J. Michael Tatum on Iida, Audience, and Searching for Something Greater

At this year’s Kumoricon, @vintageinmyveins, one of our writers and podcasters (Team Trinity), visited with voice actor J. Michael Tatum. Voicing classic characters like Kraft Lawrence (Spice and Wolf) and Isaac (Baccano!), as well as fan favorites from recent series like Attack on Titan (Erwin Smith) and My Hero Academia (Tenda Iida), Tatum is one… Read More J. Michael Tatum on Iida, Audience, and Searching for Something Greater

12.03.201811.30.2018 TWWKLeave a comment

TangleCast 39: Of Voice Acting and Christian Existentialism

Team Trinity is back! Where did they go you might ask? To Kumoricon, of course, where @vintageinmyveins visited with J. Michael Tatum, the voice actor behind Sebastian (Black Butler), Rintaro (Steins;gate), and Iida (My Hero Academia). Based on Tatum’s thoughtful responses, Team Trinity dives into the method behind acting, the use of art to search for truth, and the nature of philosophy, truth, and existence. Yep, it gets pretty deep.

Here’s this week’s CQ (Cast Question): Is it possible to have an anime about a game (ex. Yu-Gi-Oh) be good?… Read More TangleCast 39: Of Voice Acting and Christian Existentialism

11.13.201811.13.2018 TWWK16 Comments

Steins;gate 0 Shows that Friendship is Hard

Part of what makes Steins;gate 0 such a treat is that we get to see our beloved characters interacting with one another as friends. While the original series showed how this group came together as one (at first, there were pockets of friends, mostly associated with Okabe), by this season, there’s one massive group, a… Read More Steins;gate 0 Shows that Friendship is Hard

08.21.201808.20.2018 TWWKLeave a comment

We Can’t All be Makise Kurisu (or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

The hook for Steins;gate 0 is that it takes place in a world line where Makise Kurisu is dead. She has not been rescued. There is no happily ever after. And while the Amadeus A.I. is both a device that moves the plot forward and gives the audience the Kurisu fan service we so desperately… Read More We Can’t All be Makise Kurisu (or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

06.25.201806.25.2018 TWWK2 Comments

Kurisu and the Credit I’m Due

Well, it happened. Like the original series, Steins;gate 0 has been on a steady rise, getting a little more heartbreaking each episode, a little more uncomfortable, a little more edge-of-your-seat, but never really slamming me with the feels—not until now that is. Episode eight does it. Boy does it do it. Warning: spoilers ahead for… Read More Kurisu and the Credit I’m Due

06.01.2018 TWWK2 Comments

Okabe’s Debilitating PTSD; Suzuha’s Authentic Community

Okabe has been in a relationship with a beautiful genius. He has a remarkable group of friends. And he’s traveled through and across time. And yet, I don’t envy him—I don’t think of any of us do. As he remarks in episode five of Steins;gate 0, the year is almost over, but it wasn’t a… Read More Okabe’s Debilitating PTSD; Suzuha’s Authentic Community

05.11.201805.11.2018 TWWK7 Comments

Tu-tu-ru! Okarin and Mayuri’s Better-Than-Romance Friendship

If I learned anything from anime, it’s that a childhood friendship is basically an invitation to future romance. This is a truth gathered from Love Hina, Skip Beat, Nisekoi, and…just about every other anime in which there’s a road toward such a relationship. But in the Steins;gate anime series, things work a little differently. While… Read More Tu-tu-ru! Okarin and Mayuri’s Better-Than-Romance Friendship

05.07.201805.08.2018 TWWK4 Comments

Join Us Live for Our Anime Draft!

Hey, otaku! As I’m sure you know, a week from today the NFL kicks off the opening day of its annual draft, in which college players from around the country are selected to play professional football. I’m kidding of course—I know that you had no idea that it was next week. Most of you probably… Read More Join Us Live for Our Anime Draft!

04.19.201804.18.2018 TWWK10 Comments

First Impressions: Steins;gate 0

What if Okabe abandoned his mad scientist alter-ego and became a normie? What if he ditched the lab coat for stylish black clothing, joined his university’s tennis club, and went out on group dates, leaving the Future Gadgets Lab behind? What if Okabe remained on the Beta world line and never saved Kurisu after all?… Read More First Impressions: Steins;gate 0

04.11.2018 TWWK18 Comments

Beyond Broken: Rintaro Okabe and Loving When You Can’t

Steins;gate gets really good when one character dies…over and over and over again. I remember first watching Steins;gate and really finding it compelling, but it’s also notoriously slow: the moodiness of the colors, the unique personalities of the characters, the leisurely unfolding plot. And then it suddenly becomes incredibly engaging right at the point I… Read More Beyond Broken: Rintaro Okabe and Loving When You Can’t

08.23.201705.09.2018 TWWK4 Comments

Beneath the Tangles

connecting anime and belief in open community

Tag: Steins;gate