Tag: Anime
Notes on “Otaku”
Every conversation about “otaku culture” begins from the assumption that there is nothing at stake. This is wrong to its core.
Godzilla: King of the Moe-blobs?
The word “moe” is synonymous with anime girls and a “cutesy” style. But what if this way of thinking is hopelessly flawed? What else can moe look like?
After Nasu: The consumption of myth as data
Our search for the Nasu copycats means it is time to expand the conversation beyond just him. We came looking for a genre, but what does that even mean?
The rise of Kinoko Nasu: A cultural autopsy
Fate/stay night and Kinoko Nasu feel like a whole genre on their own. But why aren’t there more Nasu copycats?
What Yuki Nagato and Light Yagami read
A portrait of popular Japanese literature trends leading into the early 2000s and the ascent of otakudom.
Another did it better? Mystery, cross-genre pollination, and crafting the perfect twist
The next time you encounter a twist in a big network TV drama, ask yourself why this school-life horror called Another did it all so much better.
When They Cry again, part 3
I would say, on the whole, EP3 was when I finally “got” Umineko. Some of it was vindicated from my prior complaints, but some of its problems have been exacerbated. At least, I solved the mystery.
When They Cry again, part 2
This time we’ll keep things shorter. Umineko: When They Cry has much, much more consistently well written characters than its older sibling, Higurashi.
When They Cry again, part 1
Umineko: When They Cry is good enough that I want to be reading it, not writing about it. And that is a great compliment to give any story.
When They Cry again, part 0
Higurashi: When They Cry is an enjoyable series of mystery visual novels. Although it has some weaker entries, a few standout arcs push the series towards greatness. Unfortunately, what should be the exciting climax of the story just becomes a chore in explaining away plot holes and incongruencies which have been building up arc to arc.