Despite how odd anime and manga appears, with their fan service and visual language and odd stories, they’re tame compared to Japan’s literature. I spend a fair bit of time beating up on fan-service, but fan-service doesn’t compare to shunga and the woodblock print books from the Edo period. Manga has roots in ukiyo-e, or…
Author: Chris Kincaid
Income Inequality Lessons from the Edo Period
Income inequality has been a world-wide concern in recent years. But it isn’t anything new. Unequal distribution of wealth has appeared across history, and we can look toward these periods for lessons. For example, the Italian Renaissance was funded by what we would today call the 1%. Families like the Medici lavished their wealth on…
The Dangers Behind MyAnimeList and Goodreads
We’ve been trained by the so-called free Internet to disregard the value of our information. Although this begins to change, we still don’t think anything about leaving a comment on a YouTube video or keeping our MyAnimeList pages and Goodreads lists updated. Of course, these services are useful. YouTube suggests videos I would miss otherwise….
My Sumo Foray — A Sport I Can Actually Enjoy Watching
I’m not one for sports. American football puts me to sleep. Football–soccer–does the same. I’ve never really found a sport I could get into. Too many commercial breaks. Too many rules. I’m a bit soured to sports because of the focus my hometown placed on basketball and American football. The arts were always cut before…
A Tale of Two Old Men – Choosing Our Behavior
Once, a few, few weeks ago there were two old man. One served in World War II, losing many friends to the Japanese. The other old man was drafted just as World War II ended, and he fought not against the Japanese soldiers. The man who lost friends, Clyde shall his name be, had walked…
Understanding Japanese Talismans, Amulets, and Good-luck Charms
Talismans, amulets, and good-luck charms appear throughout anime. Japan isn’t unique for having these–every culture has their own version–but Japanese charms have become a bit more international with their appearance in manga and anime. Some work similar to the American lucky-rabbit’s foot. Others are rather different. Talismans and other charms overlap with toys in Japanese…