Asian Kung Fu Generation must have some friends in anime production world. Their songs have been used in hit shows like “Bleach”, “Naruto”, and “Full Metal Alchemist”, and I’m sure that didn’t hurt sales of their music....
The third trait of a “wapanese” person (“the term used to describe a person of non-japanese descent … who is incredibly obsessed with Japanese things”), according to the Urban Dictionary, is that they “Halfheartedly [study the]...
I’ve been mostly incommunicado for the past 5 days, not adding blog posts, not really tweeting on Twitter, and definitely not answering my phone. So where have I been? I have been in what is as close to an otaku’s/Japanophile’s paradise as you can...
If you’ve ever spent any time in Corporate America, you’ve run into people just like them. The utterly useless executive, who earns a lot of money to accomplish very little. The self-important admin assistant, who thinks that because she’s the...
I know what I prefer when I watch an anime, J-drama, or Japanese movie, but I’d like to hear what you prefer. So, how about it? Do you prefer animes, J-dramas, and movies in their original language with subtitles? Or do you prefer English (or whatever your...
I apologize for the delay in putting up a new post. Work, that necessary but evil aspect of life, has kept me quite busy. I am currently working on a review of Austin Book’s manga section as well as a review of local plushie producer nottaTOY. Those reviews...
If you’re a fan of Japanese music here in the States, you face a more difficult challenge getting your fix than anime and manga fans face. There just isn’t a good, American-based distribution channel (that I’m aware of) for J-Rock or J-Pop....
The more I dig into the otaku and Japanophile culture here in Austin, the more I feel like a novice. Despite a couple of decades of reading Japanese literature and watching Japanese cinema, I find so many more people who know so much more than I do. Such was the case...
When it comes to talented showmanship and range, I’d say very few performers come close to Gackt. This live performance of “Kalmia” (from his Rebirth album) and “Cube” (from the Kimi no tame ni dekiru koto album) really shows off his...
Nestled between the Dragon’s Lair Comic Book Store and Turquoise Trading Post in a low-key strip mall along Burnet Road in Austin is a quaint, family-owned Japanese grocery store named Asahi Imports. It boasts, rightfully so, that it is the only Japanese grocery...
