Pokemon Brilliant Diamond remakes Pokemon Diamond on the Nintendo DS. I hadn’t played Diamond, so I went into Brilliant Diamond blind. This is my preferred way of playing video games. I was a gamer before the Internet was public. I grew up making my own maps for The Legend of Zelda and other games. So…
The Ending of Cowboy Bebop
[This post contains spoilers. I suggest you go watch Cowboy Bebop] When it comes to a classic story like Cowboy Bebop, what can I write that hasn’t been written? Not much of anything, really. Unlike the ending of its spiritual sequel, Samurai Champloo (which I like more than Cowboy Bebop, I might add), Cowboy Bebop…
What Makes Anime, Anime?
It used to be anime was animation from Japan. That was why in the old, pre-Internet days it was often called Japanimation. It was known for being stiff, but super detailed and naturalistic compared to the more cartoony and exaggerated American animation. Animation was, after all, for children. Then Akira and Ghost in the Shell…
Is Anime a High Art?
Can we consider anime a high art? Before we can answer this question, we have to define what high art means. High art typically involves works of art that stand the test of time. They can include music, opera, literature, music, and the visual arts. High art contains messages or moves people. Most of all,…
The Experience of Rewriting Japanese Folklore for Modern Readers
My work Tales from Old Japan: Folktales and Legends from the Land of the Rising Sun proved to be a 4-year writing challenge. It’s my most ambition project so far, and one that I felt inadequate doing. The goal was to collect every Japanese folktale available in English and rewrite them for modern readers. I…
Anime’s Bad Story Telling Habits
Anime has problems with its story telling habits. Habits we as fans often take for granted. It’s just how anime is, we say when we notice these problems. We overlook them. But in the end, these habits of anime–killing tension, breaking world rules, escalation of power, getting lost in complexity, flashbacks, and undoing everything–are just…