I recently finished Pokemon Sword on the Nintendo Switch. It’s an uneven game but fun. Some of the areas have poor textures, and many of the Pokemon animation and effects disappoint. But the game doesn’t warrant the outcry on the Internet. At this point, I shouldn’t be surprised. The Internet outraged? On Metacritic, Pokemon Sword…
Restaurant to Another World
The premise of Restaurant to Another World struck me as odd at first, but I gave the show a try anyway and found it surprisingly charming. The story lacks depth. You really don’t get to know the visitors or characters of the restaurant. The owner of the restaurant is confident, capable, and mostly unshakeable–other than…
Dogged Determination: One of Anime’s Favorite Themes
Determination sits at the top of anime’s favorite themes. When I first considered writing about this, the obviousness of determination made me wonder what I could say about it that wasn’t, uh, obvious. Anime heroes are determined to achieve their goals. Full stop. They aren’t any different from heroes in other stories. But there is…
Anime for the Brokenhearted
If you are brokenhearted, anime can offer some reprieve. Relationships can be rough, and they often end. If you are like me, when I’m brokenhearted I want to watch relationship stories. There’s something comforting in seeing people work through their relationship problems. Of course, sometimes you also want something cathartic. Anger and frustration remain part…
Storytelling in Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Many people criticized The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild for its lack of storytelling. As I revisit the game, I struggle to understand their viewpoints. After all, Breath of the Wild features more storytelling than any other entry in the series. But all of it is subtle. For example, when I wandered into…
Christians can Learn From Anime Too
Usually I avoid discussing my beliefs on JP. However, (the week I write this) I had an encounter with a Bible-bound lady and then read a thoughtful article on Beneath the Tangles about Christians blogging about Yaoi and Yuri. They sat in contrast to each other. The Bible-bound lady pontificated about how Halloween was wrong…