How often do you revisit an anime or a book? With new anime and books coming out at all times, we can get stuck on the new-and-shiny. But rewatching anime and rereading books can offer a deeper appreciation for something you enjoyed in the past. Of course, it can also lead you to ask “why…
Category: Otaku Culture
Gift Ideas for the Anime/Manga Fan in Your Life
Gift giving can be difficult. Sure, you could fall back to a gift card, and while few dislike gift cards, there’s not as much thought or feeling in them as with a selected gift. Giving a gift that aligns with a person’s interests provides a nice way to support those interests too. I will start…
6 Ways to Date Like a Samurai
Okay, the title of this article is a bit misleading. Samurai didn’t date as we do; they had arranged marriages. But there are many stories of samurai romances and dating in Japanese folklore. Although samurai were warriors, until the Edo period, they were expected to balance their war-skills with softer skills like flower arranging and…
Kokuhaku, How to Confess Your Love the Japanese Way
Kokuhaku, or love confession, isn’t easy to research. People take contemporary cultural practices for granted; such practices aren’t studied until they fall out of practice. If you do a web search for kokuhaku, you will find many articles, but I aim for academic or newspaper sources. These are scarce. In any case, like so many…
Be Curious Beyond Anime
You need hobbies beyond anime. It sounds obvious. However, I’ve encountered many people who are consumed by their interest whether it is anime or, more common to my area, sports. These people have few interests outside their field and those few interests link back to that field. Growing up, I idolized Leonardo da Vinci and…
How Can I Invest in Anime and Manga?
So, you want to learn how to invest your money in anime and manga and other Japanese companies? Why would you want to? If you live in the US, investing in these companies isn’t as easy as popping onto a stock trading platform and clicking buy. In fact, most publicly traded anime, manga, and Japanese…