Novel coronavirus is changing the way most of us are living out lives. Through the pandemic, we find ourselves separated from each other. Schools, businesses, universities, and churches are closing doors until further notice. This makes for incredibly challenging times as we are all alone together. Over a month ago. I started writing a piece… Read More Newman’s Nook: Pandemic Loneliness
Despite a very cartoony, westernized animation style, Made in Abyss lets us know from very early on that this series is no child’s affair; by featuring children who get seriously hurt through dangerous situations in the opening episodes and a story centered on a missing parent, the anime hints at something sinister from very early… Read More The Right to Die in the Insanity of the Abyss
Shouya Ishida is a lanky, handsome teenager attending high school in Tokyo. He’s smart and does well in school. He has a supportive family, and there are people in his life that he cares deeply about. Shouya is respectful and kind, and works diligently at a part-time job, helping to support his family. And tomorrow,… Read More Review: A Silent Voice
May is mental health awareness month, a topic close to my heart. I grew up in a family that struggled deeply with mental health and I myself have had quite the uphill battle in this regard. One of my favorite coping mechanisms is aniblogging and diving into anime where I could relate to the characters’… Read More Anime and Mental Health Awareness Month
I stumbled upon A Silent Voice when I was at my local library in the manga section. What piqued my interest was seeing that it was a story about living with a disability, something I seldom find in Japanese fiction. A story that isn’t about trying to get senpai to notice you, but instead the… Read More A Silent Voice and the Value of Human Life
Hey everyone, Kaze here sneaking back onto this blog with a very special and exciting post! As some of you know, I’m a big fan of the Narcissu series and have written on the stories numerous times because of its inclusion of Christian faith in a very respectful, thoughtful, and accurate manner alongside serious, meaningful… Read More Interview with Tomo Kataoka
Imagine a re-telling of Death Note where Light has a conscience, Ryuk is cute, and those “lucky” few with Shinigami angels over their shoulders participate in the Holy Grail War, a la Fate Stay Night. Imagine no further. It’s a thing. Platinum End, dream duo Tsugumi Ohba’s and Takeshi Obata’s latest brainchild, hit the Jump… Read More Between the Panels: A Reason to Live (Ch. 1)
You can say that this article derives from my adherence to the principle of choosing the lesser of two evils–in this case, the lesser of two spoilers: I weighed spoiling the ending of Space Pirate Captain Harlock against revealing the death of a minor character in The Rose of Versailles. The topic of death appeared the best… Read More Examining Old School Anime: Suicide
Death Parade has been a surprise hit for me this season, though I suppose it shouldn’t have been a surprise since I loved Death Billiards (shame on me for not realizing before the air-date that they were related!). While entirely different from Mushishi, Death Parade manages to evoke some sort of deeper, emotional response featuring a… Read More Anime Today: When Anime Hits Home
It’s been a particularly busy week in spiritual stories related to anime, specifically involving organizations. Let’s get right to it! Campus Crusade for Christ (CCC) is beginning distribution of Risk Ride, a manga purposed to address those filled with hopelessness upon the one-year anniversary of the massive Japanese earthquake and possibly thinking of suicide. Illustrated… Read More Spirituality in the Anime Blogosphere: Christian Manga for Earthquake Victims, Free Will in Mirai Nikki, and Happy Science Anime!