At Midoricon 2013, I got a chance to sit down with everyone’s favorite scary YouTuber, Mr. CreepyPasta. For those who don’t know, creepypastas are stories that are posted online and spread around. Mr. CreepyPasta has done and excellent job of bringing these stories to life by reading them on his channel, which a link will…
Are Fansubs and Scanlations Piracy?
Fansubs and scanlations have been around since the late ’70s. Back then, Americans would record shows like Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica and exchange them with Japanese fans for anime. Over time, the VHS recordings would be translated and further shared with fans. Fansubbing and scanlations are the reasons why anime and manga became widely…
Rodan
Japanese monster films from the 1950s are a great watch. Rodan is a 1956 film that features detailed miniature models of Fukuoka that are demolished in great monster fashion by a pair of giant pterosaur. It all begins when miners accidentally dug up a swarm of ancient bugs known as Meganulon. The infant Rodan emerged…
Considering Unrealistic Views of Japan
Sometimes we in the manga/anime community can foster unrealistic views of Japan. Of course, manga and anime encourage these views with the likes of fan service, high school stories and more. American media, for that matter, encourages similar unrealistic views of the United States. The other day I stumbled across a Tumblr page that pokes…
Ways to Watch Anime For Free or on the Cheap
While we all love anime almost as much (for some fans it’s more than) life itself, it can be a VERY expensive hobby. With box sets being highly priced, and even single DVDs sometimes being priced highly themselves, a lot of fans may find themselves having to choose between paying the rent and eating, or…
The Sokushinbutsu, Japan’s Mummy Monks
How far would you go for your beliefs? If your faith called for it, would you give up your life? What if, to get to heaven, you were called upon to take your OWN life? Sound bizarre? To a sect of Buddhists called Shugendo it wasn’t. These monks and nuns are known now as the…