A recent post by lostty over on Anime Princess discussed the ever prominent fan activity of bashing anime’s many weak-willed male leads. lostty considers most hate for these guys “unjust.” I tend to agree and would like to examine why…
What makes a good introductory anime?
November 25, 2011 by 41 Comments
A common question among anime fans is what titles would be good for introducing someone to anime. It’s actually something I haven’t given much thought to since all my friends are into anime themselves or at least familiar with it. So, for the person who doesn’t have a clue about anime but is willing to watch, what would be good titles to show them?…
How important is an anime’s length?
November 21, 2011 by 39 Comments
While the majority of anime series are 12 to 26 episodes long, some could extend to 50, 70, or even hundreds of episodes (not to mention titles with a continuing story across multiple seasons). I’ve heard fans complain when a series is too short. I’ve heard fans complain when a series is too long. But is there really a “perfect” number of episodes for anime?
The pros and cons of complicated anime fantasy
November 13, 2011 by 15 Comments
Take any anime that isn’t primarily in the slice-of-life genre and chances are it has its fair share of fictional terminology and a family-tree of subplots worthy of any extensive Wikipedia page. From large casts of characters, constantly shifting plots, and a dictionary’s worth of made-up fantasy terms for the anime’s own unique setting, items, politics, and history, anime is constantly pushing the boundaries of what defines an engrossing and passionately detailed fantasy world…
Anime art styles
November 9, 2011 by 30 Comments
One of the many things that makes anime stand out among other forms of media is the sheer variety of art styles that exist within the medium. From the sharp lines of shonen and fluffiness of shojo, to the dark hues of sci-fi and the brightness of moe, anime entails an amazing variety of character designs and artistic elements to match anyone’s tastes. So what have I found about my tastes in terms of anime art styles…
Are you ever too old for kids anime?
October 27, 2011 by 49 Comments
Kids anime like Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh! was the first kind of anime I watched and my gateway into becoming the major fan that I am today. Many of us share a similar story in that watching dubbed kids anime on TV when we were younger was what began our anime fandom. But as we’ve grown older and discovered more “adult” anime, the appeal of the kids anime we used to love has faded for most of us. For me however, I’m still very much a fan of kids anime…
My favorite anime character trope – examining the tsundere
October 23, 2011 by 38 Comments
Naming one’s favorite anime series or characters isn’t hard, but favorite anime character trope isn’t something we always think about, nor is it something an anime fan necessarily has. As a matter of fact, tropes could be something an anime fan dislikes since they’re likely to go hand-in-hand with cliches and pandering. But for those of us who don’t mind having our tastes catered to once in a while, we can’t help but notice character tropes in anime, and perhaps appreciate one…
6 things that have increased in anime over the past decade
October 19, 2011 by 29 Comments
A few months ago I wrote a post about six things that have disappeared from anime over the past decade. Today I’m doing a follow-up to that topic with six things that have increased in anime over the past decade…
Anime high schoolers and a clean appearance
October 7, 2011 by 44 Comments
Anyone who’s seen at least a few anime that take place in a modern day high school, or even middle school, have probably noticed something different about the appearance (besides the school uniforms) of the students there compared to those in America and perhaps other Western countries – specifically what I had in mind was a lack of physical beautifying such as make-up, hair dying, jewelry, and tattoos…
Cats and dogs in anime and Japan
September 29, 2011 by 33 Comments
There’s certainly no shortage of cats in anime, whether as major or minor characters. Disregarding the ever popular cat-girl, I can list quite a few anime cats off the top of my head. When it comes to anime dogs however…I have more trouble thinking of some. I wonder why that is since, according to a recent Japan Times article, both cats and dogs seem to be equally popular in Japan as pets, with dogs outnumbering cats in some cases…