Here on Beneath the Tangles, we look at a huge variety of what could be considered “otaku media.” What makes things interesting is that, as time goes on, new forms of such media get developed, creating new experiences for otaku to enjoy. One of the most recent developments is the rise of the “Virtual YouTuber,”… Read More VTubers Across The Language Barrier
While Amazon Prime doesn’t often have new anime that interest me, a couple have come along lately. The only one that blew my mind was Made in Abyss, which I regrettably have yet to write about. The other one that I enjoyed was Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Otaku, which is about the intricacies of two people at work who… Read More Wotakoi: Love Is Hard For Christian Otaku
Just as our access to anime has evolved over the years, from trading copies of VHS tapes among friends (a trend that’s returned?) to DVDs/Blu-Rays to digital streaming, so has the art of anime collecting. I’ve certainly seen it in my own habits, and I’ve had stages, too, in how I’ve approached collecting. I was… Read More Collecting Anime: Why and What Do You Collect?
For academics, the end of the term is pretty much the storm before the calm before the storm. Once we’re done grading final exams and establishing grades, our lives are suddenly quiet until the beginning of the next term. (glances at Shiraishi-kun’s empty chair) We might almost say “too quiet,” until we remember that everyone needs… Read More Ask Sensei (Happy 2018 Edition)
Welcome back, class. It’s nice to see most of you so alert and prepared this morning. Most of you, that is. (unobtrusively but firmly kicks Shiraishi-kun’s foot under his front row desk, startling him awake) This last month, we had a couple of questions come to us via Facebook. Joshua asks: “[W]hat about thoughts on anime… Read More Ask Sensei! Magical Girls and the Thing About Anime
Even if you’re not an otaku, it’s undeniable that the depiction of food in anime is enough to get anyone’s taste buds tingling. From Spirited Away to Shokugemi no Souma, there’s no shortage of series and movies that feature wonderfully animated food that you can almost taste. I’ve tried my hand at a number of… Read More Coffee Review: Georgia MAX Coffee, Hachiman’s Obsession
Aside from video games, my experiences with Japanese pop culture recently have centred around manga; picking up drawing as a hobby has led to a renewed interest in the sequential art of both east and west. In light of that, I intend to give a round-up of some of the noteworthy manga I’ve dipped my… Read More Josh’s Manga Roundup: Akira, Jojo, Uzumaki, and Ranma 1/2