Cartoons are usually seen as harmless entertainment for children. Other than the occasional kerfuffle over violence, most parents have no problems allowing their children to sit and watch the latest adventures of their favorite animated characters. The Pokemon cartoon was among the most popular animated children’s show of the 1990s. The show, which was based…
What Does Waifu Mean?
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…
The Karakuri Ningyo–Japan’s Clockwork Puppets
The Japanese fascination with robots might seem strange to outsiders. After all, an entire genre of manga and anime is devoted to giant robots slugging it out (a genre that, for some reason, also likes to make weird Jungian segues into madness.) Additionally, Japan leads the world in the field of robotics. A brief look…
The Hentai Prince and the Stony Cat
No, this anime is not hentai despite the title. This is a fluffy rom-com that centers on the antics of Yoto Yokodera, the Hentai Prince, Tsukiko Tsutasukakushi, and a trickster god. The trickster god lives in stone cats. When a person wishes on the cat and gives it an offering, the god grants the wish….
The Kamikaze–Japan’s Three Divine Winds
Japan’s turbulent history was marked by a series of internal wars among various noble factions, vying for the title of Shogun. While most of its history was spent fighting itself, the greatest threat to Japan came from outside, in the guise of Kublai Khan. Grandson of the infamous Ghengis Khan, Kublai succeeded to the throne…
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….