Kaguya-sama: Love is War shares a lot of similarities with Seinfeld. Seinfeld made a fuss out of nothing, such as waiting to be seated in a Chinese restaurant. Kaguya-sama does the same thing, but with a romantic twist to it. Playing a board game becomes a battle of wits and tricks to try reveal hidden…
Basho’s Travel Memoir, “The Narrow Road of the Interior”
Matsuo Basho is known for his haiku, poetry consisting of 17 syllables divided into lines of 5, 7, and 5 syllables. However, he is also famous for his travel memoirs, especially The Narrow Road of the Interior. Basho (1644-1694) was the son of a minor samurai and studied poetry, Zen Buddhism, Chinese learning, history, and Japanese literature….
5 Books Lovers of Japan Need to Read
The following list of books are must reads for those who are interested in Japanese culture, anime, and manga. This list focuses on important events and sections of Japanese culture that anime doesn’t examine. Hidden Horrors: Japanese War Crimes in World War II by Yuki Tanaka Tanaka examines little-discussed crimes against humanity Japan did against…
Why Do I Write? A Personal Post
I love books. As a kid, I’d devour every book I got my hands on, and I read far above my grade level. In fifth grade, I was reading 12th grade level. My love for learning and reading drove me to write. I scrawled stories and notes throughout my notebooks, but it wasn’t…
Ancient Appreciation for Objects: A Lesson for Modern Life
Recently, I cleaned out my wardrobe. I pulled two large garbage bags of clothes to donate. I don’t need a month’s worth of clothes that I don’t wear. However, I felt a strange reluctance to donate them. I’m attached to some because they were gifts. While I sorted, some Japanese and Ainu folklore came…
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…