noticed how common anime has become. From Walmart to Hot Topic, from Netflix to libraries, anime has become a part of American mainstream culture. Of course, anime’s been working on becoming mainstream since the 1990s with…
5 Ways to Handle After-Anime Depression
Has depression hit you after finishing an anime series? You miss the way it gripped your attention and fanned your emotions. You can’t get the characters out of your mind. A good story will remain with you long after you finish it. The best stories will change your understanding of the world. And yes, anime…
What is an incel? How does it overlap with otaku culture?
Incel, or involuntary celibate, was coined in 1993 by a Canadian woman named Alana who used it to describe her experiences as a college-aged virgin. Ironically, the term now labels a section of the Men’s Rights Movement who ostracize women. An involuntary celibate is someone who wants to have sex but has been unable to…
Read Unless You Want to be Dumb and Antisocial
Fiction lays the foundation of the human soul. A grandiose statement from an anime and J-pop blogger eh? Fiction of all types encourages us to develop empathy. In fact, you can’t lose yourself in a fictional story without changing. Empathy and compassion sit at the base of a proper human. It’s such a basic part…