Dear Noman is series about ghosts, teenagers, smooching, and a group that is working together to keep the world safe from ghosts. Sounds creative, but is it good? Let’s discuss. Review The first volume begins by introducing Mashiro, a teenager who has been able to see ghosts all her life. At the start, Mashiro finds… Read More Manga Review: Dear Noman, Vol. 1
Jun Kirarazaka’s new manga, Bone Collection, is set in a world where yokai are always on the prowl and often attacking humans. Into this world steps Kazami, a teenager from a long line of powerful exorcists, including his brother and father, and who has been training to fight yokai. The problem? He’s terrible at it.… Read More Manga First Impression: Bone Collection
It is October, the month commonly associated with spooky stuff, which means it is the perfect month for me to talk about all those overlooked horror anime! …except that I do not like horror. Personal preference and all, but having the living daylights scared out of me or watching gruesome and disturbing images is not… Read More The Secret Stars of Anime: Re-kan!
Some weeks, there are no stories that focus on religion and anime, and virtually none that even mention the topic. Then, some weeks are like this, where a number of quality posts about anime and spirituality are written! Draggle goes theological, using Christian terminology to explain a different meaning behind death in episode 5 of… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Kenshin as Christ, the Theology of Kokoro Connect, and Itadakimuasu!
In this week’s Brain Diving column on the Anime News Network site, Brian Ruh (a fellow Austinite who literally works just a few blocks away from me) discusses A Gathering of Spirits: Japan’s Ghost Story Tradition: From Folklore and Kabuki to Anime and Manga, a self-published book by Patrick Drazen. Ruh reviews the book, giving… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Diving into Japanese Ghost Stories
One purpose I hope to accomplish through this blog is to help readers understand Japanese religion better. The Japanese religious system cannot be pegged in simple terms. It is also both unique to Asia and similar to other Asian religious traditions. That said, one blog I often read had a recent posting about personal practice… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Natsume Yuujinchou and Living with Spirits