This article will spoil the first episode of Oshi no Ko. At first glance, Oshi no Ko appears to be another Japanese pop idol anime, but the story quickly bursts that assumption. Ai is a 16-year-old idol who was scouted by a tiny talent agency. So far, so normal. She’s pretty with a unique eye…
Category: Understanding Anime
Animation is Hard: What You Should Know About the Anime Industry
Have you thought about how the anime you watch works? Animation results from the stickiness of our minds and vision. We take this stickiness for granted, but without it animation wouldn’t work. Animation happens when a series of images are shown to us fast enough to invoke this stickiness. If you flash these still images…
Anime, the Love of Learning, and the Love of Spectacle
In Confessions, Saint Augustine contrasts the love of learning with the love of spectacle. His friend Alypius disliked the gladiatorial games of Rome. One day Alypius’s friends convinced and bullied him to join them for a round of games. The excitement of the bloodsport captured him. As Augustine wrote: “Without any awareness of what was…
Using Anime to Heal
To say the past two years of 2020-2022 has been difficult for many people doesn’t do justice. Many people have lost loved ones, suffered mental difficulties, lost income, and suffered through many other trials. Sometimes, you just need to take time to heal. If you are a long-time reader, you know I’m an advocate for…
Examining Animation: Marin’s Embarrassment
During one scene in My Dress-up Darling, Marin stands in a bikini while Wakana takes her measurements so he can make her cosplay outfits. At one point, Marin’s self-control breaks down and her embarrassment bursts forth. Let’s look at this little scene’s animation. I will be working with an animated gif that I’ve exploded into…
Can Anime Show Sexual Assault Ethically?
A reader posed the question that serves as the title for the article, along with several other difficult and important questions. Long-time readers know I’ve addressed anime’s portrayal of sexuality and fan service from many different angles. Anime sometimes has scenes of sexual assault, such as in Sword Art Online and, rather infamously, Goblin Slayer….