I recently tweeted this: The problem with Eureka Seven Ao is that there are too many fun characters. Oh, wait…that’s not a problem. Obviously, I’m really digging the show. Besides the wonderful action pieces and terrific animation, it’s the characters that have me absorbed. And in particular, many of these interesting players are part of… Read More Eureka Seven Ao and Generation Celebrity
With the exception of Nisemonogatari (which after episode 8 has now maybe hit that point of crossing the line for me), there was no series I was looking forward to more this season than Ano Natsu de Matteru (Waiting in the Summer). But I was let down by the first episode and dropped the show. … Read More Ano Natsu de Matteru and Strangers from a Distant Shore
Charles Dunbar, the Anime Anthropologist, posted a section of his masters thesis on his website, Study of Anime. Entitled “All Roads Lead to Otakon – Pilgrimage and Anthropology of the Anime Convention,” the essay discusses the connections between anime cons and religious pilgrimages. To make his case, one idea that Dunbar stresses is that a… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: All Roads Lead to Otakon
This is the fifth in a series of Aniblogger Testimony posts, where select writers will discuss their personal faith. Today’s post is by Ed of Manga Out Loud. The previous posts in this series were written by Lauren Orisini, R86, Nikko, and Arianna. Hi, my name is Ed Sizemore and I’m member of the Orthodox… Read More Aniblogger Testimony: Orthodoxy, Anime, & Me
As Kermit the Frog so famously put it, “It’s not easy being green.” Likewise, it’s not easy being a Christian who likes anime. I’m not saying at all that Christian anime fans endure any type of suffering – that’s both shallow and ignorant. However, many Christians struggle with joining their love of the medium with… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: From Manga to Eastern Orthodoxy
Are Christianity and anime two forms that are so different, they can’t be successfully combined? Should one even try? In a post that largely focuses on the anime and religion survey conducted here a while back, The Angry Otaku writes that it’s like putting soy sauce on ice cream – the two just don’t taste right together. The Angry… Read More More Like a Tin Roof Sundae
This is the first in a series of Aniblogger Testimony posts, where select writers will discuss their personal faith. This post is by the always-amazing Lauren Rae Orsini of Otaku Journalist. When I think about the intersection between anime and religion, my thoughts always turn to Katsucon 2010. For those who weren’t there, this was… Read More Aniblogger Testimony: Can Anime and Religion Coexist Peacefully?
Another off-topic post (perhaps I’m doing too many personal ones these days), but I felt the need to write. And so, here’s how Alexandra Wallace got it wrong, point by point (without nitpicking grammar).
I was dusting out blog drafts, and found this completed entry among them. I don’t know if I would’ve written it today…but nonetheless, here it is! Several years ago, while I was still in college and unmarried, a group of close guy friends and I had a conversation about “animated women.” My friend blogged about… Read More Belldandy, Nagisa, and What it Means to Be Pure
CNNGo reported today about the Ryohoji Temple in Hachioji, which has become an anime temple. That’s right: anime temple, complete with a theme song, anime character, monks praying to the anime character, and…a maid cafe. What?! The 16th century temple began its transformation when the chief monk tried to get young people to come to… Read More Of Kami and Buddhas: Tokyo’s Anime Temple!