My Favorite Articles to Write in 2017

I’m always a bit late with this sort of post. Well, I’m a bit late in reviewing anime too. I have a review slated for Oreimo soon, and that show is 8 years old. I had thought to post a short article about my favorite anime posts from other websites, but I’m sad to admit that I don’t spend a lot of time reading about anime on other blogs. I read articles that catch my attention in the various feeds I track, but I am pressed for time so I can’t keep my fingers on the anime community’s pulse as much as I would like. That, and I abhor Twitter. Much of the anime community has moved there it seems. However, I regularly read Manga Therapy and Beneath the Tangles. Sadly, my list of regular reads has shortened as bloggers stopped writing.

2017 marked a fun year for writing. These articles challenged me as I wrote them. I prefer a good challenge when I research.

Japan’s Hidden Christians
This is the longest article I’ve written so far. It was hard to write because of what I had to leave out. There’s a lot of history on this topic, but space is limited here. It’s hard to know what to cut. This is also my favorite article for the year. It’s a topic dear to me as a Christian. It’s hard to fathom a religion almost disappearing as Christianity did in Japan. I was fascinated by the oral traditions that survived in the Christian community.

A Look at Japanese Feminism and Misogyny
I learned quite a bit as I researched this one. I didn’t know how closely the early Japanese feminists worked with American feminists. The differences in concerns and approach also caught my interest. Sadly, misogyny is common online and comes out in some areas of the Men’s Rights groups. I’m all for men’s rights, but it isn’t a zero-sum game against women. Rather, both should have the right to choose what they wish to do.

Anime, Eating Disorders, and the Body Image of Men
Speaking of men, society doesn’t pay enough attention to male-body image problems. I didn’t realize how pervasive the problems are until I started digging into academic research. I am self-conscious about my body despite (and because of) being thin. Media pressures men just as much as women if from a different angle.

I enjoyed researching many articles in the last year. Yellow Fever – The Sexual Preference for Asian Women and Anime’s One-Piece Swimsuit Fetish and the History of Japanese Swimsuits also numbered among my favorite articles to research and write. Of course, 2017 was a good year for anime too. I actually watched a few current-season shows! I’m not sure what 2018 will bring, but if you have any article suggestions, I am always looking for ideas. Send them to me.

I’ll see you each week throughout 2018. Have a safe and auspicious year.