Both interpretations of Arete’s tale are valuable works rich with feminist themes, and looking at the different ways the different versions play them out gives insight into the potential strengths that different tones and narrative structures can hold.
This show makes me laugh, it makes me cry, but more than anything, it makes me hope. It makes me hope that no matter how bad things get, there will always be a second chance waiting just around the corner. Even two decades after the original manga began publishing, it shines just as brightly. But I’m not here to talk about how much I love Fruits Basket. Today, I’m here to explore one of its most under-discussed problems: its portrayal of queerness.
A few years ago we put out a holiday gift guide with some of our favorite indie storefronts, including a big list of Black-owned kawaii and goth/punk brands. This time around we’re spotlighting Black writers, artists, and media outlets that cover or create art inspired by Japanese pop culture. They’re all making wonderful work — […]
Vrai calls in Gundam experts Maddie and Megan to discuss the very ambitious and very queer first cour of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury!
We sat down with Ise at Otakon 2022 for a wide-ranging conversation. In the process, she touched on the increased pressure for voice actresses to be idols—an issue that also affects women in other public-facing professions—and how the slow change post-#MeToo (as well as #KuToo, a Japan-specific movement) has given more people space to come forward with their stories.
Amidst of a lot of bad news in summer 2022, one thing trans people found to celebrate was the transition of Brisket—or rather Bridget, an iconic video game character with a fraught history (in the games and in the real world) who came out as trans. But there’s a lot more to this story than many are fully aware of, and the character who defined an archetype so powerful it became a gender identity deserves to have her whole story told.
Regardless of how anyone feels about the Ghost Stories dub itself, its legacy is virtually inescapable, and it’s had a big impact on how we talk about localization and translation in anime, even to this day.
Particularly in how it integrates canonical queerness and themes of gender identity within the text, D4DJ manages to go places that very few franchises in its peer group manage to do.
Chiaki, Vrai, and Cy return with the second half of Haibane Renmei to discuss its thematic inspirations, depictions of suicide in anime, and the impactful finale.
Soaring Sky demonstrates what it means to be a hero in a solid premiere that sets the tone for another fantastic entry into the Pretty Cure franchise.
The big forerunner this season? Girls in fantasy shows!
From romance to horror, seinen to shoujo, here are the stars that shone brightest from the past year.
If you weren’t already inclined to check this one out, it’s probably worth sitting back and waiting to see how the much anticipated Uzumaki anime finally comes out.
