The year 2026 marks a milestone anniversary for JP. I’ve been writing at least one post a week for 15 years, totaling well over 1 million words. That’s hard to believe! Of course, I’ve studied animation for even longer, well into 25 years now. Over that course of time, I’ve seen animation in general and…
Meandering Musings I: A Selection of My Poetry
I’m a prose writer, but I dabble in bad poetry. Most of it are wordplay experiments and free writing that isn’t worth showing to anyone. Although I’ve read Robert Frost, Shakespeare, and many Western poets, Japan’s poetry resonates with me more. Japan favors succinct, symbol-coded poems that follow differing syllable patterns. The musical nature of…
Violet Evergarden: Revisiting a Great Anime
Some stories linger for years after you experience them, floating within your mind like glittering snowflakes, touching your thoughts and actions in ways you can’t quite see. And yet you sense something has tinted your life’s painting more vivid where desaturated pigments once dominated, creating a more vibrant glaze that hints at how your mind…
The Anime Love Handbook: Learn How to Avoid Romance In A Few Simple Steps
If you want your love for someone to remain in the static gray area or unrequited, anime has the guide for you! The steps within this handbook will ensure you too can remain in the perpetual will-they-won’t-they zone! You too can remain indecisive and string romantic interests along, creating a space for perpetual confused connection….
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity
Anime and manga don’t shy away from gentle, charming stories. And sometimes at the end of the day, a gentle slice-of-life story about friendship and love is just what the doctor ordered. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is one of those stories. I will spoil the story in this article: this is one I…
“Never Accepting What You Want,” One of the Themes of Urusei Yatsura
Urusei Yatsura stands as Rumiko Takahashi’s first serialized work. Rumiko, if you aren’t familiar with her, is one of the most influential manga artists: her career spans from 1978 to today. She created a range of works, including Inuyasha. Urusei Yatsura ran as an anime series in the 1980s and was remade in 2022. Urusei…