The 5th and final part of our Neon Genesis Evangelion watchalong with Vrai, Dee, and special guests Isaac and Lizzie! It's time for the Eva Endings Extravaganza as viewers new and old reflect on their feelings about the franchise. … [Read more...] about [Podcast] Chatty AF 105: Neon Genesis Evangelion Watchalong – End of Evangelion [FINAL]
mental health
Indecent Exposure of the Soul: Trauma and recovery in Gintama
CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of depression and suicidal ideation. I think a lot about episode 17 of Gintama. It tells the story of a father, Hiraga Gengai, grieving for his son and lashing out at the senseless world that took his life, and the emptiness that followed after he finally burned out. Having lost everything, his life seemingly ruined beyond repair, he demands of … [Read more...] about Indecent Exposure of the Soul: Trauma and recovery in Gintama
After the Injury: Rediscovering my athletic identity through After the Rain’s Akira
SPOILERS for the entire After the Rain manga. When I was 13, a doctor told me that if I seriously injured my knees again, I would have to give up playing tennis. That was the first of three times I would have to stop playing. It’s a weird feeling to be told something with that much finality at such a young age, especially when you’re still discovering what your passions … [Read more...] about After the Injury: Rediscovering my athletic identity through After the Rain’s Akira
My Roommate is a Cat Provides Comfort to the Socially Anxious
Social anxiety is a mental health issue that I feel some people minimize because of the lack of any visible symptoms that others can understand. However, anime like Natsume's Book of Friends and A Silent Voice have done a great job portraying social anxiety in a relatable way. The 2019 anime series My Roommate Is A Cat can now be added to that list. … [Read more...] about My Roommate is a Cat Provides Comfort to the Socially Anxious
What We Owe to Creators: Burnout in manga artists and how to prevent it
Manga artists have done a great service for international comics. They have given readers stories like the realistic drama of Baby & Me or the surrealist existentialism of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Their work has provided emotional pathos, catharsis, and an aesthetic that has influenced people across the globe. … [Read more...] about What We Owe to Creators: Burnout in manga artists and how to prevent it
Our Dreams at Dusk and the process of healing through found families
CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of queerphobia and thoughts of suicide. SPOILERS for early events in Our Dreams at Dusk: Shimanami Tasogare. Manga was incredibly important to me as a teen. I fell in love with the various art styles and the anticipation that comes while waiting for a new volume, but that excitement began to fade as I got older. I realized I wasn’t able to … [Read more...] about Our Dreams at Dusk and the process of healing through found families
Not with a Bang, but a Letter: How Violet Evergarden rewrites traditional World War I narratives
CONTENT WARNING: This article contains general discussions of war, violence, mental illness, suicide, and post-traumatic stress. Some linked sources also contain discussion of and images of graphic violence, sexism, references to assault, and other potentially triggering topics. This article, however, takes care to not discuss this content in detail. SPOILERS for the Violet … [Read more...] about Not with a Bang, but a Letter: How Violet Evergarden rewrites traditional World War I narratives
Subaru Sumeragi and the dark side of total empathy in Tokyo Babylon
CONTENT WARNING for discussion of sexual assault, child grooming, and abuse. SPOILERS for Tokyo Babylon and X. If you have spent time reading manga and watching anime, at least for a good portion of the early 2000s, then you have heard the name CLAMP: a prolific and genre-bending group of woman creatives who began as a doujin circle in the 1980s and are tied to over two … [Read more...] about Subaru Sumeragi and the dark side of total empathy in Tokyo Babylon
Flying with Your Spirit: Independence, self-definition, and Kiki’s Delivery Service
Growing up in rural West Virginia did not provide me with specific lenses through which I might begin to believe that I could fly, that I could somehow strike out beyond that horizon-blurred border and seek myself away from what can only be described as expectation and crippling statistics. To dream was to toss plush Pokemon toys into the tall grass and wander around to find … [Read more...] about Flying with Your Spirit: Independence, self-definition, and Kiki’s Delivery Service
Fruits Basket’s Tohru Honda and her Path to Self-Acceptance
SPOILERS for the entire Fruits Basket manga. Tohru Honda, the kind-hearted, slightly oblivious heroine of Natsuki Takaya’s Fruits Basket, is a fascinating study of a self-sacrificing female character. Selfless heroines are common in anime and manga, but Tohru is particularly noteworthy because her development throughout the series serves as an example of growing up, coming … [Read more...] about Fruits Basket’s Tohru Honda and her Path to Self-Acceptance
On Your Side: Support networks in March comes in like a lion
March comes in like a lion is not always an easy show to watch. I’ve lost count of all the times it’s brought me to tears. The protagonist, Rei Kiriyama, is probably the most relatable and moving representation of anxiety and depression I’ve ever seen. He’s the one thing that brought me to this show, but he’s not the only reason I stayed. … [Read more...] about On Your Side: Support networks in March comes in like a lion
“The Courage to Speak”: Mental illness and recovery in Natsume’s Book of Friends
CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of mental illness and child abuse. SPOILERS for selected episodes of Natsume's Book of Friends. I first watched Natsume’s Book of Friends, an anime based on Yuki Midorikawa’s shoujo manga of the same name, about two years ago. I was in tears throughout most of the experience and it quickly became one of my favorite anime of all time. I … [Read more...] about “The Courage to Speak”: Mental illness and recovery in Natsume’s Book of Friends
The Trauma of Velvet Crowe: Finding myself in Tales of Berseria
CONTENT WARNING for discussions of child abuse, alcoholism, and suicide. SPOILERS for the entirety of the Tales of Berseria game. Velvet Crowe’s home town is bathed in blood-red moonlight as the Scarlet Night floods the earth with the darkness in people’s hearts. Many turn into daemons, start fires, and kill others as despair claws at them. Off in the … [Read more...] about The Trauma of Velvet Crowe: Finding myself in Tales of Berseria
Finding Inner Magic: Depression in The Ancient Magus’ Bride
CONTENT WARNING: Discussions of depression, self-harm, trauma, and emotional abuse. SPOILERS for the entire Ancient Magus' Bride anime. At first glance, Chise's life looks golden. She's blessed with innate magical powers that can bring her inner desires to fruition. She's provided room and board by one of the best mages in the world. Practically every person she comes … [Read more...] about Finding Inner Magic: Depression in The Ancient Magus’ Bride
By returning to their roots, Dark Magical Girls could provide hope
CONTENT WARNING: Brief references to abuse (physical, emotional, and sexual). SPOILERS for Sailor Moon S, Heartcatch Precure, and Revolutionary Girl Utena. In recent years, “dark” magical girl characters have become not just an archetype in shoujo but an entire subgenre of anime and manga. With gratuitous violence and an emphasis on suffering, the dark magical … [Read more...] about By returning to their roots, Dark Magical Girls could provide hope
My trans experience with My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
CONTENT WARNING for discussion of depression, self-harm, sex work, and transphobia; NSFW images. SPOILERS for the entirety of My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness. It is so rare to pick a piece of fiction off the shelf that speaks to your Otherness and to truly connect with it. As a trans woman, I more often than not feel disappointed after opening my soul up to … [Read more...] about My trans experience with My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness
From Yandere Girlfriends to Social Anxiety: Handling mental illness in The Future Diary and A Silent Voice
CONTENT WARNING for discussion of child abuse, assault, bullying, attempted suicide, and NSFW images. SPOILERS for The Future Diary and A Silent Voice. Mental illness is a part of life for many people. According to a 2017 report in The Guardian, depression is considered to be one of the leading causes of disability worldwide. There are over 300 million people who live … [Read more...] about From Yandere Girlfriends to Social Anxiety: Handling mental illness in The Future Diary and A Silent Voice
Makoto Kageyama discusses mental health issues in Japan and anime
CONTENT WARNING: Discussion of depression, suicide, and societal prejudice against the mentally ill. The recent controversy around Logan Paul’s decision to film the bodies of the dead in Aokigahara forest has opened up discussion about Japan’s mental health crisis and the ways in which a lot of western culture has diminished, fetishized, or othered that issue. Makoto … [Read more...] about Makoto Kageyama discusses mental health issues in Japan and anime
[Feature] Escapism and healing in Recovery of an MMO Junkie
Recovery of an MMO Junkie is a bit of a misleading title. Looking at this romantic comedy by name and genre alone, it seems at first to be about its geeky protagonist, Morioka Moriko, getting pried away from her addiction to online games and finding happiness (and perhaps some good ol’ romance) in the real world. Instead, MMO Junkie gives us a story about finding happiness and … [Read more...] about [Feature] Escapism and healing in Recovery of an MMO Junkie
My Fave is Problematic: Kare Kano
CONTENT WARNING for discussions of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, as well as romanticized pedophilia. SPOILERS for the entire Kare Kano manga series. I was in middle school when I first got ahold of Volume 1 of Masumi Tsuda’s Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou, often shortened to Kare Kano and released in English as His and Her Circumstances (or Kare Kano: His and Her … [Read more...] about My Fave is Problematic: Kare Kano